To Whom it May Concern,
Hello, my name is Samantha Nock and I am an earnest and hardworking fulltime UBC student looking for a place to live for the up coming academic year. I am not looking for anything fancy, just something to rest my head at, have friends over and do my homework in. I don’t expect a jacuzzi or a penthouse, or the place Blair Waldorf lives in – I just need a place to live.
I was thinking today, about hindsight and how about it’s always apparently 20/20. Then I got to thinking, and wondered, if I travelled back in time… what would I tell my 14 year old self?
I hate you say I told you so… but…
If we want change, we are going to have to make it happen ourselves. Make an educated vote, read platforms, understand the policies, go into the booth and check your ballet with as much education you can on selecting the best candidate YOU think would be best fit to run our government.
Remember,
“Bad governments are elected by good citizens who don’t vote.” – David Akin
As I sit in the basement of the SUB, in the no man’s land by the IRSA office and the UBC Pre-Dent office and eat my daily Honour Roll lunch of spicy crunchy roll and chicken teriyaki rolls, I’ve pondered a few things:
-How terrified I am for finals
– My reply to Timmy Wong in my comments in my last post
– The size of the spicy crunchy rolls
– The impending end of my first year
and finally, – how dungeon like the basement of the SUB is.
(photo source the cbc.ca)
Today was a historic day for Canada – the Harper regime (ahem sorry… ) the Harper Government was found in contempt, and was given a vote of non-confidence in the HOC. The vote was set in motion by the Liberals – Michael Ignatieff to be specific, due to the Conservative’s lack luster budget presentation … amongst other mounting aggravations. The two other leading opposition parties stood in solidarity with the vote, and with some yays, clapping, heckling and paper throwing, Canada may (hopefully) enter a new era.
I don’t pretend I have all the answers, I don’t pretend that I even know the questions I am supposed to be answering. Life is a funny, fickle, friend and like any friendship there are goodtimes and there are bad times. If you would have asked me this time two years ago where I thought I would be, I would have answered in Alberta going to university in Edmonton. Now, I moved to the coast and am living in Vancouver going to UBC and I love it. It has been nothing I wanted, nor anything I expected it to be.
Life, it can be a none stop roller coaster ride of friends, love, drama, school, fun, and everything else in between. Something I’ve noticed this year, is that it’s so easy to get caught up in it all, and forget to take those little moments out of your life to just stop, evaluate and be truly thankful for where you are and the life you have.
I understand, that not all of us came from the best backgrounds, I get that, trust me. But, for those of us who had less of a stellar start and for everyone else, this is the time in our life where we can decide how we want our lives to go. We are, for many first years, out on our own for once and now we can start making decisions that will shape a better, healthier, happy life. Now that being said, it’s easy getting caught up in being a first year… especially if you live in dorms. The realization that there is life beyond first year is astounding. It’s like that feeling you got in highschool… there’s life beyond it. It doesn’t matter how much fun you are, or are not having right now in your dorms… there is life beyond the cement walls. And this life, unlike the life we had last year, is pretty much completely blank. And it’s amazing.
So, essentially, what I’m saying in this short, long overdue blogpost is…
Don’t regret doing what makes you happy, put your life in perspective, and take moments out of everyday to just stop and find beauty in any situation you’re in.
Peace, love and all that stuff,
Sam.
PS.
I already broke one of my new years goals… But hey, I’m taking six courses.
In the Western world, we live our life in shoes. Our shoes are stories of where we have been, what we’ve been through, and are going to be with us when we go through even more adventures.
When you come to university, expect nothing. When you expect nothing, it makes the first few weeks so much more easier to take. When you hold certain expectations to something (ie. university) then you’ll either be confused or disappointed that your expectations weren’t met. I apologize with my tardiness of updating, these first few weeks have been nothing but short of INSANE. And if you’re a first year you can relate, and if you’re a prospective student, prepare. The first few weeks will be some of the most amazingly fun, confusing, overwhelming, amazing, homesickening, phenomenal weeks you’ll have. It starts off with a land slide of meeting so many new people. I was so scared I was going to be a lonely leper when I got here! But it’s nearly impossible to NOT make friends in rez! You’re around so many people all the time, that to not make a friend, would be a challenge. Right now, I’m just getting into the swing of things with classes, friends, family… just trying to find balance.
I’m here! Finally.
After fifteen hours in a car, staying in a spider infested room, eating Hungry Herbie’s in Cache Creek, driving through the Fraser Canyon, and getting lost in Vancouver… I am here. Moved into my dorm and adjusting.