#tbt Prom: Expectations vs. Reality

Note: this is a shared post between the two of us. Jess and Dee. TOGETHER 5EVA. So our writing is interchanging here. Thought I'd be a little savvy and do mah thang in a different colour? Yes? Yes? Props to me for being the real MVP - so anything in c'est couleur is Jess :)

So, I don't know about you but I was never super-thrilled about the idea of going to prom - the only reason I went was because it's kind of like a rite of passage for a high schooler, something that every senior has to do before they graduate high school. But I mean, looking back, I realize that I was expecting a lot for a high schooler that had only seen proms in television shows and movies. Come on, High School Musical's prom was like, the bomb.com. But maybe it was because I was going based off of the televised proms that led me to a slight disappointment to my own prom.

Disclaimer: I'm not completely hating on prom (well, I partially am lmfao)! I had a brilliant time at prom with all my friends and the memories made still stand true to the reason why everyone enjoys prom, but I thought, hey, this could be some potential material for the blog.

Without further ado, here is a list of PROM EXPECTATIONS VS. REALITIES:

Finding the Dress
Expectation:
OMG I'm gonna start looking for THE DRESS like 4 years in advance, like holy shit, if high school prepared me for anything, it's for prom. Fuck preparations for uni and fuck preparations for life, this place is preparing me for the big guns: Prom.

Reality:
-beginning of senior year- Oh I have prom this year, I'll probably start peeling my eyes open for a dress or something
-Christmas break- I haven't found anything yet (I am actually too lazy to even start looking tbh), but I have to do the 1 million assignments all my teachers gave to me for over the break
-March break- all these girls are starting to order their $800+ dresses from New York and Europe so that they ship it in time for prom, maybe I should actually start looking now
-Late April- ah shit, I should probably get on the whole prom thing because it's in a month
^^ And that's how you decide that you'll break the tradition and go to prom in a jumpsuit instead of a dress



Buying the Ticket
Expectation:
Wow, this is going to be a little expensive but it's an important splurge! Like, if I'm gonna pay for university tuition there's no way I can't pay for my prom ticket! Or better yet, I'll find Zayn Malik and he'll pay for my prom ticket or something - but wait, actually, I don't need a date, I'm a strong independent woman WHO DON'T NEED NO MAN! Okay, this is totally a worthy splurge. Besides, it's only dinner and dance at a fancy venue! How expensive can it be?

Reality:
Holy fucking shit fucking 90 dollars what the fuck I have ten bucks tops in my wallet for reals is prom even worth it??? Okay, close my eyes as I hand over the money - maybe if I don't see it I won't remember how much I paid to go to this. Fuck, for this much money there had better been fucking Aroma (-snickers- real smooth, casually slides into DMs being like) served at dinner and an A+ DJ and solid-gold silverware!!!



Finding a Date
Expectation:

1. A gorgeous student will transfer to our school this year and we'll fall in love and he'll ask me to prom in the most ROMANTIC WAY IT'LL BE PERFECT
2. Zayn Malik will come just for prom and it'll be fab.
3. OMG I'm going have the best promposal (#tbt to when I had to explain to my parents what a promposal was lmao) ever like it'll be perfect with all the flowers and the rainbows and the glitter and the confetti!!

Reality:

1. Go with a friend - one of us did this. It was aight. Too complicated, tbh.
2. Go solo - one of us also did this. Hell yah ALL THE SINGLE LADIES REPRESENT!! JUST TO CLARIFY WE ARE BOTH SINGLE LADIES AHEM AHEM (although dem uni boys... sorry, I'm getting off track!)
3. When you have a prudish principal who apparently does not have one single soft spot for a public promposal, shit all gets done. That is all I have to say. Yes I'm throwing shade, better grab them sunglasses. -insert umbrella emoji-

Side note: YOU LITERALLY DO NOT NEED A DATE TO HAVE FUN. It's probably even more fun without a date, let's be real. But prom is prom - go out and have fun with your friends! Don't worry 'bout finding a date. Talking from experience as I went with a bunch of my friends, I thoroughly enjoyed going stag simply because I feel like you maybe (I said maybe) felt obligated to stay with your date the whole night and maybe (I'm saying maybe) you didn't get to hang out with your friends a lot? 

Getting Ready

Expectation:

Now, this can go one of two ways. Our expectation, as Jess and Dee, was to hang around and do nothing until a couple of hours before prom and then lazily get ready and go. So we're gonna cater to both perspectives.

1. I'm gonna call in and get all of my appointments fixed and get my nails done several days before in a salon and get up at the crack of dawn and MY HAIR WILL BE DONE BY A PROFESSIONAL STYLIST AND I'LL HAVE A MAKEUP ARTIST COME TO MY HOUSE *spends six months in advance on Pinterest looking at stuff* (OMFG SUBTWEET SUBTWEET I'm actually dying because you're throwing some insane amounts of shade right there!)
2. I'm gonna sleep in until AS LATE AS I CAN BECAUSE THIS BITCH AIN'T COMING TO PROM ON THE DAY OF AND THEN I'LL WORK OUT AND I'LL HAVE A GIANT ASS BREAKFAST THAT I'LL SPEND THIRTY MINUTES PREPARING FUCK YESSSSS
3. Well, I'm just gonna chill and be like eyyyyyy for about 5 hours and then start to get ready 20 minutes before prom. I'm gonna sit back and relax - watch some Gossip Girl and laugh at everyone who's running around to get to their appointments on time.

Reality:

1. FUCK I OVERSLEPT AND I'M LATE FOR MY HAIR APPOINTMENT AND I CHIPPED A NAIL RUNNING INTO THE CAR AAAAAND MY MAKEUP ARTIST CAN'T WORK BECAUSE SHE'S INJURED AND I HAVE TO DO MY OWN MAKEUP ARGHHH I'M NOT PREPARED (OMFG YOU'RE THROWING SHADE, DEE IS THROWING SHADE!!)
2. FUCK I CAN'T SLEEP IN I HAVE TO COME TO CLASS AND MY DOG IS SICK AND I CAN'T WORK OUT AND WATCH TV NOW BECAUSE I HAVE TO LEAVE IN AN HOUR AND IT TAKES ME AGES TO WASH AND DRY MY HAIR AND HOW DO I EVEN HEELS ARGHHH I'M NOT PREPARED
3. Well, I'm just gonna chill and be like eyyyyyy for about 5 hours and then start to get ready 20 minutes before prom. I'm gonna sit back and relax - watch some Gossip Girl and laugh at everyone who's running around to get to their appointments on time.

The Venue 

Expectation:

1. Damnnnn this venue looks gorgeous like Casa Loma gorgeous, like wow I feel like such a princess
2. Wow this room makes me feel like I'm actually in Versailles (yes we had a theme for our prom), I can almost smell the French air. 
3. Yaaaassss, food is like on point, and it just tasted so brilliant that I want seconds and oh, would you look at that, they gave me seconds without a second thought (-snickers to self at the pun-)
4. Wow someone in the prom committee managed to get a hold of a legitimate DJ, like fucking CALVIN HARRIS IS IN THE ROOM AND IS TURNING DEM SPIN TABLES (I think that's what they're called)... WHOO PARTAAAYYYY

Reality:

1. Well, it only took me 30 mins to get to the actual venue because of the traffic and heaven forbid I'm not late, because doors close at 7:00 and no one goes in and no one gets out.
2. What the actual fuck. If Y'ALL ARE GONNA SAY THAT THERE'S A THEME, AT LEAST MINUTELY DRESS UP THE PLACE SO THAT IT LOOKS SOMEWHAT REMOTELY SIMILAR TO THE PLACE WHEN YOU SQUINT YOUR EYES REAL HARD UNTIL THEY CLOSE.
3. What the actual fuck is this? Is this supposed to be some sort of antipasto with caprese salad, because the grilled veg is cold and nasty af and damn WHEN I PUT MY PHONE ON THE TABLE AND LEAVE TO TALK TO SOME OF MY FRIENDS FOR LIKE 2 SECONDS, I DO NOT APPRECIATE COMING BACK TO SEE THAT Y'ALL GOT FUCKING GRAVY ON MY PHONE!
4. What is this music he's playing? Why the hell did we need to pay a guy to stand there and press a single play button? Are you kidding me? Are you fo serious? Damn, maybe I should drop out of school and become a "DJ" so that I can make like thousands of dollars each night just for standing there and doing nothing.

Guys  - prom should be fun. That is the sole purpose of it. It's not about being stressed, and it's not about worrying about what it'll be like. If complex prom prep is your thing and you enjoy doing it, go for it! Don't let anyone tell you you're weird for it! And if you don't want to think about it too much but you'd rather chill out and spend minimal time preparing - you do that too! You do you, go out, kick butt, and have fun. We're just satirizing this whole idea of prom honestly, just for shits and giggles (dunno about Dee but I'm taking this so damn seriously lmao) - we thought it'd be funny to have a little fun and just crap on a whole lots of things. All in all, I had a brilliant time, took a whole bunch of pictures, and thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Much love, (lmao, Dee here, I hope Jess doesn't have any grudges against y'all or else dis outro gon' be reeeeeal awks) (lmfao don't worry primary bae, I got chu - UNTIL NEXT TIME!!!)

University's coming!

Hey y'all. So as Jess mentioned, she got accepted to the university of her dreams. And then the next day we had a bit of a communal freak out and spent the rest of lunch looking at uni sweaters and facilities and who knows what else. (For security reasons, we're not disclosing our universities of choice, at least not for now. But let me tell you - her sweater game is gonna be hella strong this year. Then again, Jess - my uni has some up and coming stuff, so we might just have to sweater battle it out next year over Skype/Facetime. It's totally happening.)

But like, whoa. We're almost done school? What the frickle frackle?! I mean, let me get straight with you - I'm definitely not going to miss the large majority of school. Teachers who don't actually care and "friends" who's voices I can no longer stand to listen to? Please. Whoever said high school was the best four years of their life was a liar. Either that, or, well... they didn't have much going for them.

Brief list of things I'm going to miss about high school:

1. Jess. Not that she's attached to high school by the ankle. (*cough cough* if we lose touch I'm coming over to your dorm room and making you pay but also making you a smoothie bowl because I care about you *cough cough*)
2. The several teachers who cared and who I could make friendly conversation with.
3. Cross country. We'll see what the verdict on next year is, but regardless of whether I get to run in uni or not, my high school cross country career was on point. Good memories.
4. Those two really cool music trips we did. Those were rad.
5. The one guidance counselor who has her shit together. She is solid gold. I will be forever be her number one fan. 
6. Maybe a couple of people.
7. Those two times the cafeteria ladies were nice to me and gave me free food. Y'all be the real mvps.
8. NICE CARE TAKING STAFF SHOUT OUT TO YOU FOR KEEPING IT COOL(ER) HERE

Naturally, for every pro there is a con. Or maybe a few. But I'm gonna try and keep it optimistic here, so without further ado I present to you - the list of things I will definitely not miss about high school:

1. RUDE BITCHES
2. WAKING UP BEFORE FREAKING SUNRISE IN WINTER
3. BEING LATE AND RUNNING TO CLASS WITH THE FUCKING JEOPARDY SONG PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND
4. DARUDE - SANDSTORM - THEY PLAYED THAT SHIT EVERY GODDAMN MORNING
5. RUDE BITCHES
6. MEAN TEACHERS
7. USELESS TEACHERS
8. TEACHERS WHO DON'T HAVE THEIR SHIT TOGETHER ON A DAILY BASIS (because to err is human and we all have bad days)
9. Caf food that makes you sick
10. PEOPLE WHO WALK DOWN THE HALLWAY LIKE THEY'RE RAVING IN A MOSH PIT
11. PEOPLE WHO WALK ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE HALLWAY
12. PEOPLE WHO WALK THROUGH THE WRONG DOORWAY LIKE EXCUSE ME BITCH I'M LATE FOR CLASS AND YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO TAKE THE OTHER MOTHERFUCKING DOOR

Phew. I have a lot of rage concerning people who mess up hallways. Hopefully there'll be less of that in uni! Hah, who am I kidding, there are a bajillion people in university. But they, at least, will most likely be aware of how to walk in hallways without causing an A grade stampede. This is university, not a roaming elephant herd in Africa.

Anyhow, that's about it from me for now. I'm off to go study so that I can actually leave all of those things behind. 

Peace out girl scout!

5 Weeks and Counting

According to Urban Dictionary, "senioritis" is defined as "a crippling disease that strikes high school seniors".

Some symptoms include:
- Laziness
- An over-excessive wearing of track pants, old athletic shirts, sweatpants, athletic shorts, and sweatshirts
- A lack of studying
- Repeated absences
- Generally a dismissive attitude

The only cure for this phenomenon is graduation.

~

The end is near and not like "the end is near" in the Simpsons, because this might just be slightly more apocalyptic than that one. I'd like to think that this end will be one of chain-breaking freedom, overwhelming surges of emotions, and it will most definitely be life-changing. There are only 5 weeks left of school and there are so many people "checking out" (kudos to Butler for coining this term) of high school. To put into more teenage-friendly terms, a shit ton of the seniors are getting senioritis.

Whoever said that "high school would be the best four years of their lives" lied. The person who said that "high school would fly by in the blink of an eye" also lied. They were most likely the same person. Well, whoever this person is, they are partially right and partially incorrect.

I want to say that school has been getting a little bit dry, but literally just yesterday, I got accepted into a university that I've been dreaming of attending and that's when I realized that there are only 5 weeks left before our graduation. Prom is next week and before we know it, we'll be writing our last exams ever in high school. 

It didn't really hit me that I was actually graduating until today, actually and it feels somewhat terrifying and extremely liberating. But of course, just because you've gotten your acceptance doesn't necessarily mean that you're in. Many friends have been complaining to me about the how they just want to move onto university, but I mean, you kind of sort of have to finish high school first. I don't know for me, I've always thought of it as finishing what I started - I'm really trying to delay my "checking out" because I need to finish what I started.

This is finally happening and this is gonna get good, so grab some popcorn and watch as we start our newfound journey!!

Small teeny tiny side note: Dee and I are gonna get this show on the road and it's gonna be pretty epic (I think) so yeah!!

A little PSA to the world

Hey World,

Dee here.

I'm not sure why I'm addressing you with a capital W. I suppose that's my name for you as a collective thing. Then again, I've never been much good at naming things. (Evidence can be found by examining a multitude of platforms: previous blog posts, in which I refer to my neighbors as human prunes, quick notes taken in class, old teen-angsty stories I used to write - yes, maybe someday I'll dig those back up for this blog, and my organic chemistry test. For real, hepta-bromyl-deca-what?)

How have you been, World? I hope you're flourishing and everything is delightful for you. I'd say "I hope you're doing better than me" or "I hope you're doing just as well as I am", but truth is, I don't really know how I'm doing. I'm a bit of a mess. I just woke up from a thirty minute nap (7:30-8:00pm), I should be doing my five pages of calculus questions right now and reading my 68 pages of French or at least working on an English seminar, but I'm not, for some reason. I'm here talking to you.

I'd like to think that somebody is reading my words and processing them and experiencing a reaction of some sort. (Hey, Jess!) But regardless of whether one person comes across this post or twenty, or maybe even twenty thousand (wouldn't that boost the blog count!), it comforts me to think that my communication and thoughts and ideas and feelings are valid. As they should be, as they are - as they will always be. Which brings me to an important point I've wanted to make for a while.

You are valid. The work you do is valid. Your accomplishments are valid. Your failures, too. All of it. All valid. Nobody aside from yourself can tell you "you do not do things X, Y, Z" or "you do not deserve successes X, Y, Z". They say pride is a sin. (They also say ripped jeans are a no-no. I'm going to go out on a limb here and take their advice with a grain of salt.) When you accomplish something, be proud of it. Do not let anybody bring you down for it or belittle your success. When you do something, stand straight and say that you did. Do not let somebody tell you what you did or did not do, nor what you can and cannot do. Do not let anybody dictate who you are or how you feel - those thins should be determined by your own choosing, and your own choosing alone.

I really want to carry on and say some more stuff, but I've been dreaming of a 10:00pm bedtime for a whole month now, and, well... that work isn't going to get itself done.

Stay cool, gal pals. (Dudes are welcome too. And so is anybody who doesn't abide by either of the two aforementioned genders - we welcome everyone. I just like the sound of "gal pal".)

One last additional PSA: Jess and I have had a bit of a whirlwind semester, but we're gradually getting back onto this blog. Stay tuned, y'all!

Looking back on stress

So we just got out of exams. And that was hella stressful, to say the least. We both came across several very distressing moments to say the least, and despite having escaped exam season with numerous scars, we took a moment, stepped back, had an epiphany of sorts, and realized that these were really just scratches.

Things often don't go as we plan. We say the wrong things, forget our keys at home, lose games, and sometimes we mess up exams. These are all mere hurdles which we must overcome over the course of our lives, and they are numerous, and sometimes even seemingly infinite. Some are bigger than others. Some hurt more, some leave you in a bigger dump, some take more time to fix and get over. But that's okay.

Failure isn't pretty. It never has been, it never will be. Fortunately, we seldom reach failure in its true and final sense. Failure is a permanent state, it is rock bottom, it is the end of all ends. And, well - the end of all ends is a rather infrequent occurrence. Learn to tell the difference between failure and a setback.

I grew up with J.K. Rowling's work. Harry was one of my closest friends as a child. He has been with me through thick and thin, and he will undoubtedly always hold a place in my heart. I came across this tidbit a while ago, but I thought I'd bring it up here: 

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all - in which case, you fail by default.”

― J.K. Rowling

Food for thought.

Happy Lunar New Year!!

So, a new year means a new start and it kind of sucks that the lunar calendar is out of sync with the Gregorian calendar, because it would have been pretty epic to have a "party all day party all night" kind of mindset over winter break. Oh well, what can you do? 

Like any other New Year, this marks, well, a new year. The main difference is that the people who follow the Lunar calendar go based on the phases of the moon. I'm not sure about the other different ethnicities that celebrate Lunar New Year and what traditions they follow to celebrate accordingly, but all I know is that in Vietnam and with the Vietnamese people, we eat a lot and drink a lot. Pretty simple, but it's quite effective and sometimes less is more (or maybe bigger is better, I don't know).

Anyways, there really isn't anything that differs from the Lunar New Year and the Western New Year's besides the choice of food probably. Of course, Lunar New Year food is better (a wee bit bias but it's the same difference so whatever) and here's a little glimpse into the feast that we had:

The famous Vietnamese spring rolls with ground pork, grated taro root, carrots, and mushrooms

Let me tell you a little something about these spring rolls: they may look like the Chinese egg rolls, but these are less oily (an attractive element for certain individuals), because we cook the filling first and that means that these lovely bundles of happiness spend less time soaking the oil from the deep fryer. Quite genius if I do say so myself. Another special aspect of this spring roll is that we add grated taro root - this is probably my favourite part of the spring roll (and not just because I love everything taro), but because it add texture and depth to the actual spring roll. I know that the wrapping is already crunchy but -flails arms- I dunno, they just taste better, trust me on this one. Annnddd now I'm ranting about freaking spring rolls, great. Onto the next dish: 

What's a get-together/celebration without a little sushi?

I don't want to say that we're major sushi enthusiasts (no hate against sushi, I really love it though, but we aren't that hardcore), but somehow and someway, sushi always makes it way onto our menu. Is it intentional? I'm not sure. Is it convenient? I don't really think the idea of sushi making is 'convenient' per say, because damn, wrapping all that takes some hard work! I don't know the answer to this question, but I do know that the sushi was delishhhhh!

Slight program interjection: Okay I've just realized that look back at these pictures are making me salivate. Maybe a partial reason is because it's almost lunch time and I'm real hungry, but that's okay!! Resume the food descriptions!

Bitter melon stuffed with ground chicken, mushrooms and tofu for the soup element

My mom always encourages the consumption of bitter melon because in individuals that have a high level of internal heat, causing them to break out in cold sores (for example), the bitter melon has some substance that helps to counteract that. So I guess you could say that it has cooling effects? The level of bitterness varies from melon to melon and if you're lucky, you've got one that's mediocre, but on a side note: THE STUFFING'S GREAT! Note to self: don't get distracted by food, keep going.

Some hella large prawns stewed in coconut milk and a pinch of red Thai curry for seasoning

Anything with coconut is warmly welcomed onto my palate, because I find that coconut is a rich fruit that it great with anything, whether the dish be sweet or savoury. So, this is basically prawns the size of my fist steamed and then tossed into a red Thai curry paste with coconut milk and this was completely on point. Shoutout to my aunt for not killing us because this was the first time she made it, woot woot!

Steamed turbot fish with ginger and green onions to garnish

Personally, I'm not a big fan of this fish, because it is rather fatty and I just ain't about that fatty fish life. I know it's probably some beneficial omega fats but nah, fat and fish (especially fat in the fish) just about kills me. Usually, we pan-fry this fish, but this method was equally as good and finally, we have:

Mixed vegetable stir-fry with peas, mushrooms, onions, broccoli

This is just a straight up vegetable stir-fry with various vegetables and I don't really know what could be better than steamed veg, lightly tossed in olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Two of my favourite desserts ever: the brown caramel coloured one is a sweet cassava cake with coconut milk and the green layered one is a gelatinous cake infused with pandan leaves (an aromatic which smell heavenly) and mung beans 

Right then, the desserts above are probably one of the greatest things of life. So, there are two on that plate: one is a sweet cassava cake and that is probably my favourite dessert, hands down. I don't what it is about the cassava cake, but it just reminds me of my childhood and brings back pretty good memories so, nostalgic food is always the best kind of food. The green coloured dessert is one that contains one of my favourite aromatic scents used in Vietnamese cuisine and just the thought of it makes me happy. How I've heard that they eat it in Vietnam is by slowly peeling back each of the layers, and it's quite sticky so it's a mission to peel each layer without breaking it.


And there it is! I can't believe another year has come and gone. I wish you all prosperity and longevity for this year.

Dear 2014 ~ The Adventure Continues.

So it continues; the (not quite, but almost) great adventure. As we move onto the next half of the year, things start looking up a little. There is absolutely nothing more satisfying than the sound of the last school bell of the year and the smell of sweet freedom. We can finally shed our winter wear and trade them in for a pair of shorts, a tank top, and some flip flops. The weather gets warmer, school becomes old news, and we're ready to move onto summer. Ready? Let's go.

{Ocho Rios}
There is no better way to celebrate end of exam season than by hopping on a plane, heading South for a week of soaking up the sun and just starting off summer right. On the last weekend of June, my family and I jet-setted to Ocho Rios, Jamaica for a week of a little R and R. Ocho Rios is a wee fishing town situated on the Northern coast of the island with plenty of vibrant culture and great food. The resort that I stayed at was literally at the end of the main road that travelled through the town; about 75% of the hotel's perimeter is surrounded by water and from what I've heard, the sunrise scene is breath-taking, because me? Waking up to see the sun rise? -insert maniacal laughter- That's not happening.

Airport outlets, coffee, and 2048 (when that was still a thing).

Sky's the limit.

By the way, I nearly dropped my camera into the water for this shot.

Hidden paradise in a cove with the rolling (stones) hills.

Bookmarkers and little trinkets.

- salivates whilst trying to think of a caption to write for this picture -

Where land meets water.

Late afternoon beach strolls.

...

Don't let the size and skin fool you - This is by far one of the best and sweetest mangoes I've ever eaten in my entire life.

I was standing in the shade and I could feel the heat emanating from the sand.

Yes, that's a palm tree. And yes, this is intentional.

{Riviere du Loup}
At the beginning of July, I traveled to a tiny town on the edge of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. The population was at 20,000 and the people were as French as can be. (After all, when you go to the middle of nowhere, who speaks English? Next to nobody. I learned that the hard way.) The journey there took 14 hours, but it was well worth it. Upon arrival, I discovered a small, orderly town with just about as many hills as there were people. (These proved themselves very useful to summer cross country training, along with the track I found across the street from uni.)

Whoa. Wait. Uni? Let's backtrack. So I wasn't in this (charming) town that happened to be on the edge of civilization for no reason. I was there to spend five weeks in a Francophone environment and learn the language on a university campus with just over 100 knuckleheads like myself. And boy, did I learn French. But it wasn't only French that I learned - I learned independence, I gained life skills, and I witnessed more wonders than I can recite in one go. I've got over a thousand photos from those five weeks, and even those don't begin to cover the adventure. But hopefully this gives y'all a glimpse.

This was a quaint little bakery with the best bread I've tasted for a long time. Plus, cute French guy at the counter was a total bonus.

I went running at 4:30am. This was when I reached the edge of town and hit the highway, at which point I had to turn around. The sun was beginning to peak through, and it was then that I decided waking up so inhumanely early was absolutely worth it.

Tiny village, free rock show - what's not to like?

2 dollars a book.

We got rained on in a quaint little corner of Old Quebec. The most fitting word for the moment, I think, is charmant.

That's a good 100-200m climb on the sand that keeps slipping underneath your feet. And every time you decide to run down (which is scary as hell but the best thing) you have to make the treacherous return journey. Totally worth it.

Quebec City

Parc national du Bic

(I spent half an hour walking down this sand with shoes in hand discussing cross country with a boy who recognized me from one of last year's meet. Friendship formed.)

{Ocean City}
After going through literal hell and back with the whole summer school fiasco (me, being the overachiever I am, decided that it would be a great idea to take two courses at the same time - long story short, don't do it unless you want to feel like you've aged five years), I was finally able to take the rest of my summer break in stride. My entire family (immediate and all) decided that we were going to take a rather lengthy road trip to the East Coast, landing us in Ocean City, New Jersey. It was a 10 hour drive with many washroom stops and perhaps a little getting lost along the way, but it was well worth it. 

To me, the beauty of a road trip is being able to stop whenever, wherever. You want to stop at a mall to stretch your legs and shop a little? Sure. You want to grab something to eat (I find that Subway's always good on road trips)? Of course, let me just get off the interstate and we're bound to find something eventually. With a little help from our trusty GPS, Cheesecake (I honestly don't even know why we named our GPS that or why we even named our GPS for that matter), we were able to get from point A to point B, but not without a little satellite positioning recalculations and temporary signal disconnections. I find that road trips are like plans without a concrete procedure and there is so much room for any alterations; the imperfection behind a road trip is what makes it so perfect.

{XC 2014}
This year I ran my last season of high school cross country. And it ended oh so perfectly. Let's backtrack four years for a second - there's little Dee, running in her gym uniform (ft. totally dysfunctional basketball shorts), hoping desperately to stop being the ugly duckling of the team who'd consistently finish with the (almost) worst times. Okay. Got that image? Now erase it. Because I got my shit together, put in some hard-ass work, slathered some intense warrior face paint, put on some kickass knee high socks in school colours, laced up my spikes, made the entire meet go quiet upon hearing our cheer, and ran the last race of my high school cross country career. And despite not qualifying for provincials (we were one place too short as a team), we medalled on that day. Covered in mud, sweat, and face paint, I stood with my team knowing that I wouldn't have picked anyone else to be there with me. I can't really put into words what this meant to me, but this runs deep. Real fucking deep.

*also, the boys at the meets this year were on point.