Damn 2018 you have been a very interesting year of growth & lessons.


TRAVEL
travel wasn't that big for me this year because I started a new job where getting away was a lot harder as well as I was focusing more on work & saving which was good. I still made it out to Connecticut & New York in one trip & just went to LA a few weeks ago. I didn't write a blogpost for LA because so much went wrong & it was just a very stressful trip when it was supposed to be my escape from my stressful life & crazy work schedule. Regardless I went, learned a lot & know that it's a place a will definitely be back for a better trip. If you know me I always got a trip planned every year so next year shall hopefully be the beginning of a whole year of #noshittyvacays because I am over it; I want nice stories to tell people.




  

FITNESS
gym life was amazing this year; I explored sooo many new gyms as well as found even more places to try. I was playing the game of trying out a new studio every month on their intro deal because it was cheaper as well as to find a place I enjoyed. If you go to the top or the side of my blog there should be a fitness link with all my posts you can read about. I however haven't worked out in about 4 months because my schedules didn't align & then I got injured & am not allowed to do anything until I am healed ugh. there are sooo many places I still have to try that are different types of workouts as well so stay tuned for that next year.






FOOD
I got to try quite a few new places this year as well as make some foodies friends who enjoyed the life where you live to eat. I also found so many new places I am dying to eat at as well & will be giving myself a challenge every month so I can get out & try new things. One person who I am so grateful for is my friend Melissa from @mels.hangry.table who brought me into this foodie world when I met so many cool people, got to go to media events as well & learned so much about the foodie instagram world.

PERSONAL GROWTH 
One thing I'm really happy with is that I didn't let people stop me too much from doing things that I wanted to do & they didn't. I'm way too grown to be worried about what people think about how people look doing things by themselves & not doing the things I want. I have so many things that I want to experience & if everyone I know ain't interested that's their issue not mine cause I am still gonna be there with or without people. I got to go to a concert, yoga festival, & NYC solo dolo as well as attended quite a few exercise classes at many different places.

I also made friends with a new girl who I literally talk to everyday or it don't feel right as well as friends with my co workers from a job I started at the beginning of this year; they cool enough for me to hang out with them outside of work. I also have been surrounded all year around people who have big dreams & goals which motivates me to do better & want to reach my goals as well. It helps too when they are supportive & push me to do the things I doubt my capabilities on. I learned a lot about what healthy friendships & what they look like which made me reevaluate everyone I keep around myself; if they don't value you, care, check up on you, celebrate your wins with you they might not deserve majority of your time.

So thank you 2018 for teaching me all the lessons & becoming the wake up ear I needed to get my life in gear. this also happened to be my quarter mid life realization that my 20s are almost over & no more fucking around. I learned all the skills & habits I need to succeed in life so now I gotta apply them to my life next year. thank you to my readers & following my blog as it grows & brings you quality content. Next year I also hope to start a new series so look out for that & till next time.

Soooooo winter is officially here & every year there is so many things that I want to do & this year I think I found a friend or two who will engage in many activities with me. I have prepared a list & will attempt to update what I actually get to with pictures but if your already following my instagram you will see it live on my stories & the pictures as soon as they go up.




Here is my list so far:

• watching movies in onesies with a bunch of food & hot cocoa
• make a snowman
• make gingerbread houses
• bake homemade cookies
• go to a parade of lights
• go to a Christmas Market
• go skating on the Canal
• check out Winterlude
• go skiing or snowboarding
• spend the day at Mont tremblant
• take a lot of polaroids
• buy a new winter jacket & boots
• breakfast at Wheeler's
• Starbucks holiday drinks
• go tobogganing 
• take pictures with the Grinch

So I've finally reached 25 or as my kids from work like to say halfway to 50. I never thought I'd be where I've ended up in life but I can't say I'm too mad. I've seen things, explored & learning great life lessons. As the years go on I learn to accept where I am & see how much I've grown from the previous year. I learn not to put all these expectations on myself and instead have goals that I would like to reach & work hard for them. I'm currently a free agent in life where I don't have any big responsibilities or things holding me to one place so I feel free to roam & explore. However, 25 is such a momentous year cause it's the mid-20s, a time when you want to figure your shit out & build some sort of foundation for the years to come.


Last year I enjoyed my birthday all the way in London, England & hung out in Europe for 2 weeks & a half. That was great and all but this year I decided to keep it low key but still fun so I just planned a bunch of different outings with all my different groups of friends. I went to karaoke which was a hilarious & GOOD night. I can't wait to go back & sing my heart out! I also went to a chill dinner, a fancy dinner & afternoon tea at Chateau Laurier. It was a great start to this next chapter of my 20s & I did the most every night, dressing up like people haven't seen me before & beating my face pretty well.

I also composed some lessons I learned in my 25 years of life. I did 20 lessons & 5 things I would like to do/work on/implement from now on.

Lessons that I've learned

1. Learn to say no to people from time to time. You don't need to exhaust all your energy, especially on things you don't want to do for people
2. It's okay to invest in things you want & to spoil yourself -if you can afford to do so of course. I always say work hard & play hard or in this case spend lots
3. Everyone stresses & as you get older you deal with a lot more stress so you need to be able to find a coping mechanism. Make sure it doesn't involve spending so much money & it's healthy. For example, listening to music (I made myself a playlist), exercising, meditating, etc.
4. Live your best life especially in your 20s when you have no kids or big responsibilities. It is your time to be young, dumb & stupid; travel, experience shit, take risks
5. Start learning how to take care of yourself such as: staying fit, eating healthy, finding the right face routine for you, how to style your hair in many different ways, learn how to put on makeup for occasions, learning the difference between dressing formal, business casual, & casual
6. Be your own person. You were created to be this completely different being than everyone else. Even if there are people who don't like you for who you are, there are other people who will. Everyone has something unique about them so never change & be the best version of yourself
7. Stop judging people for the choices they make in life. If you don't agree with their choices that's fine, it's not your life. If you, however, feel like you should say something because you are their friend or can't not say anything, go for it but just make sure to be respectful on how you deliver your message. Accept whatever choice they make with your advice. They could take it or not & that's okay & you can still be friends. You must also remember that it's okay to cut people out of your life that you feel are judging you & making you second guess yourself; it's okay to say goodbye. Always remember that their path isn't your path EVEN if you guys are doing the same type of work or what not everyone has their own path.
8. GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. If you never try anything you will never know the options that are out there and can't grow in different aspects of your life. I get it if you're super anxious or may not know how to go about trying new things, then what you could do is find a friend who knows you well & can introduce you to new things that aren't too overwhelming for you
9. Learn to clean up after yourself, at someone's house, at a restaurant, at your own home, etc. My biggest pet peeve is when I go out to eat at a fast food place or even at the movies & people just leave their mess behind. HELL NO. I worked in the industry & sometimes people leave the nastiest mess & it's annoying to clean up after them. Yeah, it's our job but you guys can pick up your tray or garbage & throw it out too. Same thing goes for when you're at people's house. At least make the effort to go throw your garbage out & put your plate in the sink. It's a nice gesture that's appreciated. Plus, when you move out of your mom's house, you're gonna have to learn to do it anyways
10. Which leads to knowing how to live without mom & dad. Learn how to do laundry, cook simple meals at least (& eggs & noodles don't count), clean your house & washroom, know what kind of medicine to take when you're sick & be able to function because your parents always aren't going to be there & your husband/wife ain't their to pick up after you
11. Be able to distinguish what toxic relationships are & to get out of them. They are the unhealthiest type of relationships & come in many different forms. You can find them amongst your friends, family, significant ones & sometimes in the workplace.
12. Find friends that support your dreams & ambitions and don't get jealous when you're doing better than them. You'd also want them to push you to do better and vice versa 
13. Learn when to keep pursuing a relationship & when it's time to stop & leave because you should always know what you deserve. If you don't get the effort you keep putting into the relationship then it's not worth your time
14. Learn your limits & when you can push them & when you need to slow down. Always remember the older you get, the more sleep you need and the more things you should do to take care of yourself
15. Learn how to do all kinds of things & be a jack of all trades. Skills that are helpful are great too, such as learning how to put air into your tires, change tires and being able to handle pressure in situations
16. Take risks in life. Risks teach you a lot & it may work out but sometimes there are things you can't risk because it puts you in compromising situations
17. Do things with a goal in mind so you're not aimless & unproductive. Sometimes I will have days where I want to get things done but am not quite sure what I need to do & what is important, which is frustrating because I end up not doing much. So I feel like having an agenda & use it daily to stay on track is important 
18. Don't wait until a certain age to get your whole life together. I feel like we fuck around too much in life for so many years and then when we are in our mid 20's we freak out & try to figure it all out & quickly. Learn how to pay off debt before it gets outta control, build your credit early on, ALWAYS keep track on what's going on & don't just leave it to figure itself out (I know waaay too many people who do this; no idea on how to deal with their finances or what to do if they have to deal with it). Don't worry everyone else your age be in almost the same boat. However, don't let that keep you comfortable you will eventually be in charge of other lives if you ever have pets or kids so handle your finances well. (if you have no idea how to handle finances learn or ask someone who does because debt can get you quick and ALWAYS remember, it's not free money & you have to pay it off)
19. Don't compromise your plans & life for other people especially if it isn't in your benefit. I am queen of this & still tryina balance it all. Sometimes I know I have so much blog work to do & probably shouldn't go out but the plans sound fun & I tell myself I'll do it later, which I never do. Sometimes people also like to guilt you into coming out & to disregard your plans & things you need to do, YOU DON'T' NEED TO GO especially when your shit is a priority. Make sure you also let people know what you need to do (not that you need a reason to put yourself first) & that you have to focus on your shit that day. Going out & having fun is great but on your terms. Sometimes we gotta work on shit & chase our dreams; PRIORITIZE YOURSELF it is your selfish years anyways.
20. As millennials we LOVE to keep all our options open & not commit to anything. This goes for our relationships, friendships, jobs, big investments and we kinda have nothing to show for it in our mid 20's. We have to stop being so scared of commitment & start doing more than we are. Just because we commit to something for now doesn't mean we are stuck forever; there is always a way out. My friend gave me a good example; we're stuck in a hallway trying to commit to the right door out of endless choices; it's the same as when we browse Netflix all day but end up rewatch a show we've seen a thousand times. You grow & learn in life when you make the wrong choices & learn from it so stop being safe & stuck in your ways.

1. Learning to ask for help when I need it & not pushing myself to my limit especially when I'm getting overwhelmed in any aspect in life because I always play the card where I have too much pride or am too strong to ask for help & it's so unhealthy
2. Learning to have self care days & take care of myself before I am pushed to my breaking point  
3. Learn how to budget & pay bills on time because nothing is gonna make life harder more than having shit credit, not knowing how to manage bills & having too much debt. i talked about it up top but I feel like it's an ongoing thing in life until we get debt free & learn how to budget properly
4. Learn how to confront issues & be able to call people out on their shit opposed to waiting
5. Learn that stress is temporary but the reward is worth it especially when you get older all the great accomplishments we will do is after so much stress and hard work so we have to be resilient to get to where we'd like to be. 

Since the beginning of the month so much has happened & I’m loving it. It’s my birthday month & maybe one of my favourite times of the year. Fall weather is my absolute fav but I have yet to get on that swaggin' fall fashion. It’s slowly starting to form & next year I’ll be on that.

October is such a pretty time; the leaves are falling, the colours are beautiful reds, yellows, oranges & greens. It’s one of my fav seasons (I love me the transitional seasons), it’s also my birth month which is one of my fav holidays.

This month has come & gone; it was such a busy month with a lot going on. I feel like I've been working so much & this month let me slow down on my schedules & get a break & fun before I started working full-time next month.


This month I:

I swear every year when Sept comes around I feel like I need to make sure my plans in life are set because it’s back to school season & everyone else is preparing to get their life back in order & in a routine. It’s like the reflecting month of the year just like Jan is.

I’ve been reflecting a lot this month & deciding what I want in life & one thing I know for sure is that I want to go back to school one more time, to add on to the schooling I have & push me into my career. I just need to figure out how & when I wanna do that now.

Until I figure out what ima do with school I’ve decided to live my life to the fullest while trying to save money at the same time. I’m reaching that quarter life crisis in my life & this is the best time as any to get my finances & budgets in order. I’m queen of "spend all the money but don’t think too far ahead", which was whatever but I need to start thinking further ahead & start laying down saving plans so I can be set no matter what. The end of this month we had a tornado in Ottawa & that was the biggest wake up calm in humbling myself. It made me realize what’s most important to me and made me reflect on how I would function if I lost everything. Thank god I was blessed & my area was barely touched; we lost power for 19 hours & areas close by had been blown out. Some people weren’t fortunate & lost their homes completely, had MAJOR damages to their houses and cars. These times make you evaluate how prepared you are for anything because you never know when shit can hit the fan. So time to get my shit in order or as the saying goes, my ducks in a row.

This month has been all over the place from coming back from my trip & just getting back into everything; I literally was nonstop all month. Sept consisted of:

I have been so shit with reading this month. I sill haven’t finished reading The Nest & haven’t started anything else because I’ve literally been so busy that if I’m not working or am out somewhere,  I’m trying to get some sleep in. Another thing I’ve neglected was working out but it’s a new month & I’ve actually signed up to a new spot so I’m excited to get back into it. The gym is kinda far so my bus rides there will be my time to get back into my books.

I’ve been listening to a shit ton of new music for this month & been continuing to make my way down my chill vibin' playlist. Also let’s talk about how I got Spotify back again so I can explore more music & get good recommendations when I make playlists. Some things I’m in love with that y’all need to get on is:



The best part of starting another season & next quarter of the year is that it makes you reflect on the year so far. In my reflection I see that I have grown & learned quite a few things about myself  & what I need more of & need to get rid of.

Here are some snaps of the month:

I seen Linkin Park once before I all ended in the most unfortunate passing of Chester but it was the most amazing show of my life where they played for a whole 2 hours. I ended up going solo & am so grateful I got to seem them at least once. It's funny becuase I ended up going solo to Mike Shinoda as well.

Sitting outside in the floor in 11 C weather waiting for doors to get into this show. It’s cold, my concert buds bailed last minute, my toes are starting to lose feeling, my bodysuit is uncomfortable & I don’t have a belt so my pants be riding down. Ready af for this show thou & can’t wait to be inside getting warm & then singing my heart out. The beginning of theses shows are always such a drag & annoying but then in no time the show is over & you wish you never were inpatient.

I saw on social media not too long ago how Don Bronco met Mike Shinoda & I was like that’s cool cause it’s kinda different music worlds colliding. Then I saw Don Broco post on Instagram they were opening for him & I was beyond ecstatic. I discovered Don Broco earlier this year, fell in love with them & now seen them 3 times. If you haven’t listening you must, I’m beyond obsessed & my songs that I lose my shit to are:



So the lights go off after they set up for Mike Shinoda, we see the lights & start screaming but don’t see him yet, stop my insta story delete it & start a snap cause it can go longer. We are still screaming but don’t see him. Wait we see people oh that’s the band that means he will be here soon & oh shit it’s Mike himself  & he comes on running in & jumps right into Petrified without hesitation. We are going wild is he actually up on stage in front of us damn. Let’s calm down & enjoy the show & sing along.

I loved how he made a set list composed of all the things he has done & made it into one; Linkin Park, Fort Minor & Mike Shinoda songs, it was amazing. I loved when he made some into mashups too. From what I remember her played:

I’m sure there’s a few more I’m missing but that’s a lot of it. Ima make a post on my Instagram with a bunch of videos that you guys can go & watch. I tried to live in the moment but I also wanted a whole bunch of videos because this is one concert I know I’d watch many times especially since I think I lost a bunch of the ones from the LP show I went to. I hope he keeps making music & having concerts because I’d love to see him again & I dunno in a way I feel like he is keeping LP alive.

I took a bunch of pictures too so enjoy them & check out his new album already if you haven’t. Also Mike had me hyped & wanting to go to a hip hop concert they way he was bouncing around the stage & rapping I’m like what am I waiting for I need to find a show where I can get a good view & go to one of those shows.

Soooo I've been on this journey of exploring gyms in Ottawa & looking for what different types of workouts the city has to offer. So far I have been to Wheelhouse Cycle, Elevate Yoga, Spin Co, BodiesbyPhil, The Dailey Method and Iron North Studio (if you click on them it will take you to the post I wrote all about them).

Since I've started this journey, I have been finding so many other places I want to check out & try workouts I've never done before. When I used to go to Goodlife, I thought that it was good but it wasn't the type of gym for me. I love the local gyms where it's intimate, they know your name & recognize you when you come in. It's mostly group classes but the trainers walk around & make sure you're doing things properly and if your form is right; it's a whole ass community too which is amazing.

So far the places I've been to have been great & I loved my time spent there. I would definitely be back to check them out & I know that they would recognize me.

Other gyms I would like to check out in the next few months are: