All posts filed under: Life

MY SUMMER GOALS 2016

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I would have totally forgotten to make a summer goals list this year if I wasn’t just browsing through old blog posts of mine. I was reading posts from 2012 when I stumbled upon my first list of summer goals.. there were 25 of them, geezus. Click HERE to browse through how I did in 2015. This year, I wrote my summer goals as I rode the subway to Seomyeon, which is about a 15 minute ride from the station near my house. Some of my goals will shock you, some will not. Either way, SUMMER IS COMING AND I HAVE THINGS TO DO! JESSICA’S SUMMER GOALS 2016! Launch Get Up & Go Girl channel Book trip to Australia Take taekwondo classes Go to Samgwangsa Temple for Lantern Festival (aka Buddha’s birthday) Dye hair blonde Attend a Lotte Giants baseball game Attend a Kpop concert Attend Boryeong Mud Festival Attend Busan Sea Festival Learn Korean alphabet  

SMELLS LIKE HOME

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What do you do when you start having Canada withdraw? Hack open a can of maple syrup and make french toast. Mmmmm it was so good, and just what I needed to feel at home again. This week wasn’t too exciting, other than making my apartment smell maple goodness, nothing eventful happened. Oh, I did spend 15 minutes hacking at the maple syrup can. Should probably put “can opener” on my shopping list, as well as “spatula” since I used a rice scooper to flip my french toast. #singlelife #ilivealone #dontjudge Last weekend I went to Caffe Bene near my house to catch up on emails and finish up with some work. I had an iced coffee, and the entire upstairs floor to myself. Nothing like peace, serenity and caffeine to make you feel productive (aka Facebook stalk my friends from home pretending I was with them at all their outings and parties). Moving onto my work week, for one of my classes I taught a lesson on “mottos” and had students come up with a class motto. …

HIKES, ART & GOLD.. OH MY!

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Things making me happy right now: Currently sitting at a cafe and have it entirely to myself (Caffe Bene to be specific). I’m on the second floor looking over my neighbourhood. I slept in this morning, made french toast and drowned it in maple syrup. It’s 17 degrees outside. I booked my train to Seoul for next weekend because, FASHION WEEK! I bought an air freshener for my apartment. Looking forward to going home to see if it works (is that sad?). Came to the realization that I am exactly where I want to be, doing exactly what I want to do and that, makes me happy. Can I be real for a sec? If you’ve known me for the past three years, you know that moving to South Korea was an idea that quickly turned into a plan. However, I didn’t act on the plan until this year. I flip-flopped not knowing if I’d be “behind in my career” that I had in Toronto. It took me three years to make my final decision. THREE. YEARS. I …

MY FIRST APARTMENT

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IS THIS HOW YOU ADULT?! I can’t believe it’s been two weeks since I moved into my first apartment. I’ve been feeling ecstatic and overwhelmed but incredibly happy to live in a place that is comfortable, spacious, and has way too many beauty products in the bathroom. I don’t have a shower mat nor proper plates to eat from, but I do have two cleansers, three face masks, and five moisturizers cluttering the bathroom cabinet. #priorities Speaking of beauty products, South Korea is the EPICENTRE of beauty. Every third store on any main street is either The Face Shop, Etude, Skinfood, The Body Shop, etc. It’s beauty heaven. The day after I moved in I went into The Face Shop and bought Chia Seed Hydrating Emulsion. The store employee (bless her soul) did not speak a word of English but knew by looking at my face that I had extremely dry skin. She threw what I needed in a bag, took a hand full of free samples, chucked those in and smiled as I left. Love her. …

EPIK ORIENTATION

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I’M ALIVE! This post is dedicated to my mom who has been wondering why I haven’t written a blog post in a week. As she is one of my three dedicated readers, I thought I would get on top of it and post a life update. Here we go.. I left Toronto, Canada on February 17, arrived in Seoul, South Korea on February 18, and transferred to Busan, South Korea that evening. The plane ride was quite comfortable, but I did get a little stir crazy around the 12 hour mark.. it was a 15 hour flight total. To pass the time away I read Amy Poehler’s “Yes Please” (I recommend) and watched Aladdin, Goosebumps and a couple episodes of Friends. I attempted to sleep, but who can actually sleep on an airplane? You’re a bionic human of some sort if you can. I stayed at the Busan University of Foreign Studies for a week to attend EPIK orientation. More on that subject in my vlog below. 😉 This is the wonderful view I got to …

PEACE OUT CANADA

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I move to Busan, South Korea this week. How crazy is my life right now.. I could go on and on about about the importance of chasing after your dreams and finding yourself from outside your comfort zone but, that’s boring and frankly, you already know that mumbo jumbo. As a result, I edited a video of all my favourite vlogging moments since I started in April 2015 to remind myself of the amazing friends and family I have back in Canada and the importance of diving head first into new opportunities.. this could be the best damn thing I ever do for myself. SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD!

5 DATING TIPS TO CONSIDER OR WHATEVER

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Valentine’s Day is approaching and whether you’re a bitter Betty or look forward to receiving edible underwear from your last minute desperate-times-calls-for-desperate-measures Tinder date, the commercial day of love is going to happen, whether you like it or not. It’s been awhile since I’ve written an advice post and thought I’d give my five cents when it comes to love and relationships. First thing you should know, never come to me for dating advice. You’re probably wondering, why the heck am I reading this post then? I don’t know, you chose to be here (I’m thankful for it, love you, please don’t leave me). When it comes to sage advice, I provide insight when it comes to how to sweet talk your way to floor seats at a concert, how to use chopsticks without offending your ancestors, and (my specialty) how to look like you have your life together when you really do not.. but when it comes to “Jessica what should I do if the guy I met on Tinder who I’ve been ‘seeing’ for two months isn’t returning …

I’M MOVING?

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BRB, will explain more in detail (re: moving) when I get back from Asia in December. Until then, the below vlog are the only details I can provide for you at this time. 😉 Also in the vlog I eat cheesecake for breakfast, create a custom necklace at Anice Jewellery (Melissa’s b-day gift for me, so sweet) and went trick-or-treating with little kids/used them as bait so I can receive all of the candy. P.S. expect to see my Asia travel vlogs very, very soon.

I’M OFFICIALLY 25 – HERE’S EVERYTHING I WANT TO ACCOMPLISH THIS YEAR

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I’ve made it to a quarter of a century. I can now legally rent a car. However, I am no longer eligible to pay VIA rail youth rates. But, who needs youth rates when I can rent a Mercedes, AMIRITE?! Why this is the first thing I’m bringing up on my 25th birthday, I have no idea.. Moving right along, the below are goals I set for myself on my last birthday (aka, all I wanted to accomplish at 24), here is how I did: 1. I WILL become more confident. This was a rocky road but, I whole heartily believe I am far more confident than I was a year ago. I have more to learn about confidence (obvs) but I notice my head is held higher and I listen/trust myself with less second guessing. Confidence is not about being center of attention or being extremely extroverted, which a lot of people mistake is the definition. Confidence is believing in yourself, thinking positive thoughts and trusting your decisions. When someone says, “you need more confidence,” it’s gut-wrenching to hear. …

RUNNING THROUGH THE SIX

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For your Sunday evening entertainment: Melissa and I shop at INLAND, Kathleen and I help throw an event for NYX cosmetics, and I celebrate my 25th birthday with Emily, Katie, Ashley & Nicole. Also, I’M ON TV! Or, was on TV. I chat with Channel 12 news about the All Abilities soccer program and the importance of volunteering! Forward to 1:47 and ignore the hideous thumbnail. ALSO, LOL JESSICA MAY LOL.

SUMMER LIST 2015 | ACCOMPLISHED GOALS

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IT IS THE END OF THE SUMMER!! Wait, what? Why did I blink and suddenly summer has come and gone.. Whether I like it or not (I guess) the summer months have indeed come to an end and you know what that means, right? Unless you’re new around here (welcome, ya rookie), it means I will go through my MY SUMMER GOALS 2015! I left my list on the shorter side this year since I knew I would have a hectic schedule and didn’t want to add pressure by adding a million goals to accomplish. I’m not a superhero. But if I was, I’d be Wonder Woman or The Hulk. Enough talk, let’s go through my summer list 2015 of accomplished goals together, shall we? 1. Vlog entire summer YES! OH YES I DID! CROSSING THIS OFF PROUDLY! Vlogging has been the best part of my summer. I am extremely grateful that I have amazing friends and family who support and (to my surprise) even wanted to participate in my vlogs. Ya’ll are lovely. This is a …

I WENT TO A NUDE BEACH

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I didn’t mean to go to a clothing optional beach, I just so happened to stumble upon one. I saw way too many body parts I could’ve lived without seeing but realized how much respect I have for those who can bare it all with confidence. Good on them! Although in that moment I felt extremely awkward and got out of there as quickly as I could, mostly because I was the one being stared at for having clothes on..

BEING OK WITH WHERE YOU ARE

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I’ve been watching Amy Young for a little while now. She’s a life coach who makes sassy advice videos about boys and relationships that are both thoroughly helpful and entertaining. Amy recently made a video about the most important relationship you’ll ever have, the one with yourself. Accepting where you are, in this moment, right now. It’s probably one of the most honest, relatable and inspirational videos she’s ever made. I wanted to share it with you because SO many of us are struggling with accepting where we are at this moment in time. A lot of my friends (especially as of recent) and even myself can relate. We think we should have it all figured out because we see people on Instagram, for example, travelling the world, working at their dream job and in a relationship with a model who has perfect hair (I’m convinced those people are robots). We relate our real lives to those who filter theirs and it puts a lot of pressure on ourselves. A couple years ago, for example, I could not financially support myself, …