Pearson International

Hello all!

Greetings from Pearson International.

I am fascinated by airports. The whole idea of being trapped in a flying metal tube surrounded by strangers with naught but your Chex mix for comfort is abhorrent. It makes perfect sense that airlines would want to convince their paying customers that this odd conglomeration of security and Starbucks, rushing and waiting, and 24-hour bars isn't stressful at all - it's bliss!

So relax. Sit back. Get your shoes shined. Grab a magazine, a coffee, and an extreme pita. Enjoy the freedom of the pseudo-city while you can, because in a couple hours it won't matter how clean the washrooms were, or how frothy your latte was. 

You'll be stuck in the air, as far from Starbucks as you could possibly be.

I'm not a nervous flyer, and I find airports pleasant enough. But the real magic is when you get to where you're going, drag your suitcase off the baggage claim, and run straight into the arms of your waiting friends and family. 

7 hours till BC. 

Post semester, pre-holiday musings...

Hello all! 

I do realize that it's been a very long time since I've posted anything. I can explain. A large stack of textbooks and assignments fell on me and I've only just managed to extricate myself from  the rubble. 

One more pesky exam to go, and then it's back to beautiful BC! If my Facebook feed is correct, the Fraser Valley has experienced greater snowfall than London. Climate change, anyone? 

This semester has taught me a lot of things. (Nothing about Chemistry, though it did try.)

First of all, Abbotsford actually has a lot more going for it than I realized. Specifically, the people. And the dancing. How I miss the people and the dancing...

Secondly, being away from all the people you love most is very hard. Very very hard. And yet, humans are so resilient. All around me are students, homesick and exhausted, with their laptop screens burning holes into their retinas. It seems that by this point of the semester, we're all just so done. But despite the exhaustion, the stress, the pressure, and the burnout, so many people remain kindhearted and attentive to the needs of others. Y'all know who you are, if you're reading this :) I can't thank you enough! 

Thirdly, I have RIDICULOUS expectations of myself. 

In this program, there is a high standard to live up to. There are hundreds of intelligent and enthusiastic individuals studying Nutrition at Brescia. We're expected to excel, and rightly so. I'm thankful that the faculty at Brescia actually expects something from their students. It's nice to be believed in and challenged. 

At the same time, all throughout this semester I've had to remind myself of WHY I want to excel. Is it pride? Perfectionism? My perceived identity? 

At the end of the day, God calls me to be faithful. Not a genius. Not a superhero. Just faithful me. I want to do well, but not for the sake of grades. I am passionate about what I study. I'd rather not burn all that passion out by obsessing over percentages. 

I tend to catastrophize when it comes to these things. 

I won't say any more about that, except that I hope I'm getting better.

Fourthly, this morning I learnt how to make a frittata. It was delicious. 

Pretty much. 

I can't believe I will be flying into Vancouver on the 18th! I feel as though it was ages ago that Allan and I flew into London. It looked so small and condensed from up in the sky (urban sprawl, thy name is BC). But time is so strange - it also feels like the semester just started yesterday. 

If you're reading this and you're on the BC end of my life, see you soon! If you're on the London side of my life, then thank you for being a friend. 

To all the readers, I promise I will be posting much more frequently! 

Stay tuned in the New Year for a little collaborative effort between myself and another fantastic foodie. It'll be grand. 

Merry Christmas!