You Behind the Illness

I was tagged by Michelle of jumbledbrain.com to do this blog post.

It’s a fun post to help those of us with chronic conditions remember that we are so much more than our diagnoses, and to let our readers know much more about us.

You can read Michelle’s post here. Thanks to her for the tag! I’m not going to tag anyone specific, but if you want to do your own, go for it! 😊

Four Places I’ve Lived

1. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada- My hometown! I grew up in Hamilton, and lived there until just before my 22nd birthday.

2. London, Ontario, Canada- I lived in London, Ontario for about 9 months when I did my BEd (teacher training) at the University of Western Ontario.

3. London, UK- After living in London, Canada, I moved to a slightly bigger London! As there are few teacher jobs in Ontario, but many opportunities in England, I thought I’d have an adventure and move across the pond. It would give me a chance to travel, and gain experience. I also have always wanted to see England, and all the historical places around Europe. Win win!

4. Hertfordshire, UK – I’ve lived in two different towns in Herts now. I was given the chance to move to a long term job out of London, and I was glad to move out of the city. I love London, but not its rent prices! I also don’t like dealing with so many people constantly (I mean the tube during peak time is just simply not fun). I first lived in a big, new town, but I now live in a small, historical town that I love.

Four Places I’ve Worked

1. Recreation Centre-I worked at a recreation centre for a couple of years in high school as a Community Sports Organiser. That basically meant that I ran programmes around the centre like science classes for 6-8 year olds, toddler art, cooking, supervising open gym time, etc. I also was a camp counsellor for day camps.

2. Joy Camp- I lifeguarded for two summers at a camp in Ontario cottage country. This meant being a lifeguard on the beach, but also cleaning, running children’s programmes, and all sorts of random stuff. I have such good memories of working on staff.

3. McMaster University- I did my undergraduate degree at McMaster, and whilst I was studying there, I also worked on campus for Classroom Audio Visual Services. I did different things over my 4 years: changing slides for Art History classes, moving equipment, making podcasts of lectures, and providing after hours tech support.

4. Teaching- My first few months teaching was supply work at both secondary and primary schools. Then, I started working at one school, before moving to my final school, both secondary. I taught English, which was my second teaching subject, but I loved it.

Four Favourite Hobbies:

1. Writing 😊

2. Reading- I’ve always enjoyed reading, not only a good book, but interesting articles, and short stories. I even belong to an online book club, which is perfect because then I can discuss the novel without worrying about needing to leave home.

3. Watching tv/ listening to podcasts- This is a bit of a twofer. My husband and I spend a lot of time hanging out and watching TV. My love of podcasts is well documented .

4. Painting- I just got into painting this year, and have been enjoying it.

Four Things I Like to Watch

1. The Olympics and Paralympics- They only happen every 2 years (every 4 years respectively), but I really enjoy watching the athletes compete. It’s nice to know that regardless of wars or whatever else is going on in the world, we can have an international gathering like this.

2. Doctor Who- What can I say? I’d love a trip in the TARDIS. 😀

3. Documentaries- I am a huge nerd at heart. I love me a documentary.

4. M*A*S*H- I originally put several other shows down, but in the middle of the night, when I was up with painsomnia, I decided that one show I would watch over and over above all others is M*A*S*H. It’s funny, but yet touches on some very human issues and emotions.

Four Things I Like to Read

1. The Wool Trilogy by Hugh Howey- I started reading this dystopian series with my book club this year. We are currently reading the last book, and oh boy! It’s fantastic! If you enjoy conspiracy, drama, and lots of emotion, then I highly recommend these books to you.

2. Margaret Atwood books- I read The Handmaid’s Tale in High school and fell in love with it. It has long since been one of my favourite books. I also really enjoy the MaddAddam trilogy, and several of her other works.

3. The Illegal by Lawrence Hill- This book is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. It’s about a runner from a poor, and corrupt, nation. Hill paints a picture of complex issues, using a well developed cast of characters.

4. Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss- This is another book series that I started reading with my book club. It’s a fantasy series about a young man named Kvothe. The world is incredibly well constructed and I can’t wait to see where the next book will go.

Four Places I’ve Been

1. Scotland- I’ve been to Scotland a couple times now, and I hold in a special place in my heart.

2. Ireland- Twice I’ve travelled to Dublin. On one trip, we also went outside of the city to go around the countryside and visit other towns. I loved that there was Tim Horton’s coffee and donuts in the Spar shops in Dublin! (As a Canadian expat, this is important 😂)

3. Paris, France- After a trip to Amsterdam, my friend and I spent a few days in Paris. It was fun to go up the Eiffel Tower, go down into the catacombs, and see the sights.

Me in Paris in Spring, 2011

4. Rome, Italy- I popped to Rome for a weekend getaway several years ago with a friend. We walked a lot in the gorgeous city, amongst the very old buildings, and even managed to see inside the Vatican!

Four Things I Love to Eat

(Note: I can’t eat much these days due to my gastroparesis, so instead I’ll write four things that I enjoyed eating, even though I might not be able to eat it now.)

1. Bread- I love bread. It’s the best food. All sorts of bread. And lucky of me… I can sometimes still eat a tiny bit of it.

2. Chocolate- This is self explanatory, right? 😊

3. A good steak- Oh yum. Steak and potatoes… Yes please!

4. My Grandma’s pies- My Grandma makes the best fruit pies ever. No contest. Lovely, perfect pastry. Gorgeous fruit filling. I know your mouth is watering now.

Four Things I Love to Drink

(As above, I can no longer drink most of these.)

1. Tea- I could live off of tea. In fact, there have been many days where I have only had tea.

2. Milk- I love milk. I used to drink bags of it!

3. Red wine- A good red wine is so lovely to sip. I once took a trip to Bordeaux, France and enjoyed sampling all the wines there.

4. Gingerale- I enjoy ginger ale, plus it also helps me with my nausea.

Four Places I Want to Visit

1. Newfoundland, Canada and all three territories- When I was younger, my family took a couple of trips and travelled across both East and west coasts of Canada. I’ve been to all provinces, but Newfoundland, and I’ve not yet been to the territories. I’d love to finish up things, so that I can say I’ve seen the whole of Canada! 🇨🇦

2. Australia (and New Zealand) – Other than the fact that it looks like a beautiful country, with lots to see, I have a friend who lives there, plus several other friends I’ve met online that I’d love to meet up with. I’d sneak a NZ trip in too…

3. Switzerland- I’ve always wanted to visit Switzerland, and despite living in Europe for several years, I have yet to make it there. One day though.

4. New Orleans, USA- I love jazz music, and I think it would be all sorts of fun to go to soak up some good tunes.

And that’s me!

If you want to continue by writing your own, go for it! Let me know so that I can read it. I’d love to get to know you all better. 😊