Real, Not Ideal

Looking back on this month and trying to narrow it down to only five items was difficult! I happened to be incredibly busy. It was a great month for seeing new things and doing a lot of road trips. These are the things that stood out to me the most: 1.       Trius Winery Tour I’m still obsessed with the pictures from this winery tour. This place is known for their sparkling wine and whoever decorated clearly knew what they were doing because everywhere you looked was highly Instagram-able. Each of their wines was delicious and all the pink was adorable! If you’re in the Niagara area, definitely go check this place out! 2.       Local Tourism This is one of the moments where I had to generalize some activities. I had a friend from England visit and because she was here, I got to do a lot of things I never thought of. We did Toronto for a day and then went to the Butterfly Conservatory the next day. I...

Hello and welcome back to Real, Not Ideal! Due to an unfortunate computer issue (issue being I spilled Prosecco on it), I have been very much disconnected for a few months now. Whenever I posted, it was mostly because Matt was out and I could sneak use of his computer. Now, I’m back and better than ever! Here is a brief catch up as well as some updates about what I want to do with this blog. 1.       I finished my first full year of teaching! I still can’t believe it. I’m one full year into my own career. It’s wonderful. I did a good job (I think) despite challenges. Teaching is hard work! I have a full post about my  lessons learned coming later, so keep an eye out for that one. Overall, I am so proud of myself. To go live in a different country (and continent for that matter!) and start a career is no easy feat but I did it! 2.       I came home for the summer! I love the fact that I have summe...

Hello everyone! This may be short and sweet in an effort to get to bed early. However, it has been a while and I feel the need to check in. As you can probably tell, the goals I set in the past have not worked out the way I wanted them to. I’m still trying to learn and figure out what works for me.   Every time I get on a roll, my routine is disrupted by travel or a spontaneous night out that leads to a lazy hangover day or  it’s  half-term and my entire day has completely shifted.   Like I said, I’m learning.    Right now, I’m in a good routine. I’m cleaning and staying organised and learning my Italian. I’ve realised that the days I’m the most productive are on Sundays. I forgive myself for wasting Saturdays because I will get everything done on Sundays. If I’m dead tired one day and don’t put my clothes away, I get back on my feet and do it the next day. It has been a huge shift in realising what is realistic. For example, I wrote this...

Before we  get into this  post  I need to preface it: I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I AM DOING. Do NOT take my word for bible truth. Do NOT trust a thing I say because I am simply a young adult with her first job that is open to screwing up but is also terrible at routine. I’m making things work for me. I’m creating my own sense of what home means and I’m going to share that on here in hopes that it makes someone else feel a little better about where they’re at in life. You can learn from me and maybe I can learn from you at some point.   Got it?   I’m slowly starting to get a work/life balance. Now that I’m spending more time at home (and not working through it), I have an urge to make it seem more homely. My first big step was sparked when  Ozeri  reached out to me and offered some of their products to try out. These products were all gifted, but all views are my own.    My favourite wine requires a corkscrew and I wasn’t adult en...

I am now 24. I know I’ve mentioned my birthday in a couple posts already ( here and here), but I feel the need to reflect on the past year of my life. I think it has been the most monumental.  I finished the hardest year of my life. PGCE kicked me to the curb. I was miserable, and in a dark place that I haven’t really told people about. I got through it. I came out as a teacher - my life long dream.  I returned home for surgery and the worst goodbye yet. I had such a hard time leaving home this time around. I think it was because I did not know when I would be coming back. For all I knew, this was the last time I would be home for an extended period of time. As every other time has helped me grow, I know I am stronger because of it.  I started my first ever career. Being a teacher has been my dream since I was eight. I have a classroom with my name on it, I have strong relationships with students and staff, and I am doing a good job. I can see where I h...