4/7/11

call me up if you are gangsta'

I was going to make this blog attached to the last one but I decided these people are way too special to not get their own spotlight (I know right? I'm so frigging nice). So I'll introduce my life for the next 8 months. This is the first thing I see when I leave the house to go to work in the village. Not too shabby. I live in a house which is known by some locals as The Art Barn. It's got a whole lot of history and actually looks like a barn. Annnnd here is my corny break-down of my roommates who I can't go without noting as the most significant reason I chose to stay for as long as I am. Meet Cori. Again. Obviously the cutest little muffin ever? But don't let her cuteness decieve you. This girl blows my mind away with her maturity and wisdom sometimes. She admits when she's wrong. She's a lover, not a fighter (and if those words were ever true about someone it's Cori), she knows how to take life's punches in stride, and her pieces of art will make your jaw drop (mainly her writing, clothing design, and vision). She is a heart-stealer at first glance & choses to not be obvious and generic about basically everything. That's Cori. Oh yeah - the reason we even found this house (Kudos to her incredible networking skills). Then there is the other Lassie in the house, Brittany. Clearly Whistler's biggest goof-ball. She always knows how to lighten the mood and never fails to keep things entertaining and interesting. She may be the easiest target in the house but she is definitely the most loved. It's easy to love a girl who brightens the room just by walking in it but what separates Brittany from the handful of other girls I know who can do that is how endearing she is about virtually everything. Whether it's nutrition, boys, school applications, or money, she's always looking for advice. And who doesn't like being asked for advice? It makes you feel helpful. She's got the greatest attitude and an amazing sense of humor. She never fails to make the house laugh. Ah-mazing. Then you've got Chris Rasman. Need I say more? Just google him. Hahahaaa. no but seriously. This guy is the man. He was the first person in the house to make an effort to welcome Cori and I to the house. He's this insane ball of ADHD energy who will physically just dart off mid-conversation to never return. The house always seems quiet when he goes off to Japan or wherever for his snowboarding career, and we don't wake up to his stomp-run up and down the stairs in the morning. I can sense the same energy when I see films of him doing what he loves to do (and getting paid for it). And while Chris has talent up the ying-yang, I mean it when I say, you would never know if you didn't already know. He's incredibly humble and one of the most genuinely friendly people. Every time we go anywhere together, it never fails to amaze me how many people he knows, but more importantly, how good he is at making sure he's introduced me to everyone of them. Yay for breaking stereo-types. Then we have our token Aussie of the house, Drew, best known in the Art Barn as Drewpie, who is sadly leaving at the end of May. Drew keeps to himself probably the most in the house because he is out working and riding more than any of us and he probably finds us annoying most of the time when he is here and just wants peace. But my favorite thing about Drew, other than the Tim-Tam's he so willingly shares with me, is that when he is there, I can always count on getting a good laugh. His Aussie sense of humor is exactly what the house needs when one of the girls comes home all filled with estrogen complaining about X and freaking out about Y, and it feels like the world is coming down around them. One time, when we were having a [very serious] argument about who uses the most amount of toilet paper, Drew pipes in with "well I don't even shit at home. I get paid to do that." Brilliant. Drew never judges, never complains, is never too serious, and always does his dishes. What more could you ask for in a roommate? Every house needs a Jon-Frye. Every house. Seriously, if you don't have a Jon-Frye, I feel sorry for you. He is the glue that holds this house together literally and figuratively. Okay I'll admit, he may come across as an ass on first impression (Example: the first e-mail I got from him that almost ripped my heart out of my chest). But give Jon a chance and he'll fix anything, do anything, and go to great lengths to keep everyone in the house happy. We don't call him Auntie-Jon for no reason- he takes care of all the admin stuff for the house and is a true Art-Barn and Whistler veteran. Jon may have the final say in the house decisions but he is always the man to lean on when you've had a bad day or the one to lend you milk when you've run out. He goes out of his way to take care of his kids (us) and does an amazing job.
I love this house. But not because it's old, artistic, in an amazing location, and affordable. I love this house because of the way every member of it brings something so great to the table. I have someone to turn to for every need, and from the bottom of my heart, I feel like I've been blessed to live with the best 5 people in Whistler. If I just told you all about them, there really is nothing else to say (unless of course you would like me to go into full detail with how amazing it is to be a cashier at shoppers drug mart).
Ciao for now.

"it's like high-school for 25-year-olds"

So yesterday I had a big catch-up chat with Seymour (much-needed) & realized not only am I terrible at staying in touch with my good friends and keeping up even with basic monthly Skype dates, but I'm also terrible at keeping my acquaintances* in the loop (*not to sound like I think I'm so popular but I'm talking about all the people I met through camp, traveling California, and through St. FX that I wouldn't exactly call my best buds but are definitely still on the "Awesome People I Know" list). Sarah is still in the Maritimes and since I'm not, she told me she's run into some people who ask about how I am doing. Good thing all I ever talk about on this blog is the deepest emo part of my soul. Never just your regular, everyday, normal blog stuff. No wonder no one reads it? It's a gorgeous day outside but alas, I've finished all the things I need to do for the day and am settling to enjoy the sun comfortably in my room via the window. So here goes my little update for all of you out there who may be wondering:
I am awesome. I am comfortable, I am happy, & I'm at peace. I just found out where I'll be in September (UBC for education - woop) and for now, I am enjoying my 8 months of school/stress/reality-free state. What do I mean by reality-free? I mean exactly what it sounds like. Anyone who has ever moved to a resort destination can attest to the feeling that you live in an escape... a snow-globe. This is where people come for vacation to put their feet by the fire, to get a buzz off red wine, and to spend their days ripping through the mountains and forget about the worries they left at home. Doctor's and lawyers who are worn down and tired of the day-to-day drag and stresses of their careers come to Whistler for longer periods to work in dish-pits at minimum wage because it's nicer to leave their work at work, or better yet, some rich people may come here for a year or two and not work at all. People in their twenties come after high school for a season and stay for 10. While I don't have the love for skiing or snowboarding like most people, I came and am staying for many of these other reasons. It's the same reason I got a job as a cashier at a drugstore and not a serving job at a fancy restaurant. This is my break from reality and it's really nice for the change but definitely not forever.
What I love about living in Whistler is walking 25 minutes down a gorgeous trail to work, living beside a beautiful lake, and the fact that everyone seems to be in such good cheer all the time. Being able to see familiar faces, and stop and talk to people, everywhere I go reminds me of the library at X during exam time (but minus the stress and exam part). Everyone is welcome to everyone else's house and people that you may see at the bar at night might be the same people you pass on the trail (or the mountain if you prefer) during the day.
What I don't love about Whistler? Other than the ridiculous prices for basic necessities, such as food, only one thing: my great lack of growth. Sorry to get all negative-Nancy but this is the major flaw with trying to settle in a place that's an escape from reality. It's like my 9 weeks at camp. It's fun and wonderful and amazing and makes you feel all warm inside but there is a strange lack of purpose and growth when you wake up every day feeling so comfortable. In my most uncomfortable states in life, I was learning the most about myself. Hence why this is so temporary. It was only suppose to be a few months but it ended up being the full 8 that I'll be here. I think that'll be just perfect before I go back to face the books (and the classroom) and start my next chapter.
Read my next blog for my break down on my day-to-day life here in Whis, and the people that make it as sweet as it tends to be.