A return to "normal"

I've been home from Nanaimo for 4 weeks already! I cannot believe how quickly time flies. I guess it's time for a big update, so here goes...

My experience on the Island was excellent, work-wise. I was able to emerse myself in the world of GIS, see this great tool put to use in the forestry industry, and learn from some of the experts! Really, the only downside was that it was on the Island, and not in the lower mainland.

Now that I'm back home, I have returned to working a couple days a week with A Rocha. We continue to make strides with the new database system, and we used it for a mailout for the first time just this month! I am also catching up on the GIS work that was completed by interns while I was away over the summer. This fall promises to be one full of transitions for the A Rocha family here in BC. As announced last spring (click here for the official letter), just as I was heading to Nanaimo, A Rocha will be moving it's Field Study Centre from the current location on 172nd St in South Surrey to a new location just 6 km east, along 16th Ave. The national administration office is already at the new location, but in the next month, everything but the garden will be moving - this is going to be a huge task!

Aside from my days with A Rocha, I am spending time at home re-aquainting myself with my house and settling back into life with Mark. I am also continuing the job hunt for full-time GIS work (there are a few short-term contract possibilities on the horizon) and using some of my free time to try and develop a healthier lifestyle. Over the last half a year or so, both Mark and I have realized that we tend to waste a lot of time when we aren't at work and we've been trying to change that. I've started to get back into running and have also picked up some exercise books/dvds so that I have some indoor fitness options when the rains hit - without the cost of a gym membership. And, this summer my mom and sister-in-law helped me kick-start the scrapbook I've been planning on doing of our wedding, so I'm hoping to continue working on that this fall. And Mark has been getting back into his project as well - he's been building a weather station from scratch which he was originally going to surprise me with for our wedding...well, 3 years later and it's still not done, but he's been making great progress the last couple of weeks. We've also taken our bikes out a few times when the sun shines on the weekends, since we didn't get to do it as much as we wanted to this summer, with me living on the Island.

Mark was able to find a new job which started the very Monday after his last day of work at his previous job - but he did manage to get a couple weeks off mixed into his first few weeks of work; one he spent with me in Nanaimo and one he went on the annual Spanish Lake camping trip. It was a bit of an overwhelming initial learning curve for him, but he's starting to settle in and is enjoying most aspects of the new job. The only major downside is that the office is located in Aldergrove, which means his previous 5 min drive to work has increased to 1 hour. He's thankful that much of the drive is against rush hour, and he has also discovered the wonder of audio books, which help make the time pass quicker. While we'd love to live closer to his work, we've decided to stick it out for the next 6 months to a year and see if/where I find myself settled work-wise. Richmond is a much easier place for us to be with only one car, as I am able to take transit for most things and A Rocha is on the way to his office, so we commute together when I go there. If we moved further into the valley, I would have a harder time getting around and I refuse to get a second car until I have a job to pay for it, and even then, will get it only if it's absolutely necessary.

Whew. I think that's most of it. Did you make it through? I really should start posting at least once a month, if anything to keep the length of each post down! :)

Happy Fall!

A crazy start to the summer

As I have been so gently reminded, an update is long overdue. And I have much to update you on...

Since the beginning of May, I've been living and working in Nanaimo during the week and spending the weekends in Richmond with Mark because I got a summer GIS position with a forestry company based on the Island. As of tomorrow, I'll be halfway through the internship. I cannot believe how quickly time has gone! My days are filled at work, and my evenings have been filled with scrapbooking and sewing. My mom and sister-in-law came out in early May and spent a week helping me kick-start my wedding album - I'm hoping that I'll be able to use this opportunity of having weekday evenings to myself to get a really good start (finish??) on the album.

While May was a month of adjustments for me, June has been a whirlwind of adjustments, stress, and uncertainty for both Mark and I, as he found out at the end of May that his company is closing their Richmond office this summer, forcing him into the joys of job-hunting.

Despite all this, we decided to go through with our planned weekend anniversary getaway to Long Beach (yep, one month early, but it worked best for us and the June rates were cheaper than July :). We put a moratorium on any discussions about work options and our future for most of the weekend and were able to relax, walk the beach, explore the trails, and play some games together. We had such a good time, but it was much too short. I'm going to be a bit of a lazy blogger tonight and not insert any photos here. Instead, just click on the link on the right. I've also posted some photos from a marsh that I discovered here in Nanaimo.

Sunday night, he travelled back home to Richmond and I returned to my basement suite in Nanaimo. Then, after a crazy-busy Monday, Mark flew to New York state to spend a week and a half at his company's head office, to help wrap up some details. I have to say, I haven't really noticed that he's on the other side of the continent - the only thing that changes is that we talk on the phone a little early in the evening. I guess you could say that's one good thing that comes from living apart for 4 months... Since he's gone over this coming weekend, I'm off to spend it with my parents.

I think that about sums it all up for now.

I'll try to do better at this whole blogging thing - feel free to leave more comments if you do visit here, because I do respond to the prodding! :)

a sense of accomplishment

I've been dreading today's run ever since I saw it on the schedule:

Run 10 minutes.
Walk 1 minute.
Run 15 minutes.
Walk 1 minute.
Run 20 minutes.
Walk 1 minute.
Run 10 minutes.

And how did I do? Success!!! Well, I ended up walking 2 minutes after the 15 minute run to give my heart a little more time to recover, but I think that's pretty good. :)

I think this calls for celebration. Looking forward to spring rolls and stir fry for dinner. Which reminds me - I better head to the kitchen!

I'm back...

After a bit of a sabbatical from blogging, I have decided to give it another shot. I think I stopped posting because I was hoping to have job-related news and nothing was happening. At times, I felt like I was always in limbo, waiting and hoping to hear back from different applications.

I'm starting to realize that I need to enjoy each day and the opportunities it brings, even if they don't answer my questions regarding employment. Because of this, I've started to do a few small painting projects at home and have many organizational projects in mind. I've also started running again. Back in high school, I looked forward to the runs they forced us to do in PE class. Then in university, I ran once a week with a friend, but slowly, even that stopped happening. Then last summer I found a great deal on a 3 month gym membership and decided to try and get back into shape. The result? I loved going, and easily went 2-3x a week, doing a mixture of weights and cardio each time. However, once the membership expired, I chose not to renew it because the gym was not in a great location - as in, it was either a half-hour bike ride each way or meant I had to go in the evening when I could use the car, instead of in the afternoon (on my Chapters days, I get home mid-afternoon). I investigated a few other gyms that were closer to home but gym memberships are so expensive and many of them require a year-long contract. Since I don't know what my job situation will be in the next year, I don't want to commit to that right now.

Then, I stumbled across the Sun Run website and found a 13-week training program for learning to run 10k. At the time, Mark was gone to New York (state, not city) for 8 days for work and I was going a little crazy being on my own. So, on a whim, I decided I would start running again. The result? I'm 8 weeks in and can comfortably run 4 10 minute segments with 1 minute of walk inbetween. I love being outside and have discovered that I can run a 5km loop right in our neighbourhood that includes trails through a couple parks and no busy street crossings. The best part? It's free (besides the cost of a good pair of shoes) and it's right outside my door!

While I continue to browse for job advertisements and wrestle with questions regarding my future employment possibilities, I am working to find something good about each day, learning to continue enjoying life amidst the uncertainties.

P.S. Click on the photos on the right sidebar to see photos from our Olympic adventures and the Koole Christmas weekend.