Cash money...

So. $15,000.00. In the bank.

Stoked!

Now I can return to university when I am ready to do so...stress free. Well, money related stress anyway!

That is the first checkpoint in my money saving adventure - though I think I have modified it some since I have made my plans to travel the world.

The next checkpoint is at $25,000.00 - which I am hoping (optimistically) to have saved by the end of the year. I think that additional 10 g's will go into RRSP's of some sort.

Come January, all my money will be going into the travel fund. Hpefully, I will be able to save up another $20,000.00 from January 2009 until the end of August 2009. It will take some work, but it is plausible, as long as I budget properly and avoid frivelous spending...

Anyway. I am proud of myself. This is the most money I have ever had. It feels great!

Oh, and before I forget...

Step one: Open Limewire (or your equivalent music downloading program).

Step Two: Search: Artist - Coldplay / Song Title: Living in Technicolor.

Step Three: Listen to song while imagining yourself doing something you have always wished you could do.

Step Four: Do it. For real.

If this song can inspire someone else like it has inspired me, I have a duty to help make that happen.

goodbye canada!

It is amazing how good it feels to smile.

While at work two nights ago, I made an effort to cheer 'grumpy cody' up as he sulked around the kitchen for no apparent reason. The contest: See who can smile for longer. It was funny at first. Funny because we were all forcing ourselves to look content... happy even. But with each glance into the kitchen I saw Cody, washing dishes, with a huge - though presumably forced - smile upon his face. The more I saw this, the more my smile became genuine. The more people noticed that my forced grin had become real, the faster theirs followed suit.

Within minutes, the attitude of the entire kitchen had changed. Work was fun. Fun to the point where I've had the staff that was on that night calling me each night since, asking if anyone wanted the night off, as they wanted to come into work.

And work aside, I find myself walking down the street these days, my face adorned by a toothy simper, or I find myself driving, too or from Lou's most often, just beaming... about nothing and everything at the same time. 

I just read all of that back to myself, and I realized how lame it actually sounds. The truth is though, that I really don't care. My mood as of late, and my choice and willingness to be happy, and let everyone know this through my facial expression - it feels fucking incredible. It feeds off itself.

Seriously.

Try it.

Spend one day smiling. Even if you aren't happy. Just smile. Force it. It'll take hold eventually, and you will see the change - in people around you, in how people approach and talk to you, and then, in your own mood. I really do believe that happiness is contagious. So I will do my best to spread it around when I am able.

On a completely different note. I will be leaving the country... for a while.

Lou and I have decided to go away, for a year, maybe longer. 

The details of the trip are in the works, and we have a lot of ideas to hash out. As well, we have some immigration issues to tend to - in terms of her status in Canada, and what effects that leaving will have on her visa here, as well as her eligibility to return to Canada after our trip, if we choose to do so.

The plan as of right now. Leave at the end of next summer - spend two weeks in Japan, one week in Thailand, and one week in Vietnam - before ending up in Australia. Two months in oz - the first in Brisbane with Lou's family - the second traveling about the country. We will then return to Canada for a week or so, in order to re-group, re-organize, and re-pack, before taking off to the U.K. Our plan is to settle somewhere there for the winter months, securing work and accommodations. While much research is left to be done, we are leaning towards Northern England or Scotland. Maybe Edinburgh.

If all goes well, we will hopefully be able to save a bit of money during the winter, and come mid-March, we will hit the rails.

Our goal is to visit every country in Europe. This will take a few months.

After our European travels, its off to Africa. There are some great opportunities to do volunteer work in Africa. We plan to try to set up work there first, however their are opportunities through an organization called CADIP to help out with different projects all over the place. It's awesome too, because they don't all focus around building and development. Many of the projects are aimed at increasing awareness of the issues within a given environment, and some focus on cultural exchange, where you are working directly with youth.

Anyway, that is the plan as of this moment, it is bound to change some, but I think we're pretty set on most of the things I have mentioned. Stoked. But now I must return to work, I've got a smiling contest to get back to!

a month in review...

When you look into the mirror...what do you see?

The reality is that we look into the mirror numerous times each day. The question is...do we pay any attention to exactly what it is we are looking at?

More importantly - do we understand WHO it is that is staring back at us?

I looked into the mirror tonight and realised that the person staring back at me is someone so incredibly different than the person whom would have been staring back as little as a year ago...

I am proud of that.

I feel that I have progressed so much as a human being in the last 10 months that it is almost hard to comprehend. I look different. I act different. I feel different. I am different - all in the best of ways.

I set out to makes some changes. Though, when I set out, I didn't quite know what changes those would be exactly. Changes to my lifestyle have given way to changes to my diet and overall health. These modifications to my diet and overall health have given way for changes to the way I think. And changing the way I think has had an immense effect on my personality. I have, in some way or another, created a cycle of optimism and positivity that feeds off itself.

My life is amazing.

It would be much too daunting a task to re-cap everything of significance since my last post. And touching quickly on the fact that it has been exactly 36 days since that particular post - I have learned something quite important. When I set out with this blog, my intention was to force myself to update daily. I suppose my logic was that a daily post would ensure that I was pushing myself each day towards a new experience. I think that sometimes, when you just let go a little, life can kind of whisk you away for a while - and if or when this happens, you must let it whisk away. You cannot ask it to hold on, while you share stories of the whisk. Nor can you ask it to slow its pace you can take it all in. You just let it whisk. And, if everything goes well, you sit down afterwards and reflect a little (or a lot). I think now that I understand this I won't need to strive for a daily update. Perhaps just when I feel the need (though, for the sake of consistency, I will try for once a week as best as I am able).

The last month of my life has definately been one of those 'whisks'. And I think a blog of written reflection based around the last month of my life might actually take the NEXT month of my life for me to write - but I'll do what I can.

In the last month: I climed a mountain. I fell down that mountain. I painted a picture. I became a brother in-law. I gave a speech. I said I love you. I went on a road trip. I surfed. I laughed. I bonded. I learned. I saved and I spent. I worked. I relaxed. I made a list. And I flew a kite.

I took pictures too...

A week in review...

While I guess I have failed at keeping this blog current, I have most definitely not failed when it comes to the purposes of keeping this at all. 

I have not posted anything since last weekend, but I will do what I can to get this up to date right now, I will re-group, and I will take yet another stab at posting daily. 

Anyhow, here goes...

Last Sunday's challenge was a quest to hunt down some items on Lou's list of things that are abundant and available at home in Australia, but near impossible to find here in Vancouver. Items to find: self raising flower, loose leaf black tea, milo (chocolate drink mix), ginger nut biscuits & mint slices (or the closest alternatives). I found them all - done and done.

The week was a bit of a blur, and I don't recall anything too interesting that is completely worth re-telling. I did however put my cooking skills to work more than once. Lou was impressed I think! I hired a new busser at work, and am quite pleased so far at here attitude and effort. Nothing is worse than a new hire who sucks shit...

Lou met me after work on Friday night and we went out for a bite to eat - I proceed to aid in making her an hour late for work on Saturday morning. Though, today will be her last day at Mantique, so it was not much of a worry for her. 

With Saturday came a good challenge. We laid the tiles in Shaun's kitchen. When I made it out there they were nearly half done. After a bit of a break and a trip to home depot for additional mortar mix, we finished the floor off. I was quite pleased with out handy work once again, seeing as none of us had really done such work before. Saturday night concluded with a BBQ at my place with Ashlee & Tony's friends - in anticipation for the wedding I suppose. Good times.

After seeing Lou off to work on Sunday, I took off down to bellingham for a few hours with Cody. We didn't find him an iPhone - but we had a good time none the less. I bought some Abba Zaba's so I am more than content.

I will conclude with Sunday night - easily the best night of my week/weekend. As of today, Lou and I have been together for 1 month. While I don't usually wish to make too big a deal out of this 'milestone', I did want to surprise here with something. Flowers and a Futurama game that I found in the states did he trick I would say. We had an awesome night together walking through kit's to Granville island. A nice meal at Bridges right on the dock. A walk along the beach on the way back. Back at Lou's I got my Vegemite fix and watched Juno.

Though I stayed a little late, not arriving home until nearly 5:30am - I would say my sleep deprived self today finds that the late night was well worth it.

I guess the week as a whole wasn't all that challenging, but within my endeavors laid those small and unique challenges that you often over look. In the end, I feel great about the last week, and am excited for what is to come!

I think though, in my tired state, my ideas may not be as coherent as I am hoping, so I am going to end this here.

Bike Ride #2

For the second Saturday in a row now, I have gone on a bike ride. Today, I got Cody out with me!

Today I rode from home, out to North Van to meet Cody, then we continued on through to West Van, across the bridge and through Stanley Park, to Kitsilano, then home. Much the same as the ride Robbie & I did last weekend, though I started from home rather than West Vancouver.  

I am tired. My legs are a little sore. I feel incredible.

In total the ride was about 31 miles, or 51 km's. Needless to say, I am pretty pleased with myself. Thats one step closer to doing a 100 km ride before the summer is done with. Below is the route I took - points A & I are home...

Robbie and I now have plans to ride out to Matt's cabin in Deroche, hopefully soon. That trip is around 80 km's. Though, judging by the way my legs feel currently, I think that I may need to do a little more training before we take it on.

Helping People...

So. Today is my birthday. Usually a fairly uneventful day for me. Today has been good though. A lot of birthday wishes have come my way, and its not even half over yet. Robbie even made me a card and taped it to the door of my work this morning along with a slew of balloons. That made my morning!

Something happened yesterday though, that really moved me, and that it what I want to share with you right now.

There is a fellow named Loni that frequents the plaza where I worked. I don't know for sure if he is homeless or not, but I would assume so. We have been helping him out for some months now, actually, perhaps years, as he used to come around when Norm owned the restaurant. Anyway, he pops in from time to time, and we have him what pop bottles and cans we have accumulated. I have always felt like there is something that sets Loni aside from most other homeless people you might come across. He is always extremely polite. He waits in the lobby until all the customers have been helped before letting us know he is there. He often brings in what change he has saved up to buy a drink or something to eat, when money is good of course. It's as if the hard times in which he lives his life have strengthened his moral values. He hasn't become cynical or jaded like most do, but has become more appreciative and thankful for everything people do for him.

When I can, I try to hook him up with lunch, if I've got food to spare. I did so yesterday when he came by for the bottles. He did his usual tip of the hat, while he touched his chest, showing me his gratitude, and he was off. Only yesterday, he returned a few minutes later, and handed me a note. I've posted it below.

It's nothing too profound, but the simple fact that he took the time to write that and bring it to me meant a hell of a lot. There, on that paper, is solid proof that going out of your way for another person really can have an effect on their life. That display of gratitude was that best (early) birthday present I could have asked for. 

BIKE RIDE!

So. In place of our postponed hike in Chilliwack - Robbie and I decided we should go for a bike ride. Our first choice would have been to head out on road bikes, but due to some needed repairs, we opted to trek out on our BMX's. We started in West Van after taking my mom the truck so she could get home after shopping. We went from Park Royal, over the Lions Gate, around the Sea Wall, through English Bay, over to Kits - down to Jericho Beach... after a quick stop to see Lou at work, we made our way home. All in all, a GREAT ride. A little tough on BMX's, but thats alright! Close to 36km's in total! And our ride home from Kits only took an hour and a half, including a stop for a burrito at budgies. Good times! A challenge though for sure! Next ride, we want to hit 50 clicks... and by the end of the summer, we're hoping to have tackled a 100km ride!

In other news, our rental car is booked for our trip to California in July. Matt, Robbie, Taylor and I - 10 day road trip - can't wait! Now we've just got to plan out what we want to see and accomplish on the trip! I've seen my fair share of California, but not really had a chance to see it with those guys, and also not been there off tour in a while. July is going to be an incredible month! And Lou is going to come with me to Ashlee's wedding earlier in July, which is pretty awesome as well. Robbie and Matt will be there for the wedding too even.

I'm feeling like I should paint something. Strange because I've never painted anything before. Cody has some paints and some canvases laying around at his place. We're going to paint some stuff soon. It's going to be rad!

Also - Cody finished the Broadway Calls kit. It looks incredible! Go peep that shit!

CAMPING!

So this weekend we went camping for Tony's stag. Good times. Not the best weather, but it didn't rain too much, so that was something to be thankful for I suppose. We spent our time doing man things. Throwing knives. Shooting guns. That sort of thing. I made a deal with Christian - he had to light one of his farts on fire. He succeeded...therefor, I went swimming in the river. It was cold.

I came to a realization on this trip. Actually, that is a lie. This is something I have known and been confident in for some time now. I am referring to the importance of balance. Balance in every sense of the word, and balance applied to everything in our lives. I cannot and will not say that I know the point to this life we are living. I will say however, that the key to living well and being happy is balance. A balance between fun and responsibilities. A balanced diet. A balance between giving your time to others, and saving your time for yourself. Balance is the key to everything in life - or at least that is how I like to think of it. Try it! Focus on keeping things balanced. Budget your time, and leave yourself with the ability to control you time a little more. Make an effort to create a balanced lifestyle, avoiding doing anything in excess for it may cause the scales to tip and create unwanted stress.

I am not exactly certain what about this past camping trip brought me to this conclusion, but something about taking myself away from the usual things that take up my time - work, friends, family, technology - it just shifted my focus if only for a moment. It was enough to bring this idea back to the forefront of my mind - and I think I want to push a little more towards balance when I can.

Anyway - the hike this weekend might be pushed back a little. Too much snow still. Its June! Whats with the snow! Geeze!

Here are some are a couple pictures of the weekend. The fire made for some good fun with pictures and slow shutter speeds!

Word.

Meet The Parents...

Well. Just one of them actually...

Lou's mum is in town for 2 weeks, visiting Vancouver for her first time. Tonight, I will meet her. I am excited, but a little nervous too. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that Lou has made a fairly overwhelming impression on my family. They really like her. Not only do I need to impress Lou's mom, she will be my only link back to the rest of the family. Her impression of me will directly reflect that feelings that her dad and two brothers will develop - and being that her brothers are, well, my age, a little caution in accepting their sister's new boyfriend is inevitable. 

Tonight, I will take them to Sweet Revenge for desert and tea. Lou liked that place a lot, and figures her mum will enjoy it equally.

Anyway!

With a lot of my time being spent out and about lately, I am finding it hard to keep up with this blogging business (as I touched on previously). I figure it better though to slip on the blogging, and really enjoy my free time. It's a fair trade I would say. The challenges I am presenting to myself sometimes get masked in my day's activities, to the point where I am spending the last few minutes of my day in reflection, trying to recognize those things that were a challenge, and to extract what positive lessons I can from them.

Saturday - I finally got my shit together and began (once again) working towards getting the VW tuned up and road worthy. I got it started at least, so I know it runs. Though, I am still working through some electrical issues... My bigger challenge for the day went as follows: I realized, with Lou's help, that I rarely try new things when it comes to dining out. I frequent the same restaurant's and order the same dish quite often. I stick with what I like. So Saturday night, Lou and I tried something new. 'The Reef' - a Caribbean style place on commercial drive. Not bad. I'm not in a hurry to go back per se, but I'm sure I will make a return at some point. Lou's challenge for the day - try to deal with the spiciness of Caribbean style food. She did pretty good! We are now on a mission to discover a new restaurant to take everyone out to. Matt and Lindsay tend to make most of the discoveries. It's our turn bitches!

Sunday - I accompanied Lou to work on the bus. Though our timing was a little off, and I resorted to calling a cab for part of the trip, we got her there on time... early even! While Lou got started, I made it my mission to get her breakfast. I realized something in doing this. Life has become so fast paced, that we as a society gravitate way too much towards things that are convenient. Things that are quick and 'easy'. I hate this. It's unsettling that there are intersections in Vancouver where 2 out of the 4 street corners are home to a Starbucks. In my hunt for breakfast, I refused to walk the 15 steps to Walmart for a muffin, some green tea, and a banana. Instead, I purchased the fruit and tea from a small asian produce market, clearly family run - the muffin from a small bakery further down the road, and made a stop in search of Vegemite at an Iranian grocery store. The man there was very nice, and told me they did have Vegemite. He was confused. They did not. Bummer. My last stop...Starbucks. I had the girl give me a cup and some hot water, for free, which I then brewed my own tea in, while she watched. Stickin' it to the man! 

Monday - during a day of work, it is far too easy to become lost in routine. While my day was productive, it really didn't find me any any new or interesting situations. My challenge, however, was to confront my boss on his shoddy clean up the night before. I let things slide a lot. I prefer to put in the extra work myself, and avoid the confrontation. Today, I let him know that I need it to be more organized and tidy in the morning, or doing my job well becomes much more taxing. He appreciated my honesty, and will do better. Silly Dan Turner.

Tuesday - work, again, was the same. Productive, yet uneventful. Though, I must find a new way to deal with Marco. A good worker, who makes a good effort, but falls a little short. I don't believe that he isn't trying, he just needs more focus. My goal for the week, figure out a new way to energize the guy. I'm growing frustrated of working with him, and it shows in me being a bit of an asshole. I don't like being an asshole, so to the drawing board I go. Also - the post work bike rides have begun again. I took some time  off to nurse my quads back to health after running down the chief. 

That about brings things back up to speed. This weekend, camping for Tony's stag, and dinner with Lou and her mom. The goals: Build a sweet shelter while camping, and find a great italian place for dinner on sunday. I'll keep you posted on my progress, also, expect pictures. Oh, and the next hike: June 14th, Mt. Cheam. Peak = 2112 meters. 9.5km round trip. STOKED!

Rain City Custom Drums!

So. I've been letting my blogging responsibilities slide. I will do better from now on, I promise.
I guess staying out until 4am with a certain pretty girl has kept me away from other things, but she's more than worth the lack of sleep!

Anyway. I have a creative endeavor to share! My very good friend Cody Beer has started up a custom drum company. I think this is exactly what he needs. I think it may be his calling, and I am extremely excited to see the places that he takes this whole thing! I put together a little logo for them, and was quite pleased that all persons involved loved it. So much in fact that you may soon see it on kick drums across the world!

This shit is going to be huge. I can feel it!

The Chief!

So we hiked The Chief in Squamish today. It was a pretty tough hike, but it wasn't as long as I had expected. The view from the top was incredible - I recommend going if you have the opportunity. Robbie and I decided to run our way back down from the top. The trip up took just over an hour... Our run down took us about 20 minutes. My legs hurt. I swear, the more I do this working out/active living thing, the better I feel. I can honestly say that I'm in the best shape of my life right now and it feels amazing!

Here are some pictures fools!

Good really does get better...

Lately, I have been really trying to appreciate the little things in life. Those wonderful simplicities that are easy to overlook, but the ones that, when you take the time to appreciate them, they make you feel amazing. So yesterday, I took a nap in the park. Like Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn would have most certainly done, I found comfort in the shade of a tree, and got some rest. I tend to feel on weekends like I should spend all of my time doing something. Yesterday, I took just a little bit of time to do nothing at all. 

This weekend has been great. Lou and I are hanging out more and more, and while I am doing my best to take all of this as slow as possible, I cannot help but feel that this could really end up being something great. As scary as it is, being that her home is on the other side of the world, I can't find a reason to not let this play out as it will. My friends seem to like her. My family likes her. She's perfect! And she's gorgeous to boot! Hiking in the Lynn Canyon was the best idea I've had all year.

Moving on...

For the last 624 days of my life I have kept a picture in my wallet. This picture was a reminder of the time when I last felt that life couldn't get better. It was of a girl, who at a time, I felt I would be with forever. I was almost certain of this. But then everything changed... She broke my heart... not because she wanted to do so, but because it had to be done. 

Today, I took that picture out of my wallet. Not because I am ready to forget, but because I am finally ready to move on.

It's about time I'd say.

Good energy = Good times

This week has been pretty incredible. I can't lie.

While my intention is not to make this a space for me to gush, I think that I must recognize how good I have been feeling lately. It is becoming more and more evident to me that positive thinking and physical well being both relate directly to a positive and healthy reality. I'm realizing that doing something as simple as focus on positive energy all the time tends to create a positive energy about you - and this really does affect everyone you come in contact with. But now I'm starting to sound like some sort of spiritual health guru, which I am not. I have taken the last few days off from really challenging myself in a specific sense however. Or, I suppose the challenges haven't stopped, I've just been too busy to reflect upon them. Which still goes again this blog's purpose in more ways than one. I don't think a recap of this weeks happenings will do much for anyone but myself as well. SO. I take this as a lesson and a push to pick it back up again.

(It's kind of funny how I tend to write this as if I am writing to an audience... When really, I don't make a large effort to see that anyone reads it...)

Here is an interesting idea though, that I think goes hand in hand with a lot of the goals behind me doing this whole blog deal. Each night when you go to sleep, take a minute to recap your entire day, making a mental (or physical) list of everything good that happened to you. They can be a simple or as grandiose as you wish, just make a list, and make it positive. Try it!

I also hope to fill tomorrow with new experiences. As many as I can. Expect a barrage of blogging action soon. It's definitely on it's way.

To cap this one off. Here is today's list (even though it is now 4:29am):

- I was on time for work this morning.
- Everyone at work was in a good mood today, which made for a pretty good day at work.
- I got to see my sister on my break today (which was rad because I don't see her often enough)
- The night at work went smoothly - clean up was quick and good.
- Went on my 2nd date with Lou tonight and had an amazing time.

Word.