My Life

Why do we always try to make things more complicated than they are? Often, the most important things are the ones that are the simplest. The people who are the happiest are those who live simple lives. So why is it such a stigmatism attached to being simple? Simple people can see the joy in a sunrise, a tiny flower, a bird song.

I think that when we look at God, we think that he must be so complicated. While this may be true, I think that all we really need to understand is the simple, the obvious, and the rest becomes irrelevant. We get hung up on details that make minimal difference, and think that if something is too easy to understand, it must not be right. Sometimes I think that those who understand God the best are those who “know” the least about him. So why do we always make things so complicated? While I believe that we should always strive to learn, we should not get so caught up in it all that we forget to take time to slow down, and enjoy the simple things. Simplicity is beautiful.

I miss my cat. I miss days where I had nothing to do. I miss friends. I miss Denmark.

However, I am thankful for the snow. I am thankful for the sunshine. I am thankful for the opportunity to learn, think, and grow. I am thankful for my family and a God who loves me.

dad-isms:

A good diet won’t make an average athlete great, but a poor one will surely make a great athlete average

So it’s that time of year again. When one stops to think about the year that has passed and look forward to the year to come. For me, this has certainly been a year worth looking back on. It’s been full of changes, love, sorrow, joy, loss, laughter, fun, boredom, stress, happiness, homesickness, and everything in between. I’ve learned a lot about myself and about others. I like to think that I’ve learned to love others a little more and rely on myself a little less.

Half of this year has been spent in another country, and half of it has been spent at home. I spent the first half missing home (although not too much) and the last half missing Denmark (quite a bit). And home, while it’s still home, loses some of it’s effect when you have experienced a new life somewhere else. When you leave to go anywhere, you know that things will be different coming back. Yet at the same time, nothing changes. This has potential to be frustrating and disappointing. Don’t get me wrong, I am enjoying being back home and back in school, I missed that aspect of my life, but there is always this sense that I left a chunk of myself somewhere else. Maybe that’s why I enjoy school. You fill your time with classes and extracurricular activities so you don’t have time to think about anything else. But at the same time, we need to take time to stop, slow down, climb up a mountain or into a forest or to the middle of a field, and thank God for the life he has given us.  I can look back on this year with a spirit of thankfulness. Thankfulness for the opportunities, the friends both old and new, and the family I have. I’ve learned a new appreciation for the sun and the snow (and even the cold :P).

And while I’ve learned so much this year, in many ways I find myself more confused than ever. What do I do after graduation? What path do I want my life to take? Should I go on to med school, and if so, where? If I decide to do something else, what?  Where do I want to live and work? What about my future husband? Who (and if) will be he, and what kind of effect will that have on my plans? These are questions I find myself asking and praying about again and again, with no concrete answers. Maybe that’s why I hate assignments that ask “where you see yourself in 10 years”. I simply don’t know! There are so many variables, and I don’t like variables. Maybe it would be easier if there was only one thing I was really good at. So my goals for next year? Survive the year I suppose :P They pretty much have to do with school, because that is my life right now. Biggest goal, ace my MCAT this summer so I can go back to Denmark next summer. As nice as New Year’s resolutions are, they often fail halfway through January, February if you’re lucky, and you’re left wondering why you simply can’t stick to anything. So I shall spare myself the grief and simply enter the new year with the goal of making it the best it can be.

2011 has been a defining year, and will occupy a large dot on my lifeline. Thanks a tonne to everyone who has made it such a memorable year. And with that, I wish you all the most Happy New Year! Bring it on :D

A brief summary of Canadian history (Pre-Confederation)

The Vikings discover Canada around 1000 A.D. and establish a settlement, but are forced to leave by the Beothuk. Several hundred years later, French and English explorers (John Cabot, Samuel de Champlain, etc.) try to find a Northwest passage to the East, and settlements begin along the St. Lawrence River. Fishing and the furs (specifically the beaver) become the main sources of revenue for the new French colony. In 1763, the British conquer New France, and it becomes a British colony. The governors have to deal with the opposing demands of French and British settlers. The Quebec Act (1774) becomes the first constitution of Canada. The Constitution Act (1791) makes adjustments to the Quebec Act to allow greater freedoms for French Canadians. Enter War of 1812. The Americans are convinced Canada is theirs for the taking, but they are wrong. Canada (well, mostly Britain) wins the war. Reformers William Lyon Mackezenzie and Louis-Joseph Papineau push for responsible government in Upper and Lower Canada respectively, which leads to very short-lived rebellions in 1837. As a result, the Canadas are united and given a form of self government. After achieving responsible government, there is a push for representation by population. Britain encourages Canada to be more self-sufficient, and this paves the way for the Charlottetown Conference, the first step to Canadian confederation. This is followed by The Quebec Conference, in which the foundation for the British North America Act is laid. The BNA Act comes into effect in 1867, and the Dominion of Canada is born.

Pre-confederate Canadian history is rather uninteresting :P The only major conflicts are with the Americans, and everything else is political. I also find it interesting how, generally, the major reformers in Canadian history were Scots. Canadian history does have its moments, but not nearly as many as much older countries.

I have my final tomorrow :P