A new attitude and new adventures!

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"Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind" -- Seneca

I have to start out by saying, "Wow!" My life has changed so much in the past two months. Even though it's a little embarrassing to admit, for awhile there in February, I was a snotty mess, curled up on my couch feeling pretty sorry for myself. When I was not at work, I spent a lot of time uncontrollably crying, not eating, and watching action movies since romance movies just made me gag. I also filled the silence listening to the songs, 'Burning House' and 'Shut Up and Drive' which were supposed to make me feel better. Of course, there was some Adele music in there too which has made me come to the conclusion --- Adele is amazing, no one can disagree with that, but her music is NOT safe when you're a weepy, heartbroken mess. The real low point came on Valentine's Day -- I decided to go to the gym since exercise is supposed to help, but instead I just ended up bawling on the treadmill while watching The Walking Dead. Pretty sure I looked like the saddest, most pathetic girl in Canada on that day.

Luckily, I can kind of laugh at myself now. The heartache has slowly started subsiding with time, and the day finally came that I was able to get dressed and venture back out into the world. A night out watching How to Be Single with friends was just what I needed to start feeling okay. A change of scenery a few days later also cheered me up. Knowing that it was Reading Week and that airline tickets were pretty cheap due to a drop in gas prices, I made an impromptu trip to California for a much needed visit with my sister. It was while I was at the airport in Winnipeg, sitting through 4 hours of delays, that I got some much needed clarity and advice. I decided then that this year, I was really going to put myself out there. My shyness really holds me back some times, and I didn't want it to get in the way as I start the next chapter of my life. So that's what I did during the entire trip. I sat next to a mother and daughter flying to Arizona for vacation and we talked all about Winnipeg and what there was to do in Calgary since I was going to be stuck there overnight. They shared their salad with me, and asked all kinds of questions about my research with the sturgeon. Then in Calgary, I met three fitness instructors at the luggage carousel as we all waited around to figure out where our bags ended up. They invited me out to their hotel bar for a drink, but their hotel was a bit too far away from mine. After hearing the deal they got with the airline, I went to the airline agent to discuss some further form of compensation for the delays, and they gave me meal vouchers so I had an amazing meal at the airport before heading to my hotel. I spent the night in a big comfy bed at the Clarion with a balcony that overlooked downtown Calgary. Unfortunately since we didn't get in until late, I opted out of exploring Calgary in the dark, and instead spent the evening watching hockey with some locals in the hotel bar. Early the next morning, I bought a random lady and myself breakfast with my airport meal voucher, struck up a conversation with a random girl traveling by herself, and chatted with an older lady on the way to Sacramento.

By that afternoon, I was in Sacramento, hugging my sister and heading off to get a pedicure. Our next outing -- craft beer and Paint Night at Alley Katz. It was my first Paint Night experience, and I had a blast. I can't wait to do more paint nights. I went to work with my sister the next day before we stopped at Target to buy cute shirts for the night's adventures. It was one of the happiest and most insane nights that I've had in a really long time as four of us went to a comedy show, had drinks at a bar called the Merc, jammed out in the car to 'My House' by Flo Rida which is one of my favorite songs now, played pool at a sports bar, and ended up back at April's place. I was all smiles the next day too as April and I headed to the bay so she could work out of a different office. We had the most amazing burritos that helped alleviate some of the pain from the night before, and then drove up to a recreational site overlooking all of San Francisco. The views were amazing!! We took lots of photos of downtown and drove over to the Golden Gate bridge before heading back to Sacramento to see my nephew, Riley.

The next day was more mellow as we went to church where I giggled like a child as this woman behind me made a bunch of sex noises during the sermon because she was so deeply touched by the pastor's words. We got some amazing crepes and took Riley out to Chuck E. Cheese's that night. The evening ended with drinking champagne under the full moon and talking about Aunt PJ out on April's balcony. Then on Monday, April and I went out for lunch and to a movie before getting supplies to cook dinner for some friends. That night was my last in Sacramento and was a lot of fun as I cooked zoodles for everyone, we played Farkle, and sat around talking with some great company. Unfortunately, it passed too quickly as suddenly it was morning and April was taking me to the airport. On the trip back, I passed through SeaTac which is always like visiting an old friend since I spent so much time there while pursuing my undergraduate degree in Alaska. I found a sturgeon on the floor, and hit up the Tap Room for a local IPA before my flight to Vancouver, BC. I got back into Winnipeg about midnight and crashed hard on my bed for my first good night's sleep in Winnipeg in weeks.

The coming weeks only brought better things as I resubmitted my thermal paper for the second time and started my physiology experiment with the lake sturgeon. Collecting and analyzing my own data finally made me feel like I was contributing something to the lab here, and I've really enjoyed going to campus to check on my fish every day. I guess I hadn't realized that I was sort of hiding in my apartment some days. The weekends have also brought more exciting adventures as I've started venturing out more to do new things like play shuffleboard at the legion and go out to drag queen bingo which I was a little skeptical about at first, but it ended up being quite a lot of fun. Getting out more has also meant meeting new people including spending some time out in the country and going out on some dates. Hands down best start to a date: when someone you hardly know brings your dog a toy and plays with them before you head out. The weather has also changed dramatically and it's now quite a bit warmer and sunny all of the time which improves everyone's mood and makes me want to get out and do more. Obie (my dog) has also perked up quite a bit now that his paws don't freeze every time we go outside.

It was the night before St. Patrick's Day at a game night that I looked around at the friends that I've made and thought about how lucky I am for getting to spend this time in Canada. It wasn't easy moving to a new country and I've had several lonely nights wondering whether I made the right decision, but I've definitely become a better person and scientific researcher because of my time here in Canada. I'm much more open and honest which has deepened my friendships, and allowed me to experience new things with several people which have surprisingly not felt obligatory in any way. I'm finally starting to feel a bit like my sassy, ornery self again with a new confidence and an exciting future to look forward to.

The confidence and reassurance in myself came in handy when I interviewed for a job a couple weeks ago. I researched facts about the role the entire evening before so that I was well prepared the next day. During the phone interview, I tried to put all of my skills and experiences out there, balancing confidence with arrogance as to not deter the hiring committee. Now that it's official, I'm happy to say that the confidence definitely paid off. I recently accepted a Fisheries Biologist job with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Vancouver, WA starting in May. That means that the puppy and I are packing up and heading back to the Pacific Northwest to work with the feds on salmonid hatchery reformation in the Columbia River. Although I'm sad to be leaving the sturgeon world as well as all of the people that I've met here in Winnipeg, I couldn't be more excited to have a more permanent position in one of the most gorgeous regions with some of the best hiking and craft beer around. It's definitely a change of scenery. I've already connected with some old friends that live in the area, and tracked down an MSU alumni group that invited me out for the first football game which means I get to be with "my people" cheering on the Green and White this fall! It's an exciting time for me, and I can't wait to see what new adventures await me in Vancouver, WA!

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