Love is definitely in the air as wedding season has already started. I was packing for my trip to a friend's wedding in Manitoba when I got the news that another friend was engaged. Yet another pair of our friends had also gotten married during the spring. It seemed like that time of my life was beginning where everyone around me was getting married and it brings me such joy! I do enjoy seeing couples in love and it makes me snuggle my partner that much more.

This month I got to fly out with my partner to one of his best friend's wedding in Winnipeg, MB. This was my partner's college stomping grounds and a part of Canada I had never visited, so I was super excited. I also finally got to meet all of his college friends in person instead of over voice-chat while we all played video games together. There was some mingling and sight-seeing before the wedding, and I truly loved it all. Winnipeg was not how I expected it to be at all, far more historical and artsy than I was lead to believe, and the families of the bride and groom were super friendly and welcoming.

When the day of the wedding arrived, I even felt nervous. It was a big event, I think there were over 300 people attending. My partner was in the bridal party so he had extra duties to attend to and I had to be on my own during the ceremony. This was fine as since the wedding as in a Catholic church, I got to spend some time reconnecting with my spiritual side as while I'm agnostic that doesn't mean I'm totally against having faith. I was also raised with Christian values since my father was Catholic so I felt comfortable in the space. The only awkward parts for me were following along during the ceremony as the guests would sing hymns and recite prayers, I did my best to keep up despite not knowing the verses very well. It was such a beautiful ceremony and watching our friend and his lovely bride get married moved me to tears. The bride was stunning and witnessing how much they both loved each other made my heart swell.

Afterwards there was a short break for pictures and then it was off to the hall for the reception. I sat amongst strangers, but we had delightful conversations about the surprisingly good food (steak AND chicken on the same plate, I felt spoiled!) and how we got to know the couple. There were speeches and family concerts (the groom came from a very musical family) to begin the night, as well as a slideshow of pictures of the couple from when they were kids. I even helped operate a computer at one point during someone's speech as there was a lot going on all at once.

After the formal part of the reception was over, the dancing begun and I got to reunite with my partner. We danced, chatted with friends and enjoyed the open bar. It was a lively evening and I had so much fun. I can only hope that one day when I get married that I can have such a wonderful time too. If this is the beginning of a long line of weddings and celebrations of love in my life, I welcome it all with open arms.

Dana~


"What was it like when all your friends started to get married? Did you enjoy the celebrations? Do you even like weddings? What was the funniest thing you saw at a wedding? Tell me all your stories in the comments below!"

Since I was very small, my parents and I have always taken quick trips to Edmonton to visit extended family. Both of my parents were raised in Northern Alberta and only moved down to Vancouver in the early 90's. I was born a few years later and they decided to stay put. However, we still wanted to be a part of our extended family's lives. Therefore every few months Mom would schlep us and a weekend's worth of luggage to the airport. It was usually on holidays that we'd fly to visit my grandparents and cousins. My elder sister and her family live there too, so there's always plenty of people with whom to catch up.

However, as I got older and my parents got busier, those visits were few and far between. Maybe once a year, if at all. I thought nothing of it, we just didn't have the time. There couldn't have been any other reasons, right?

Recently, I'd been promising my sister I would come to see my niece around her birthday. When I asked my mom if we had the time, she agreed to organize it. Granted, it wasn't as easy as I remembered. Our schedules were all different, people had work and slept during the day... It took my mom a month to find two and a half days where we could see my sister. Also, while we chose not to stay with my mom's family this time because they were out of town, we found we all slept rather poorly in the hotel. Yes, it had a nice ambiance and comfy beds, but both my father and I are fan-sleepers. We need the white noise and cool air, which neither of us got while in the hotel. Our tossing and turning kept mom awake, resulting in lack of sleep for all of us. Then there was the heavily chlorinated water. At least, I think it was chlorine. All I know is that taking a bath felt more like going for a swim. The water was bright blue and made my hair both stiff and frizzy. Then there's travel food. Hotels don't have in-room kitchens, so we ate out most of the time and as we all know, it's faster to grab a bag of chips for a flight than to sit down for a meal. Sure, everything we ate was edible and most of it was tasty, but after three days of restaurant meals and junk food I was bloated and nauseous. Everything needs to be done in moderation...

Once we made the trip home, I collapsed onto my bed and napped. Well, I closed my eyes for five minutes and then sent out an email with my resume for another job opportunity. Either way, I was exhausted. I used to love those short trips, but they really take a lot out of me. It always seemed so easy to close the gap between me and the rest of my family, but not anymore. That hop, skip and a jump leaves me feeling drained and often times sick. Still, they are family. I wouldn't give them up for the world. So I will continue to make these trips, frizzy hair and nausea be damned.

Dana~

So my dream of living abroad has come to an end. After much hesitation, I decided I just couldn't handle it anymore. I was sick all the time, jobless and stressed out. There was too much drama in my living situation that the normal stress of my poor health and my endless job hunt were amplified. So I packed my bags, apologized to my partner and flew home. I was uncertain where I stood with my partner. I told him I'd try to come back. But I don't know. I need to find myself and get well before any decisions are made.

For now I'm so happy to be home. I'm enjoying Canadian food that doesn't make me sick and spending time with my family. I get to retire to my own bed with it's soft memory foam mattress. Yes, I miss my partner, but I know I need this. My anxieties need to clear up and I must get my health back. I hated making this choice. However, my mood improvement already shows I chose correctly.

So, after only four months...My life abroad is over. Still, I learned a lot about myself and how to be independent. I can cook for myself and I'm comfortable doing so. I know how to shop efficiently and search out deals. I can manage all household chores and keep up with bills. This adventure has given me so many life skills. Better still, I found out what it was like to live with a partner for the first time as well as what it's like to live on very little money. I do not regret the move one iota.

Dana~

Well, despite being really down about my job hunt... I found a way to feel better. My partner, his older brother and I all went on a trip this week! It was a day trip, but being out and seeing the sights was a refreshing change. It was all very impromptu. His brother picked us up and drove us to Lynton & Lynmouth. Gosh, was it just a gorgeous sight! I adored it there. So much to see and so much history to soak up. I wish we could afford to go out like this more often.

The view from the Lynton & Lynmouth tram

Essentially, they are two towns, one down by the ocean and the other on top of a ginormous hill. There's a little tram to take up the hill to get between the towns. The ocean view across to Wales was breath-taking too, and it was really cool to see another country off in the distance. Reminds me of looking across the water in White Rock and seeing Washington State. But Wales looks so much nicer from here. Maybe I'm wearing rose-coloured glasses still, but I really needed this day out.

Dana~

As the titled explains... I am getting discouraged. I have been applying left and right for work. Everyday, I'm putting myself out there as much as I possibly can. To be fair, I have gotten a lot of responses! In fact, the first day of using my new phone I had a phone interview for the perfect job. I was even offered the position while on the phone. We discussed everything and he said he would get it set up. Then the next day I received a rejection email. The interviewer had been so enthusiastic about hiring me on the phone... I was confused. I brushed it off as they found someone better.

Then the same thing happened the following week. And then again. And again. In four weeks, I've been turned down for countless jobs right after making it through the hiring process. According to each interviewer, I was personable and met all their criteria. What was I doing wrong?  Finally, I asked the last interviewer who rejected me why they had made the decision. What did I need to work on? She took a while to get back to me, but awkwardly explained that the company was nervous to hire someone on a visa. They preferred to hire nationals instead of foreigners.

That was odd. I had already explained that my visa allowed me to work and there would be no issues. I even said I would be willing to return to Canada and switch visas if they wanted me as a permanent hire. I had done my research and knew what the requirements were. Still, that was their reasoning. No foreign-nationals. During the interview, she figured I would be fine to hire and enthusiastically offered me the job anyways. But when she took it to her superiors... that's when I was rejected. They were anxious about hiring immigrants and didn't want to be painted in a poor light for not supporting jobs for UK citizens.

I felt horrible. I never knew it would be so hard to get a job. I thanked the interviewer for her candor and went back to applying. It's been a week since then and I'm losing more hope with every rejection. Am I not worthy because I'm Canadian?

Dana~

Shopping in the UK is a little different from back home. Shops tend to close around 5 p.m. during the week, or promptly at 4 p.m. on Sundays. For someone who shops at Walmart around 9 p.m any day of the week, this was like living in the twilight zone. Most days, it was extremely frustrating. I'm not usually decent enough to go out by 2 p.m., let alone get two weeks worth of groceries before 4 p.m. The few days I attempted this I felt like death afterwards for all the rushing around and carrying heavy bags the whole way through town.