The Hardest Thing to Do

Yes? No? Maybe so?

Just tell me which way to go,
Tell me so I know
I know you're scared
So am I
But we don't know
We'll never know if we don't try
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is smile when you want to cry

Fight back those tears
Keep back those fears
You gotta be strong, girl
If you don't then who will?
I feel it in my chest
Squeeze.
Squeeze...
Squeeze....
I try my best
Please.
Please..
Please....
I always have to fight
Looking for the light
at the end of the tunnel.

Sometimes being strong is smiling through the tears
Sometimes, it's fighting through the fears
And sometimes it's letting go
Even when letting go
Is what hurts you the most.
Yeah, sometimes it's letting go
But I can't let go...
I can't let go..
I can't let..
I can't...

You can get Your Kicks in Mexico!

My tan might be wearing off, but I'm still coming off the post-vacation high from spending a week in Mexico. Most of the time we spent as beach bums. Our resort was right on the beach, a large but homey 3-star (all-inclusive),with brightly coloured buildings and lots of gorgeous and fun decor to give it a Mexican fiesta atmosphere - despite the majority of the guests being Canadians (escaping our brutal February, no doubt!). The ocean was beautiful, with a clean beach and warm, shallow waters. Every morning I would wake up early and try out the morning activity, which was either yoga, stretching, or tai chi - none of which I'd any experience in. The little 60 year-old woman from Quebec was in better shape than me.

But I really enjoyed doing yoga, I'd always had an interest in it, but never tried it. That's what this trip was all about for me - other than family bonding - new experiences. I tried yoga, tai chi, octopus, haggling with locals, blackjack, boogie boarding, ziplining, swimming in a river, holding a snake, feeding monkeys, sailing on a pirate ship.. and I would have done so much more given time and money! I loved going and walking outside of the resort... the fleamarkets, the buildings, the locals, it was great. I had never traveled further past the United States, and was blown away by how it contrasted Canada and how we live, for better and for worse. Mexico is definitely a poorer country, but don't let the negative publicity deter you. It was a beautifully astounding experience, and I feel like I've been bit by the travel bug.

Without further ado, here is just a teaser of some of the beauty I captured. More photos can be viewed on my Flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessica_awesome/ , with more to come as I sort through them.

Been a while!

It's not that I've been lazy, I've just been proactive in all other areas of my life and unable to post any blogs! School has been keeping me busy, coming to the last couple weeks, and I'm excited to be done this year. More so excited for the next couple years. I decided to stretch out an intensive 2 year diploma into a less-intensive 3 year diploma. It will work well for me, because I won't get overwhelmed, and will be able to manage my time more, learn more, and produce better quality work. It's going to be a relief!

There's only one thing that bothers me lately. Slackers. You know, the kind of people that you look at and wonder, Why are you here? These people are usually late, usually produce poor quality work that looks like was whipped up the night before, hand in assignments unfinished, are extremely hard to work with due to their lack of work ethic, and almost ALWAYS have an excuse. I know what it's like to feel unmotivated. I know what it's like to not feel fully invested in what you are doing. I spent 3 years in university doing just that. But these people seem to want to be in fashion, but their actions don't really reflect that. Maybe they need to learn from themselves. I suppose I shouldn't be too bothered by it, their shortcomings make me look like a prodigy in comparison. I have to remember I am older and have a lot more life experience than they do though... everyone has to make their own mistakes. Still, it's frustrating when I have to see it, and worse yet when I have to work with them... I suppose we'll see who comes back next year.

I got to go to my first fashion show a few weeks ago, at Lethbridge Fashion Weekend, which featured the works of 3 of my instructors as well as one of my schoolmates, a second year who is extremely talented. It was tons of fun, I helped set up and serve drinks, and had the privilege - or should I say challenge - of picking the best dressed female and best shoe. I hope that I could become skilled enough to put my clothes on the runway. The year end student fashion show will be a good start, all the first years have to make a skirt, and I spent about 7.5 hours working on mine today, and made quite a bit of progress! If I could be done next week I will be very proud of myself. Maybe I can even try to get a model and do a photo shoot. Ah, it will have to wait until summer. Only a couple more weeks! I CAN'T WAIT.

I'm Ready For My Close-Up Mr. Cameraman...

I met this guy one day several months ago while sitting at lunch with a mutual acquaintence, turns out, he is a blogger, running his own blog, Lethbian Love. Later on, he asked if I would agree to being featured in the Style portion of his blog. My! How flattering! Of course I agreed, and a few months later, here it is!

Click here to view the post!

He was really too kind, and so was his camera!
Thanks Jonathan, way to make me look totally rad!