Just doing some deep thinking

17.12.2014

<ul style="padding: 0px; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px;" class="UFIList" data-reactid=".me"><ul style="list-style-type: none;"><ul style="list-style-type: none;">I've been in Ottawa for the last week and thinking a lot about my love/hate relationship with this place. I love that I have so many memories all around the city, I love the friends I still have here after so many years. </ul><ul style="list-style-type: none;"> </ul><ul style="list-style-type: none;">However, I can't imagine myself ever living here for longer than I have to ever again (i.e. for tax purposes when selling a house in the long term future). Thinking about moving here and staying here again makes me want to die. </ul><ul style="list-style-type: none;"> </ul><ul style="list-style-type: none;">In an effort to find out the root of these strong feelings, I have made a list of all the life changing decisions I made since the year 2000. This is also a cheat sheet for my mom and dad, who sometimes forget where I am at any given point in time. </ul><ul style="list-style-type: none;"> </ul><ul style="list-style-type: none;">I am beginning to see some patterns. For example, after I made a bunch of major purchases, I started moving around a lot and feeling restless. Could this be connected? After I got divorced, I started doing a lot more things that are fun, exciting and more fulfilling for myself. Could this also be connected?</ul><ul style="list-style-type: none;"> </ul><ul style="list-style-type: none;">Here's the list, enjoy. Can you see any other patterns? Am I on a downward or upward spiral? Or is it all just a random turn of events? </ul> <li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; color: rgb(19, 24, 35);"> 1. (2000) Started journalism degree at Carleton</li> <li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; color: rgb(19, 24, 35);">2. (2001) Got married</li> <li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; color: rgb(19, 24, 35);">3. (2001) Bought a condo</li> <li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; color: rgb(19, 24, 35);">4. (2002) Started working at the Sun </li> <li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; color: rgb(19, 24, 35);"> 5. (2002) Started working at Il Postino </li> <li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; color: rgb(19, 24, 35);"> 6. (2006) Got laid off from the Sun and started working at Carver Communications </li> <li style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; color: rgb(19, 24, 35);"> 7. (2006) Got divorced </li> 8. (2007) Joined Couchsurfing and started working at TravelPod

9. (2008) Bought a motorcycle

10. (2010) Bought another condo

11. (2010) Got laid off/quit TravelPod and bought a car.

12: (2010) Moved to Shawville and started working at The Equity

13. (2011) Moved to the arctic and started working at News North

14. (2011) Quit the arctic and News North and moved to California

15. (2011) Started TESL certificate at Algonquin College

16. (2012) Moved to Korea and worked at a public elementary school

17. (2013) Moved to China and worked at a prestigious university

18. (2014) Moved to Indonesia and quit my job before it started

19. (2014) Moved to Vietnam and grudgingly finished a 2.5 month contract teaching public school teachers

20. (2014) Moved to Honduras and quit/got fired from a private high school </ul></ul>