Україна

One of my life long dreams has always been to go to Ukraine and see where my family came from. A couple weeks ago I got to live out that dream and oh my goodness it was incredible.


I went with my dad and my sister, we started the trip off in Kyiv, we arrived at the airport and the first thing I learned about Ukraine is oh my lanta it is COLD! My dad`s fiance met us at the airport and we took a bus into town to the place we were staying. We spent the first couple days in Kyiv seeing the city and then it was off to Dnepropetrovsk. We had to take a 7 hour train ride on a train that had been used during the war to transport prisoners between Russia and Ukraine it was just a little terrifying. Then to make it even better I got a little surprised when I went to go to the toilet and was greeted by a hole in the floor.



We got to Dnepropetrovsk and stayed there for 5 days. While we were there I met my step- brother, my dad got married, I watched a crazy amount of russian TV and ate more dill than I ever have in my life. oh yeah and picked watermelon.


After a very eventful couple of days we went back to Kyiv saw more of the city and heard all about the history of the city. It was so cool to see all the architecture and see how different my life could have been if my Gido had never decided to move to Canada. When I was standing in independence square in the center of the city I got so overwhelmed, I was so incredibly thankful for my family and so proud to be Ukrainian.

oh how I miss you

So it has been over 5 months now since I have been on a legit photo shoot with a dslr and oh my goodness I miss it. Due to the fact that someone stole not only by dslr they stole my film camera as well that i never even got to try out...me = not happy


I so badly wish I had a nice camera again, I love how the world can look the same to 7 billion people but when you are looking at it thru a camera lens it can look different to every single individual. Even the day to day things that seem insignificant can be a crucial centerpiece to a photo. I literally spend hours looking at photos online and get lost in how amazing the world is. I mean photos are what make traveling so desirable for me. I see these amazing places in photos that I could never have dreamed of with my own mind but when I get a glimpse of some breath taking far off place in a photo I can't help but want to go there. Not only that but it makes me so curious as to what other undiscovered places are out there.

...

Places are amazing to looks at in photos but something that is way more commonly photographed is people. The people you love and care about can be frozen in time and kept with you no matter where you are in the world. In a way photos can comfort in a way that words never can, even the people who have passed can be with you. So even if you can't hug that someone special or even talk to them even if for a moment you can see their face smiling again.

...

my favorite thing about photos though is this, every photo is a frozen memory. The time you did something crazy with a best friend, the time you ate at your favorite restaurant for the tenth time, or a vacation you went on with your family. That memory will forever be remembered 50 years from now I can pull out a photo album and look back at those memories and never forget those precious moments.

...

so yeah photography is technically defined as the act of taking photos but honestly it is so much more than that. It is a way of being able to freeze life for just a second and let it take your breath away.

royal crap

ok so cinderella has and always will be my favorite disney movie however for some stupid reason disney came out with a second one. Now I wouldn't mind it if it was a good movie or had a good story line. (um the story line was the exact same as beauty and the beast 2). I could only handle 20 minutes of this movie and every second of that was brutal. The voices were different there were new characters that were mean and over all it sucked. I am thoroughly tweaked and don't understand why disney would do this to me.

Cinderella 2 you will not live happily ever after. you suck.

little blue box

When a girl sees a little blue box there is one word that comes to mind

TIFFANY S

that little blue box isn't just wrapping to a shiny gift. it represents so much more than that. it proves that every girl can be Audrey Hepburn that most beautiful woman of her time. it proves that modern day fairy tales can happen.
When you are a girl with jewelry from Tiffany's you have something that makes yo feel a little extra special every time you wear it.
that little blue box means you are getting something small, precious, most likely expensive, but the best part is it's SHINY!

One day I too will get a little blue box and it will be a wonderful day that I look forward to. ps my birthday is january 8th just so you know ;)

O Canada

proud to be canadain

fly away please

Airplanes I do not like you.

My relationship with airplanes has been a complicated one for many years now, up and down up and down it has been quite an emotional roller coaster.

I recently found out that it is not normal for me to feel a fair amount of pain every time we are together.

It starts with a head ache and then works its way to nausea and then seals the deal with all my muscles in my neck and back and arms and legs really tense. It is not very fun at all.

I love seeing new places around the world and I want to see it all but preferably not in an airplane but it looks like I don't have a choice.

this is for you

Soooooooooo Paula. I have not posted for a while so I am going to make it up to you and do one post for everyday I have missed to make you feel better :)

...this counts as the first one b t dubs

only 23 to go

baby girl

It started at 24 then it went

down...

down...

down...


now there are 5 days till I see my baby sister!

First stop Bradford next stop London! the Rome, Milan, Kiev, and back to London.

I can't wait

new chapter

so I have been in Bradford England for...

126 days.

It has been the most challenging time in my life. I have been stretched in so every way possible and it has sucked a lot of the time but I am so thankful for every second of it.

I have learned so much about myself and about the person I want to be.

Instead of feeling like crap after the rough patch I feel refreshed and ready to take on whatever comes next.

Ready to start a new chapter.

whatever it may entail.

I am ready.

One of the things I learned during my adventure is that my world is so small in the scheme of life but so beyond significant to my daddy God.

Every thought. desire. dream. passion.

he cares about.

I am learning all over again that I am chereshed by the creator of the universe.

how freaking cool is that!

the world is a big place but my God is bigger.

perspective

Tonight I had 3 amazing girls stay at my house.

They are all from Gulu Uganda and have come from unbelievable backgrounds.

their lives have had so much pain and incredibly traumatic experiences yet they still have so much

joy!


I made them dinner and then we sat and talked and oh my goodness I felt so honored to be even in the same room. it was a simple coonversation that took a couple minutes of their day and it has put a completely new perspective on my life.

I was talking to a woman who has went thru so much

some of the things are the things I am dedicating my life to stop.

it was definitely a kick in the right direction to keep on doing what God wants me to do.

I LOVE JESUS!

love on the mind.

simple answer

Today at work I was really tired, I started thinking the same way I did at home. I get into work mode and just focus on the fact that I am getting a paycheck at the end of the week and I can pay my rent.

When I walk anywhere instead of putting in my headphones and zoning out I use that time to talk with God or just think about life. It is amazing how fast time goes by. When I had a car I used driving time for thinking but then when I lost the car I lost that time for me. I started noticing a difference when I would get overwhelmed by the smallest little thing.

So back to work. When I walked in to the room all the kids yelled hi Tish!! it was enough to brighten up my day. But unfortunately about an hour later I was right back to

paycheck. paycheck. paycheck.

I was sitting in the story corner and one of the kids came over to me and cuddled right into my lap and asked me to read a story it was so flippin cute. As I was reading her the gruffallo for the third time a row another one of the kids who I haven't seen in a couple weeks comes into the class and runs over to me and jumps in my arms with a big smile on his face.

I started realizing that I wasn't just working at a daycare to pay the bills but it is a place where these kids go everyday and need to have someone love on them. They don't worry about their bills, stress, relationships, and try to work out every detail of life for the next year they just have fun!

If they don't like something they cry and it is better after someone kisses the owie or if their is problem with their friend they give them a new toy and all is well in the world.

I want to be like that. Know that no matter what there is an incredibly simple answer.
The truth is I know that answer and have for a long time.

it s God

pack my suitcase!

today I decided something. For the past couple months I have been focusing on working here in bradford, why I am here and honestly myself. Not in the way that I am the center of the world but i the way that I wanted to discover who I am.

It has been good but I am wanting great! over the past two weeks life has been getting closer to the goal of "great" but i'm not quite there yet.

so today I decided to make a list of places I am going to travel to. I don't have all the places decided yet but when I do I will let you know. My goal is to go to at least 10 countries before next august. I want to say more but I have to stay realistic it may only be 5.

I know a couple of the places I want to go to. not quite all 10

1. Italy - Verona, Rome, Venice, and Tuscany are definitely musts
2. Switzerland - I want to see the alps!
3. Ukraine
4. Belgium - just so I can have belgium chocolate and belgium wafflles
5. The Netherlands - Amsterdam
6. Czech Republic - Praugue I mean hello!
7. Austria - Vienna, I am so going to the von trapp villa
8. Ireland - Dublin
9. ?
10.?

So those are my dream destinations. It seems crazy to think that only a couple months ago I was in canada. But I mean if I could get to england in the way I did, traveling around europe should be a piece of cake. So here is so travels.

The first place I am going is switzerland. I am going sometime before christmas so thats one down nine to go!

i want to see it all

I want to go to so many different places.

Verona

Sydney

Santorini

Prague

Kiev

Rome

Zurich

Barcelona

Phnom Penh

Buenos Aires

just to name a few.

The world is such a big place and I want to see it all!

Distance

one word to describe distance...

rubbish


but thanks to skype and facebook it is a little less painful.

1+1=3

I am finding out that in life things are a lot simpler than I make then out to be. It s a simple choice most of the time.

yes or no // left or right // blue or green // chicken or beef

so why is it that when making a simple decision I need to look into every detail. you hear of stories where God tells someone to do something {on of those people being me with this whole grand adventure aka. England} but I don't necessarily think God needs to give us supernatural guidance when we want to decide if we are going to have a bagel or oatmeal for breakfast.

Yes absolutely God is with us in everything that we do and gives us direction, but where is the balance exactly.

Acknowledge God in all your ways and he will direct your path,

but he can't direct us if we aren't moving.

If I just live my life and listen for God doesn't that make things so much easier than sitting on my butt waiting for goosebumps when I hear something cool?? to be honest sometimes you get goosebumps because it is cold outside does that mean cold weather is extra spiritual. I mean come on people.

It is just something that's been on my mind. stressing out is just silly. I think when you stop and analyze almost any situation stress can come. So keep on moving and eventually things will make sense and just live your life! and wherever you are will be the happiest place on earth. Not just disneyland.

makes my heart beat faster.

Sitting here, on this lonely dock
Watch the rain play on the ocean top
All the things I feel I need to say
I can't explain in any other way

I need to be bold
Need to jump in the cold water
Need to grow older with a girl like you
Finally see you are naturally
The one to make it so easy
When you show me the truth
Yeah, I'd rather be with you
Say you want the same thing too

Now here's the sun, come to dry the rain
Warm my shoulders and relieve my pain
You're the one thing that I'm missing here
With you beside me I no longer fear

I need to be bold
Need to jump in the cold water
Need to grow older with a girl like you
Finally see you are naturally
The one to make it so easy
When you show me the truth
Yeah, I'd rather be with you
Say you want the same thing too

I could have saved so much time for us
Had I seen the way to get to where I am today
You waited on me for so long
So now, listen to me say:

I need to be bold
Need to jump in the cold water
Need to grow older with a girl like you
Finally see you are naturally
The one to make it so easy
When you show me the truth
Yeah, I'd rather be with you
Say you want the same thing too
Say you feel the way I do

Party like it's 1999

This is so epic.




....it gets even better [a little boy meets world]

boom boom boom.

I could have been like almost every other girl in england and called this "baby your a fire work" but come on give me a break. If s person was a firework that would be pretty nasty. If they literally exploded it would not be a catchy pop song it would be a horrific news story. "MAN EXPLODES LIKE FIREWORK"

anyway...


so there is this holiday here in enlgand that celebrate the day that guy fawkes tried to burn down the parliment buildings in London. It is a little morbid when you think about the whole thing. I mean they have bonfires and apparently people used to make scarecrows that represented poor ol' guy fawkes and burn it. a little intense?? I think so.



Now they just have the holiday bonfire night and have a massive bonfire and fireworks. It is actually really cool. I just love fireworks in general so any excuse for them works for me.

I love this new holiday and I am defs going to bring it back to canadia. remember remember the fifth or november!

seriously.

Gabriela.

oh my goodness. I don't even know where to begin. I know one thing for sure, I am so beyond lucky to call you my friend. We only knew each other a short time and we were instant bffls haha.





I love you to pieces and can't wait to see you change the world!

Nicky

You are an inspiration. You are one of those people that have so much good inside of you but not many people are lucky enough to get to know you. They really should, you put a smile on every face you see. It isn't hard to call you a best friend. I love you Nicky Broughton!

agape

His {love} never fails.

around the world

the world is a massive place! that isn't shocking to most people it is kind of a well known fact but one thing that isn't as well known is that your dreams don't have to be confined to a single city or country. To be honest not even to a single continent.

Dream Bigger.

Life is such an amazing gift. every day is a blessing and an adventure we get to experience.

Explore the world in front of you.

don't sit and wish for all the places you want to go. Just go.



yeah life can be a little more a=complicated than that but why does it have to be??

Think.Dream.Act.

Travel the world. see far off places. do what you have always wanted to do.

Don't let anything ever stop you from dreaming, and more importantly don't let anything stop you from fulfilling your dreams.

Pow...la la la la

so I have this friend named Paula and I think she is pretty ace. There are so many things about her that i love. I would not be where I am today without her...seriously. She is one of those people that is on oprah for being the world's most amazing person and then wins a car or something crazy. A fried I am so lucky to have. Honestly one of the best.

I miss her like crazy but know that when we see each other it will be like we never were apart.

you have incredible things ahead of you my friend. never forget that.





mi corazon es tu por yo siempre

fallen leaves

today I was walking to the train station to catch my bus. It was my final day of the short uni coarse I was taking and I couldn't help but notice all the leaves on the ground.

There were so any leaves! there were so many different colors it was incredible.

It made me think about how in life it is so easy to focus on one problem or issue that comes up. Focus on one rotten leaf. When it's by itself and right in front of you it is all you see. All your focus is on that one thing. But if you take a step back and look at it as all the leaves it becomes this breathtaking piece of art. The rotten, the fresh, the big, the small, and everything in between.

It can be so hard to look at other things when it seems like the one issue is all up in your grill but when it is put into perspective it is amazing to see how quickly those things float away.

Goal for this week: Pull the rotten leaf away from my face.

home sweet home

Today I am finally experiencing home sickness.

I feel so far away from the people I love.

I wish I could close my eyes and be back in hector driving around with the besties.

<3 {ch} {pb} {gt} {nb} <3

I miss Canada

unknown author

When you find a man
Who transforms
Every part of you
Into poetry,
Who makes each one of your hairs
Into a poem,
When you find a man,
Capable,
As I am
Of bathing and adorning you
With poetry,
I will beg you
To follow him without hesitation,
It is not important
That you belong to me or him
But that you belong to poetry.
-author unknown

words.

There are so many words in the english language, more and more get added all the time. Yet when it is most important the words you know so well can't be found.

The simple words like

I miss you.
I love you.
you smell good.

are lost in a tornado of thoughts.

Even in Hollywood movies are based upon the fact that life is too short to keep the meaningful words inside. If one of the most shallow industries in the world has learned that lesson why hasn't the rest of the human race put it into action. I know that this is such a crucial thing to do. The words you use can change your life forever. I can even remember specific times in my life where I wish i would have said something I didn't or wish I didn't say something I had. Makes me feel immensely intelligent for sure.

I know that I should just say the words when I want to but the ridiculously overpowering curse of procrastination comes into the picture.

seriously why is it such a frightening thought that if you truly say what you want when you want good things might actually happen.

one word

rejection.

//if its an idea, intimate feelings, or thoughts, rejection is more scary than risking the truth.

There is so much more to words than just letters put together to make a picture. Words are the foundation of every relationship, whether with a friend or an enemy. They are the superpower behind every multi-million dollar corporation.

I wish I could say that from now on I am going to say the words I want to say whenever I want but the truth is there is so much destruction that words can leave behind that sometimes wondering is only slightly less painful than knowing the result of those words passing your lips.

play on

If music be the food of love, play on.
{William Shakespeare}

stars.

One of my favorite things in the world.

stars.

stargazing is one of the most incredible things to do. ever.

sitting, staring into the sky feeling so small and thinking about how God still thinks about me.
pretty incredible.


new goal. go star gazing in England.

happy.

words

So man words I wish I could have said so many words I want to say and so many words I wish had gone unsaid.

Overall everything said is worth it in the end.

Jump of the edge and just say what you need to say, don't hold back.

your love is my drug

The cliche saying " You don't know what you have until its gone" has definitely come to mind the past few days. I have so many incredible people in my life and the simple things like giving them a hung or a bum pinch ;) are some things I didn't think I would miss. So to show all of you how much I miss you and your hugs and goodness its time for....!!!

a photo montage!!

definition.love

how do you define love?

is it the overwhelming feeling inside you?

is it the choice you make to put someone else before you?

or is it the idea that every romantic fairytale can come true.

The reality is love can be defined in one word.

GOD.

God is love.

it is as simple as that.

Now if God is love love is God.
all words used to describe God describe love, does it not.

love {God} is...

powerful.

trustworthy.

forgiving.

unconditional.

truthful.

caring.

dependable.

understanding.

faithful.

encouraging.

giving.

selfless.

perfect.

a journey

there are times when all i can do is trust.
trust that when i jump off a cliff there is something there to catch me.
something that when everything is pointing to no,
there is an overwhelming yes.
what i see as hopeless is is founded on faith.
i see the now but he sees forever.
the plans of today and the dreams of tomorrow.
no matter what the circumstance there is a definite answer.
no questions or uncertain endings.
all that remains is the path to follow to the happily ever after.
the path that leads to the end.
the end where there is no need to look back,
because all that's behind you is memories.
memories that will forever be remembered as brilliant.
with everyday a part of the journey of life.
the journey begins with a choice.
take a step.