Three Month Anniversary

As of June 1st, I have officially been in Vancouver for THREE months! It is actually crazy how fast the time has flown by and what I’ve accomplished in a mere three months.

I’m finally starting to feel as though my life is about to regain some kind of order. It’s weird because I feel so adjusted to the job-searching-stress and excitement of it all – that I’m actually going to have to adjust to the routine I’ve been dying to have since I got here! It’s funny when you really think about it – we are all working towards something – a goal, a job, reaching that next step in your life – and yet we rarely take time to reflect on the good things we have in the life we are living right now… so my advice is to appreciate the good things in your life right now! :)

I’ve been working at the restaurant the past few days and it’s honestly completely drained me. I worked for over 8 hours yesterday and was completely exhausted by the time I came home to even workout! To top it all off my laptop got a virus and I cannot get it to even start! I’m pretty sure that my operating system has been completely wiped… so I have to take it somewhere tomorrow and pay to have it looked at (I’m not impressed).

Today started out rough, but quickly turned around when I headed outside into the wonderful sunshine! The Kitsilano Farmers Market is literally 2 blocks from my house – which makes me veryyyy happy!

It was so nice out – everyone was out with their children and dogs. There were vendors of all shapes and sizes selling everything from veggies, to chocolate, to soaps, to breads and baked good, to (my favorite) coffee! Sigh, it’s the little things that turn my days around :)

While I was walking around the market I got a lovely text from Leah (@leahevansnz <- follow her!) who starting following and tweeting with me on twitter a few days ago! Turns out she randomly found my blog, just moved to Vancouver from New Zealand and is in Public Relations! How crazy is that?

We totally hit it off and had a million things in common! I took her for a little tour around Kits for the afternoon with several notable stops.

Stop #1: 49th Parallel of course!

Leah saw how often I tweeted and blogged about being a coffee fanatic – and asked me to take her to my favourite place in Kits – this was a no brainer! We sat and chatted for what seemed like 30 mins but was actually over 2 hours! Time was just flyingggg by.

Stop #2: West 4th Ave. shops! It’s a must :)

Stop #3 – Kits beach! 

The beach was PACKED today. It’s insane how many people come out from around the city to enjoy this beautiful beach… and I live SO close to it!

Stop #4: Capers (Whole Foods).

I was telling Leah that because I read so many health and fitness food bloggers I have been dying to live in a city who actually has the Whole Foods chain of all organic foods – and the fact that there’s one a few blocks from my house was probably my favorite thing about moving here for the entire first month of living in Vancouver. It’s that exciting to me!

The entire afternoon literally FLEW by and before we knew it, it was almost 5 o’clock! So I headed Leah in the right direction for the bus back home and we made plans to bike the Seawall tomorrow (I’m SO EXCITED to finally do this)!

I came back home with the flowers I’d been carrying around all afternoon and put them in a vase for the entire house to enjoy :)

I’ve been neglecting yoga lately which is very unfortunate – so I decided I would go to a Bikram Yoga studio (a form of hot yoga) a few blocks from my house tonight. Sometimes we get busy and neglect ourselves, but honestly if you have never practiced yoga – you must give it a try. If you can take time to watch television or do things for others – you can also take time for yourself and your body. Needless to say, the class was amazing and I felt so much less stress about everything going on in my life after I left class tonight.

Since Insanity is over and I’m starting a brand new job I have to decide what my next fitness and life goals are going to be. I’m hoping my schedule will start to allow for a regular routine that gives me a good work-life-fitness balance. I’m still deciding on exactly what goals I’m going to set… but either way they are going to be hardcore results-oriented! I’m thinking of starting a running-yoga hybrid challenge… but I do love high intensity cardio and muscle sculpting workouts and crossfit seems like a great challenge. This is going to be a hard decision!

Any suggestions? What workout and food plan are you on currently?

We’re here for a Good Time…

Hey all – It’s Update Time!

I’m sorry I’ve been slacking on the updates, but with my life situation in such uncertainty, starting a new job and working another job, I wanted to step back and let things fall where they may.

Firstly, I have to report that lululemon got back to me and I did not get the internship. Although I was slightly upset for a period of time, I believe that everything happens for a reason and even though I did not get this internship I gave it my absolute heart and soul. That video application was a true reflection of who I am, what I stand for and what I’m capable of. The recruiting manager got back to me on Friday letting me know that they hired someone else with mobile application experience, which I did not have. However, on the bright side he expressed the fact that they were very impressed by my application and are keeping me in mind for other potential opportunities.

On that note, I am not giving up. I do believe that I would make a perfect addition to the lululemon team and I want to live my life working for a company that aligns with my personal values and morals. I believe that when one door closes another door opens and that my opportunities are still endless – who knows which direction I will go. I strongly feel that you have to give your all, stay positive and believe that positive things will come – so I’m not giving up.

Other than that, it’s been an interesting week of decision-making and choosing what to focus my time and energy on. I have taken a serving job at The Boathouse Restaurant on the Kitsilano Beach – and although very hesitant to start serving again – the people there are wonderful. Let’s face it – I’m a people person. I thrive off of social engagement and it makes my life happier and more meaningful. I need to get out of my house everyday and be productive, so I might as well meet some new people and make some money in the process! My week has basically been consumed by training and working.

Front of Boathouse

From the front door looking out to the beach (It’s LITERALLY this close!)

I spent yesterday moping around all morning (Yes, even I have those days!) until Faith convinced me to get out and go for a walk and I immediately felt better! I headed down to my favourite coffee shop, 49th Parallel with a book and settled in for an afternoon of reading and latte drinking before heading to the Boathouse for my 6th (of 7) training shift.

This morning I went downtown to the Robson St. lululemon for a free class with lululemon global ambassador Chris Chavez! It was so early to get up after working late last night… but it was so worth it! The class was fun and kicked off my Sunday morning with positivity and physical activity (two of my favourite things)! I cannot wait to start incorporating yoga into my life on a more daily basis!

After having coffee with my new friend Liz (@wizwohnson <- check her out on twitter!), Faith and I headed a few blocks down our street to the Kits Farmers Market! I am in love with the fact that we have a farmers market literally 5 minutes away from our front door – this is going to be an AMAZING summer!

I’m starting my last week of Insanity this week! How CRAZY is that? I cannot believe how much my body has changed, how much stronger I am and that I’ve been able to stay focused. I’m very determined and I when I set my mind to something – I get it done!

I’m thinking hard about what my next fitness goal will be starting the week after next… any ideas?

On another exciting note – I’m heading home to Halifax THIS FRIDAY! I leave late Thursday night Vancouver time and get in every early Friday morning Halifax time. I’m coming home for my friend’s wedding and I’m very excited to visit home for a few days.

I hope you are all having a great long weekend! Thanks for all your support over the past few weeks – I will not be giving up in the near future… stay tuned!