Friday, June 28, 2013

As promised

I finally got a picture of all my luggage. 



It is a lot, but if you think about the fact that it has all of my clothes (excluding summery-type things), a computer, enough health and beauty products for 3-6 months, and a few art related items, it really isn't all that bad. Let's not forget that I am moving, and this is by FAR the least amount of stuff I have ever taken on a move (and I have moved 14 other times...).

So far the trip has been ok. Leaving Toronto was terribly hard and emotional. For some reason the back of our van was full of ants, leading to all of my bags being covered in ants, resulting in Mandy and I being covered in ants! It was so wonderful to have some very special people come to the airport to see me off (and help me carry my 200 lbs of luggage), but it made going through security a lot more difficult. Of course, goodbyes started at home, where I had to give my two awesome cousins some goodnight hugs before they went off to bed, and where I left my aunt in the driveway. I have so much gratitude for them taking me in when I needed somewhere to stay and for all their generosity over the past 7 months, I can't even begin to express it (it was SO hard to leave and I will be eagerly waiting to see you for Christmas!).

I took some pictures along the way, but they are on my camera and not my phone, so you'll see those later. For now, here are some other things for you to look at:

You know you're flying over the Canadian Prairies when...


I thought it was neat to be sandwiched in between two types of clouds.
This is my room at the B&B in Yellowknife. The room is nice, but I think I would have preferred a hotel instead. It was loud here, as the owners also run a canoeing and kayaking program (it's right across from Yellowknife Bay, part of Great Slave Lake). There are also a lot of mosquitos in my room.








Plus the toilet it kinda weird and ghetto.



It's HOT!

A building I thought was nice to look at.


Another cool building.

The Man lives here, I guess.

I just liked this sign.

Ok, well I will be leaving soon and arriving at my sister's house around noon (2pm for most of you).




Wednesday, June 26, 2013

After grad

It's actually starting to hit me. Even though I've been slowly packing over the past few weeks, stocking up on some necessary items, I don't think it had actually crossed my mind and sunk in that I'm moving to the arctic and starting a new life with a new job in a completely new and foreign part of the country. I kept saying, "Oh, well I don't move until after grad..." but now it's after grad, and in less than 24 hours, I'll be on my way to my new home.

As my dad so thoughtfully expressed his gratitude to my family after my graduation, I will also say thank you again - for saving me from being stranded in snow storms, being locked out of my home, and terrible living arrangements, and for supporting me emotionally and at times financially. I have such a wonderful group of family and friends surrounding me and supporting me through the hardest of times. I could not have made it through the past 4 years without you, and I would not be able to move on to the next chapter of my life if I didn't have you standing behind me and cheering me on. I believe in myself because each of you believe in me.

In terms of my actual move, packing has been much harder than I had anticipated. With fairly strict luggage allowances with Air Canada, limiting myself to what I absolutely need has proven quite difficult. I'm assembling the last of what needs to be packed now, and for those of you who know me well, you'll know how relieved I am that I have room for my nail polish (all 7 lbs of it!). That might not seem like something all that important for most people, but as an artist and someone who LOVES having cute and expressive nails...it's essential that I am able to have all the nail polish I can!

When I'm completely finished packing, I will post a picture of all 170 lbs of bags that I'll be dragging along to the great Canadian North. I'm feeling like I should have hired an assistant to help me carry them!