Half Year Review - First Four Months
JANUARY
I met an acquaintance at Block 1912 cafe and felt that they became a friend - I almost feel like that cafe is a right of passage for my friendships now. A blossoming friendship is the chicken and the egg of meeting someone at my favourite place on Whyte.
We went to see Passengers and really enjoyed it. I rolled my eyes at a lot of the feminist interpretations, honestly. I would have enjoyed the movie just as much had the roles been reversed, the plot would have worked just as well, in my opinion.
I took several classes of a comlimentary class on the theology and deeper analysis of the Chronicles of Narnia, which was really quite excellent. I still need to finish the class but I want to read along so I get the full effect and I don't tend to have as much audiobook time in summer. Fact about me: I can't listen to audiobooks and do certain kinds of work at the same time - one of those being editing. I usually watch TV I'm less excited about on an adjacent screen or listen to music while editing instead. I have a light envy mixed with admiration for those who listen to podcasts while editing, I don't have that skill.
FEBRURARY
February was the first learning month for me, learning and new experiences.
I was part of the wedding dress shopping trip for my dear friend Erin. It was wonderful to see her feel so perfectly girly in the right dress - the one, the first one she ever tried on.
I went to a few mindful eating seminars, which helped me further work on my mindfulness skills for binging behaviours, which I still struggle with when life gets unbalanced, too boring or stressful. I really appreciated the classes I took, I learned some new ideas that have been very helpful, like identifying when I am stomach hungry or mind hungry or soul hungry...
Finally, the big thing - I went on a personal Pilgrimage, and took a trip through three provinces to multiple spiritual sites. I have thoroughly cataloged this one in video so it really bears no lines here.
MARCH
March was also a learning month. Learning how to be a bridesmaid.
Learning I had some health issues that needed to be addressed, which wasn't a great thing to learn initially (I spent a lot of hours in various health-related appointments in March including an ultrasound) but has turned out reasonably well.
Finally got to see Beauty and the Beast which I had been waiting for for ages! Speaking of movies and stuff... I gave up any kind of online media that was in any way illegal for Lent. That put a dent in some of my favourite fandoms, but I think it was a worthwhile thing. It's been bothering my conscience for some time.
It is around the middle of March that I realize that the fact that I had a slow and steady stream of photography work for the past few months is a pattern, and a very, very good one.
It is around the end of March that I realize that I would utterly regret my decision not to go to the very last CPC Vancouver if I stuck to it. So I scrambled everything and spent my last dollar to go.
APRIL
Oh April.
I went to the final CPC. It was bittersweet for a lot of reasons - knowing I wasn't going to be spending a ton of time in Vancouver anymore and therefore eating at my favourite pizza joint worldwide, Megabite Pizza, three times. Building relationships and friendships with photographers. Healing the wounds of the broken conference and creating some dreams of a future educating photographers - dreams I have put on hold until this winter, when I hope to consider my options again.
On the other hand, the other thing I did in Vancouver was epically cool. I met up with Janta for a day, and we used an airbrush and some special paint to give her dress some pink flair!
More classes and learning this year: I took a Bicycle repair class and learned all about how to repair and understand bikes - then I went in with Paul and we repaired and upgraded both of our bikes. This was the start of a very bicycle-centric year actually. I am pleased I went ahead and did this, it was a very good decision.
My friend came to Edmonton to celebrate Easter with me and ended up having some major relationship stuff going on that weekend - so we had a few heart-to-heart conversations about our various struggles. It was a very close, intimate Easter with a lot to process.