Hey, I have a guest blogger here today! I'll be on her blog here: http://jessinayellowdress.tumblr.com/And, reading her post, then thinking about what I wrote? Well, let's just say you're in for a treat!
Hello everyone! I’m Jess from ‘Jess in a Yellow Dress’ and I’m here guest-blogging today. I’m going to talk about my summer (side note: can you believe summer’s almost over?)
I’ll preface this by telling you all that I’m in Canada. I’m on the east coast, in a tiny-slash-large city known as Halifax, in Nova Scotia. There’s a magnificent blend of urban and rural here: shopping malls, lazy rural-looking streets, a bustling downtown core, suburbs, waaaay more universities than you can shake a stick at, parks, large open fields, etc. etc. etc.
When I pictured summer in my head, way back in February, when it was combination snowing-and-raining and there were deep piles of slush covering the sidewalks and my feet were frozen (and I figured I would die that night because how long can you survive when your feet are frozen and you have to walk another 10 minutes to your apartment?), I pictured something completely different than what I ended up with.
I knew my summer would change when I lost my job in May. I worked at a clothing store catering to old women, which went bankrupt (stop arguing with me about taxes and stop looking at my left ring finger!!). Given that our economy sucks, and job creation has been at a stand-still (unless you want to work for those non-profit organizations and stand on the street begging people to talk to you about girls in Africa or Amnesty International), I’ve been unemployed since the beginning of May. I’m actively looking for work, but nothing yet. In my unemployed (or funemployed) state, I’ve been able to travel around Nova Scotia; visit with my family; walk around Halifax; read.
Here are my Top Ten Summer Moments:
1. My magazine articles were published! I’m a freelance writer, and I wrote the cover story for my alma mater’s alumni magazine. Seeing my by-line gave me butterflies!
2. I climbed a hay marshmallow in New Brunswick. You know what a hay marshmallow is, right? It’s a bale of hay that looks like a marshmallow. They’re tall, they’re awesome, and they litter the fields of New Brunswick. We drove past a field of hay marshmallows close to the road, and we couldn’t resist getting out and climbing. It definitely was the be-all-end-all of a dream I’ve had since I was five (which wasn’t that long ago, or anything…)
3. Going to the zoo. I haven’t been to the zoo in 10 years, at least. Seeing all the animals (lions, zebras, and black swans) was an awesome way to spend a stifling hot afternoon.
4. Lounging on the beach. I’m not much of a beach-goer. I don’t wear bathing suits, I’m deathly afraid of water, and I could sit outside until the moon’s out and I wouldn’t tan. But this summer I spent a lot of time walking along beaches, staring out at the water, where the ocean and the sky meet. There’s something so insanely peaceful about the water.
5. I’m one of those insanely awesome (read: probably desperately lame) people who eat up anything Wills and Kate. The night before the royal wedding? I didn’t sleep. So when Wills and Kate made their first royal visit to Canada, all news networks were focused on the trip (in Canada, we pretty much leave our elected officials alone, unless they do something newsworthy. It’s like Harper – our prime minister – didn’t exist while Wills and Kate were here.). So if you’re asking, ‘Jess, did you watch Wills and Kate dragonboat race in PEI? And cook with a culinary class in Montreal? And tour a fire-ravaged town in Alberta?’ the answer is yes. Yes I did. And it was awesome.
6. I discovered the joy and awesomeness that is Parks and Recreation. How did I survive without watching this wonderful, insanely hilarious show? All I know is: I don’t want to go back to my life pre-Parks and Rec. And I want to marry Ron Swanson, but my name isn’t Tammy – I can change, Ron!
7. I’m a huge fan of classic Hollywood movies – my TV is almost always tuned to TCM. Every August they do a ‘Summer Under the Stars’ and highlight a different actor or actress every day. I’m watching a bunch of movies I’ve never seen before and having a fun time doing it.
8. Playing with my dog. I’m a three-hour drive away from my parents and my dog; my faithful friend and second shadow. I usually never go home a lot (first it was because I was in school, then because I had a near-full time job), so this summer I’ve been able to spend a lot of time just walking the dog, playing with him, feeding him waaay too many snacks, and cuddling.
9. Wandering around Halifax, exploring the city and taking pictures. This city’s been my home for going-on five years now, and it never gets old.
10. Reading. Honestly, there’s nothing funner than just grabbing a book, laying out in the sun (or on your bed, fan pointing in your face) and getting lost in it. I’m currently reading One Day by David Nicholls – I can’t wait to see the movie, but I want to read the book first (because books-turned-into-movies always suck, and I want to know what I’m missing).
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