#visited there on a trip to Canada in my childhood

[loving-n0t-heyting]

I just saw a post describing France in terms like “the only country to still possess colonies on all continents bc of their colonialism,” which brought immediately to mind their final colonial holding in North America of st pierre & Miquelon, a couple of tiny island towns devoid to the best of our knowledge of any permanent inhabitants until the 17th cent

If you want to criticise frances foreign policy there are several much more obvious and legitimate examples to point to than a minuscule fishing village populated by descendants of French colonists with no interest in or capacity for independence?

#visited there on a trip to Canada in my childhood #it was very pretty! and not especially tourist trappy

[mybeingthere]

Pitaloosie Saila

1942-2021

"I remember how Inuit used to live, thinking of them back then, my relatives. I also recall how the clothing was made; that is what I base my drawings on when I draw people."

- Pitaloosie Saila (from “Kinngait: Riding Light Into the World; Producer: Site Media; Director: Annette Mangaard)

Pitaloosie was born in 1942 on the southwest coast of Baffin Island near what is now the community of Cape Dorset. She spent her childhood years in various hospitals in Quebec and Ontario for treatment of tuberculosis. She learned

English during this time, and recalls the difficulty she experienced in relearning her native language upon her return to Baffin Island in 1957. She is now one of the few of her generation who speak both English and Inuktitut fluently.

Pitaloosie began drawing in the early 1960’s, and quickly established herself as a versatile and intelligent graphic artist.

Over the years, she has become a familiar presence in the Kinngait Studios, and her work has been included in annual

print collections since 1968.

Since the late 1960’s, Pitaloosie has made frequent trips to southern Canada to attend exhibitions and conferences. In 1967, she spent several weeks in Toronto while her husband, the well-known sculptor Pauta Saila, participated in an International Sculpture Symposium. Subsequently, she has visited Halifax, Toronto, Ottawa, Kansas City and Vermont. Her work has been featured in solo drawing exhibitions, and in 1977, Canada Post issued a stamp depicting her print, Fisherman’s Dream. Her 1985 lithograph entitled In the Hills represented the Northwest Territories in the centennial celebration of the National Parks of Canada. Amnesty International, the international human rights organization, selected a drawing by Pitaloosie entitled Mother and Child to use for their 1990 Christmas card. She was also one of nine featured artists in the acclaimed exhibition Isumavut: The Artistic Expression of Nine Cape Dorset Women, which opened at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in the fall of 1994 and continues to travel to other venues. Pitaloosie’s husband, Pauta, passed away in Cape Dorset in June of 2009 at the age of 93. In 2004, both she and Pauta were appointed members of the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts, in recognition of their life’s work and contributions to Canadian art.

[shadow-sandiego-shipping]

Daily Prompts - Day 2

The days gone by...

Carmen walked into the living room and saw Shadow-san and the twins looking over a mess of boxes, newspaper clippings, and what seemed like photographs.

"What's going on?" She asks.

Zack, who had been head deep in a cardboard box, perks up at the sound of her voice. "Carmen!" He stumbles a little trying to get up, almost tripping over a bunch of stuff, actually.

"Me and Ivy found a bunch of stuff from our childhood!" He explains.

Right, Carmen remembered Zack and Ivy had gone to Boston for a week.

Lately, Team Red hadn’t been busy at all. For some reason, VILE had been on the down low, and for a while now, the renovations for the Carmen Sandiego Brand Outhouse warehouse had been finished.

So the team had taken a little bit of time off.

Carmen had decided to visit Player in Canada, the twins (homesick) decided to stay in Boston for a week, and Shadow-san (after lots of reassurance) decided it wouldn't hurt to make a small trip to Japan.

Zack made his way over to Carmen, holding a bunch of photographs.

"Look! It's Ivy when we were little! Wasn't she a dork!?" He said between giggles and snorts, showing Carmen a picture with a little girl with freckles using what looked like an oversized mechanic outfit and holding a wrench way too big for her little hands. Muck covering her face and clothes.

"Aww, she looks cute in this." Carmen takes the pile of pictures from Zacks hands, skimming through the rest.

On the couch, Ivy, who had been showing Shadow-san an old album piped up. "Yeah, right! Come over'ere Zack let's see who's the real dork!"

Zack's laughs turned nervous instead of amused. "Aha~... Don't be mad, sis, you hear Carmen, she called you cute!"

Before the bickering can continue, Carmen covers her mouth to help disguise a loud snort.

"Oh no, what pictures did you give her, bro?" Ivy asks despite not making much of an effort to leave the couch. She even restarted her conversation with Shadow-san right away after scolding her brother.

"I, uh... what's you looking at, Carm?" Zack tries to look at what made Carmen lose her composure.

She gladly flips a picture of two little Boston ginger kids; dressed as funky little aliens, with plastic bags on their heads covered with cardboard circles poorly painted in blue and green and black hairbands with two sticks and a white pompom on top glued in each; green boas and fisherman boots, and lots of lipstick painted circles on their faces. In each of their little hands, a Red Sox knock-off bag, well... a bakery paper bag with the Red Sox logo painted in red lipstick.

"That must’ve been a fun Halloween." Carmen teased. Zack stared at the picture, mouth agape, and eyes equally as wide. His expression looked so goofy, Carmen couldn’t help laughing out loud at it.

At least, until Zack started tearing up.

Immediately, she stopped laughing and started apologizing instead.

"Zack, I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make fun." He shakes his head.

"That's not it, Carm. It's not your fault."

With the change in atmosphere Ivy’s chat with Shadow-san is put on hold, and Ivy makes her way to Zack.

"Bro? What's wrong?" She asks, concerned.

He looks at her with teary eyes. "This was the last Halloween we spent with mom and dad Ives..." He shows her the picture.

"Oh, Zack..." They hug.

Wanting to give the twins some space, Carmen goes to sit on the couch, next to Shadow-san.

"I think this was my favourite Halloween of all time..." Zack muttered after a bit, looking at the photo.

"What!? That Halloween was awful!" Ivy complained, separating from the hug. "Our costumes sucked and we barely got any candy, beside it rained while we were out..." She lists off.

Zack chuckled wetly. "Yeah, but we made the costumes ourselves. It was the most fun I'd ever had, back then. And we even got to use Red Sox bags! Even if they weren't the real thing... and I know we didn't get any candy, but the candy we usually had from our neighbourhood sucked anyway and... really, the only reason I went trick or treating was because I liked doing it with you. And I know it rained, but after the rain, mom and dad helped us clean up, and we got to coudle up in the couch all together and have hot coco and watch my favourite movie of all time!"

Ivy was speechless.

"So yeah... that was my favourite Halloween we ever had." Zack concludes.

Now it was Ivy's turn to tear up. "Yeah... you know what? When you put it like that, I guess that was my favourite Halloween we've ever had, too." They hugged again.

When they separated Ivy's nose was runny so she complained and went to the bathroom to clean up. Zack whipped his face on the sleeve of his shirt and went back to the task of sorting out the boxes.

On the couch, Carmen smiled at the twins. Shadow-san did as well.

He touches Carmen’s arm to get her attention. She looks at the newspaper clippings on his lap.

"Ivy was showing me reports of their accomplishments in the racing field." She notices several news articles talking about a sibling duo taking on the car racing game with their own hands. She smiles fondly.

After a while, she looks back at Shadow-san, who was frowning.

"What's wrong?" She asks him.

He looks at the mess of the room. "Sometimes I wonder how your life would've been if I had never taken you to VILE island..." Oh, oh...

"Shadow-san..."

"I know I can't change the past, but sometimes I can't help but regret you never had this... any of this." He gestures at the pictures. "And it's in great part my fault."

She knew he didn't just mean her childhood or the lack of pictures there of. He meant getting her involved with VILE, being on their hit list, and even the obligation she felt in stopping their affairs. But, in retrospect, she couldn’t imagine her life any other way.

"You're right." She says. "We can't change the past. But for all its worth... I liked my childhood. I know it wasn’t a regular childhood but, up until school, I have only good memories." She puts her hand on his shoulder, in what she hopes is a comforting gesture.

He lets up, sighing, then giving her a shy little smile. "Too bad there are no pictures of it then?" It sounds like a joke, but-

"I would KILL for a picture of Miss Booker wet after one of my pranks!" She says immediately.

It's so out of the blue and so sincere, Shadow-san bursts out laughing, soon being joined by Carmen.

It calls Zack's attention from the reminiscence he was up to, and Ivy’s as soon as she comes back.

"Hey, Zack? What did I miss?" She asked.

"I have no idea..." He replies.

Previous day // Promps Aquired from Write App. // Next day

#carmen sandiego #shadowsan #ivy cs #zack cs #one shot #writing prompt #fluff #slight angst #comfort #family #found family #my writing

[sananatureinterpretation]

My Unfolding Experience with Nature with a Shift of Environment

I still remember the day, as if it were yesterday when I stood in front of a bridge and thought to myself, “How can the elements of my environment adapt so well to the change brought by time and why does it not resist these changes”? The reason I asked these silly questions as an adult was because I grew up on a completely different side of the world where the temperature remained constant throughout the year – and yes, it was humid scorching hot. My blog is my little journey to walk you through my experience with nature – from indifference to making the most and being grateful for every moment.

Growing up, I hadn’t paid much attention to nature and how it impacted me. I grew up in the United Arab Emirates (famously known as Dubai), and one of the main reasons behind my indifference to the weather was the fact that the temperature and atmosphere remained constant throughout the year. I pretty much didn’t get to experience much due to my sheltered upbringing – my main experiences evolved around shopping malls, visiting family at their house, and going to school. Multiple times throughout my childhood, I thought of nature – and all I could think of was the green mountainous area, with a little village by the coast with some boats where inhabitants would catch fish in the sea – to me that was nature. I always dreamed of travelling and experiencing different areas of the world – but again that was only a dream.

The first ever time in my life I experienced nature in its true self was when I moved to Canada, in 2019 summer – it was as if with every changing day, nature was playing its little tricks. After catching sight of my first snow, and experiencing the shivering cold brought with New Year’s, it made me laugh thinking how I thought 12 degrees Celsius in the fall was cold. In my first year, I experienced heavy rains, sunburn, severe thunderstorms, snow and gardening. The person who made me realize the value of my experience was my little sister – who would beg me to go biking with her after work (she was really goofy so I couldn’t say no). My sister would be the one who would ask to stay for a few more minutes and just observe the field when it was time to leave. My experiences are mainly dedicated to her, she was my person – the one who made me realize the value of my true experiences of nature and turning my mini hiking trip into a natural therapy.

PS. I don't have a picture from the time but if I find one I'll post it in my next post.

[loudstrawberryblizzard]

Childhood memories of Madison "Maddie" Frost

Madison (or Maddie for short) was born in the wintertime in 2001. She is the daughter of Jack Frost with long snow white hair and blue eyes and

… in a relationship with Izumo Kamizuki (one of those 2 Naruto besties) since 2 and a half years 😊

And when Jack's mother Gwynne Frost (inspired by Chris Pine's mum Gwynne Gilford) heard Maddie’s laptop (or iPad) having an incoming video chat from her friends, she hoped her beautiful granddaughter didn’t mind if she answered it to let them know when Maddie will come back.

"Hey, Maddie, you there? Answer us?" one of her friends called out.

"Hmm? Oh, it’s you sweethearts. Madison’s not here but I’ll let you know when she’ll come back if you like." Gwynne said.

"She’s not? If she’s not here yet, then where has she gone to?" Sakura asked. Jack entered his daughter’s room and happily said "Maddie’s out of the house giving the kids some snow days right now! From Burgess to all the way to Los Angeles." "You’re Jack Frost from Rise of the Guardians, Maddie’s dad?!" Sakura asked and couldn’t believe who she was seeing. "Sakura, didn’t you know? I’m a winter spirit and one of the guardians just like Maddie and decided to visit your village after a snow day I give some kids to." Jack proudly replied to the cute pinkette. "Is Naruto still scared of ghosts?" He teased in a cute way. Sakura said "Yep, Naruto’s still scared of ghosts."

"You’re Jack Frost, Maddie’s dad from Rise of the Guardians?!" Wilbur’s 19-year-old daughter Wimlah (you can call her Stocking if you want) asked in delight. She has long black hair, green eyes and her skin as pale as Sai. "You’re as really hot as my dad and he’s made all the girls he slept with became my stepmoms since he was around my age! 😊"

"I’m hot?!" Jack grinned and fanboyed at the question. "She said that I’m hot! And oh yeah, your dad and I are both all natural!"

"Please stop scaring the kids, Jack." Gwynne said. Jack brought in large, violet-navy coloured, heavy-looking album book "Would you like to see some childhood memories?" "Sure you can!" Her friends cheered. Jack went on the first page of the photo album and shared "I took this picture on your very first school day! Maddie never liked when I took pictures of her very much but Sakura, Ino, Hinata, Stocking and TenTen loved it!" The first photo of Maddie and the girls when they were 6-7. Jack moved on to the second photo "And one time we were on an annual family Christmas trip to Toronto and Vancouver in Canada 🇨🇦 which must be always the coldest country in the world most of the year." "Awesome!" Maddie’s friends Kotetsu, Yamato, Naruto, Kiba, Deidara, Sakura, Ino, Hinata, Shikamaru, Wimlah, Lee and TenTen and Maddie’s boyfriend Izumo cheered.

"I’ve also got a lot of baby photos from there! Sakura, you were here too, remember?!" Jack cheered happily. "What?!" The pinkette reacted in shock and embarrassment. "AAAAGHH!!!" "Aren’t you guys so cute or what?" Jack asked with a huge heartwarming smile for cuteness. "Oh man! Why did I have to pose for the camera?!" Sakura asked angrily in embarrassment. "Let us see some more!" The boys cheerfully demanded being prepared.

Jack moved on to the next photo turning the page "This is little baby Maddie!" A photo of baby Madison in her crib with shorter fluffy snow white hair and wore a purple and blue footed pyjamas and had a lavender pacifier with a small snowman plushie.

"SO CUTE!!!" Izumo and the other boys exclaimed cheerfully and happily. "Yeah, yeah!" Jack agreed with the boys happily. "And here little baby Maddie is sleeping!" Jack showed another photo of baby Maddie sleeping in her fluffy blue blanket in her crib. "AWWW! ❤️💕♥️" the boys reacted. Jack moved on to another baby photo "And here I bathed her and changed her diaper!" While the boys were fussing cheerfully and representing the cuteness. "He’s even worse than any of either of our parents!" TenTen said. "Which would be a total drag." Shikamaru added. "Yeah, we pity Maddie." Sakura agreed. "Agreed big time." Ino added. Then suddenly, before Jack could move on to some more photos, he felt the album book being snatched from his pale hands. "Hey!" "Stop that! Madison will freak out again!" His mother Gwynne scolded. "My first girlfriend gave birth to my girl for many painful hours so I damn well can show her pictures if I want to!" Jack replied to his mother getting angry. "Hands off my treasure, you young-looking old hag!" "You damn Amazon winter man!" His mother replied.

"To be continued." - Jemaine Clement as Nigel from Rio

#riseoftheguardians #jackfrost #naruto #crossover #narutouzumaki #izumokamizuki #kotetsuhagane #narutogirls #narutoboys #daughterofjackfrost #childhoodmemories #maddiefrost #madisonfrost #yamato #shikamarunara #rocklee #hinatahyuga #kiba inuzuka #sakuraharuno #inoyamanaka #tenten #deidara #deidaraakatsuki #daughterofwilburrobinson #stockingrobinson #ocs original characters

[fizzycherrycola]

Is it ok to ask for some headcanons about the North American brothers? If not that's totally fine but if you're cool with it I'd love to know your thoughts

I am VERY COOL with it, anon ❤

Since you didn't ask for anything specific, I'll just list some things off the top of my head.

When America and Canada were young, a few of their human caretakers abandoned them. Once the humans realised these boys weren’t growing older, they fled out of fear of witchcraft. After noticing this pattern, their guardians (France or England respectively), started entrusting them to the families of very loyal government officials. These humans had no tolerance for accusations of witchcraft, and because they were higher class, most commonfolk never dared to cross them. They were made aware of what Canada and America are and took excellent care of them.

The two boys would sometimes share a home, but for most of their childhoods, they lived separately, with Canada in Montreal and America in Boston. During periods of intense conflict between England and France, both guardians would sternly insist that the boys mustn’t visit or play together. However, since England and France were usually on the other side of the Atlantic, this rule was difficult to enforce.

Both boys were very self-reliant at a young age. By the 1700s, they were capable of cooking, cleaning, trapping, and finding work all on their own. Despite appearing as 10-year-old kids, they’d both been alive for longer than an average human, so in that time, they’d learned a thing or two about survival.

The brothers quickly learned how to lie to their human caretakers and would sneak out to visit each other. Canada found this easier to do than America, because France’s guardianship style was far more... let’s say, “laidback” than England’s. Little Canada was able to wander for days without worrying anyone and he’d use this to his advantage when making the long trip to Boston.

It wasn’t until 1763 that America and Canada would be able to properly share a home. Unfortunately, this lasted only 12 years before the American Revolution began, and Canada was hastily moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia. He spent the next decade there under the watchful eye of Scotland before eventually returning to Montreal.

#aph america #aph canada #hws america #hws canada #hetalia headcanons #historical hetalia #alfred f jones #matthew williams #my writing #na bros #my headcanons

[hueylengyong15]

The top five Amusement Parks that I planned to go to in the future:

Escape Theme Park in Paradigm Mall:

Two years ago, before the start of my Senior year, we wanted to plan a trip to Escape after finishing our final year exams. However, this idea failed because the other students from another campus had booked a trip earlier to enjoy the last day of the second term.

I was sad that we could not go on a field trip with our class due to the online classes that were conducted by the teachers in Canada. It was also a bummer as we were getting bored in class, we would always use our laptops to entertain ourselves.

I did not go to Escape last year because I had to finish many assignments and do the final exam before the deadline that my lecturer gave me. This made me super stressed out because I wanted to go out with my friends instead of being stuck at home doing nothing after finishing my assignment.

2. Genting Skyworlds:

This was another outdoor theme park outside of Selangor that I had not been there since almost fifteen years ago, ever since my first trip to Genting Highlands back in March of 2009. I initially wanted to plan another trip to my childhood place since they have Bluesky movie franchises such as Rio, Epic, and other attractions related to films and television shows.

In June of 2022, we wanted to go on a day trip to Genting, but some rides did not open yet due to the soft opening and some plans in the future. The date was pushed back to this year due to many assignments this year.

Before the second-semester break ends, I hope there won't be a long queue when I try out the attractions as planned. As for the indoor theme park, next time when one of the lecturers hosts a field trip, we could all have fun after the final exam ends.

3. Super Nintendo World in Osaka, Japan: As I heard about this place on Facebook, I researched their website online on what attractions would be there for me to try one day when I go on a holiday break to Japan. When I saw some pictures on the website, I found out that there was a real-life Mario Kart for me to ride on.

I heard this park would have a meet and greet session with Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach once you enter the park. As mentioned by the staff members, this place allows you to take pictures which allows me to keep them in my photo album or have them printed out in the souvenir shop. I also wanted to try all of the food at Nintendo World, so I could show my friends what I enjoyed the most.

4. Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast: This waterpark has five different themed areas ranging from Shipwreck Reef to Penawar Falls. In 2017, I asked my parents to bring me there to this place during the summer break after the exams were over. However, my dad said it was too far for us to go because we had to stay at the hotel overnight and this wasn't the right time for him to go out with me because he had work to do in the office then.

I dreamed of trying the Kraken's Revenge Water coaster as I have never ridden on a rollercoaster on the water before. Presumably, next year if the last day of the semester is over, then we could all take a trip there and have some fun in the sun to take away all of the assignment stress in all of our classes.

5. Lotte World:

I haven’t been to this popular indoor theme park since 2019 when I went on a short holiday to Seoul during my winter break, I wanted to try all the rides that were suitable for me to make memories of having a fun trip for me and my family to go there.

One of the attractions that I rode was the Conquistador, a pirate ship from Spain that rotates at a 360-degree angle which is similar to the Tomahawk ride from Sunway Lagoon where there were two cars instead of a single car. As I got on the ride, I yelled, "This was the best ride that I have ever ridden in my life!"

Another ride that I visited was the Fly Venture, a VR ride that featured 4D animation. When I entered the area, I was very impressed that they had a steampunk-themed attraction and a flying theater which made me feel that I was flying on an airplane in the sky. Overall, this attraction was the best theater ride in the world, and one day, I would try this five times over and over again.

I also tried the other rides such as the Balloon Race, Camelot Carousel, Desperado interactive shooting game, and many other rides which I rode by myself before the park closed for the night.

When I went to Lotte World, I tried my luck to get a prize from the hammer game. However, I won a free lollipop, and my parents told me I did not need every toy from the amusement park because I had too many toys on my bed as it would be too crowded for me.

The park has a variety of food and beverages ranging from Korean to Western cuisine. Although the food was not that expensive, I managed to get Spaghetti Carbonara and their castle pizza from TGI Friday's Lakeview restaurant which was okay compared to the food from the Malaysian TGI Friday's.

I wanted to plan a trip for myself including my old school friends when we have time. When I get a job after graduating from college, I will go for an internship first to see if they can accept me working there. Once this idea is done, I can start my first day at work and earn some money for my basic necessities before I can go on holiday alone or with some good friends.

I hope some of our plans work out this year and next year. If not, it's okay, there's always next time when things don't work out the way we plan with our friends.

[karnakthegreat]

Right. Here’s your karnak lore

Before we get into it this is me and my kids

And this is my petition to be the tumblr sexyman of 2023

We also have a company (not real) called RTC RP CO™️. @brunos-rat is second in command, @anony-knifey is head of fanfics and @justexistinghere122 is the lore master and Foreigner relationships Minister. I am the Bossnak. If you want a position send in what you want to be in the asks and we can go from there

I have two mothers. They both raised me in England in the north. I lived in a small cottage in the middle of no where with a farm behind it. It was about a 30 minute walk from the closest village. There was also a forest close to my back yard

Threw out my childhood I was homeschooled by my mothers (one of which was very into the occult while the other was very ‘cottagecore’)

I joined mainstream schooling when I was 11. By the time I was 13 I realised I wasn’t straight OR cis by any means. So I went from cis straight female to genderfluid polyamorous bisexual in a matter of a few months. I was also in a band for a short period of time but that was very short lived

On my first day of school I became good friends with a girl called Elizabeth. She collected haunted dolls and we bonded over my doodles werewolf and vampire erotica

In my teen years I began to enjoy the occult so I began doing tarot card reading with my friends. That was when I also found myself enjoying metal and ‘emo’ music

I then became friends with a student from Ukraine who moved to the UK for a bit called Tamara. She later moved to Canada and then back to Ukraine

Towards the end of my schooling my friends and I decided to play a prank on some of my teachers. We got puppy’s,kittens and bunny’s and let them out in the middle of lessons to distract everyone

After this I moved back in with my two mothers

I then began dating Elizabeth (we broke up later on because she shipped me and Virgil and called us Kargil)

Then came the first whipped cream incident. This was when myself, Elizabeth and Tamara tried to fill a swimming pool with it when we were 16. We were unsuccessful

We soon went on a family trip to Canada to a small town called Uranium to meet up with some family friends. We went to the Blackwood Cafe and there I met Virgil

I was sitting alone while my parents were shopping. I eventually got hungry so I went to buy myself some cake. He offered to buy it and I denied however they insisted that they buy me it.

Shortly after I got back to my original seat and he joined me with a shortbread cookie that they had bought for me. He then began asking me about the book I was reading (Pride and Prejudice) and we had a very good conversation over it

We saw each other again at the ‘fall fair’ and he suggested we ride the cyclone. I said no because it gave a bad vibe so instead we went on the Ferris Wheel and then played some games. Virgil won me a teddie bear

Eventually I had to leave so he gave me his email and address so I could contact them either way

We would email every day and they told me how they were very impulsive and had a very big family. I told him that I always wanted to go to Ukrainian, Amsterdam or France.

After a while we met up again in Canada. We planned it in advance and when we met we realised we were in love. I spent the entirety of my visit with him. He showed me his home, his family and even his bass guitar.

On our 4th date he played the bass and sang some songs to me. They were country songs. That was when my mild country faze started. I learned some songs and sang him Dolly Parton to try impress him

When I went back to England they planned on coming back over to see me very soon. He took a liking to England and asked if he could move in with me. Of course I said yes and soon we both lived together in our own English farm

Then there was ‘The Great Ah Fuck’. This was when Elizabeth accidentally let slip that Virgil wanted to propose. Tamara then made the first ever version of my emergency knockout drink, gave me it and then I forgot the past 24 hours so the proposal would be a surprise. It was called ‘The Great Ah Fuck’ because when Elizabeth let it slip both her and Tamara said ‘Ah fuck’.

Virgil proposed to me on Halloween.

The night before my wedding was the second whipped cream incident. This was when they covered me in whipped cream and rolled me down a hill. Virgil had to catch me at the bottom to stop me from getting concussed

Then got married. It was a quiet wedding on our farm with our close friends and family.

At our wedding I walked down the isle to La Vie en Rose and Uranium suite was our first dance song (there was a version we made that was mainly the melody and riding the rollercoaster was a metaphor for our love)

Quite a bit of our time was spent with my telling them about my hyperfixations. They were Rammstein, the occult, Romeo and Juliet, A midsummers nights dream, Ukrainian history and culture, German history and culture, knitting and Phantom of the Opera

Yes I had a musical faze Phantom of the opera will never die fight me my favourite songs were masquerade and think of me they are beautiful

A few years later we had our first child Ophelia. Soon after came sister Nancy and then their brother Jacob. Ophelia was very kind and always wished the best for people, Nancy always wanted to stand up for what she thought was right and Jacob always wanted to be involved in everything I did. Their birthdays (in name order) were October 25th, January 15th and February the 26th. And between you and me Ocean is also one of my biological kids. She was about 1 when I got turned into a machine so I had to adopt her to re-get her as a child now.

They all loved me and their father very much and life was perfect.

I regained my interest with the occult and began doing research. I learnt lots but I wanted to know more and more

To feed my hunger for knowledge I summoned a demon to teach me the secrets of the world. The demon taught me THE LANGUAGE OF THE ANCIENTS

The demon then thought I was getting too power hungry so as punishment it wanted to turn me into a machine. The commotion caused Virgil to hear as he ran upstairs and got caught in the crossfire and became a rat. I never learnt what happened to my children…

I lost all of my memories and eventually found myself meeting Virgil for what I thought was the first time but was actually the second behind a Tesco express. Eventually we began to fall in love again. And so we traveled to Uranium with a circus

We stuck threw it all together and after the Cyclone Accident we got transported to limbo. There we regained our memories of our past life.

While in limbo we adopted Noel Jane and Ocean (and recently Ava) as they reminded us of our children.

When Mischa first came to Canada I payed for all of his medical bills and tied a welcome home balloon to his bed. This is because when I was close with his mother her and I promised that should anything happen to us the other would look after our children.

Noel taught me more about French culture (something that I wasn’t that fond of as I found it too complicated) however afterwards I soon began to love it.

I’ve adopted Mischa. He’s my son and I love him

I found out Ophelia is alive and well…very happy

At 00:21 on the 31st of October 2022 UK time I became human once again

Turning me human wiped ocean of any memories of me. Oh and just found Nancy she doesn’t trust me or believe that I’m her dad. Working on that

I agreed to turn back into a robot to save Nancy and oceans memory’s

Then I became a robot again. Stefan was being a total bitch until one of my kiddos made him change me back

And now I’m human…again

Then I had an uwu faze yeah that was weird

And now I’m going full dilf mode

Ștefan is now in love with me and profusely flirting

I have also met the cyclone they’re very nice and part of the family now

We found Jacob and now I’m so happy

Oh and the demon is moving in

And now I’m here. Adopting more and more children. I will pin this post and add things as and when (I’ll let you all know when I add things) Any questions?

#karnak rtc #dadnak #karnak stirs the pot #electricity rtc #virgil rtc #ride the cyclone #Karnak lore #dadnak for all #bossnak #rtc rp co.

[aaaenvs3000w23]

Launching into Nature Interpretation

My family and I immigrated to Canada from Colombia when I was about 4 years old. Being Colombian and living in Canada for the vast majority of my life has been a struggle for me, I never fully felt Colombian and I never fully felt Canadian. My identity in this sense lacked a “sense of place”. Over the years, my appreciation and love for nature created a bridge between these two identities. On one hand Canadian culture has such a strong emphasis on being outside, families camping, going for hikes and other outdoor activities. The natural beauty of the Canadian landscape is always at the forefront of Canadian identity. Since the time I was about 6,  I have gone camping every single summer. As you could imagine my love for nature began at a very young age. However, nothing instilled a greater “sense of place” and a stronger relationship with nature than my two week backpacking trip in Colombia. 

It was one of the first times my family had visited Colombia since moving to Canada. My aunts and uncles joined us on our trip where we spent two weeks in various hostels and hotels in Eje Cafetero (Colombian coffee region), Cartagena and Santa Marta. Our trip was centered around nature, seeing the mountains, the wildlife and the ocean. I remember one day, we stayed in a hostel just alongside the beach and we were able to walk about 25 minutes west and there was a mountain. On one side of us we had the ocean and on the other, right before reaching the mountain was a large body of natural water. I was in the middle, it was like Colombia was this vast undiscovered ocean and Canada was this body of natural water. A body of water that felt much more familiar. However, in this one moment it all came together. The disconnect between both of my identities faded and a bridge formed through my appreciation of nature. This undiscovered ocean began to feel more familiar.

"body of natural water" - Sonrisa de Mar Playa

Nature was a common ground, it was a connection between my childhood and my adulthood, it was a connection to the things I love and to memories that I value most. Nature has been a connection to my family, it creates moments where we can disconnect from our busy lives and connect with the beauty of it and with one another. This blog has made me realize that my family offered me a “sense of place”, they guided me through the fears of entering a new country just as they guided me through different trails. They provided me with opportunities to love this new part of our family and to never forget the old. 

To me nature is the connection between all of us and everything that it is out there.

coastline - Playa Canaveral

[jeanngr3y]

Detroit Become Human preferences: how met, pt. one

Connor-

you had been working in the dpd for 3 years now. Hank Anderson was never someone you were perticularly close with. But when he was assigned the deviants case with you, the two of you were forced to be in the same place at the same time every work day for hours (if he'd even show up)

Then enters Connor. The android sent by cyber life. And suddenly things weren't as quiet as they once were.

The two of you quickly became friends. Connor figured the two of you were more compatible when it came to working things out at a fast pace. Hank was always more laid back about that kinda stuff.

Markus-

Carl was always your favorite uncle. Your fondest childhood memories were going to uncle Carl's house for the afternoon and talking to him while he paints. Once you tried climb up the giant giraffe statue in his house. Let's just say you left with not one but two broken bones. You haven't seen him in a while. The last time you saw him was when you moved back to detroit. When you turned 21, you had moved to france to study the arts (theatre). You'd always been the dramatic type. You had known two things on your visit back. Things you had heard from your cousin Leo. (who called you to vent about his father last month in a failed attempt to guilt trip you into giving him $800) One, he is very fond of his new android, markus and two, he would not let you borrow $800 if you asked him (begged him more like) when you visited, you met Markus in person. He was lovely, you had no idea how Leo hated him so much. And you thought you where the emo-theater kid of the family.

Kara-

you had been driving for three hours now in the snow. You hate driving alone, especially during the holidays. But it was something you had to endure to go see your family in Canada. Even though you thought you had everything under control, you couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong. That's when it hit you. You forgot to take a can of petrol with you for when you were too far from a gas station. But it was too late. Your car was already starting to break down. You stopped the car and got out. You had two options. Get back in the car and probably freeze to death. Or, walk about in the snow and probably freeze to death. Both options weren't perticularly great, but one felt a little better then the other. You open your car door and grab the blanket from the back seat. You create a makeshift bed at the back of the car with your huge Pikachu teddy bear you brought and your mustard yellow blanket from your suit case. You lay on top of Pikachu, pulled the blanket over you and curled up into a ball. Only three minutes had passed when you heard the sound of a carousel. 'this is how people die in movies.' you thought. You peeked your head over the window to see what the hell that racket was. You saw a big light coming from the distance in what looks like a theme park 'the pirates cove' you decide to get out and leave your car. There's people there, they could help you. You get out of the car and quickly walk over to the theme park. As you start to walk across the theme park you get a icy chill down my spine. You then see possibly one of the weirdest things ever. Around twenty androids that all look the same crowded around a Carousel with one around 9 year old little girl. You cleared your throat. "excuse me" you said loudly everyone turned around to looked at you. "My car broke down. Is there anywhere I could stay for the night. If not I can just go back to my car." A short haired, girl android pulled a gun out of the tall male android she's standing besides pocket. She pointed it at you. "Get back!" She yelled. You put your hands in the air. "What do you want?" she asks loudly. "I really need a place to sleep for the night!" You yelled back. "Check them, see if they're armed!" She yelled to one of the many identical androids. He approached you and started patting you down on your legs, arms and stomach. "Their not!" he shouted.

"Your not going to hurt us? Or call anyone to tell them we're here?" She shouted. "No! I don't even have my phone, it's dead in my car!" Then you saw the little girl, the ride had stopped. "Kara! Let them stay here. They don't want to hurt us." She said to the female android. "We don't know that Alice" she said quietly. "Come on Kara! They said they're phones dead and they don't have anything bad to hurt us with. Please!" She said. Hesitantly, Kara put the gun back in her pocket. "You can stay with us in the tavern over there. Just keep your distance from us. Where were you going?" She asked softly, now standing directly Infront of you. "Canada, I have family there I want to visit for the holidays." You said. "We're going to Canada, you can go see this woman with us tommorow, her name is rose, she's going to get us across the boarders." Kara explained. "Alright. Thank you so much, you won't regret this." You said with a smile.

Chloe-

you kicked open the door. "Elijah!" You scream. Walking through the security door. "Ma'am, Mr kamski isn't seeing anyone at the moment-" a clearly shocked security guard yelled. You push open the big double doors. There he is, uncle Elijah. "What the hell do you think your doing?" You ask demandingly. "I don't think you actually want to know my thought process right now." He says calmly. "Look, you came to me with your book. And you expect me not to use it as inspiration for mine?" Your blood was boiling. Three weeks ago, you came to your uncle, to ask him some questions for your book on Androids. You got your awnsers and you thought that that would be it. The entire interaction, finished. But no, he decided to do a polish on your book and sell it off as his own. "Chloe, come here please." Kamski ordered one of his many blonde, beautiful android girls he had scattered around the building. She quickly walked over to him. "Yes sir?" She said quietly. "Please ascort y/n off the premicice." He said with a smug smile. "No! You can't do that!" You yelled. "I'm afraid I can. You really should have read the terms and conditions before signing that contract." He responded.what was he talking about. Then it hit you. When you were leaving after showing him your book he said he'd help out by funding it himself. As you were being walked out of the building you thought about the contract, it's in your car. "How do you do it?" You ask the blonde android. "Do what y/n?" She asks. "Be stuck in a room with him all day and not wanna die? You said angrily. "I'm programed to serve humans." She replied bluntly "and Mr kamski isn't as bad as you may think." The two of you reached the door. "Well if that will be all..." Chloe said opening the door, gesturing at you to leave. "Bye Chloe" you said with a forced smile. "Goodbye y/n" she said, closing the door behind you

I know this is shit but it's my first time writing anything like this 😅

Tell me if you spot any mistakes!!

#detroid become human #preferences #x reader #dbh x reader

[cower-before-power]

For the ask game: What is your happiest childhood memory?

Laura! ❤️

Wow what a tough question! Ummm, maybe not one in particular, but a series, per say. When I was a kid we used to go visit my grandparents on the East Coast of Canada for like a month every summer, I always loved it out there and looked forward to those trips immensely. I have wonderful memories doing all sorts of things, like going to the beach, camping, eating my favourite seafoods, painting in the woodshop, picking wild blueberries and having my mom make us all pie. But I loved their house best of all I think, it was small and old but it was cozy and homey and had this particular smell to it, if I smelt it ever again I’d immediately think “That’s Nanny and Papa’s house.” I’ll never forget those summers as long as I live.

#asks #replies #get to know me #my lovely wonderful friends #lauren’s sweet potatoes

[bienvs3000w24]

Painting the Sky: The Beauty of the Northern Lights

Welcome back to my blog! This week I was so excited when I read the prompt as there are so many amazing things that excite me about nature. After taking some time to think I settled upon the phenomenon of the northern lights or aurora borealis!

Since I was a little kid, I have always been so fascinated with the northern lights, and it has always been something that my family and I would talk about going to see. As a young girl, my dad would constantly tell me and my sister stories of his childhood where he grew up in Deep River, Ontario. The northern lights are very common there, and he would often see them. Since then, this has become one of the top things on my bucket list. To be able to experience this beautiful aspect of nature with my family is something that I am excited to do! Luckily, we are starting to plan a trip to Deep River to go visit old friends and see where my dad grew up and of course, witness how these beautiful colours can paint the sky! 

The Aurora is initially created by the sun, specifically from the charged particles on the sun's surface which create solar winds (Bourdreau et al., 2023). These particles travel far through the cosmos and occasionally interact with the Earth's magnetic field in a region called the ionosphere (Bourdreau et al., 2023). In this sphere, the solar winds will interact with various particles like nitrogen and oxygen, creating the bright stripes of colour that glow and light up the sky (Bourdreau et al., 2023). As a science major, I find this information super interesting and wanted to share it. Almost everyone knows what the Northern Lights are but I feel like many don't know how they actually came to be.

I have conducted much research on this topic, specifically looking at how this natural phenomenon affects people and culture. One of my favorite aspects about this natural wonder is how people connect and interpret it. Scientists have been able to figure out how the northern lights occur, which I briefly explained above, however for me, sometimes the cultural explanations can be even more intriguing and beautiful. For many Indigenous communities that inhabit areas of Canada where these lights are commonly visible, they are represented in their spiritual, oral, and cultural traditions. In their eyes, the lights represent manifestations of spirits or their ancestors as they dance across the sky, telling tales of creation and existence (Fikowski, 2021). Similarly, the Inuit tribes believed that they could converse with their dead relatives and ancestors through the magic of the lights (Hurtigruten Group, 2023). Scandinavian folklore shares some similarities with the Indigenous peoples, however they also have their own take on the lights. The northern lights are thought to be the works of the supernatural, with some legends stating they represent pathways for gods to travel between their world and our mortal world (Hurtigruten Group, 2023). Some legends state that these lights represent something more evil, telling stories of the dangers they possess (Hurtigruten Group, 2023). It's so interesting how one aspect of nature can be interpreted so differently worldwide. To me, this is such a major aspect of nature interpretation. Being able to share your beliefs and stories with others offers new perspectives and strengthens the bonds people have not only with each other but with nature as well. By looking at these legends and belief systems we can learn many valuable lessons about the interconnectedness between the natural world and preservation of cultural heritage to be passed down to future generations (Beck et al., 2018). 

The next time you think of the Northern Lights or are lucky enough to have seen it, I want you to keep this in mind, and take a moment to reflect on the rich cultural traditions that are associated with this wonder. I really hope I get to see the Aurora Borealis with my own eyes soon!

References:

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage: For A Better World. Sagamore Publishing.

Boudreau, D., Turgeon, A., Sprout , E., & McDaniel, M. (2023). Aurora. National Geographic. 

Fikowski, T. (2021). “those are our ancestors in the sky:” sacred beliefs about the Northern Lights. CTV News: Calgary. https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/those-are-our-ancestors-in-the-sky-sacred-beliefs-about-the-northern-lights-1.5661211 

Hurtigruten Group. (2023). History of the Northern Lights: Myths and legends. Hurtigruten. 

Seedokmai, C. (2024). Northern lights appear as ribbons of green and purple light streaking across the sky and reflected in the water below. https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/k6okX2VVUg4qWoyxuNLsf7-1200-80.jpg.webp

#blog #nature #nature interpretation #aurora borealis

[joycomeswiththemorning]

Filled In

[Edits are from 03.15.24, including strikethroughs.]

Name: Danica

Birthday: August 23

Height: 5′2″

Eye color: Blue? Grey-ish blue?

Hair color: Dirty blonde.

A random fact about you: I’ve never had my hair professionally done (always just had a family member or myself do it). Same with nails.

Favorite band: Now that’s hard. Um, I like Dan + Shay, MercyMe, ZOEgirl, Cochren and Co. (to name a few).

Favorite song: Of all time? Could be “Be Thou My Vision” (specifically 4Him’s version), “Come Thou Fount”, “Before the Throne of God Above”, or “In Christ Alone”.

Favorite food: Pizza, I think. Basically always has been.

Favorite season: Autumn (or spring).

Favorite animal: Cats, hands down. ❤︎

Favorite movie: National Treasure, I’ll say.

Are you currently in a relationship?: Yes. [Edit: it’s complicated.]

If so, are you happy with them?: Yes.

Anything you need to work on?: Oh, yeah. Being less of a people-pleaser, among other things... [Edit: adding codependency. And I realize this question may be referring to the relationship and not specifically my problems.]

Who ended your last relationship?: N/A

Are you friends with your ex?: N/A (don’t have one).

Do you prefer someone shorter or taller?: Most people are taller than me haha, so...

Dark hair or light hair?: Either/or. Doesn’t really matter.

Smart or attractive?: Both.

Is creativity attractive?: Yes.

Do you care how much money they have?: Not too much.

Your last phone call: With my boyfriend.

Your last text: “Okay. I feel like maybe he’s sort of fed up with you? 🤷‍♀️”

The last thing you ate: A pack of Juicy Burst fruit snacks.

The last thing you drank: Water.

The last song you listened to: “Paperback Writer” by The Beatles

The last book you read: I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

The last movie you watched: Blade Runner 2049

What is your heritage?: I don’t know really. My family on my Dad’s side is from Lithuania, I’ve been told.

Do you play any instruments?: Nope. Does my voice count?

What are you pets’ names?: Spyro (cat) 🥰

Your favorite board game: Hm. Don’t know if I have a favorite. I like Ticket to Ride, Catan, Clue, etc.

A random childhood memory: (Not a good one haha, but...) Having a pen cap go up my nose while I was in the car on a road trip (I think).

Places you would like to visit: Various places inside and outside the U.S.: Ashville, North Carolina; Cape Cod/Nantucket/Martha’s Vineyard; Canada; Germany; Italy; the U.K.; Ireland; etc.

Your favorite color to wear: I don’t really have one, to be honest.

[ehlenvs3000w24]

Learning by the Lakes

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! In previous weeks I have discussed how nature has changed my life through art, privilege, and hobbies but I want to dive into how I learned to love nature like I do today. Learning in nature from a young age and so often despite living in the suburbs, had a strong impact on my relationship with exploring the outdoors.

Reflecting on all said experiences, one place has always been my outdoor classroom and my comfort space in nature: lakes. In Ontario Canada, we are blessed to have such an array of freshwater lakes, from the massive great lakes to lots of smaller lakes. The suburb I grew up in had two small lakes super close by, these were called Philips Lake and Bond Lake. When I got older playing outside was a huge part of my childhood and being around this area led me to grow up being drawn to the water. 

An even more special lake to my family is Lake Nipissing. Every summer, the four of us head out on a long road trip to North Bay for a little vacation. We go up to a small cabin on the lake that has the necessities: running water, beds, electricity, and a really comfy couch to crash on after a long day in the sun. There's no television, no wifi, and barely any cell service in the woods, so it's a really good chance for all of us to disconnect from our busy lives and reconnect with nature. These trips are also where I got my start with fishing. From experience every year, I got better at setting my own hooks, properly casting, and handling fish on the line. I took risks and fought through the initial squeamish feeling of touching live bait. Of course, my dad helped me through it all by showing me the ropes but made sure to challenge me by coaching from afar. I can confidently say that from all my hands-on experience and learning, I'm a pretty good fisher! By going on these trips and learning how to handle the outdoors without relying on a “how-to” guide or technology to help my every move, I've learned to not be afraid of exploring the outdoors. Having a hands-on learning experience that taught me to push my limits, has allowed the lakes I grew up with and visited to become a comfort zone for me. 

Learning in this way shaped my capacity for a type of intelligence called bodily-kinesthetic, involving using your hands or the rest of your body to experience new things and solve problems (Beck et al., 2018, p.110). Our trips to Lake Nipissing allowed me to develop my own interpretation of what I was learning by being hands-on with my fishing tasks. Fishing and learning to love nature on the lake has eventually led me to develop another type of intelligence called Naturalistic intelligence (Beck et al., 2018, p.112). Through experience, I have gained the ability to interpret the natural world and apply it through activities such as observing species, going on walks, and identifying things I see in nature to share with others. These two intelligences help me understand the way I learn and interpret better, and I have all of my previous experience to thank. The lakes have been a fun and encouraging place of learning for me. Without a comfortable learning experience there, I can't imagine where else I would have shaped my skills with the outdoors and for life in general.

References:

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage: For a Better World (pp. 81–102). Sagamore Publishing LLC. https://sagamore.vitalsource.com/books/9781571678669

#envs3000

[hqsenvs3000w24]

Privilege and the role it plays

Privilege (working definition): an unearned advantage in life that allows an individual a head start, certain immunities and access to amenities without being questioned.

Privilege can be something you are born into or through social position.

I am someone who was born into privilege. I am a middle-class white woman, with two parents who have worked hard to ensure that I have access to as many opportunities as possible. Some of my privilege is through them and the comfortable life they granted my sister and me. But a lot of the privilege is simply through my race and my country. Growing up in a small, middle class town in Canada afforded me a wonderful, easy childhood, I participated in sports and hobbies outside of school, we went on road trips and spent our summers at my family cottage.

When I was younger I had no idea what privilege was, even though I was living a privileged life. But as I grew up I started to understand just how many opportunities I had and how my life compared to others simply because of the place and family I was born into. As an adult, I am still learning the extent of the privilege I was granted and how to be aware and present of the fact that it was unearned. I have done nothing to earn the privilege's I have; it was all luck.

Throughout my university career, I have taken several courses that have touched on the idea of privilege when it comes to interacting with nature, but this is definitely the first that has really dug into the meat of the concept. After reading over the content provided to us this week, I decided to do some additional research to back up what we covered. One study done in Toronto summed up the different types of privilege nicely and discussed the barriers to nature that many people experience. These included, physical, economical, language, cultural, knowledge, and psychological barriers (Scott & Tenneti, 2020). Many of these topics were covered in class, but I found that this assessment very helpful for a more thorough look into the types of barriers that so many people face.

I am lucky enough and have the privilege to never have experienced most of these barriers, and now I have the responsibility of acknowledging that privilege and working to be aware of it as I continue my journey in nature interpretation. Shared experience is a very strong tool for connection, and I am aware that I will have to work hard in order to interpret the natural world to others in a way that they understand, so that they can also make positive meaningful connections. One of the barriers that I hadn't really considered before was the psychological barrier. The study I mentioned above dove deep into discussing the role fear of crime and safety plays when individuals are out in natural environments (Scott & Tenneti, 2020). I have experienced this before, when I am walking alone, or hiking by myself. It is a funny feeling, because I have never been scared of being attacked by an animal, but another person. I drew on this experience when I was working up at SOES, as many of the student visiting had never been in a totally remote natural setting before without their families. Fear played a big part since they were so young, especially when we were trying new activities that they had never done before, like rock climbing or hiking in the woods. In those scenarios I would validate their fears, because it can be scary and then redirect them to show them they are in a safe space with friends and that we were all there together. I found that if I could get them back into the main group or walking with friends, it helped immensely, being around their peers, who also are experiencing this for the first time.

As I continue on in life, hopefully continuing my work in outdoor education, I will work hard to remember the privilege I grew up with and still have. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had and still have today and hope to make a positive difference in the lives of those who are experiencing the opportunity of exploring nature for maybe the first time.

All for now :)

Scott, J. L., & Tenneti, A. (2020.). Race and Nature in the City ENGAGING YOUTH OF COLOUR IN NATURE-BASED ACTIVITIES A Community-based Needs Assessment for Nature Canada’s NatureHood.

[mbenvs3000w24]

01.

Hi everyone! Welcome to my first blog post on my relationship with nature…

Until recently I’ve had a somewhat rocky relationship with nature, teetering between this immense, all-consuming appreciation and indifference, as I searched for my true sense of place. For much of my life I’ve been moving from house to house, rarely staying in one neighbourhood for more than 2 years. Finding connections to my surroundings became difficult as I was hardly familiar with anything beyond my neighbour’s house, these circumstances made nature quite low on my priority list. Still, growing up I was encouraged to play outside, much of my early memories making friends involved us staying out much too late skipping rope or drawing with chalk on our front yards. Yet, I always felt a disconnect or a yearning to experience more, like I wasn’t embracing my environment in its entirety. It wasn’t until a trip to my mom’s childhood home in the Caribbean did I feel a spark of what my sense of place could be. My first visit to Trinidad I was 6 years old, of which I have very few memories of, it was my second visit in high school, that I got to experience where my mom’s sense of place started. The palm trees, warm winds, and powerful, yet strangely comforting storms brought me a sense of joy, and appreciation. It was an environment seemingly so vastly different to our own here in North America, although I would eventually see how the feelings it could invoke were just as powerful.

If there was ever a single place that could embody nature’s raw and unyielding power I would argue that it would be at the shores of a tropical storm. Whether by design or coincidence, we almost always visited the Caribbean during, what is called ‘hurricane season”, where the seas are rough and the winds could knock you off your feet. But being the stubborn child I was, I wouldn’t let a little wind stop me from seeing the water. I would insist we take a beach trip anytime we were there, I wouldn’t swim (I promise, mother!), as the currents were so strong it could pull even the most experienced swimmers under, I just wanted to be near the ocean.

I’ve always felt there was something almost spiritual about the beach, I suspect it has to do with the fact that at its shores, as we stand with our feet in the water, we are touching the same water that leads to an ocean, an that ocean connecting to all oceans, hold water that supports so much life and is an integral part of our environment.

Throughout my time at the University of Guelph, I’ve taken many courses that explore the numerous concepts driving our environment, yet all at their core recognize it as being an incredibly complex interconnected system of components existing in synergy, none of which could function independently from one another. But reading about these concepts and seeing them in action I feel yield very different results. Its this notion that I think creates the feeling I experience at any body of water.

It was one, surprisingly calm day at the beach that I feel offered me a “sense of place” at last. The beach we visited was set in a cove with cliffs on either side, which blocked most of the winds and rough waves. I set out to swim in the shallows but as I began to drift with the current further out from shore I reached a point just beyond nearshore where the wind bounced off the mountainsides and hit the center of the bay. I was surrounded by the sounds of rushing water and wind, it felt like I was in a warm vacuum. It was one of the most peaceful moments I’ve experienced.

I came to realize it wasn’t exclusively the Trinidad beaches or the Caribbean, I felt that appreciation and bond to nature in many places, if I just took the time to look. Coming back to Canada I began a “hobby” of seeking lakes or ponds or rivers of any kind near each new house we moved to. I’d read or draw as I listened to the water. During the past few summers, Guelph’s Eramosa River has seen a lot of me, its where I’m able to reconnect and immerse myself in the intricacies of the environment. I can’t wait for Spring!