Happy Birthday Mom.

Today would have been my mom's birthday, and I wanted to write a post in her honor, but no words seemed right while I was trying to write it. It's a hard thing to miss someone so fiercely and I have a hard time talking about it to anyone even my dad and sister. What do you say? To say I miss and love her doesn't seem like enough, talking about memories is usually to difficult, people say 'you should remember the good times' but that just makes me angry because we deserved so many more good (and bad) times together, she deserved so much more time. People say 'you shouldn't be angry, you can't think like that' but why shouldn't I think like that it's the truth and it's how I feel. I can smile and act like I am okay that I am strong and I could write a post filled with happy memories (which is what I started to do) but I had to stop. My heart aches for her everyday, she didn't deserve the pain she carried with her, no body does. My mother was one of a kind she was beautiful and funny and so full of love for her 3 children. If you knew my mom please take a few minutes today to remember her. I really don't know how to finish this post, like I said the words just aren't there so I will just say please remember depression is treatable, and no one should ever lose another parent or sibling or child to suicide.

Family.

I live in a residence that is mostly full of first year students, so for a lot of them this is the first time they have been away from home, and over the past few days I have watched families from all over come to excitedly pick up their son or daughter and take them home for the holidays. I love hearing the happy chatter fill the hallways and see the loving embraces as family members reconnect, but it makes me a little sad. This is the first year in my life that I won't be spending Christmas with my family, and although I could not be more excited and grateful for the opportunity to spend the next 20+ days traipsing around Western Europe it's still a little heartbreaking to know I wont be there to watch christmas movies with them, and eat dads Christmas day breakfast and spend full days sitting around with Alex in our pajamas doing nothing but enjoying spending time together. I love my family and I am really going to miss them over the next few weeks.

2010 in Photos.

Well guys since its almost the new year and I am going to be leaving very soon for my trip I thought I would do a post now filled with some of my favorite pictures from 2010. I did and saw so many amazing things this year and met some of the best people from all over the world, therefore I have alot of favorite pictures (just warning you). Also they are in no order what-so-ever so..enjoy!

Guess what came in the mail today..

Lots of awesome things actually! I got an adorable package from my family with lots of goodies..

Including some christmas cheer!


And a disco ball! Haha I adore my family more then anything.


And finally..


MY EURAIL PASS!

This is my train ticket to all over Europe over the Christmas break! I am getting so excited for this trip and feel so lucky to have an opportunity like this. So far here are my plans for the holidays. I will be flying to Scotland with my good friend Alex to visit our friend Jenni (for those of you who don't know these are two of my friends I met in Africa over the summer). We are going to spend the weekend exploring Scotland and celebrating the end of the semester! From there I am taking the train (and a ferry) down to Paris where I will meet up with some fellow international students. We are planning to spend 3 or 4 days exploring Paris then head down to Rome for Christmas! We will likely stay a week or so exploring Italy maybe even stay for New Years! Then I am going to Amsterdam on the 1st of January to meet up with my dad!! SO excited to see him! We are going to stay there a few days then head to Berlin on the 3rd! After a few days there we will fly back to London for a night or two before finally heading back to Exeter! So if I don't already have your address please send it to me so that I can mail everyone postcards :)

PS. It just started SNOWING! I don't know if today could possibly get any better!!

Happiness.

Today I am so happy.
I am happy to have such a supportive and loving group of people back in Canada waiting for me.
I am happy for all the new friends I have made from all over the world.
I am happy to have the opportunity to see and experience the world.
And I am happy for so many other small things, like endless cups of tea on rainy days, and trips to the pub with new friends, and planning weekends away. I hope that everyone has as many things to feel happy about today as I do.