Dream Big Cape Breton

And just like that, it’s autumn again! Holy cats, time really does speed up the older you get. The adults from when I was a kid were not lying.

To be honest, I’m really pumped for Fall. I love cooler weather. I love knitted goods. I love apples and pumpkins. I’m in a “nesting” mood and so I’m thrilled to spend my spare time on our home, making it feel cozy and ours. But, just like I did last year, I want to look back at the summer of 2014 and remember all that made it good, all that made it one of the best summers ever. (It’s inspired by Elise Blaha, of course. Her post from 2012 is here.) Here goes:

I want to remember how I started the summer off with a graduation ceremony. I earned my diploma with honours in Graphic Design from NSCC and it felt so good to celebrate that with my classmates and family. I worked hard for my diploma and I’m pretty proud of myself.

I want to remember spending the long Canada Day weekend in Eastern Passage, soaking up the sun and fun times with family.

I want to remember walking on the White Point trail, down North, after visiting my friend Bob in the nursing home in Neils Harbour, and how restful the fog, water and rocks were.

I want to remember how, after some job-searching and interviews, I was excited to accept a position at the Horizon Achievement Centre.

I want to remember how excited I also was that the job didn’t start until August 4th, thus giving me a whole month off. Heaven!

I want to remember sketching a strawberry.

I want to remember meeting a blog reader from California, and spending some time with her around Glace Bay.

I want to remember an epic week in Chicago!! Hot dogs, deep-dish pizza, hugs and new friends, and three Phish shows in three nights. People, I was not a Phish fan three years ago. I didn’t dislike them, but I was certainly indifferent to them. Then I met Adam, who is a huge Phish-head. Now I can sing along to some of the songs at shows, and I get what “Page-side rage side” means. I also get why people do things like go to three Phish shows in three nights: it’s so much fun.

I want to remember planning a creative women’s retreat (held in September), and going to St. Peter’s for a day in July as part of the planning.

I want to remember discovering bagged mulch.

I want to remember trading design services for a photo shoot, and making the most of it with helium balloons and full professional makeup/hair. SO fun!

I want to remember a morning run in a Zodiac in North Sydney harbour to take photos of the town from the water. So neat to have a different perspective of the day-to-day.

I want to remember taking time to go to the beach, and making sure to be laaaaaazy on Sundays.

I want to remember learning about new plants thanks to you readers, in my Name That Plant! posts (pink and yard editions).

I want to remember starting off paid/trade blog partnerships with a two-parter about Kiju’s Restaurant and their commitment to local food, and how much fun it was, especially since my friend Alicia Lake joined me for the delicious meal! (Meal post here, and chef Q+A here, and you can read more here about partnering with my blog or with me).

I want to remember doing lots of yoga. Streeeeetch….

I want to remember mourning the loss of Robin Williams. Rest in peace.

I want to remember starting my new job on August 4th, and the first few weeks getting my bearings.

I want to remember taking a day-long workshop on branding with the Community Sector Council of Nova Scotia, and then walking in a field near my house and eating blueberries.

I want to remember doing a coaching call with Life Coach Tiffany Han and how (no joke!) it flipped my script. Woke me up. Perked up my goals and my passion. (And reminded me to take an umbrella to work.)

I want to remember spotting the first red leaf on the burning bush.

I want to remember signing up to eat 50% local food, but being honest with myself (and all of you!) about my limitations. This has meant more trips to the market than I would normally make, and most of all, delicious food and neat connections to local people.

I want to remember how the first month and a half of my new job flew by, and how it turned out that I love learning all about people with disabilities, and what the field is like.

I want to remember bringing the CBU “Happen” brand conversation to this blog, and how that blew up my stats for a few days and got me part of a CTV news story! There will be more on this, for sure.

I want to remember drinking wine in the Annapolis Valley, celebrating a friend’s bachelorette. The wine was delicious, but oh those olives…

I want to remember a really special meal at a small restaurant in Big Baddeck.

I want to remember this as the first summer of my thirties, and the first that I spent living entirely in North Sydney. (As opposed to the last two when I still travelled to Baddeck to work.)

I want to remember this summer as truly one of the best.