When the ice breaks

I sit here on Apr. 22, realizing that I haven't posted anything since the first week of the month.

I figured I should probably fire something up because, well, I enjoy writing and it has been far too long since I wrote anything here and that is just a damn shame.

I've survived the first year of my two-year bachelor of journalism program at TRU...barely. Does that mean I didn't enjoy it? Absolutely not. I loved every second of it.


A number of variables contributed to me narrowly escaping the blood-hungry, gnashing teeth of the past eight months of my life, primarily:

1. A hard-learned lesson in time management and my own personal ability to handle a mass of tasks; and
2. Collateral damage courtesy of my poor time management, the ending of a relationship that was more important to me than anything else.

I quickly became over-ambitious with school, my free time and exactly how much of it I could handle filling. Thankfully, I survived without too many late assignments, unfinished assignments or bombed exams. Either way, it was a learning experience all-around. 

I learned that time-management can always be improved no matter how well of a grip I think I have on it. 

As for the collateral damage, I've been told that it was a long-time coming, although I really didn't see it until it tip-toed up behind me, tapped me on the shoulder in the cold, damp and dark night and then proceeded to sucker-punch me in the face as I unknowingly turned around to see who had approached me.

Needless to say, I was crushed. And my face a little worse for wear. Thankfully I escaped without any broken bones. 

I might describe that situation in a way that some of you will interpret as cruel, unfair, mean, sarcastic, or harsh. Let me clear the air and say this; I am in no way suggesting cruelty on the part of the beautiful, brown-eyed girl that for three years filled my life with joy and love beyond anything anyone could ever ask for. I was lucky to be with her while I was and no one will ever be to me what she was. She deserves the best. And I truly hope she finds that, whatever or whoever it might be. All I know is that I won't give up. 

Hopefully you are all in tears now. Or laughing at me. Whatever it is, whether you're crying because I'm so disgustingly poetic, emotional and raw, or you're laughing because of the state of my emotional purgatory and blabbering, I hope that I evoked some sort of emotion for one reason or another.

In my opinion, I might as well own my emotions and wear my heart on my sleeve. Honesty has always been my policy, because I feel it is the best one. 

In other news, I am heading back to Calgary this Wednesday. I miss it a lot right now. In fact, I miss all of Alberta and its beautiful, rolling plains. I can't wait to cruise through the Rocky Mountains and into the heart of the land that I called home for so many years before I moved to B.C. in Aug. 2011. 

Before I head off to Toronto on May 4, I have a few other pit stops to make along the way, all of which I am desperately looking forward to. It is funny how much you miss where you are from when you are truly far from home. I never thought I would be homesick after living on my own for the past six years, but strangely, I am right now. I'm not quite sure how to feel about it. All I know is that I can't wait to see my family and friends from Edmonton, Calgary and Lethbridge. 

Toronto is a whole different story. We will talk about that on another occasion. 

The Breakup by The Rural Alberta Advantage

When the ice breaks,
When the hearts shake in the town and it marks the end of winter
The end of our love for now 

And you spent your summers
Your summers in the south in the central Rockies
And I left you now 

But what'll I do?
I never thought it was true 

Under the hill star
Above the city tonight and past the cemetery
Where my father tried to start a new life 

And I held you tight
We were waiting for the breakup
All the cracks in the ice 

And what'll I do?
I never thought it was true 

Cut a line in the snow with our boots
Split this city in two
From Abasand and Coker Two 

The ice is gone, you'll leave me too
The ice is gone, you'll leave me too 

And you will find me
When the Summer dies stuck in McMurray
I'll be waiting for the ice 

And what'll I do?
I never thought it was true 

Cut a line in the snow with our boots
Split this city in two
From Abasand and Coker Two 

The ice is gone, you'll leave me too
The ice is gone, you'll leave me too