Moving to the Island: A lesson in East Coast Hospitality

Here is a shot of my awesome house. This was taken just recently during a snow storm

This internship I have been blessed to be living in a house that has ruined everyday life for me. Before arriving, I didn’t have a clear picture of where I would be staying. I knew that it is the summer home of a couple who summer in the Pastoral Charge. Out of the goodness of their heart, they offered to let the intern stay at their place while they returned to Massachusetts to teach for the year. And that was about all that I knew.


So there I sat in my supervisor’s car, about two hours after arriving on the Island. My mom and I had piled into Joy’s car and had just finished a tour of the pastoral charge. As we began the trek out to Brackley Beach, I could feel my stomach tightening up. I knew that I would cope with whatever they had arranged for me for the following eight months, but given the beauty I had seen so far, I really hoped that it would be great.

We pulled into the driveway and both my Mom’s and my own jaw dropped. Here sat the house, looking over the Brackley Bay, literally a minute’s drive outside of the National Park. Situated just right, I am able to catch both the sunrise and sunsets from my deck. Nervously, I entered in the front door, waiting to meet the people whose home I was going in. Claudia and David. What embodiments of East Coast Hospitality. Claudia, the fire cracker of the pair, quickly pulled me into a hug and welcomed me to my new home, tears shining in her eyes. David, the laid back one, held back, watching and providing helpful information as we went.

When I think about that moment, I get choked up. Here I was standing at the beginning of a new chapter and had found two new cheerleaders in my journey. They had known me for just a short while, but I knew they were genuine in their excitement for me. I can only imagine how differently I would have felt if I hadn’t felt their East Coast hospitality envelop me as they welcomed me home.

A Much Needed Bullet Update

Yay! Finally, my dial-up decided that I should be able to post an update. Imagine how red my face was when I realized how long it has been since I last blogged. (To be fair, not having Internet at my home this summer and only having access when at work really did cut into my ability to post)
So in order to bring everyone up to speed, I think I shall do a point-form list of my past few months, starting based from my last post.

- Finished out the school year and sadly moved out of my sweet apartment in Toronto. Also, after seeing the neurologist, managed to get a hold on my migraines! Woo hoo!
- Before moving out of Toronto, I discovered that I would be moving to PEI for my 8 month internship. Talk about fitting: the girl who has a blog that is named after a Anne of Green Gables quote, now moves less than 20 minutes from Green Gables
- I was Director of the same day camp that I worked at the past summer. In total, the staff team reached 13, our Jr Leaders numbered 15 and our camps grew from 6 weeks to 8 weeks. However, this time was not without challenge. The chair of my Camping Committee
(also the husband of my boss), who is also a close family friend, faced allegations that while in ministry he sexually assaulted two teens. This was a huge blow. Not only did I have to sort through how I felt about it, but I also had to help the staff team navigate this. I also in many ways was thrown into a PR role, being put in the role of being the approachable face attached to the situation. I am still unpacking what that whole experience. I know that there was a lot of good, but tough learning.
- While working at camp, I lived with a Swiss farming family who were members of the church. I will probably write other posts about them. Oh man! It was an entertaining summer with them. Often times, dinner felt like I was in a foreign film without subtitles!
- I was also blessed to have a great summer working and living with my little brother. It had been seven years since we had lived together. It was amazing that I got to get to know him as an adult. He is no longer the seven year old that I always picture in my head. We had a great summer together, both looking into huge transition times. He was heading off to university and me off to PEI
- My maternal Grandfather (my only living grandfather) took a turn for the worst. His previously misdiagnosed Alzheimer's kicked up a notch and he ended up in the hospital... multiple times. He is now living in a nursing home, while my Grandmother lives in the house that they shared for 60 years by herself. It has been scary and sad to watch my mother and my aunts and uncles wrestle with this new reality. Also to watch my Grandmother, who is a fearsomely strong women cope with this change.
- The move out to PEI was a wonderful trip with my mother. It was three long days of driving but for the memories it was amazing. I will definitely be posting about it later
- My internship here on the Island has me living up on the North Shore, right outside the National Park, with an ocean bay view. I am working at a 5 point pastoral charge. Translation: I work for five churches. My supervisor and I get along really well and the congregations are great. I have been loving living here! If only I didn't have dial-up, I would upload some picture to share with you the amazing place I am living in
-And of course, I have been doing everything Anne related that I can. Thus far, I have gone to Green Gables (what an amazing experience), visited Dalvay-by-the-Sea which was White Sands in the classic Anne of Green Gables movies, and most recently took in Anne of Green Gables the musical. Let me just tell you, I am in heaven!

Well I think those are the major things that have happened. I am pledging to be a better blogger now. I promise that I shall post as frequently as my Internet shall allow. This may mean that I will have to write my posts and put them up in groups as the Internet will allow. Well, I should be off. I need to head out to the hospital to see if anyone is in and would like a visit. Wish me luck.

I am still alive

Well, its been a few days since I've posted. I am doing okay. I've had a couple migraines and therefore been knocked down a peg or two. In fact, I feel kinda crappy today and am hoping that cleaning and organizing my place/ yoga-ing it up tonight will help.
I promise I will post more later. I really need to clean my pig sty of a place... it's gross. And you can't do yoga if there is no room to do it.
Wish me luck. Here's hoping I won't make an ass out of myself in front of my friend who is coming over...

thoughts...

I think I am truly a glutton for punishment.
I know I should write an update about the conference... but so much happened that I still need to process there. It went super amazing but you know a lot happens in six days of intense community.
And being the idiot that I am, when I came home, I decided to watch girly movies. Sometimes, girly movies are the root of all evil... seriously. Let me tell you why this is a SUPER bad idea last night.
I am an emotional person at the best of times. But add in not getting enough sleep, plus saying goodbye to friends and to an event that I have invested my heart and soul into, and it is a recipe for me to dissolve into a puddle of tears at the drop of a hat.
This was an especially bad idea when I have a boy on the brain, and decide to put on the Sex in the City movie. Clearly I made it about 10 minutes in before I was crying.
I then proceeded to cry through the majority of the movie, and have one of the most disheartening conversations ever. A friend of mine was talking to me about my boy situation (which got complex this week) and was so pessimistic and well... mean, that it just depressed me. Normally, she is super supportive, but my situation sounded too similar to the one that broke her heart, so she went into Mama Bear protection mode.
Obviously, not really what I wanted to hear when I was already doubting the situation with the boy (clearly I just wanted to be assured that he was into me)
Cue the boy striking up a convo with me. Now, if I was smart, I would have said "Sorry can't talk, need to go to bed."
Obviously... I did not. Glutton for Punishment= me!
I won't go into details, but ultimately my worst fears were confirmed. He indeed does like someone else. And the super crappy part of the conversation was that he was SO great during the conversation. The way I found out he liked this other girl was because we started talking about my boy troubles. It started because I said I was feeling a wee bit emotionally confused about a boy, and he was just so sweet. Telling me how great I am... you know all those sweet things you want to hear. Except when it is followed by him making reference to this other girl. Cue my heart being wrenched out. Not only has he dashed my hopes, he has done it while killing me with kindness. And he probably has no idea that he is the one that I was talking about (if there is a God, he won't know!)
I am trying to remain positive about this. We have since talked again. And it wasn't weird. Which is a plus. I was totally worried that I may have really put my foot in it last night. I did give him full strength crazy. But true to form, he was amazing. So this is a plus. Friendship maintained. And knowing he isn't into me, in a way, frees me. Prevents me from falling more; which may be a good thing when I am leaving for internship soon.
Sigh. I should have just gone to bed. ha ha! Isn't that always the case?
I will try to make my next post a wee bit happier. Hopefully, this will just be a tiny blip to get over. I will keep you posted.

A Wee Little Break

So I am off for a week to help lead a conference that I have been planning for a year.
Expect an update later.
Take care
love me
ps- Happy Valentine's Day

stupid freakin' migraines!

So in the spirit of honesty, I may or may not be stoned.
I have been dodging a migraine for days now. Between the gong show that has been my life the past couple weeks, school work and prepping for this conference that starts on Saturday.... I knew it was coming. But somehow I was crazy enough to think I could allude it.
And so this morning, after having a wonderful night last night with the ladies, I woke up in so much pain that I nearly puked. Luckily one of my friend's crashed here and was the best ever and went and got my migraine meds, in the pouring rain. I have the best friends. I think I should get her a present to say thanks. She really did take care of me.
Why oh why after nearly two months of not having migraines do they return? It's like casting Paris Hilton in a movie... no one wants to see her, and yet people keep casting her. Why oh why!
Any who, I am going to head back to bed. I only woke up to get something to eat. My meds give me mad munchies. I am off to try and slumber away my medicated stupor.

Stars and Moon

So, my friend (to whom I shall refer to as Stars) just left my place.
Stars and I have known each other since I was 14 years old. We met at camp when I was a CIT and she was a staff member. We bonded over camp and church stuff and soon grew to be close friends. Our friendship has remained close even though we went to different universities and now live in different cities. She is one of those friends that if you don't see them for a while when you get back together, it is like no time had passed at all.
Stars recently got engaged and has asked me to help officiate the wedding this summer. Originally, she wanted me to do the whole service, but because of the way ordination works, I wouldn't be able to do the legal aspects of the marriage. So I will be doing the wedding with a friend of theirs. This will be my first wedding that I have ever officiated and I am so honoured and thrilled to be asked to be part of their special day.
So this weekend, Stars came so that we could pin down some details about the wedding. It was so exciting and fun. Her wedding is going to be great and I can't wait for it. But I must admit, it was a little weird. Not that I would be leading the wedding, because that felt very natural. It was weird because of my history with Stars.
Back when we worked at camp together, Stars and I would lament about our love-lives. One day, I complained that I would never find anyone to be my "stars and moon" (a la all the cheesy romance films that I love so). And so Stars, who was feeling equally down about her love life, said: "That's it! If no guys can see how great we are, then we will be each other's Stars and Moon!" And so the nic-name was born. Now 6 years later, we still call each other that.
This weekend, as awesome as it was, was also a little sad. My Stars is leaving me for a man. The other day, I was talking to a friend about this and he kindly reminded me that I just need to find a new star then. Easier said than done! ha ha!
I hate to admit this but it kind of feels like I am falling behind. Stars has someone, and I am still single. I fear that this sneaky little feeling of sadness might rear it's head on the wedding day. For that reason, I am really hoping that I will be able to find someone to come with me to the wedding. I don't mind going stag, but I think I am going to need some support that day. It is going to be such a beautiful, emotional and heart-warming day. That and most of Stars' friends seem to be married folks.
Don't get me wrong, I am SO so happy for Stars and I am so excited to be a part of her big day. But I just needed to vent a little about it. I know that I shouldn't feel like this, but I do. So I need to feel it and move forward.
(I swear my next post will be happier, and less self-indulgent whining)