"You Must Strive To Find Your Own Voice Because The Longer You Wait To Begin, The Less Likely You Are To Find It At All."

I'm six days away from getting on the plane to head to Ghana and I couldn't feel more content.
When I say content I'm referring to it in the sense that I'm comfortable with where I'm at in life. For once I've taken the initiative to do something for myself and it feels good. Many people have looked at me and have called me crazy for taking on this challenge but also I have been overwhelmed with the kind words, encouragement and support.
As an Intercordian we were asked to go into this experience with no expectations. We were also told that having expectations might make or break your trip. This is something I have really thought on. Expectations are what have brought me to the point of my life I am at today. I was stuck, sad and didn't know what to do with myself but now I'm thinking clear again, doing things that matter to me and holding on to the reins of life rather then letting go and falling off. I feel that I am allowed and should keep these expectations but in myself rather then the experience. I feel that if I keep expectations in myself I will be happy, rather content.
Being content unfortunately isn't a feeling I've been familiar with over the past three years. I was making wrong choices and not being myself. I got lost but now I feel comfortable saying I have found myself, my voice. I have lit my internal fire again and look forward to the experiences, good or bad, that I am faced with. Life is about growing, about finding yourself and experiencing the journey. I feel I can say I'm back on the ride called life and I'm hoping to enjoy it this time.
My adventure to Ghana is about to begin and I couldn't be more happy. I realize those closest to me may think I am putting my life in Canada on hold for this experience but going to Ghana is now part of my life, my voice. This is something that will shape who I am and I cannot wait. I have expectations of myself for the future and Ghana is the first step of many of my lifetime.

With this I'll leave you with another quote from the Dead Poets Society...
"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?" Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?"

Every Person is Born Twice, the Second Life is Among the People...

Love, beauty, passion, courage, sacrifice, affection, boldness, enthusiasm, guilt, sin, anger, lust, loyalty, honour, heroic, success, fortune, fertility, happiness, purity, life, health, death, danger and emergency...These are all words the colour red stands as a symbol for.

We live in a world that labels anyone who is different from "our own" as "the other". This bothers me because we are all one. We are all human beings. Prick your finger and you'll find out. We are all the same, a body filled with many different complex systems one more significant then the other to me, the circulatory system.
I feel all these words are appropriate that I have found. These words make up what each of us holds within our mind, our body and our soul. These words are the blood that runs through our veins. They describe how we feel and how we live. They are not all good nor are they all bad. They are some of the most beautiful words and some of the most frightening words. These words are what makes us human being. These words are what we have to choose from to live by each day.

Red is also the color of the longest wave length. The red colour wave is one that cannot be seen by the naked eye.

Blood is something that runs through our veins and makes up who we are. It is something inside that should not be seen by the naked eye although we know it is always there. It is when we see red that it is a warning. Red has be proven to carry the strongest reaction, as it should. Red is something that catches people attention. Red is a warning.
Our world is torn apart by violence. We see too much red everyday. I hope you are able to understand the message that I bring forth to you today. We need to act on this warning. We need to remind ourselves that red is the colour of the sun, of the hope and warmth it brings. We must teach our children that we are all one. We must teach them to be the children of the sun...


With smiles of the clouds,
Eyes of the soil, the grass and the sky.
They look to the sun for guidance,
In hopes that someday the world will be one.
They are the children of the sun.

It's Not Goodbye, It's See Yah Later...

Goodbyes always seem to be the hardest part. It's when you stand there hugging the person you thought you'd miss the least and start to feel your chest tighten that you know you were wrong...

I stood there in what I thought would be an awkward embrace and choke back my tears. Of all my years here at school and this person has left the biggest impression on me. She is a person of many places herself, very hard working, dedicated to what she loves, good at what she does and one of the greatest people I have met. She has high expectations in others around her but only higher in herself. We've had our differences but two people who expect a lot from each other clearly are going to. You really are an amazing person and have helped me so much over the last three years. This is my overdue thank you, you will be miss greatly. But I know though you and I are on our own new journey this is not goodbye only a see yah later.

Out of respect I'd like to sign off,
This is The Wanderer saying, "See you!"

Holding onto the Reins of Life...

So it's true, I'm leaving in 17 days. I'm very overwhelmed but it's a good overwhelmed. I feel a good explanation is saddling up a wild horse, you hope for full control but you understand it is going to be a challenge and hold on for dear life. I feel this way because I've just returned from the final seminar before my departure. At the seminar I received my ticket, insurance and a envelope full of the support from my fellow Intercordians. Just tying up these final odds and ends with the program has made this experience so much more of a reality, not to mention the fact that I am rounding out the third year of my university career.

These past three years have been a rollercoaster to say the least. I have experienced many ups and many downs. I've hit spots in my life that I thought I would never hit. I've been in lows and I've been on highs. I've lost friends and gained friends. I've grew close to people and grew away from others. I've taken steps forwards and taken steps backwards.

This is an easy way to map out my life but something I've learned is that life is not about these highs and these lows. Life is about what you take from each moment, from living in the moment. Life is a gift and we should each take as much as we possibly can from it. Like my big Brother believes we should have, "No Regrets".

In terms this journey I'm about to embark on, of course I think about the people and places I will miss when I'm away. But I am trying to live in the moment and I signed myself up for this program for a reason, maybe it seems unclear sometimes, but a reason. This is something I am doing for myself that I hope can grow into more, touch more, and I just need to hold on for dear life right now because my journey is soon to begin.


Time is precious, don't waste a moment. Because that moment you waste could be the changing moment of your life.

A Journey of a Thousand Miles, Begins with a Single Step. -Confucius

The wise words of Confucius kindling in my mind everyday. This is why I sit here writing to you, I am 19 days away from my three month adventure to Ghana. Back in January I was accepted into a program called Intercordia Canada. Intercordia is sending me to Ghana to work with a grassroots organization called the Anmchara International School. There I will be living with a host family and teaching at an elementary/intermediate school.(for more information on Intercordia check out http://www.intercordiacanada.org/)

This is an opportunity that not everyone is given, nor is everyone meant for, but this is an opportunity that I am extremely grateful for. This is something I have wanted to do since I was just a little girl but never thought I'd have the opportunity to do. I've always had this dream to go to "the land of the children of the sun" or Africa as we most know it. This journey for me is not about helping, helping is a benefit, but this journey is about the people I met, the relationships I create and experience of a new way of life. By saying this I do not mean my life is not good enough, because by George I have some wonderful people in my life, but I want to be able to understand. I am just a person that believes understanding is learning and learning is something our world needs to do to be at peace.

This blog is going to be my home for the next three month. I am getting a little teary-eyed writing this but home is where your heart is right? I will be off in Ghana missing my family and friends here in Canada. It's kind of ironic I call myself "The Wanderer" because I haven't really been many places at all. This is actually my first big adventure alone but I deemed the name appropriate because of a team of people that lie close to my heart. I also have chosen this name so my Mom would be able to understand me, something I think we've struggled with my whole life. I am a person of many places, I need to understand people in hopes to understand myself and by doing this I've always hoped to make her, my father and my Nanners proud.

I hope that I am able to reach out to each of you and hope each of you will be part of my experience. I welcome you to my home and hope you appreciate and understand everything I write.