So here I am, about to move to another country, again, and as I am preparing all the paperwork and getting all the documents, I realize something. I realize that my passport is set to expire next November… Now obviously this wouldn't be a problem at the moment for most, but when you are moving overseas for 2 years and have your passport set to expire in the middle of it all, it is cause for concern. So after discussing with the principal of the school I will be working for in Majuro, I set out to get my passport renewed early, so I will not have to worry about finding a way to do it while living there, and having to deal with visa issues all over again too.
I set out for Service Canada in Whitehorse, mid March, not sure the exact day, as there is no passport office up here unfortunately. I went in to ask a few questions, and right off the bat the lady there was so unhelpful and just kept referring me to the table of passport applications and passport renewal applications. I tried to explain to her my situation but it was pointless. So there I was, looking at a bunch of applications to be sent in. I grabbed one of each, and decided I needed to go home and call Passport Canada. Stopping on the way to get my passport pictures taken, which cost me $20, my first purchase related to my passport. I go home, thinking this shouldn't be a difficult task. I mean it's just a simple renewal. I have a valid passport. I have never had any trouble traveling. My passport is full of stamps. I am renewing it early; they are making more money off of me because of it. This should be simple…
So I call, and I spoke to a lady, though full of knowledge of their procedures and how things work, still a fairly frustrating conversation. I was told to go to a Passport Office. She looked up the closest one to me; Vancouver. Asked if I could drive there. I told her it would take me 24 hours. She agreed that wasn't a great plan. She then told me my next option would be to fill out the renewal application form, and write a letter with it explaining to them why I needed to renew early and send in proof of my employment overseas. It was a long conversation but I had it all figured out. I didn't like the idea of sending my passport somewhere in the mail, but alas I filled out the renewal, wrote a letter, printed out a copy of my teaching contract and got my passport pictures, and sent it express to Ottawa, ($16 for express mail with tracking).
Once it was received in Ottawa, according to Canada Post tracking, I waited about a week, and then called to check the status (the lady on the phone had told me to call back weekly to make sure it was being processed). There was no status on the first call, but a few days later when I called again the lady says to me, "Oh no one has called you about this?". She then went on to tell me that when they received my application, my current passport was damaged and therefore not only do I have to redo my entire application as a new applicant, and send it all in again, I also will not get my old passport back. This baffled me. My passport wasn't damaged. I had no idea what she was talking about. I pleaded with her, and she said that it would not have been damaged there, and she cannot tell if it was before it was sent or not. But they had strict rules and it could be as simple as a drop of water on one of the pages. This was now just too much for me. I am trying to get this all done, so I can apply for my visa and get my flight booked and she is telling me I have to redo my application, and can't have my old passport full of stamps and memories back. I also had to fill out another form about damaged passports, and write another letter explaining my situation and why I want my passport back… It's mine just give it back. Why else would I want it back other than sentimental reasons? Worst. I had a minor breakdown on my kitchen floor, because I am an emotional human and started to stress out.
So I went at it again. Thankfully I have one friend here I have known longer than 2 years to be my guarantor to sign all my stuff for the application. So I filled it out, got my passport pictures reprinted ($5, thankfully still on file) and this time had to enclose my birth certificate. My passport gets damaged on the way, and now they want my original birth certificate. Fantastic. Anyways, passport application done, letter written, all documents enclosed. I sent it off (another $16 for express and tracking). This was April 9, 2015. Also the next day I notice I was charged for my passport on my credit card, even though they weren't processing that application ($160 for the 10 year passport). Make sense to anyone?
On April 16, I check the tracking and it says it was delivered. I call on the Friday the 17th and there is no update, the lady on the phone tells me that it takes 5 days from when it says delivered to when it's actually opened and being processed. I call back on the Monday the 20th, same story. Not in the system, but they ask my tracking number. I told the lady the number the last time, and I had misplaced the receipt at that moment so she couldn't help me. I call back Thursday the 23rd, and the guy tells me there is no update and needs the tracking number. Once again I still couldn't find it but I knew it had been delivered the week prior. He was much nicer than the rest of people I talked to, but still was unable to be much of help.
So here is Friday the 24th, and I have a voicemail from Passport Canada asking me to call them back, as the last guy I talked to realized I was pretty stressed and emailed his supervisor to tell him the situation. The supervisor called me and said to find my tracking number so that they could get this passport process done for me. I got home, searched my room and found the receipt (my bad, I threw it in the garbage). I called Passport Canada and told her I had received a call, gave her my file number for my application and told her they needed my tracking number. I gave it to her, she inputted it into the system, after checking the tracking and realizing it had been with them for 10 days now. In so many words, she basically told me that no one has opened it or begun to process it, aka it very well could be lost. With my birth certificate in it. Thanks guys. So she was also extremely unhelpful, as all she did was put the tracking number in and say 'have a nice day'.
So here I am, wondering if I will ever get this application process finished, as the principal at the school in Marshall Islands patiently awaits my passport information to process my visa application and book my flight for me. I feel awful and that they probably think I am unorganized or slacking on it, but it is something so far out of my control at the moment. And I hate that.
And all the while I wonder, will I get my original passport with all my stamps back? Is it really necessary to withhold it from me because of a little damage? Or will I have to deal with the fact that I do not get to keep it?
Patience. I am needing some right now.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Sunday, April 12, 2015
#hashtag
Those who know me well, know I hated hashtags not too long ago. Something about the way people used them just rubbed me the wrong way. I guess I never really understood the use of them because truthfully, the people I saw using them on Instagram (I don't have Twitter) were using them to try to be funny, but usually just ended up being mean. And I wasn't cool with that. It made me uncomfortable, and a little sad. Without getting deep into the issues I dealt with, with former friends and their affinity for mean hashtags, I will say that I judged the use of the hashtag prematurely. My former use of hashtags was to write the word 'hashtag' before things instead of the ever popular '#'. Oh how funny I thought I was being. Can't just be like everyone else, can you Sara? Of course not.
But alas, fast forward to this day, and many will probably say I hashtag too much. There is no happy mediums in life, don't you know? But alas, I have given up caring what others may deem acceptable for the things I choose to do in my life. So I hashtag. Now also, I have come to the conclusion that I am not that funny. I have my father and sister's sense of humour and wit, but to be honest, they have both always been much funnier than I. So I do not hashtag to make jokes often, and I certainly do not hashtag to make fun of others. I hashtag to share my pictures with the world.
Now before you go thinking that I am dying for 'likes' and basing my self worth on how many people like my pictures or follow me, I want to explain. I am not going to lie and say that I do not enjoy that people are liking my photos. I wouldn't be hashtagging if I didn't enjoy it at all. But it is more than just the satisfaction of having a certain amount of likes, as I have been enjoying the ability to share my pictures with other people here in the Yukon, and almost feel like a part of a community of others who enjoy the same thing. I have been lucky enough to have picked up a few photography skills from dating a talented photographer for awhile, as well as being someone who is able to pick up things quite easily in general. So I feel proud when I am able to capture the views and the moments of my life so perfectly, so accurately, that I can't help but want to share them with my friends, fellow travellers, and adventurers.
I started hashtagging with a purpose on my drive through Canada, using the #explore_____, filling in the blank with whatever province the picture was taken in. I found it fascinating to look through the hashtag and see others doing similar trips, and taking photos from similar vantage points as I, but coming up with different ways of presenting it. I have always enjoyed travel photography, being a traveler myself, and I started following all kinds of Canadian Instagram feeds who feature other people's photos taken in Canada, as well as travel photography feeds. The world is such a beautiful place, it's amazing the pictures that you see on these feeds. So that's when I started hashtagging even more…
Since I got here, I have had a silly goal with my Instagram and hashtags. I really wanted one of my pictures to be featured on the Travel Yukon Instagram feed. For no other reason than the satisfaction of my pictures being worthy. It's silly I know, but being confident in my amateur photography skills, and seeing the pictures posted daily, I figured it wouldn't be a hard thing to do. But alas, it has yet to happen. My theory was that they didn't post them because I refuse to make my travel photos square, always making the whole picture visible through the pic frame app. But that theory was debunked recently. Perhaps they just don't like my photos? Meanwhile, I have had my northern lights photos reposted by Moose Knuckles (because I was wearing a Moose Knuckle jacket in the picture and tagged it), as well as Air North. I have had a few of my random Yukon photos reposted by Canadian Instagram accounts, and even won a photo challenge the other day with Flight Hub; though I was never told which photo actually won me the contest, they said they really enjoyed all the ones I tagged for it. So hashtagging won me $100 credit for flights, can I really complain about it now?
Oh and side note, last year I went to Costa Rica with Student Trip, because I won their 'Social Media Guy' contest, where I hashtagged pictures with #socialmediaguy and my picture of me holding a crocodile by the tail in Thailand was chosen as a semi-finalist and through social media, my lovely friends friends helped me by voting and got me into the finals. My awesome interviewing skills got me the grand prize though. I was lucky enough to experience a trip as a Team Leader with Student Trip, and meet some amazing 17-18 year old students who were on their March Break Grad trip. It may not have been how I pictured going to Costa Rica, but it was an experience I will never forget. And all because I hashtagged my pictures.
I don't claim to be a photographer. I honestly don't think my photos are near the skills of the real photographers I see on Instagram every day. And I am not trying to be one. I don't plan to sell my images, or try to make a living by doing it at all. I just enjoy taking photos of the places I go, or people I am with. And then I enjoy sharing them, for others to get a glimpse of the amazing things I am lucky enough to see in my life.
So you can see now why I am enjoying the use of hashtags. Being a part of a community of travellers, adventurers, and fellow photo sharing people, is kind of a wonderful thing. Through the use of hashtags in recent months, I have learned the ways in which to use social media in more positive ways. In the past, I had a few struggles with the negativity surrounding the use of social media, whether it be in friendships or relationships, and I wanted to distance myself from any unnecessary negativity in my life. Hashtagging and sharing my photos is just one of the ways I have reclaimed my social media for a better purpose, and so long as I am always aware that the number of 'likes' and 'followers' isn't a reflection of who I am or how awesome of a person I am (let's be honest, those who know me should know by now that I do not need 'likes' to know how awesome I am, my confidence, bordering on cockiness, has never been much of a problem) then I can't see it ever being a problem to want to share my photos, and have my photos featured, and continue capturing my life on film (or on SD cards as it may be).
So my friends, I say hashtag away, so long as you aren't using it as a means to bring others down. There's nothing wrong with wanting to share your life, or your photos of your life as it may be, with other people. Social media has a way of connecting you with other like minded people, there's no reason why you can't have some fun with it and enjoy that connection.
But alas, fast forward to this day, and many will probably say I hashtag too much. There is no happy mediums in life, don't you know? But alas, I have given up caring what others may deem acceptable for the things I choose to do in my life. So I hashtag. Now also, I have come to the conclusion that I am not that funny. I have my father and sister's sense of humour and wit, but to be honest, they have both always been much funnier than I. So I do not hashtag to make jokes often, and I certainly do not hashtag to make fun of others. I hashtag to share my pictures with the world.
Now before you go thinking that I am dying for 'likes' and basing my self worth on how many people like my pictures or follow me, I want to explain. I am not going to lie and say that I do not enjoy that people are liking my photos. I wouldn't be hashtagging if I didn't enjoy it at all. But it is more than just the satisfaction of having a certain amount of likes, as I have been enjoying the ability to share my pictures with other people here in the Yukon, and almost feel like a part of a community of others who enjoy the same thing. I have been lucky enough to have picked up a few photography skills from dating a talented photographer for awhile, as well as being someone who is able to pick up things quite easily in general. So I feel proud when I am able to capture the views and the moments of my life so perfectly, so accurately, that I can't help but want to share them with my friends, fellow travellers, and adventurers.
I started hashtagging with a purpose on my drive through Canada, using the #explore_____, filling in the blank with whatever province the picture was taken in. I found it fascinating to look through the hashtag and see others doing similar trips, and taking photos from similar vantage points as I, but coming up with different ways of presenting it. I have always enjoyed travel photography, being a traveler myself, and I started following all kinds of Canadian Instagram feeds who feature other people's photos taken in Canada, as well as travel photography feeds. The world is such a beautiful place, it's amazing the pictures that you see on these feeds. So that's when I started hashtagging even more…
Since I got here, I have had a silly goal with my Instagram and hashtags. I really wanted one of my pictures to be featured on the Travel Yukon Instagram feed. For no other reason than the satisfaction of my pictures being worthy. It's silly I know, but being confident in my amateur photography skills, and seeing the pictures posted daily, I figured it wouldn't be a hard thing to do. But alas, it has yet to happen. My theory was that they didn't post them because I refuse to make my travel photos square, always making the whole picture visible through the pic frame app. But that theory was debunked recently. Perhaps they just don't like my photos? Meanwhile, I have had my northern lights photos reposted by Moose Knuckles (because I was wearing a Moose Knuckle jacket in the picture and tagged it), as well as Air North. I have had a few of my random Yukon photos reposted by Canadian Instagram accounts, and even won a photo challenge the other day with Flight Hub; though I was never told which photo actually won me the contest, they said they really enjoyed all the ones I tagged for it. So hashtagging won me $100 credit for flights, can I really complain about it now?
 |
| Some of my photos featured on other Instagram accounts |
I don't claim to be a photographer. I honestly don't think my photos are near the skills of the real photographers I see on Instagram every day. And I am not trying to be one. I don't plan to sell my images, or try to make a living by doing it at all. I just enjoy taking photos of the places I go, or people I am with. And then I enjoy sharing them, for others to get a glimpse of the amazing things I am lucky enough to see in my life.
So you can see now why I am enjoying the use of hashtags. Being a part of a community of travellers, adventurers, and fellow photo sharing people, is kind of a wonderful thing. Through the use of hashtags in recent months, I have learned the ways in which to use social media in more positive ways. In the past, I had a few struggles with the negativity surrounding the use of social media, whether it be in friendships or relationships, and I wanted to distance myself from any unnecessary negativity in my life. Hashtagging and sharing my photos is just one of the ways I have reclaimed my social media for a better purpose, and so long as I am always aware that the number of 'likes' and 'followers' isn't a reflection of who I am or how awesome of a person I am (let's be honest, those who know me should know by now that I do not need 'likes' to know how awesome I am, my confidence, bordering on cockiness, has never been much of a problem) then I can't see it ever being a problem to want to share my photos, and have my photos featured, and continue capturing my life on film (or on SD cards as it may be).
So my friends, I say hashtag away, so long as you aren't using it as a means to bring others down. There's nothing wrong with wanting to share your life, or your photos of your life as it may be, with other people. Social media has a way of connecting you with other like minded people, there's no reason why you can't have some fun with it and enjoy that connection.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
a change will do you good
My life is about to dramatically change in a matter of months and though I am fairly nervous, the excitement and happiness has definitely overridden my nerves. Soon I will be trading mountains for ocean, cold weather for hot. Some people probably think I am crazy. They thought I was crazy for moving up here to Northern Canada where it was supposed to be colder than home… jokes on them, most days of winter it was colder in Toronto than it was here. At least it seemed that way anyways. I may not have taken advantage of all the opportunities I could have while being here. I spent a few months a bit isolated and trying to be happy alone again, and that is fine. I am glad I did. Because right now I am feeling on top of the world and like nothing can bring me back down again.
Let's get back to the part where people think I am crazy. I often get people asking when I am going to 'settle down', as if I am at an age where it is becoming less appropriate for me to want to wander around the world and do the things I want to do, instead of staying home and working a stable job and of course getting married and having 2.5 kids. The reality is, because of the fact that I do not want marriage and kids, my life is without timelines and deadlines. I do not need to find my forever partner, since I do not believe in forever anyways. I do not need to find a job to make sure I get maternity leave, because I will never need maternity leave. I do not have to find someone to be with by a certain age to make sure I have kids before my 'eggs dry up', because I do not want any of it. With that freedom, comes power. The power to live my life according to my own desires. And there is nothing more freeing than that.
So I choose to go where the wind takes me. I chose to come up here to the Yukon after visiting my friend Bryn, because I just wanted to get away from home and experience new things, while doing the one thing I love most, teaching. And it has worked out so well for me. I have been substitute teaching here since October and that alone has made my happier than I could even imagine. I may not have my own classroom, but working in the same two schools most of the time, I have created relationships with the students and fellow teachers, and I get to have students excited to see that I am teaching them for the day when they walk into the class in the morning. It's the little things like that, that you just can't ever really put into words how it makes you feel.
After being up here, surviving the winter, I am now ready to move on to something more my speed. I have missed the warmth and as much as I love mountains, I adore the ocean. I thrive in hot climates. I make the most of my time doing things I enjoy doing. I plan to buy a stand up paddle board before I leave and bring it with me. I can do that every day of my life, living right on the ocean side. I will buy a bike once I get there to ride around the island, who needs motorized vehicles anyways. These are the things I enjoy doing. I have a lazy side to me, which I think my last relationship brought out a little too much of in me. And now I am ready to get back to the active part of me that I know exists, when the activities are things I enjoy doing.
You know what is amazing about moving from place to place? I have lived in four vastly different places in my life, aside from my hometown, the other three were not exactly long periods of time. And because of that I get to experience new things whenever I want. Different events that happen in the areas I live, I have never experienced before, and get to experience for the first time. For example, last week I went to the Burning Away the Winter Blues event here in Whitehorse, where everyone gathered at the SS Klondike and walked in procession to the Robert Service Campground where there was a massive bonfire. They threw in a yeti effigy and people wrote down their winter blues to burn away in the fire. I had never experienced anything like it. And for many people there it was something they did every year, they probably weren't as excited or intrigued as I was. But I was fascinated with such a cool concept, especially for someone in need of burning away some last bits of negativity holding on.
How lucky am I, that I get to continually experience new things in different cultures throughout my life. I get to feel the excitement of the new and unknown constantly. For some, the new and unknown is frightening, but I am starting to realize I thrive on change. Being stagnant makes me miserable. I love my family. I love my friends. But I love making new friends around the world. I love having relationships with people who have experienced life different than me, and that can show me life as they live in, where they are. I am lucky enough to have made some pretty great friends in all of the places I have lived. Many of whom I still keep in touch with; some more than others. And this doesn't mean I don't enjoy my old friends any less, but I just enjoy having a varied community of people whom I love and enjoy spending my life with.
It's an incredible thing, being able to just go where you want to go. Do the things you want to do. No one stopping you from living your life exactly as you see fit. I think people nowadays get so caught up in comparing their lives to everyone else. "So and so got married, they've only been together a year, me and _____ have been together 5". Not everyone has the same life path. Not everyone wants the same things. No one can tell you how to live your life. It's up to you to decide what you want, and how you will get it. A good life doesn't just happen, you make it happen. You cannot expect to just wake up and be happy. You have to find the things that make you happy.
I made a joke the other day on Facebook about how I look on my social media and everyone is getting married, having babies, really starting their careers, and meanwhile I am excited to once again be moving away to some other part of the planet. And I meant it in the way that it is fascinating that so many of my peers, as well as I, have different priorities in life. We thrive on different things. We have different goals. Different things that make us happy. And that is okay. If everyone wanted the same thing, life would be pretty mundane. That's what make life so interesting. The different people you meet with the different ideas of what life is supposed to look like for them. I do not look down upon anyone who wants to get married and have kids, just because I do not. I may not understand the antiquated tradition of marriage, but if that is what makes my friends happy, I am happy for them. All I want for the people in my life is for them to be living the lives they choose, and that they are happy in their choices. They can get married, or travel the world, or have babies, or do all of it. There is no limit what you can do, as long as you are prepared to do what you can to make it happen.
Lucky for me, I have surrounded myself with the most supportive friends and family a girl can ask for. They are there for me in times of sorrow and happiness. And they support my crazy decisions to move to the North, or the ocean. I just wish I could bring them all with me sometimes, because even with technology the way it is these days, there's nothing like face to face interactions with the people you love.
Let's get back to the part where people think I am crazy. I often get people asking when I am going to 'settle down', as if I am at an age where it is becoming less appropriate for me to want to wander around the world and do the things I want to do, instead of staying home and working a stable job and of course getting married and having 2.5 kids. The reality is, because of the fact that I do not want marriage and kids, my life is without timelines and deadlines. I do not need to find my forever partner, since I do not believe in forever anyways. I do not need to find a job to make sure I get maternity leave, because I will never need maternity leave. I do not have to find someone to be with by a certain age to make sure I have kids before my 'eggs dry up', because I do not want any of it. With that freedom, comes power. The power to live my life according to my own desires. And there is nothing more freeing than that.
So I choose to go where the wind takes me. I chose to come up here to the Yukon after visiting my friend Bryn, because I just wanted to get away from home and experience new things, while doing the one thing I love most, teaching. And it has worked out so well for me. I have been substitute teaching here since October and that alone has made my happier than I could even imagine. I may not have my own classroom, but working in the same two schools most of the time, I have created relationships with the students and fellow teachers, and I get to have students excited to see that I am teaching them for the day when they walk into the class in the morning. It's the little things like that, that you just can't ever really put into words how it makes you feel.
After being up here, surviving the winter, I am now ready to move on to something more my speed. I have missed the warmth and as much as I love mountains, I adore the ocean. I thrive in hot climates. I make the most of my time doing things I enjoy doing. I plan to buy a stand up paddle board before I leave and bring it with me. I can do that every day of my life, living right on the ocean side. I will buy a bike once I get there to ride around the island, who needs motorized vehicles anyways. These are the things I enjoy doing. I have a lazy side to me, which I think my last relationship brought out a little too much of in me. And now I am ready to get back to the active part of me that I know exists, when the activities are things I enjoy doing.
You know what is amazing about moving from place to place? I have lived in four vastly different places in my life, aside from my hometown, the other three were not exactly long periods of time. And because of that I get to experience new things whenever I want. Different events that happen in the areas I live, I have never experienced before, and get to experience for the first time. For example, last week I went to the Burning Away the Winter Blues event here in Whitehorse, where everyone gathered at the SS Klondike and walked in procession to the Robert Service Campground where there was a massive bonfire. They threw in a yeti effigy and people wrote down their winter blues to burn away in the fire. I had never experienced anything like it. And for many people there it was something they did every year, they probably weren't as excited or intrigued as I was. But I was fascinated with such a cool concept, especially for someone in need of burning away some last bits of negativity holding on.
How lucky am I, that I get to continually experience new things in different cultures throughout my life. I get to feel the excitement of the new and unknown constantly. For some, the new and unknown is frightening, but I am starting to realize I thrive on change. Being stagnant makes me miserable. I love my family. I love my friends. But I love making new friends around the world. I love having relationships with people who have experienced life different than me, and that can show me life as they live in, where they are. I am lucky enough to have made some pretty great friends in all of the places I have lived. Many of whom I still keep in touch with; some more than others. And this doesn't mean I don't enjoy my old friends any less, but I just enjoy having a varied community of people whom I love and enjoy spending my life with.
It's an incredible thing, being able to just go where you want to go. Do the things you want to do. No one stopping you from living your life exactly as you see fit. I think people nowadays get so caught up in comparing their lives to everyone else. "So and so got married, they've only been together a year, me and _____ have been together 5". Not everyone has the same life path. Not everyone wants the same things. No one can tell you how to live your life. It's up to you to decide what you want, and how you will get it. A good life doesn't just happen, you make it happen. You cannot expect to just wake up and be happy. You have to find the things that make you happy.
I made a joke the other day on Facebook about how I look on my social media and everyone is getting married, having babies, really starting their careers, and meanwhile I am excited to once again be moving away to some other part of the planet. And I meant it in the way that it is fascinating that so many of my peers, as well as I, have different priorities in life. We thrive on different things. We have different goals. Different things that make us happy. And that is okay. If everyone wanted the same thing, life would be pretty mundane. That's what make life so interesting. The different people you meet with the different ideas of what life is supposed to look like for them. I do not look down upon anyone who wants to get married and have kids, just because I do not. I may not understand the antiquated tradition of marriage, but if that is what makes my friends happy, I am happy for them. All I want for the people in my life is for them to be living the lives they choose, and that they are happy in their choices. They can get married, or travel the world, or have babies, or do all of it. There is no limit what you can do, as long as you are prepared to do what you can to make it happen.
Lucky for me, I have surrounded myself with the most supportive friends and family a girl can ask for. They are there for me in times of sorrow and happiness. And they support my crazy decisions to move to the North, or the ocean. I just wish I could bring them all with me sometimes, because even with technology the way it is these days, there's nothing like face to face interactions with the people you love.
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