Acadia!!!

Hey there! How's it going!?!?! I know, It has been a disappointing amount of time since I've posted, but as any normal university student would understand, blogging about your everyday life is one, not the most exciting thing in the world, and two, requires a lot of time we don't want to take out of our sleeping or eating time.

I would like to say, a big thank you for the random and awkward amounts of readers that have continued to visit this blog and read it... countries other than Canada and United states in particular are, Iceland, Iran, Ukraine, and Israel!!! So thanks you guys for keeping the numbers up!!!

I would also like to say, I can now narrow down when and where people are trying to google me... So you've been warned,  I am stalking your stalking of me.

SO!  Where I left off was, I arrived in Wolfville, Nova Scotia to attend Acadia University!!!! 

 See now since a lot has happened since arriving in september, I feel like the appropriate and less time consuming means of blogging is to share with you my favourite parts of my year so far!

When I first arrived on campus, I got to dive right on into Frosh Week!  The amount of fun I had was immeasurable.

Got to go to football games!!!! :)

and events like, Call me maybe parties!!

For those who don't understand the concept behind call me maybe parties, its an absolutely excellent way to boost your phone bill.... SO many texts from long distance phones.... No thanks.

Throughout frosh week, there were many other fun activities, but not too many I'd feel comfortable sharing with all of you.

My life here at Acadia so far has felt like a dream.  It's hard to believe its real.

For one the campus is probably the most beautiful thing in the world.

This is my wonderful residence, filled with all it's wonderful people :) SEMINARY!

KCIC Study hall.  It's like a set out of movie...

Where I went for my Biology lab... jealous? (Acadia is right behind this shot, and this is basically the view from meal hall)

U-Hall!

The Kinesiology Department Building, AKA My home away from residence.

Note the ivy!!!! It's amazing! And in the fall!  Everything just gets more beautiful.

Stupid right?

There is only one down side to the whole campus....

If you are reading this, and happen to be a student of Acadia, then you know exactly what I mean by this picture.  The one and only downside to the campus is that it's located on the biggest b*tch of a hill you've ever seen.... No matter where you are on campus, you can not escape the hill... Therefor I shall have calves of steel when I return home.

The experiences here have been amazing!  Meeting tonnes of new and amazing people!

We go mud sliding together

Spend Thanksgiving together

:)

Go to hockey games together :)

Run house council together (I was elected sports representative :D) 

Drink together in bed... You don't do that?

Drink together some more... with gas masks...???

Koala each other on my bed...

Go to halloween parties together!

Do CPR certifications together... 

Watch our fellow residences in orchestra together :)

Go to Safety and Security at midnight together when some of us flush our I.D. down the toilet.

Watch RA's do weird RA stuff together ...

And name our new friend, when our RA posts this sign.  Meet Franklin everyone!

Go to late night Kinesiology VS. Business Hockey games together... with our professors.

And win those games!!!!!

And even go through fire alarms together.  But when my residence is handed lemons, they make lemonade and more.  We get a firm alarm at 6am... We throw ourselves a concert in the church!

But University isn't all fun and games... There is homework... a lot of it.

A lot of the time its actually homework I enjoy doing, but some of the time.... it most definitely is not.

But It's about time that I get back to studying my butt off!!! Someone has two midterms tomorrow!!! WOOOOO!!!!

 But thanks for reading again!

Until Next Time!

(Sign on my door)

Summertime Awesomeness

It is now nearing the end of this wonderful summer, and I now feel it's appropriate to give an update of what exactly I've done this whole time since my adventures in Italy.

To be completely honest, I thought the rest of my summer was going to be a dud...  I didn't have anything to do but to get ready/more nervous for University.  What I learnt in these last few weeks is what is takes to have an adventure, the keys to any true fun and happiness are two things. One, Spontaneity, because no adventure is as fun as one not initially planned or thought of.

For example, About a week or two after Italy, I was talking with my sister about her time in Vancouver and her upcoming Birthday.  Now, tell me if I'm wrong, but is this not how most conversations go with friends who live far away?

Friend: "Oh my God! I miss you SOOO Much!"

You: "WOW! Me too!" Or "Don't even get me started!", Or "I Miss you WAY! more!!!!"

Friend: "You need to visit me!!" Or "Get your butt over here!"

See now usually, the normal response is to laugh it of, and to think of the, 'if only'.

But with my sister, I got sick of thinking 'if only I could just fly over, and be with her...'.  Then it hit me.  What is stopping me?  A couple of movable appointments and lunches? Why have we gotten into this mindset that doing things like this, is crazy?  Why isn't this the normal!?!?

A couple hours later, I had my plane tickets booked, and two days later, I was on my plane to Vancouver!  

Now getting to Vancouver is a whole different story on it's own.  To be honest, it's not even worth telling.  The short story version is, my flight got cancelled, then sat in the airport for nearly seven hours until I was able to grab a flight that actually had a plane...

But I am nothing, if not adaptable, so in a matter of hours I was sitting in the park with the worlds greatest sister drinking a luke warm beer!

The first couple of days in Vancouver were exactly what I think Rachel and I needed.  Which included...

Early morning trips to Starbucks...

Where the Baristas are under the impression that the name 'Ben', sounds at all like my name... 'Mick'.

Touring around the wonderful streets of Vancouver.

And drinking on roof tops... Where we decide to proceed with creative ways for me to dismount random objects.  Let the sequence begin!

Mick on top of structure, brain storming with sister on how to dismount.

Proceeding with the dismount, and starting to realize the potential failures in our near future.

Failures somehow avoided...  But not entirely sure on how to continue.

Realize failure in this kind of situation was inevitable... Fall to the ground.

We spend a whole day at the beautiful beach, ready to watch the Celebration of Light.  Unfortunately, my phone ran out of battery by the time the fireworks began, but I can assure you they were spectacular!

The beach was absolutely jammed packed!!! It was amazing!

And so was the sunset!

I; however, got severely burnt...  Who knew your skin can't be in the direct sun for the whole day?

The next day!!!! Was Rachel's Birthday!!!!!!!!

It also happened to be on the same day as the Pride Parade, so that's where we spent our afternoon!

The Parade was sponsored by many, including Trojan... Obviously.  What I actually learnt from going to the Pride Parade, is that it's so much more than people celebrating their sexuality.  But it's also a call for equality awareness.  The floats about bullying, and what not, where truly touching, and really opened my mind more than I thought it would.

After, it was time to set up with my new best friend Nikki!  We took care of it all!

Set up the patio for our gathering of friends! 

... And played Beer Pong until the guests arrived!

While Rachel just started the party herself.

LYFL (Love You For Life)

The gang!

After getting to know one another and playing more than enough games or flip cup and beer pong, it was time for Cake!

Nikki and I decided that since Rachel is finally out of her teenage years, it was appropriate to bake her a erotic, gluten free cake.

For those of you who can't tell, that is a penis cake.  It was delicious, if Nikki and I do say so ourselves.  So delicious in fact that, it already had bites out if it, by the time we could get a picture of it!

After cake time, it was time to hit the bar.  All photos shall never be shared with the outside world. Ever.

The next day, we did not do a thing... It was a time to nurse hangovers.

BUT! after that, Rachel and Nikki took me to see Granville!

And no better way to get to Granville, than by little boat taxi.

Realized a bird nearly pooped on me...

After our wonderfully wandering Granville, it was time for me to depart for home... :(

I truly had a wonderful time in Vancouver!  I met some great people, and made some amazing friends!  Aaaaannnddd I guess it was nice to see my sister.  It was; unfortunately, the last time I was going to see her until Christmas.  That is, unless she decided to come out to Nova Scotia!?!

But on a more serious note.  There are very few people in this world who you can lean on when its hard.  Who you can tell anything, no matter what, and they'll still be there.  Rachel is that person for me :) She is a friend who I know I will get to talk to 30 years from now, while our families get together, and reminisce  over the times we went to Pride Parade and witnessed 60 year old men walking nude down the streets... Or when we burnt  ourselves silly sitting on the beach all day so we could get the best view of the fireworks, or even when I got her to drink rotten eat yokes (video to come). 

Sis, I know you are reading this.  You're my lobster.

After a wonderful time in Vancouver, I was back home.

Before I knew it, I was making plans with my friend Katie, to leave for our cabins in Panorama in an hour!

That trip, somehow managed to be more spontaneous than my trip to Vancouver.  It was planned in less than an hour...

Three hours of driving later, we arrived!

We did our splendid things, including bike rides, and mini golf with friends, and of course, swimming in the lake!

... It was cold.

The whole weekend up at the cabin was much needed time away from the city!  Plus it was stupid hot!

A little too hot, I managed to nearly black out on one of my runs... had lay down on a park bench for a minute or two, and just enjoyed the view.

After I spent time at the cabin, I returned home, to where I am now!

For the time being I am trying to get my life together before I take off for my first year at Acadia University!!!! I am stoked out of my mind! But at the same time nervous!

These past weeks of this amazing summer have been some of the best of my life!  I loved each and every moment, and will cherish them for ever!

It couldn't have been done; however, without the second key to any great adventure.  Amazing friends.  Sure you can travel the world alone, and see great things.  But what use is it when there is no one to turn to when you're troubled, or laugh with when the moment is just too good?

I know it seems that every time I post, I concluded it with a cliche paragraph on what I learnt from my experience.  Which I do, but this time, it's hit me harder than any other.  What I learnt from these past few weeks can not be taught in a class room, or read from a book.  It needs to be experienced.  It's that, no matter what life you may live in.  No matter what situation you live in.  You're life is greatly influenced by the people you spend time with.  It doesn't matter whether they're rich, poor, big, tall, short or small, black or white, gay or straight.  What matters is their character, and too me, I am the most fortunate person in the world to have these people in my life.  Without people like Rachel or Katie, or my Brother or parents, I would not be the person I am today.  I wouldn't set myself in this life where I get to see such beauty, or laugh at all things hysterical. My life is an adventure, and I am so grateful.

Thank you

Until Next Time