The Dip

When I first decided my 2012 goals, I couldn't think of a better way to kick them off than participating in the Courage Polar Bear Dip (que the "you're crazy" comments.)

Since I was a kid this event had such strong appeal for me. Why? Probably because I grew up swimming in the lakes no matter what the temperature. Every May 24 long weekend we would go camping and I would always swim. Some years the water was surprisingly warm, others it was a struggle just to get waist-deep. But I always did it and felt so happy afterwards.

I was willing to do the dip on my own, but I thought it would be much more fun if I could recruit some friends. Most friends responded with "Ummm, no. Do you think I'm crazy?" Thankfully, my best friend Marie said yes - and was excited as I was!

We arrived in Oakville on New Year's Day with towels, blankets, water shoes and hats. We undressed to our bathing suits and got in line for the beach. The anticipation was the worst part of the day - we stood there waiting for the first heat to finish their dip, wondering what we had got ourselves into.

When it was our time, we left our towels and blankets on the beach and went down to the water. My Dad was our spotter (there to ensure we got out of the water safely), but he mostly just took pictures. My Mom and Aunt were up higher on the shore cheering us on. Right before the countdown Marie and I were both excited and terrified.

When the crowd yelled "one" we ran into the water. I'm sure the houses across the street could hear us scream. It was cold, very cold.

We came back to shore and grabbed our towels and blankets, laughing at what we had just done. The craziness of the event was evident - who in their right mind runs into Lake Ontario on a warm day, yet alone in the middle of winter? - but the energy felt on that day was incredible. Everyone was laughing with each other, sharing stories of past polar bear dips and keeping the new dippers optimistic about what they were about to do. We were welcomed into this small community instantly and enjoyed every minute of it.

Would I do the dip again? Heck yes. It was an amazing experience that I was able to share with my family and best friend. If I ever struggle with one of my challenges I'll think back to this day and realize that whatever I have to do isn't that bad in comparison.

It's been a while, but I'm back

My dear blog, how I have neglected you. I had such high hopes when I first started you, and then well, I guess I gave those up...or forgot about you...or something like that. I really don't have a strong excuse for my negligence. If this was court, my sentence would be read right about now.

But since it's not, and since blogs don't have any real feelings (at least none that can be proven) I'm back. And my hopes are high again for this place. Sure, there's a bit of dust in places, and it looks a bit outdated, but with a little TLC I'll have this baby up and running again.

Why the sudden interest in you again? My goal for 2012 is that once a month I will complete something that challenges my comfort zone. Not only is this blog a good place for me to document everything, it is actually something that challenges my comfort zone itself. It's scary throwing yourself out there saying "hey internet (read:world), this is me."

Do I know what I'm going to blog about? Not really. Am I scared that I will discover no one cares about what I have to say? Isn't everyone? I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think I would run into challenges, but that is exactly what 2012 is all about.

So, hey internet! This is me.

Fishing in the Wrong Pond?

Well, here I am. Officially moved into the new place (pics to come I'm sure) with only a few things left to do.

There were two fatalities during the move in - the first being my dresser. It literally fell apart as soon as the guys started to move it. They think they can repair it, but I have yet to see proof. No biggie, right? Secondly, our box springs do not fit up our stairs. For the past week I've been sleeping with my mattress on the floor. Not great for the back, but damn do I feel artsy.

I've also set up with my POF profile and tonight was the first opportunity I've had to really look around the site (and the guys). I must say, I'm at bit disappointed. Sure, it looks like there's cute guys on the site, but I never thought of the daunting task of the first message. What do I say? "Oh hey there, I see you like _____ too. Neat-o."

I've received a few messages so far. Unfortunately, the senders are lack-luster and, ahem, not my "type." I'll give it some more time and see what happens. First impression: not all that it's cracked up to be. Le sigh.

The Dating Pool

Calgary is full of men. Rugged men. Manly men. Available men. There's definitely more men than women out here. But there's one obstacle that's in the way of me meeting these available men: Men, 0f the friend genre.

Of our group of about 15, there are 4 girls. Setting foot in bar with 11 guys and trying to get the cute guy across the room to notice you is difficult, almost impossible. Either the cute one assumes you're with one of them or you brother (who is part of the group) sabotages any possible chance for a relationship. Note: leaving the bar with a guy is not something that should be done in the company of your brother. Trust me, I've done it. It was with his friend. Talk about an awkward next morning....

So I've taken it upon myself to meet men. And the only viable option to my generation these days seems to be.... internet dating. Enter Plenty of Fish.

I've heard positive and negative things about this website. From random hookups to long-term relationships, there seems to be something for everyone. Err should I say someone for everyone? But is there someone there for me? I'm taking that question more as a challenge.

To successfully conquer this challenge, I need to come up with the perfect description of myself. It has to be full of my wit and my charm. But describing myself is one thing I despise. What do I say? "I like long walks on the beach and reading poetry."??

But I don't like long walks on the beach and I don't like reading poetry. I like short walks to the bar and reading fashion magazines.

This weekend I'll not only move my stuff to the new place, but I'll work on the perfect description of myself. I really wish it was a 3 day weekend.....

And life in the Wild Rose continues

I've been so neglectful to my blog lately. Why is that? Well, I really don't have a good excuse. Perhaps I've had nothing good to say, or maybe I felt nothing was good enough to share - but in the past month there has been a lot going on and I feel it's time to post again. So here goes nothing....

We've been busy for the past month searching for the perfect new place to move to. "We" being my current roommates Jeff and Aly. About a week ago we finally found it - only a 15 minute walk downtown, three bedrooms upstairs, two full bathrooms, a large backyard, and a quaint front porch. We've slowly begun to move and this weekend we will be doing the majority of it. I'm pretty excited to move into a place that's clean and clutter-free!

I found out two weeks ago that I am now the assistant manager of the store. Not a big deal since I had taken on all the responsibilities to begin with, but it's nice to have the title and to get a bit of a pay raise. Still hard to find the job I want out here - the opportunities are lacking to say the least. It's even hard to get people to talk to you about their career paths.... sheesh!

All in all, I am having a great time out here. The home-sickness gets less and less every day and I think that scares me a bit. I mean, who would think that I would EVER be okay being this far away from all my friends and family?? Maybe it's constant party feeling this town has and the aroma of cowboys in the air. It's quite intoxicating.

3,600km Later

Last week was a week that I will always remember. My Dad and I drove my car from Woodstock to Calgary - 3 1/2 days, 3,600km. With that much time spent driving, I ended up hearing a lot of interesting stories from my Dad. He also taught me a few things about Canada (and the world in general).

1. My Dad has passed out on a picnic table more than once.

2. After his first year of university, he flew to Calgary, hitchhiked to Banff and camped for a week. (All without telling his parents where he had gone).

3. A police car can radar you from anywhere (including when they are coming towards you.....)

4. Moose are very big!

5. The windiest corner in Canada is Portage and Main in Winnipeg.

6. My parents drove out east for their first wedding anniversary. After seeing the east coast, they woke up very early the next morning and drove straight home because they missed it.

7. My Mom really misses my Dad when he is gone.

8. Potash is used as a fertilizer.

9. The prairies are even more boring the second time around.

10. My brother is becoming more like my Dad every year.

11. My Big Nickel really isn't that exciting.

12. My Papa lived in Brandon, Manitoba as a child -which is on the 100th Meridian (Tragically Hip song).

13. Driving for 16 hours is hard and exhausting - I could never be a trucker.

How Quickly the Tides Turn

Talk about a quick turn around. Two weeks ago I loved my job, last week I started hating it. Hating it to the point that I quit on Thursday.

The job wasn't what I expected and I felt a bit mislead - turns out I was a salesperson and had to make 100 calls a day. Not exactly my cup of tea.

It's all for the better though - I have a feeling there's something better waiting for me. Or so I hope.