it's been too long, friend!

Well, hey internet. It's been a while!

So much for maintaining a detailed document of my voluntary service. Because, initially, that is what got this blog started in the first place. My intentions were good, but my motivation was lacking.
I'm really in need of some ass-kicking. Good god.
So here I am, once again, attempting to redeem myself.
Let's get started.

So I will quickly recap these past 2ish years in just a few bullet points.

• I moved from Edmonton to Texas, pouncing onto one voluntary experience from another, without giving myself much time to breathe. 
• I was placed in San Antonio where I worked full-time as a caseworker at a refugee resettlement program, with Afghani and Iraqi clients as my primary focus. 
• I made a butt-load of friends, had my fair share of roommate drama, dated a few questionable characters and made some long-lasting connections.
• I came back to Edmonton, with a strong gut-feeling that I wasn't ready to go to Winnipeg quite yet (or perhaps Winnipeg wasn't going to be ready for me... hardy har har).
• I moved in with 3 German girls and a university professor (sounds like the premise of a coming-of-age, teen-angst movie from the 90's), which has resulted in even MORE roommate drama! Oh hurray, the fun never ends. 
• I applied for and was accepted at a transitional housing program for women as an overnight careworker.
• I decided it was finally the right time to go to Winnipeg after I finished another year in Edmonton, and impulsively applied to the University of Winnipeg! Aaaand got in. Cha-ching.

That pretty much sums it up. Huh.

These past two years were full of new experiences for me:

-I dated more people in my one year in Texas than all the years I started dating, combined. And so, needless to say, I have learnt a fair bit about what I am looking for in a person, and how I truly perceive myself. 

-I learned how to give fewer fucks about what people think about me, and that I am only in control of my own emotions and actions. I felt quite liberated once I accepted this fact and decided to apply it to my life.

-I've come to terms with my anxiety and can now walk away from an awkward interaction with a friend or a stranger without feeling as personally affected by it as I once did. It is okay to not feel okay. It does not mean that I am weak or pathetic. 

-I have a better idea of what makes me the happiest. And I allow myself to feel happy.

In a few months a new chapter of my life is beginning. I will be going home and facing my fears. Winnipeg was where I felt unstable and at my worst. But I am a much stronger person now, and I am so excited to start over with a clean slate. I have redefined myself. And I'm ready to test it out.