Real, Not Ideal

July has been another month of transition. I’ve had to go from working to not working anymore. I’ve had to consider the best ways to make a routine work for me while also helping out around the house. I’ve seen friends and made plans for the future. I’ve interviewed for a couple jobs and I’m anxiously awaiting the results. I’ve been busy! When I look back, these are my highlights. 1.       Canada Day I get the hesitancy about Canada Day. We’re celebrating the beginning of a country that is based in stolen land and robbed culture. I’m taking a course on Indigenous Canada right now that delves into the true history of Canada. It’s an important history and the outcome of it has affected my own family. However, I do think there is a place to celebrate the country I’ve grown up in while also respecting where it came from. I love celebrating Canada Day by being around people I love, and that is what I’ll continue to do. 2.       Article about Losing Friends T his article on Darling&#

               Yesterday was my last official day of working in Castleford. That brings tears to my eyes. I should be having a leaving party or something right now. I’m really sad! I spent a lot of yesterday crying and feeling really sorry for myself. It's the end of an (albeit short) era.  I’ve taken a long time to reflect on this past year and collate some of the things I’ve learned. I’ve been doing these posts for a while. On last year's post, I gave some stellar advice (in my humble opinion), and I stand by all of it. This year, things have been a roller coaster. I’ve learned a lot.   1.       You never know what help is out there unless you ask. Rosie is the one that told me this initially. I have learned this on two occasions. There was a time this year where marking was piling up. We had difficult exams to mark, books to mark, and I was staying at school until 8:00pm. Even with that, I wasn’t going to meet my deadlines. When I told Rosie, she threatened to tell my

This is a bit of a shorter reading list this month. In last month's post , there were a lot of books because I was in quarantine – I didn’t have much else to do! This month, I’ve been working a little more and I’ve started an online course that I’m loving. I’m just busier now! I’ve also started to read more books on a semi-professional basis. I’m part of a couple websites that have opportunities to get paid for book reviews. It’s something I already do, and I love reading, so I decided to expand on my work. If you’re an author or you know an author willing to pay someone for book reviews, give them my email! The Flat Share – Beth O’Leary – 4 Stars                I adored this book so much. I’m always hesitant to get on board with trendy books, but maybe I should do it more often. My reasoning is that most people don’t know what good writing is (sorry), and my brain can’t just enjoy a badly written book. This book was so popular in the UK, and I understand why now. The premise

               Well, I have not posted a goals update post since April . I mentioned in that last goals update post that I was struggling a lot. We were only just into lockdown and I was struggling with anxiousness and uncertainty.                As a result of that, I threw myself into routine.   I made myself a daily checklist of things I wanted to do in a day to make myself feel good. It involved a daily dose of cleaning and tasks to keep my home life in control as well as puzzles and working out that was good for my personal life. I just did it. I’ve said over and over again that I’m not someone who’s good with routine. Yet, I did it. I think it was my reaction to losing all control of my life.                Since moving back home , I’ve lost all semblance of that routine. I mean, the weather is nice and there’s a pool in the backyard – how can I avoid that? For the first two weeks of quarantine, I was reliant on everyone else to take care of me since I couldn’t touch anything