Saturday, 23 August 2014

The Time, She Passes

So, it seems that it has already been 100 days since I left home for an adventure.

So far, my time in Scotland hasn't been as adventure-y as I'd have liked it to have been. This is in part because I've been working waayy more than I had planned to (usually 6 days on 7 -we're seriously understaffed), but I think it's also because I'm a creature of routine and I need to feel settled before I can take on any adventurous spontaneity (how dweeby is that?) While I'm not going to beat myself up for being this way, as soon as the festival madness settles, I'm going to try my best to actively experience this country (Note to self: you did not fly across the Atlantic to sit alone internetting in a smaller, shittier room than you had back home. Not every day, au moins.)


Now, here's a brief review on the past 100:

- 29.5% awesome = the time I was euro-hopping with Marg

-0.5% shamefully pissy = that one night I acted like a cranky little baby in Portugal (sorry Marg, you were right, it was worth going out for those fancy G&Ts alone)

-50% kinda boring = working a standard young-person job, signing up for banks and doctors and filling out paperwork (there's A LOT of paperwork when you move countries, as it turns out)

-5% psyching myself up to be a better person = eating better (with mild success), going to the gym on the reg (I'm doing better at this one), sometimes speaking Spanish with a few of my coworkers, considering learning some sort of useful skill, etc.

-2% drunk = this is Scotland after all

-3% awkward = Meeting new people. In particular, friends of people who are only kinda my friends to begin with. Second-hand acquaintances. But when you're new, that's all the social life there is.

-10% missing home = Ottawa and everyone in it (and even a few choice people who aren't, you lucky things, you!).

Frankly, when I set out to move over here, I didn't know exactly what goal or outcome I had in mind. I just did it cause I felt like it. But already it's given me some perspective. I've learned that I'm pretty sure Ottawa is my home. I may wander to other bits of the globe now and then, but I've felt more right with myself there than I have anywhere else. I've learned that it's important to me to have an occupation where I feel valued and can put my own talents to work rather than simply exchanging mindless labour hours for money. And finally, I've been reminded that it's rare to just stumble into a large collection of people who become very dear to you. Team Ottawa, we were all very much on the same wavelength and now I can recognize just how special that was.

And yes, I miss you too Mom and Dad.

A'ight a hunnit days done made me sleppz. Time for beddy-bye! G'night team!

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