1 Thing I've learned about My Pursuit of Happiness

We've all read the blog posts out there about the person who figured that once they lost weight, they would "finally" feel happiness. It always starts with the thought that who we are initially is not good enough, and that through changing our lifestyles and eating better and working out, we will be happy, like the rest of the skinny people out there. The end of the article always says the same thing, "I discovered, I felt the same way when I was 'skinny' as I did when I was not skinny."

Happiness is never a destination. It's not a plane ticket to a hot place, or a lower number on the scale. Happiness is a journey, and it's one we need to pay more attention to.

Since my venture into fitness, I've had my ups and downs. As I write this, I am pushing through a (mild) low, and I am writing this to remind me, and whoever else is reading this, that happiness is always a journey, and sometimes there are going to be things that happen to make your journey go a bit differently than originally planned. Like that one person in the car on the road trip who just always has to pee.....


I've realized, the closer and closer I get to that ideal body that I (thought) I wanted, that my happiness is dependant on me, not how my body looks, because I can feel just as shitty about what I see in a mirror now, as I did when I was overweight, and I know that I'm being ridiculous. My amazing husband just smiles and holds me when I'm having one of those bad days, and waits for me to come back to earth, when he promptly tells me I was acting like an idiot.

He knows that I know that he realizes it's bigger than that. It's bigger than just "being happy" because I should be. It's being happy because I truly feel happy, and unfortunately I have battled anxiety for most of my life starting in my teen years. And unfortunately, my happiness and my weight have been linked in my brain for far too long. I've got an extremely rational mind, sometimes too logical for my own good (which is such an odd thing for a creative person like myself to say, those damn musicians) so even when I'm beating myself up and feeling like crap because my skin on my abs isn't as tight as it was yesterday, I know that I'm being ridiculous. That doesn't stop those feelings from forming and becoming the forefront of everything I am feeling.

What I wanted to come here to say was this: no matter what, you must find happiness right here and right now, and never expect to find it once you achieve something. Happiness is not something that can be grabbed or held onto. It has to be found and appreciated and that will foster more happiness. Find it in the little moments of your day. For me, that's sitting at work with some free time, enjoying how beautiful the weather is, so having the door open and fresh air coming in through the store. That's making me happy right now, and that fact that I am happy, makes me happy.

Sounds silly, but that's how it works with me. If I can find one moment of happiness, to remind me how great it feels to feel happy, then I'm good.

Love yourselves, and realize that we all have the capability to feel the most joy and bliss that we could ever imagine, just by being human. You are worthy. 

Today seems as good as any day to begin by telling you what my average week is like, fitness wise.

I will preface this with stating I am not a professional, I don't have any professional knowledge that you should take from this and hold up as the be-all-end-all fitness wisdom, but I do what works for me, and sometimes it's nice to have someone who you can relate to about fitness, as I am very much so your average, every day woman.

(on a side note, calling myself a woman is the weirdest thing ever. I'm still just a little girl....)


OKAY, go.

So, typically, I try and "exercise" 5 days a week. I say "exercise" because my weekends consist of physical activity, but I look at it completely different. Hiking, for example, is something I do for fun, that also happens to be getting my body moving. That being said however, when working out, try and find things that you enjoy doing, even for those "exercise" days. Doing a workout that is totally mind numbing may be doing great things for your body, but your mind will be screaming at you.

I wake every morning and do at least 30 minutes of the bike, usually while watching a show (cranked volume so I can hear it over my crazy peddling) or listening to music. I at least try and bike once every day. If I don't get up in the morning to do it, I know that I will have to do it when I get home from work, and I prefer to do it to start my day, get the energy that I know I will get after doing it, and then know that my evenings at home are going to be relatively (I do have 3 pets....haha) relaxing. They suggest doing 30-60 minutes of cardio 3-5 times a week. I do at least 30 minutes biking, and with the addition of having a fitbit now, I try and walk laps while at work. I have the benefit of working at a store that we've just opened, so customer traffic can be sparse at certain times of the day. If I notice my step count is low, I will walk around the store (counting my steps to keep my brain occupied and not bored!) until I feel like I've walked a decent amount of steps. That often times can add up to another 20 minutes of cardio right there. I'm not just strolling, I try and have a fairly decent pace going.

I also try and do at least 1 circuit training session every day. So on Mondays for example, I do this awesome circuit session I found on the Color Run or Happy 5k website. That's an awesome website withs LOADS of information on their blog about running (Which I don't do, I'll get to that later....) but also about other workouts that you can do alone, or use to supplement a work out. Today, for example, I did 3 sets of 10 chair dips, 3 sets of 10 pushups, 3 sets of 10 triangle push ups, 3 sets of 30 arm circles, 3 sets of 75 hip thrusts, 3 sets of 30 second planks (regular, and then side planks each side) and then 3 sets of 30 crunches.
I also change it up daily, so tomorrow will be focusing on my lower half, abs, glutes, and legs.

Sometimes, I will do my own circuit, or like today, I added in leg lifts, bicycle crunches, lifted leg crunches, and 90 degree crunches. It took me no more than 25 minutes to do the set, and I left sweaty and feeling great afterwards.

I haven't been doing these for that long, and it's a process that is still really in it's beginning phases. However, I noticed my strength and stamina changing within the first full week of dedicating myself to this workout schedule. Funny thing is, once you do it for at least 21 days, it starts to become a habit. It's now something I just know is part of my day, and if I don't do it, I don't guilt myself, but I actually feel like I'm missing out on something.

It's true what they say, there is a high that you get after working out, and it's totally addictive. At least it's the good kind of addiction, right? ;)

Another thing that has to be mentioned, is proper eating. I noticed almost immediately the change that happens when you start substituting the pop, and sugars from your day with the natural healthy sugars, and complex foods that I eat now.

To say I have an issue with diet soda's is a total understatement. It all started in high school when I decided any calorie was bad, and obviously that meant drinking empty calories was a no-no. I will still try not to drink my calories, because I LOVE food so much, but if you're going to drink pop....drink regular pop. Seriously. Aspartame is such an addictive chemical, and I still struggle with it. I have been aspartame free now for quite some time, but I know how easy it is for me to fall off the band wagon. One bad day, and I can go back to drinking one, if not more bottles of Diet Pepsi a day...So, If I can offer you anything, don't drink aspartame!

Also, healthy eating is not going to just happen overnight. Don't beat yourself up for enjoying a piece of pizza every once in a while, or a bag of popcorn. I believe in the 80/20 method of eating, where I eat my best 80 percent of the time, then 20 percent of the time (so if you eat 3 meals a day, that's 5 meals a week, not bad!) you can have a cheat meal. That usually happens on the weekends for me, as that's when I'm more prone to be with friends, out for drinks, etc. etc.

Make small changes, gradually. A wise woman once told my mother "Everything in moderation, even moderation." We can't expect to be good at gradually phasing things out if it's the first time we've started thinking about healthier options. We may still get caught by the cookie train, or the beer bus. (Lol)  We started with switching our regular "brown" bread for multigrain, no added sugar, bread. It's delicious and fills you up for much longer. I now eat oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, instead of no breakfast at all (another one, don't skip meals...) and we always have a lean protein and veggies for our dinner.

If you like carbs, find a healthier way to eat them. If you like sugar, eat more fruits with naturally occurring sugars. If you really like meat, opt for lean proteins, such as lean beef, turkey, or chicken. OR even better, fish. But, I can't stand fish, so that's chicken for me ;)

I don't have a rippling 6-pack, but I have a tighter, more toned abdomen, a perkier butt, and super sexy legs. Its all a work in progress, and I try my damnedest not to get discouraged by all the other health blogs out there. You know the ones, where they tell you everything you NEED TO BE DOING RIGHT NOW, to lose that extra 10 lbs, or how what you're eating isn't helping your weight loss goals.

When I first started losing weight, it started with portion changes, and just being more mindful about the kind of food I was putting into my mouth. I wasn't eating quinoa with every meal, and substituting bread for cauliflower. That's all well and good, and maybe one day I will do that if I decide to. But, what I do works for me and my body. I feel healthier, I look better, and I have more energy.

I'd say that's pretty successful if you ask me :) It's all the journey, not just the destination, and I am enjoying every minute of it. 

Sundance Canyon Hike

So today I figure I should write another hike post, and I'll do one of my most recent ones, which also happens to be quite an easy easy hike. These are nice for the spring months, where if you don't have access to winter hiking apparel, you can still do them, at least for the most part.

Today's hike is the Sundance Canyon hike that can also end up connecting with about 4-5 different hikes along the way. We had initially planned on doing the Marsh Loop trail, but decided we had more time, and wanted to do a longer hike than just 2-3 km. Sundance Canyon ended up being close to 8 km if I recall correctly.

The trail head is located at the entrance to the Cave and Basin in Banff, AB. You're going to start by walking down a paved trail, almost wide enough to allow commercial vehicles through. I'm telling you, it's super convenient, a great family hike, and there is hardly any elevation change. It will offer you beautiful mountain views, and at the right time of year, plenty of wildlife through birds, and fish, and maybe the occasional deer.

One of the most interesting parts about this hike, and if you know anything about the cave and basin, is it's a hot springs site, and so all along the hike, you're going to find green vegetation, and steaming water, every day of the year. When we went, it was still covered in snow, except for these little streams and pools of hot water. However, I don't recommend touching the water, as some endangered snails live there, and the oils from human hands can be extremely detrimental to their well-being, and can end up killing them. But, feel free to put your hands above the water to feel the heat rising and warm up your fingers if you happen to go in the chillier months.

We started going along the hike, and soon to your right, it opens up to a marsh land, full of birds, and there is a look out point to check out, with tons of fish swimming around. You are advised to keep your volume to minimum however, as loud noise will scare the animals away, and then you aren't able to fully enjoy the look-out.

After about 10-15 minutes of walking, you start getting into thicker trees, and the marsh view is left behind for huge spruce and cedar trees, mountain peeks, and rock faces. It's beautiful, and when we were there, we only ran into a couple of other hikers. I can see it being much more popular in the summer months however.

If you're interested in snowshoeing this hike is considered a good one for that, but I would recommend going in the earlier winter months for that then, as by the time we went the snow was packed in, and you didn't need anything but a decent pair of shoes to get through it.

It's not a loop hike, so you will eventually have to turn around to head back, but as we mentioned, there's something nice about getting to see the same things you saw on the way there, but from a different perspective. I found I actually enjoyed the view more heading back from our hike, than our way in, and that's saying something. Along the path there are other trail heads, for much longer hikes. We saw one for at least 32km hike which also connected to another path, and then on the opposite side of the path, we saw the trail head for Sulphur Mountain, or the Gondola. You can hike to it from there, and then take the Gondola down if you wish.

Just before turning around, we made it to the actual "Canyon" part of the Sundance Canyon hike, but unfortunately it was way too icy for us to conceivably hike down to see it. There's a short little wooden bridge you can take across a creak, then there's a huge rock face, and what I believe is a water fall, however it was completely socked in with ice, and we didn't bring cleats or anything appropriate to get down to the part of the trail, so we took pictures from where we could see, and turned around. I'm looking forward to doing this trail again, so we can continue going, and possibly take some more of the trail heads that we saw along the way.

All in all, it was a beautiful hike, extremely easy (We walked behind a family with kids no older than 10 for a decent amount of time) but totally worth it. THEN, when you're done, you can go look at the historical Cave and Basin, the site of the original hot springs pool in Banff, where two men saw steam coming from the ground and decided to investigate. What they found was a steaming natural pool of hot water, slightly smelling like sulphur, in a cave. It's really quite amazing, and I recommend anyone to check it out. The entrance fee the last time I was there was 9.00 dollars and totally worth it. They have an area inside that usually has some sort of interactive learning site. I've seen native american artefacts with people talking about them and their significance on our history. The last time we were there, they were curling. LOL. So....they have tons of things to keep younger ones entertained as well.

Another great way to end the day of course, is going to the Upper Hot Springs, the now active pool for the town, and soaking in those healing hot waters. Don't be surprised if it's a little smelly at the time, that's just the sulphur, which means it's got the natural waters flowing.

*One of the many hot streams of water you'll see.*

*Trail that the horse drawn sleighs will bring people down*

Would You Talk to Someone You Love That Way?

I mentioned in my first post (Where I began to tell you about myself) that I would probably end up posting about weight, a journey to health, and weight loss. So, I'm going to do just that now...


For me, I've always felt as though I've struggled with my weight. To the outside world, I can almost bet that my "weight" issues seem far-fetched and almost unfair. However, they have been and always will be very real for me, and I always keep that in mind when speaking to anyone about their body issues.

When I was 5, my parents told me they were pregnant, and that I was going to end up with a sibling. As the story goes, I gained weight with my mother. I went from being an averaged sized kindergartener to a kid who didn't need their car-seat at the age of 5 because of the significant weight gain. I look at pictures of myself, and I realize I wasn't a large kid, at all. Quite the opposite. But I went from being such a small kid, to one of a considerably increased size, that obviously people took notice. I remember my aunt once telling me to "show them my rolls." I think I was around the age of 6 or 7, and I displayed all 3 rolls I had when I bent forward with absolute pride. It was never said to me as an insult, and at the time, I never thought of it as that. However, I look at that comment now with a bit of a different mind-set, and I wonder if we ever thought it would take the toll on me that it actually took. I also refused to eat while at daycare as a young child, and I recall my mother coming in and having to feed me in front of all the other kids so that I would actually eat a meal while away from home. Basically, my food issues started as young as you can start them. My first issues with food were actually as a newborn baby. I wasn't receiving the nutrients from my mothers breast milk, and in turn, it ended up "starving" me to a point that I was losing weight after leaving the hospital, instead of the optimal reverse of gaining it at a healthy rate. My mother, being stressed over the fact that her baby wasn't gaining weight, went to the doctors, where a nurse berated her for how underweight I was, and basically put all of the blame on my poor mother. When she finally switched me to formula, I started gaining weight, and the amount of stress on her was considerably lesser. That was my first "negative" experience with food, and it's been a roller coaster ever since.

Growing up, I was best friends with a tall, lean, beautiful girl. We are still best friends, to tell you the truth, 20 years later. We met when we were 3, and lived across the street from each other from that moment, until the 5th grade. When you spend so much time with someone, comparisons are going to be made. We got the "attached at the hip" award at a summer camp we went to (which was actually to feed each other ice cream while blindfolded for some reason.....)

People would loving refer to us as sisters, even though we really look nothing alike. If this was 10 years ago I would have described her as tall, beautiful, blonde, blue eyed, skinny, and goofy. I would have described myself as short, stout, chubby, dark hair, green eyed, and loud. Very few positively affirming words to describe me, as I would have reserved them all for her. As she deserves them! But, so did I (and do I.)

There is a picture of the two of us in matching bathing suits, she has ice cream all over her face, and I am just smiling for the camera. She sent the picture to me saying "Look at us! I was always the messy one, and you were the chubby one!" She meant it in the most endearing way possible, I am sure, but I can tell you, I sure as hell didn't take it as compliment. Inner 8 year old Brooklyn, who was already covering her stomach at the swimming pool, cried on the inside.

Over the years, my body image did not improve. Not even once. I got boobs at the age of 8. For real. I got my first bra in grade 3, and cried like I had just discovered I had an incurable disease. I got my period the next year, in grade 4. I was maturing way faster than anyone else in my grade, and basically, confused the poop out of my brain. I knew it was something that was supposed to be happening to me, but it wasn't supposed to happen for years yet, right? How could the stomach ache I had for 4 days in a row at summer camp possibly be what you're telling me it is.... I'm only 9. To say life can feel unfair sometimes is an understatement.

Fast forward a couple of years to where I've already got a C cup (grade 7) and boys are clearly noticing. I remember standing in class putting something on the chalk board at the front, and one of my male classmates took a meter stick and decided to try poking me in the chest. I left the room shocked and pissed off. That wasn't the first time, nor the last time people would comment on my chest size, as if it were appropriate for them to do so.

When I decided I was overweight in high school, I weighed 130 pounds. I am 5'3''. I currently weigh  125 lbs and feel as though I'm at the healthiest I have ever been at. My view of health, and what I thought I should weigh was skewed. I was comparing myself to the other girls in my grade of the same height, thinking that since we were all short, we should all weight the same, and look the same, and wear the same clothes. I beat myself up daily for the fact that I had boobs (I still do. That's going to be a work in progress) and that I had hips that definitely did. not. lie. I was a full figured girl at the age of 14 and was incredibly insecure about it, but wanted desperately to feel comfortable in my own skin. I was dating someone who at the time, was also feeling insecure about his weight. He had gained weight going to University and felt uncomfortable in his skin and felt he needed to lose weight. So, we decided to do it together. The only difference was, since he lived 3000km away (met in my home town then he left for school) we didn't see each other and couldn't help encourage each other in person, so a few unhealthy tendencies started to form. He had a good friend group, and for the most part, I believe his route to health was considerable less damaging than mine was. He started running, Jiu Jitsu, and eating healthy well balanced meals. To begin, I did too. I biked daily, ate way healthier, said no to DQ trips with my friends at lunch time, and drank more water. BUT, then I noticed that it just wasn't working anymore. All of my working out, the food I was eating, I wasn't losing weight anymore. So, I did what I thought was the next logical solution...just stop eating.

*The exact picture that made me decide I needed to lose weight in high school* 

*I was crazy*

It started with skipping breakfast, which has been an incredibly hard habit to try and break out of. I stopped eating breakfast in grade 4 around the same time a bully came into my life, but ate it off and on through out high school. At this point, I decided I didn't need it, so cut it out entirely. Then, it moved to only having the sandwich in my bag for lunch. Then, just the granola bar. Then, half of the granola bar. Then, nothing. By the end of the day, and by the time I would eat only meal I allowed myself to eat, I would be in so much pain that my part-time job of tuning guitars and wiping dust was almost too much for me. I decided I had to eat supper because if I didn't, then my family would truly know that I wasn't eating, and if they knew that...then I couldn't keep doing what I was doing, and what I was doing was WORKING! (ha. )

I recall beating myself up so badly after sharing a friends granola bar with them when I was just so hungry, that I cried and cried for hours. The negative self talk became almost unbearable. I was unaware at the time of just how big of a toll the self talk can take on your psyche and your body. Ever heard of the water experiments with the "I hate you" and "I love you" water? Well, that's your body...

Finally, one day while in a meeting for our Be the Change group (started after Challenge days, which if you're familiar with Oprah circa 2008, you'll know what that is) we watched a movie about a girl with an eating disorder. Up until this point I never once identified with someone who had an eating disorder. I made a comment about the poor girl in the video, and my friend looked at me and said "Well, that's you." I got so offended I just about bit her head off, telling her I was nothing like that, and left the meeting. I wonder why it offended me so much...

Sometimes I get flashes of my life back then, and sometimes I struggle to remember exactly how messed up I felt at that time. It's like my mind is trying to protect me from myself, because I sure wasn't a nice person to be around if you were me. I was my biggest enemy, and I loved to put myself down, even though I was the only one who suffered from it.

I don't remember when my parents found out, or how they found out. I know that there was probably a conversation, but I don't know why. Couldn't tell you. What I do know is that I started seeing a therapist, and going to a nutritionist in my last grade of high school. I went from not eating a single thing, to reverting and being pissed off at everyone who could eat and not gain weight, so I ate everything. Screw it, I thought. I should be allowed to eat what I want to eat, and not feel guilty about it! Which, is true, but there is also being healthy, and kind to your body, and filling it with sugars and unhealthy foods in not a kind thing to do to your body. I became depressed. I went from hearing things like "You look so skinny!" as if that was a compliment, to not hearing anything at all. My grad dress went from fitting so perfectly (even though the sale lady was shocked when we told her the size I was buying....cow.) to having to make a few adjustments in order to wear it properly. Everything seemed to be spiralling out of control, and I wasn't dealing with it very well. That's the one thing an eating disorder makes you feel like you have...control. You don't, but you're fooled pretty damn well. I was controlled, I was not doing any of the controlling.

Fast forward to University when I'm finally living on my own. I'm in residence, but do not have a meal plan, so have to buy all of my own food. This either means getting up and going to the grocery store, or going to the food court a mere 5 minute walk away. My first year, I bought a decent amount of groceries, but I wasn't buying what was healthy for me. Ichi Ban, KD, cookies, ice cream, chips, basically everything my parents tried to keep to a minimum as a kid, I bought in bulk. I wanted to eat whatever I could eat, at whatever time I wanted to eat it. If that meant turning on Netflix and eating half a container of ice cream at 3 in the morning on a Thursday night, that's what I would do. I also started drinking for the first time in University, and that added to my inevitable weight gain. The freshman 15 turned into the freshman 30. I was so unhappy.

I was active, being in Theatre, we did yoga almost every single day to connect us to our bodies, so we could act from a more honest space. I went to the gym every once in a while with a couple of the girls in my class. I had to walk to and from school, as my residence wasn't actually attached to the complex, but it wasn't a far walk. I fooled myself into eating whatever I wanted to eat. I loved it, and hated it all at the same time. It felt great to eat without any inhibitions, and just enjoy what I was doing with my life. But, when I looked in the mirror, I started to hate everything about myself even more. It was such a negative cycle.

When I graduated uni, my then boyfriend (now husband) and I moved out to our own place, and the weight gain continued. We moved a second time, to a place even closer to a 7-11, which meant daily 5 cent candy trips, worth 3 dollars or more....if I was confused as to why I was gaining weight, I shouldn't have been.

Finally! I was engaged! Count on a wedding to get someone to jump on a treadmill. Metaphorically, as I never ran once, I hate running. But, I decided that I didn't want to look the way I looked then, forever in my wedding pictures. I wanted to change my lifestyle, once and for all. I just wanted to be healthy. I was lucky in that I work with a nutritionist, and he too was deciding that he needed to reboot his system, and get back in to shape. Together, we started taking in more fibre, which in turn made me not so hungry all the time. Back when I was 21, I was told I had high cholesterol and fat spots on my liver. Not something I was wanting to hear. In changing my eating habits, I went from having the slowest metabolism from starving myself, to one that regulated itself and worked how one is supposed to work. I stopped craving food the minute it was out of my reach. I started getting full, and staying full. My portion sizes went from eating half of a large pizza with my husband, to eating a full salad with loads of veggies and light dressing. I was still satisfied, and my body was getting healthier. I couldn't believe it, the weight was actually coming off. I had tried coming home from my first year of schooling and running daily, trying to eat better, but it just didn't work. Nothing seemed to work. But that's because I was looking at it all wrong. You're not going to lose weight if you're eating too much of a "healthy" food. You also have to watch your portions. And in watching your portions, you won't just lose weight by eating less. You have to eat more whole foods, less processed. It's kind of a balancing act.

At this point in my life, I have kept the weight I lost off for over a year now. I try not to weigh myself too often as that was another point of obsession for me. I weighed myself at least 8 times a day. Multiple times in the morning, and if I were home, periodically through out the course of the day. Even .2 of a lb difference was enough to make me emotionally unstable. So, in trying to maintain a healthy relationship with the scale, I weigh myself only at my parents, or my in-laws, as I do not own one. But, last time I checked, I've been at a steady 125 lbs since officially dropping the weight.

I will do a post on the kind of the physical activities I take in to keep myself at a healthy weight for my heart and mind, but for now I will just leave you with my history. I'm in a much better place now, even though each day is a struggle to look in the mirror. I try loving myself, as we all should, and I know that slowly over the course of time, I will love myself more and more.

If you have ever struggled with an eating disorder, you are not alone, and we know that it is not a weakness, it is a sickness. Get help. That's the bottom line. Your life is meant to be lived, and lived happily, not in misery. I know how terrifying it seems to tell someone what you're going through, but I promise you, there are WAY more people out there who have struggled with this than you would think. Which is sad, but I hope offers hope. You are NOT alone.

My path to wellness is ongoing, and I'm never done, but I am happier now than I ever have been. Love yourselves, it makes life easier.

*before*

                                                                           *After*                  

PEACE.

That dreaded F word.

FEMINISM!



 I'M ON A ROLLLLLLL.....


So, guess who just watched Megan Trainors "Dear Future Husband" music video?


Well, actually, I watched aprox. 1 minutes and 30 seconds of it before I shut it off, and opened up this post.

I actually don't even know where to start.

Maybe with a brief history lesson, which I hope plenty of you are aware of already, and that I'm just refreshing your memory (right?)

Once upon a time (I'm Canadian, but the fight for equality is world-wide. My story however, will relate to my origins specifically) there was a country (many, in fact) that looked at the female species as an inferior breed of human next to our male counterparts. Women were the baby-makers, the food cookers, house cleaners, baby-sitters, seamstresses etc etc... Men were the hunters, the bread-winners, the strong protectors, the unemotional counterparts to the far more emotional females in their lives.
It wasn't until 1927, that 5 women in Alberta took the courts, a petition to ask the question:

"Does the word 'persons' in section 24 of the British North America Act, 1867, include female persons?"

The five women included: Emily Murphy, Irene Parlby, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, and Henrietta Muir Edwards.

*Statue of the famous five, in Calgary Alberta*

These five women sought to have women legally considered persons (because guys, we haven't always been considered PEOPLE). The petition was given on August 27th 1927, and almost a year later, April 28th 1928, it was denied. Women were not legally considered people, still only 87 years ago. 

That's younger than my grandmother! 

WHAT?! 

There was a time when women were actually not considered on the same level as men, and that we were what, equal to animals? However, a year following the courts unanimous decision to decline the petition, it was overturned, just 7 years after women's suffrage in the states. If you would like to know more about these incredible women and their journey, I truly suggest picking up a book, or googling them as there is a boatload of information about them. 

I grew up in a family that always taught me no matter what I decided to do with my life, it was my life, and my right to choose. It was foreign to me that not all women (and men. People, as simple as that) have not had this same right. It's an issue clearly still needing help today. However, we have taken leaps and strides since the late 20's luckily, and things have improved. That being said, Ms. Trainor's video has got me thinking we are going the wrong way. 

Feminism is not the act of man-bashing. If that's what you believe feminism is, you're talking to the wrong people. It's about equality. That's it. Equality for EVERYONE. 

That means cismen, ciswomen, transmen, transwomen, etc etc. It's the fight for no more pay-gap. It's the fight for female politicians, and male midwives. It's the fight for stay-at-home dads, and CEO moms. It's the fight for a world where the idea of gender-reversal isn't as amusing as it is now. Can you imagine living in a world where the thought of say, a female welder isn't looked at as "Good for her! You go girl! Go get 'em! You prove them all wrong!" but is looked at as "Oh, I respect your choice of career, and it's not abnormal for you to be doing such a thing...."

Don't get me wrong, I don't see anything wrong in empowering women to go after what they long to go after. However, I think it will be fascinating to live in a time where we won't HAVE to empower women to do anything, because they already know that they can.... 

Megan Trainor's video, simply put, is kind of just gross. It shows images of her scrubbing the floors, baking, and then refusing the food her significant other made, and mocking a man trying to be "strong" for her. Like I stated earlier, feminism is about equality for all, not just for women, and this video screams "I'm a woman, therefore I am better, and you better work your ass off to deserve me." 

Isn't that kind of what we are striving to get away from? The bashing of opposite sexes, because we realize that we are all equal? I don't know...am I crazy? 

I urge you to watch the video and tell me what you think about, and I encourage mature conversation, not simply bashing feminism because you don't understand it. There are women out there who have given feminism a bad name, so bad so that there are celebrities out there (and I mention this because if they aren't going to use their spotlight as a positive reinforcement of their beliefs, then wtf...) that do not consider themselves feminists. I can think of Jennifer Lawrence as a good example. A woman who portrays an incredibly strong female who fights not only for her life, but the lives of her friends and family in The Hunger Games, who doesn't think she identifies with being a feminist. Why not? 

There is nothing wrong with being a feminist, and I am proud to say that my husband told me the other day he in fact believes he is a feminist. YAY. I hope everyone around the world has at least one person in their life that has said that to them, because that means we are making positive strides. For every Cee Lo Green out there saying that "Rape isn't considered rape if she is unconscious" (again, WTF) I hope there are twice as many men and women out there saying "That is unacceptable."

For every man who has ever felt the need to have rippling abs, and strong arms just to get the person who he wants to be with, I hope there are twice as many women (or men) telling them that it's not what they look like, or their genetic makeup that makes them a worthy human being. It is your heart, and the way you choose to carry yourself in this world that matters. The way we treat people, and the way we accept others is what make us decent human beings. Not whether or not we are a man or a woman. 

To everyone out there that has ever felt discriminated upon because of their sex, feminism is needed. For everyone. Emma Watson has started the #heforshe campaign and I encourage you to check out her videos and posts about it, if you haven't already. It's a great example of including men in on feminism, to show them it's not about degrading them and telling them just how awful they have been to us. It's about showing them that we recognize them, as we hope they recognize us. It's about joining forces, and accepting each other. When we realize we are no different from every other person out there with a beating heart, that's when our prejudices will become a thing of the past. Here's to hoping. 

#heforshe 

PEACE. 

Straight.....and proud?

I suppose the one nice thing about not being a "public" blog (ie. haven't told family or friends yet) is that I can write about what I'd like to write about now, and not feel as though I'm going to have the wrath of their angry judgement come down on me. I will eventually make this blog public, and I hope said family members (note. most of my family is the bomb) will read this, and see that their archaic way of thinking is getting them no where.

Now to properly begin this post.


                                                 *                             *                                *


Are you straight and proud? 

     Do you wake up every morning, ready to face the challenges of the day, and wonder what kind of harassment you may or may not receive today? Do you generally have to deal with the glances at you and your partner as you walk by holding hands, filled with judgement and confusion? No? Oh... Wait.

                                       That's because you need to check your privilege.

 I've recently had two family members post the picture "Straight and Proud" on Facebook, with the following being the text of said picture, next to two stick people, one a man, and one a woman : "Funny thing is...I've seen others post this and they are attacked viciously. Apparently it is now intolerant and bigoted to be straight and proud in this upside down, politically correct society we live in. I invite everyone who is straight, and unashamed to post this to their wall."

...


..........



(Just what we need, an ego driven straight army)

Tell me again, what have been your struggles as a straight, (and white) individual through out all your life been? Right, none.

As a straight individual, I know that my two family members have never been discriminated against for their choice of intimate partner, ever. My GAY sister on the other hand, has. Simply because she has had feelings for someone of the same sex. That's it. That's her crime. And she is part of a community that has endured centuries of countless tortures and harassment's simply because they differ from societies so called "norm." They are not the status-quo, and you, my straight and apparently proud Aunt and Uncle (different sides of the family. Aunt would never degrade my sister for her life, but clearly doesn't see her misstep in this picture) are part of this status-quo. You live a privileged life, never having to take extra precautions while walking alone in fear of being beat up at a bus stop for who you love. (Note: I have a friend who happens to be gay that was brutally beat up at a bus stop because of his being gay). You've never had to defend your right to be with the person you love to the world, because people who don't agree with you can literally make laws legalizing control over who you choose to marry. Because that's fair.


Let me just tell you exactly why the LGBT community has gay pride month, and why they are proud of being gay. Because they live in a world that is still struggling to allow equality in the simplest form. Because they have been fighting FOREVER to have the equality us straights get simply by liking the people the government and church deem are correct to like. They are gay and proud because in saying such a statement, they are showing the messed up society that we live in that it will take a lot more than just a law to get in between them and their right to love. As my wise sister once said #loveislove. It's as simple as that, and as a straight individual, you have always been able to express that love. As a gay individual, they have not. There is a difference, and you should know that.

There is nothing wrong with being straight. At all. If we were to sit here and start berating on people for being heterosexual, we would once again be taking steps backwards. It's never about degrading a certain person, it is about bringing awareness to a situation that clearly is still needing help.

Daily, I am reminded that the world that I see as ever changing, still needs a lot of our help. All it takes is opening our eyes and our hearts to the ones around us. It's not intolerant, nor is it bigoted to be straight, but when you make a comment about feeling as though you are DEGRADED upon because of your lifestyle, that is a bull-faced lie. Heterosexuals have not had the same fight as homosexuals have, and if you have any historical knowledge, you should know that.

If I can bring anything to these people in my life that post such images, it would be that I hope one day you will see that post of yours, and feel a little flush of colour in your cheeks at your embarrassment for being so ignorant. I love you both, very much, but I do not agree with what you have posted. I am straight, and I love my husband, but, by no means, am I proud of what straight individuals have done to the many gay individuals of the world. My sister is not hurting anyone in loving who she loves, but many will hurt her in telling her that she is wrong.


Just remember where you came from, and just how easy it has been for you to love. #Gaypride is completely different from your straight pride, as it hasn't taken a battle for you to express such pride.



#loveislove and I love you all.


PEACE. 

Radium Hot Springs/Redstreak Campground Hike to Pool

I'm going to start my first hike post, with one of the very first hikes I can recall ever doing, and one of my most favourite hikes I've done. 

If you've been to Radium Hot Springs in British Columbia, Canada, you know this tiny village is packed with amazing scenery, incredible wildlife, and an energy that truly cannot be beat.

I've been going to Radium with my family, for as long as I can remember. It's been a long standing tradition, actually starting with my grandparents on their honeymoon many, many years ago. After that, they fell in love with this tiny town and decided to start bringing their children every summer. Obviously (if you've been there, you know I'm right) their children followed suit, and every year since the age of 1, my parents have brought my sister and I to camp for a couple weeks of the summer each year. I happen to be incredibly blessed, as I have married a man who's grandparents started the exact same tradition (weird, right?) with their kids many years ago, and his parents too, brought him to camp in this tiny town. Funny thing is, we didn't meet until University...but that's another story. 

The campground we have always camped in is known as Redstreak Campground. This is based off of the fact that the mountain the campground originated on, has a red tinge to it, due to the different minerals in the rocks. The campground was later moved (many years ago, it's the only one I have ever known) to a beautiful spot up on the side of a mountain, overlooking the valley below, and even though you are a mere 2 minute drive from the town, it feels as though you are far away from civilization. To say I love it would be an understatement. 

Radium is also incredibly well known for their hot spring fed pool that is open year round. 

There just so happens to be a short, but sweet hike that takes you from the campground atop the mountain, down to the pool in town that is packed with beautiful views. It's not a hard hike to do, however if you aren't used to an elevation change at all, the first 15 to 20 minutes of the hike may be a bit challenging for you. Once you get past the initial climb however, it's pretty much level terrain (unless you go off the trail, which you are NOT supposed to do, especially in a National Park). It is short, as I mentioned, with at a steady pace of just quicker than a stroll, will take you less than an hour. Seriously guys, easy peasy. AND SO WORTH IT. 

Look out at the start of the hike, where you can see the valley below and stop for some scenic pictures. (My husband and I, days before we became husband and wife!) 

Just a few examples of the terrain on the hike. It's been recently re-done so that it's safer and easier to hike on. 

Second photo is at a common resting place with benches, a creek, and a stone with a memorial plaque explaining the history of the area. 

Once you've finished your hike, there is a concession at the pool to buy food, alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic beverages, and many knick-knack type souvenirs for the many travellers that pass through their doors. Then you can find yourself relaxing in the healing waters of the hot springs below, with a "cool pool" (as we've always called it) to cool off in when the hot pool gets to warm for you. What an awesome way to treat yourself after taking in such a beautiful hike! 

If you have done the hike, or end up doing the hike, I would love to hear about your stories and see some pictures! Enjoy and PEACE.