Blog Summary #3

Wait a minute. It's the end? Three months have come and gone already? I feel as though I barely had time to breathe, let alone take a minute to enjoy myself. However, thanks to this blog I can look back at all of the things that I have actually done over the past few months. And to be honest, I have done quite a lot! More than it feels like anyway. I wonder how much this blog has influenced how much leisure I do. Maybe because I feel like my leisure is being observed and tracked I have been more motivated to do things and to consider certain activities as leisure that I normally might not. This semester, between work, classes and thousands of stressors, I found time to participate in paintball, numerous weekend trips to Ottawa, I went apple picking, to a ceramics cafe, had a board game night (and other fun times with friends), went to a wedding and attended a film festival. Wow, not to brag or anything, but I am super impressed with myself. I wonder why, then, do I still feel like I NEVER leisure?! I enjoy the activities, they are relaxing and recreative. Perhaps I am just in school mode, and while I am in school mode everything seems slightly more negative and slightly less fun. Just a theory.

Participating in this class, like most other leisure classes, has forced and motivated me to really examine how I spend my time and put lots of effort into choosing activities wisely. And just really making sure to find (or make) the time to leisure. I am constantly being reminded of the importance of this.

I feel that I am now more prepared to approach leisure and leisure situations from a more academic, productive, and educational angle. I feel that I can leisure educate myself and others through various activities and situations. From now on I will be putting more thought into the appreciation and benefits of a leisure activity, and will be able to choose and suggest activities that might be more appropriate for a certain group of people.

To answer the question of what I plan on doing between now and when classes start: lots, and classes don't really start for me.. ever again. This semester was my last semester of classes at Concordia. I am completing my internship next semester, and then finding a job. So between now and January 19th (the first day at my internship) I plan on finishing my essays and exams, sleeping, and then running around like a crazy person for 3 weeks (Montreal-Toronto-Ottawa-Toronto-Louiseville Quebec-Toronto-Montreal.... YEAH). My partner and I are sharing Christmas between both of our families (a first for me), and that involves a lot of travelling. Thank goodness she has a car.. and a license (unlike myself). Speaking of which, I will also be taking my driving test to get my license, finally! I will be visiting friends and family and sharing some good times. I will also no doubt be preparing for the start of my internship (which will clearly involve shopping for a whole new work appropriate wardrobe, obviously). I can't wait.

This semester has been a challenge and a pleasure. Challenge is good and I feel that I have learned more this semester than any other. Honestly.

I STILL didn't go to a concert though! Not one all semester. This makes me cry a little bit.

Can't deny it anymore

It's December now, Christmas is soon. I have been avoiding Christmas shopping and covering my ears from Christmas songs for a couple of weeks now, but it's no use anymore. In fact, I even went shopping for a Christmas tree with my partner and her sister this weekend (which goes against all of my values), and this weekend I am probably going to be starting Christmas gift shopping. Oh let the fun begin.
It's not that I don't like Christmas. I do actually. I just feel like there is no need to make it such a huge, long, drawn out affair. Christmas is one day. Christmas celebrations can last a week, I think that's ok. There are lots of people to see and traditions to uphold around this holiday, so a week is fine. But seriously, a month? That's just ridiculous. I feel like people use it so much as something to look forward to and to bring them happiness. Like, for the entire month and a half leading up to Christmas, people have something to think about, something to do, something to plan, something to be excited for. Why can't we be happy and excited about other things? Why do we need a huge commerical holiday to get together with our families and be happy? Makes me kind of sad. I don't really like to look that far in advance, so I am not yet excited or thinking very much about Christmas, instead I am thrilled for this Saturday night because I have my last exam on Saturday afternoon and I can't wait to celebrate and relax for the first time in a while.

Four movies... and an interview

This week I've been going to see as many movies in the Image+nation film festival that is going on right now. I have never participated in this festival before, despite living in Montreal for almost 5 years now. I have been SO impressed by the quality of the films and by how many fascinating people I have encountered there. This is definitely something that is opening up new doors for me in terms of other leisure activities because different organizations and social clubs are advertising themselves through this festival too. I'm disappointed that it has taken me so many years to actually go and see what this is about!
I also had an interview for my internship yesterday. It was one of the weirdest interviews I've ever had, because they didn't really interview me at all, they just met me and asked me what I would want to do there, and when I could start. They didn't even ask for my resume! I spent so long preparing and stressing about that interview! I feel almost disappointed that I didn't get to do all of the things (answer the questions, talk about stuff) that I had prepared for. But, mostly I feel thrilled that (as long as Steve approves of the internship) I've finally got this figured out and ready to go. The new year should be good! Now to finish exams first...

Staying afloat..

This weekend I took some time on Sunday to go to a ceramic cafe. I have been a few times before and I love it. I went with my girlfriend and some of her friends. I find it so relaxing. I rarely get to be creative and artistic like that these days and I miss it. So, it was a great experience that I loved sharing with the people I was with. I also went to visit some of my friends, and even though we didn't really do anything in particular (except spoil my friends dog who was lost for a few days last week), it was nice to see each other. I am sad though, because I think Sunday may have been the last chance for me to enjoy a bit of freedom and fun for the next few weeks. Exams and papers and presentations, oh my!

I can see the light!

The semester is drawing to close, and I am so excited. This isn't just the end of a semester for me, it is the end of my final semester here at Concordia. Well, technically I still have a semester left, but I am only doing my internship, no classes. It feels weird, but I am looking forward to moving on (it has been almost five years after all). This does mean that my leisure time right now is spent doing very very passive activities. Usually I find more passive activities to be rather boring and I can only enjoy them for a small period of time. However, in the past couple of weeks I have relished every opportunity that I've had to watch movies, cook and eat dinner with my partner, and even just stare at the wall and not have to think about school work. The most active leisure I have participated in lately has been taking walks. Just to get out of the house, away from the computer, away from the books.. I have been going out for walks. And I love it. I am however definitely looking forward to getting back to normal. I am spending a lot of time lately thinking about all the leisure I can do when I have more time and energy. I am excited about taking a photography class next semester and volunteering a bit. I have definitely started thinking about my options more lately, and planning in advance. I've learned that if I don't plan it in advance and prepare myself for something, it most likely won't happen.

Anyway, thats about all I can manage to squeeze out of my exhausted brain right now. Hopefully more will come later.

Blog Summary #2

Well, another month has gone by and it is time once again to summarize my blog.

In order to be leisure educated one must advance through seven different steps, according to Dattilo. At this point I think that I have only really acquired six of these characteristics.

First, I definitely can and know how to appreciate leisure. This is evident all through my blog. I understand what leisure is, what constitutes leisure, and how beneficial it can be to all individuals. Leisure is recreative and gives an individual a change of sorts from normal day-to-day activities. I am also very aware of myself in leisure, the second of Dattilo's characteristics. I know what I enjoy (concerts, board games, dinners with friends) and what my skills are, I know what leisure experiences leave me the most satisfied (often the ones that have also surprised me the most and were unexpected), and thanks especially to this blog I am quite consciously always reflecting on my past leisure participation. I have also become self determined in leisure. I demonstrated this when I took responsibility for my boring leisure life and make the choice to seek out activities that I know I love (concerts) and pursued them in order to make my leisure more fulfilling. Although not fully demonstrated through my blog, I have recently become quite assertive and stubborn about making sure I spend more time with my friends. It is something we always say we should do more, and it's usually all talk, but I am making sure it happens this time. Furthermore, I feel that I do interact socially during leisure. Nearly all of my leisure is social. Although I love spending time alone, I usually find it relaxing or productive. But most of my memorable and enjoyable leisure has been spent in social situations, whether with friends or near strangers. Finally, I feel that I have acquired the characteristic of making decisions about leisure because this one brings together all of the other elements like the ability to identify goals which I have done and displayed numerous times through this blog.

On the other hand, I don't think I am quite so good at the characteristic of using resources facilitating leisure. I'll have to work on this part, with the planning and matching and problem solving. Not my forte.

I definitely think that the language I've used through my blog demonstrates my values or attitudes towards leisure. I use really extreme language like "mayhem" and "so much fun" and "really very excited" to describe different situations and how I felt about them. Descriptions like that make my values and attitudes quite easily interpreted.

Finally, I don't think that I have really become any kind of leisure educator at this point. I am still working on assessing and fully figuring out my life (leisure and other), so I don't really feel ready to start educating others. I have been talking more about leisure and it's importance with my friends and partner and family. And so they are all getting exposure and information that they probably never thought about before, but I wouldn't consider that quite leisure educating because it is not through leisure and we don't do anything more than share information. But it's a step I guess!

Cancelled!

So I finally got off my butt and decided to find a concert to go to, get a group of friends together, get the tickets and make the plans to go. As I've said before.. (I think).. I love concerts and in the past few months (even through Pop Montreal) I haven't been to any! This has been making me sad, so I decided to change that. And then...

It was cancelled! It was supposed to be this Saturday.. and now.. it is not.

So sad. Time to start searching again I guess!