So Long 2018

I’ve been procrastinating in writing this post for several reasons. A procrastination that I’m sure many bloggers go through. It goes a little something like this: starts writing, stops, checks Facebook, checks Instagram, writes a few more sentences, stops, sweeps the floor and cleans the bathroom, continues writing, stops, solo dance party, stares at screen blankly for five minutes, wonders what Hallmark Christmas movie is on TV, proceeds to watch Hallmark Christmas movie for third time. You get the idea. At the end of the day, the only person who cares about this post is me, but I promised myself I would hold myself accountable, so here I am. I don’t pay a monthly fee to keep my website running for nothing!

One of the reasons I was struggling was because I was afraid that what I would write would come out way too negative, and I don’t want that. See, it hasn’t been the best of years, and I am currently not in the best headspace. With that being said; there was of course some positive things to come out of 2018, and I certainly can’t disregard that.

The biggest change in my life occurred when I decided to dive into entrepreneurship. That change surprised me probably more than anyone. I watched my parents run their own businesses for most of my life, and I didn’t think I was cut out for it, but after some soul searching, I realized that it was the right move for me at this point in my life. I read a quote recently by a female entrepreneur named, Teresa Fox, that really sums up my reason for branching out on my own; “We became entrepreneurs because we didn’t fit in other people’s world. So we created our own.” I’ve always felt like I never quite belonged, and now I know why. I needed to walk that path until it led to me where I needed to go.  

As I’m sure anyone who’s become an entrepreneur can attest to, it’s a freaking rollercoaster ride, and takes a lot of sacrifice. It’s a tough process with more challenging times than easy times. You wake up some days and question why the hell you’re doing this, you want to throw in the towel and you just don’t know if its ever going to really work. The key is to push through those thoughts and keep going, and never losing sight of your goal. We’re all allowed those moments, they happen, but, at the end of the day, no matter how challenging things get, and even on my worst day, I do in fact know, that I made the right decision, and I am excited to see how much more I accomplish in the coming year.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the relationships in my life this past year – personal and romantic. Something about me that I know will never change, is how I treat the people around me. I care a lot. Probably too much. I’m empathetic. I give even when I have nothing to give. I am always, always there for the people I care about. I often go above and beyond, even when it’s not necessarily reciprocated, it’s just who I am. Am I perfect? Far from it! Do I make mistakes? Of course! But I am a good person with a heart of gold because my parents raised me right, and I am happy with who I am at heart. The right people will always recognize that and see you for who you truly are, and they won’t take advantage of your kindness. Sometimes though, the tough lesson is accepting that there are some people who will just not see how wonderful you’ve been to them, but the truth is, it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them.

Those people – my family and friends, who have been there for me through the rollercoaster of entrepreneurship, my anxiety, depression and heartbreak; they are the true heroes of 2018 for me, and I am eternally grateful. They were always there to talk, or just to listen and not to mention the endless text messages. They helped me through anxiety attacks, they got me out of the house and out of my head and out into the world and having fun. Friendships blossomed and flourished. What you see on social media is a highlight reel, and certainly doesn’t show you what I have written about here, which hardly scratches the surface, but it does show you the people I love, those who love me, the fun and adventures we’ve had together and the places that I’ve traveled. It tells you a story, but not the whole story. I always say this, but I’m going to say it again. You never really know what somebody is going through based on what you see on social media. It may look like butterflies and rainbows, but chances are, it’s not. A photo does not tell you a complete story. Be mindful of that.

With all of that being said, here are a few short highlights:

Travel, travel, travel! Antigua, Boston, Las Vegas & California!  

California was a bucket list item for sure, and it was a dream come true. When I was in an Uber on my way to Hollywood, I was texting people saying “I’m on my way to Hollywood! Finally!” It was so surreal. It took me long enough to get there, that’s for damn sure. It was an important trip for my personal life as well. I got what I needed from it, perhaps not what I wanted at the time, but I was then able to keep moving forward in my life, and it most certainly worked out for the best.

My health and wellness are always a top priority in my life, and I may have ended up having to temporarily sacrifice my favourite Barreworks classes towards the end of the year, but not before I crushed their annual ‘Fit for Summer Challenge,’ and reached my goal of 300 classes by the end of the summer. I just love that place so darn much! A positive, friendly and welcoming environment with instructors who push you and inspire you to be your best self. Everyone needs a place like that in their life.

I had the busiest and best summer I’ve had in years! Cottages, weekend trips to wine country, a bachelorette party and a lovely family wedding, concerts, Vegas with the girls, and perfect sunny days on Toronto Island, just to name a few.

It definitely goes without saying at this point, that my friends are a highlight of 2018! So many good memories made this year, and I know there’s so many more to come. I have never been happier with the amazing group of friends I have in my life. What can I say? I get by with a little help from my friends!

And, last but not least, being in the right place at the right time…

Let’s see what 2019 has in store.

Cheers!

How Bumble BFF Changed My Life

“Life was meant for good friends and great adventures.”

I have a love-hate relationship with Bumble. I love it for what it has given me in my life, and yet, I absolutely hate having to be on it and just being on dating apps in general. It goes against everything I am, but it has kind of been a necessary tool that I have had to utilize in my life.

Bumble is no longer just a dating app. Aside from bumbledate, there’s bumblebizz and bumblebff.

In the very distant past, this would have been a post about the adventures of dating, but this is not what this is. This is a post about how bumblebff changed my life, in the best possible way.

I should start this by saying that I have some incredible friends in my life, who I love to the moon and back! The thing was, I had been living back in Toronto for a couple of years and I didn’t have a group of friends in Toronto because my friends are all over the country, and as I had come to find, meeting friends in the city was actually not the easiest task. Enter bumblebff.

A little over 2 years ago, Bumble which is an app that I had only previously used for dating, had introduced a new feature for women to connect with other women in order for them to make new friends in their area. I quickly found that there were so many women who were looking to make new friendly connections. Whether they were new to the city, had friends moving away, or were looking to meet people with similar interests, there was this entire community of women looking to make new connections. It was pretty incredible really. I had no idea there were so many women in the city who were looking for the same thing that I was.

I immediately found that when connecting with a new match, that it was very similar to dating in that you swipe right or left depending on if they catch your interest, you have the same kind of conversations where they either go well and you decide to meet, or they just fizzle out, or you just let the match expire…and of the course the good old un-match.

I consider myself pretty darn lucky, and that is my reason for writing this post. I only technically met one person from those I connected with on bumblebff, and boy am I forever grateful for swiping right on her. Like I have already mentioned, this whole process is similar to dating. I saw this girl, thought she looked awesome, but also thought there is no way that a girl like that would like a girl like me, but I swiped right anyways, and BOOM, it was a match! If I recall correctly, she started the conversation, and eventually we decided to meet in person. I was more nervous to meet her in person than going on a regular date. I remember texting one of my other friends while I waiting for her that I couldn’t believe how nervous I was.

I didn’t even know what making a new friend was like. What were the rules? Were there rules? How often do I text? What’s too much or too little? What on earth do I do? I seriously had no idea. I can kind of laugh at that whole time now, but man, it was confusing at the time.

Eventually, she became of my closest friends, and made a significant change to my social life. She is beautiful, fun, smart and cultured. Since becoming friends with her, I have made so many amazing memories, learned a lot….you know, like how to drink wine! True story. I can’t even imagine what the last two years of my life would have been like if I had not met her.

What happened next is pretty much the best part of my story. What happened next, was completely unexpected, and I can only explain it as the bumblebff ripple effect. If I hadn’t met my match, she would not have introduced me to one of her stunningly beautiful matches, and then we would not have met the other amazing women in the city who had also joined bumblebff and then a joined a Facebook group that was initially created from women on bumblebff in Toronto. It’s pretty incredible!

Another thing that became abundantly clear was how small the dating world is in Toronto. The guys in this city should take note. Us ladies have each others back, specifically the single ladies. Women who are actively dating will compare notes with their friends to ensure that they are not talking to or dating the same person, which has personally happened to me…more than once. I can think of one particular story where one of my girlfriends had a first “date” with a new match from bumblebff and soon found out that this girl was dating the same person as our new mutual friend, and unfortunately, this was news to our friend. Let me make this clear, it’s a small, small world, and we have each others back!

The last two years have been an amazing adventure! So many good times, not so good times and so many wonderful memories made. From the many wine nights, long chats about life and relationships, and laugh until it hurts moments (how many girls does it take to start a push-button ignition car?) We’ve already been through so much together. Joining bumblebff was one of the best decisions that I have ever made, so thank you to Whitney Wolfe for creating a platform that empowers women! I have built some incredible friendships, and I know that no matter where life may take us, that I have made friends for life. Here’s to sharing many more of life’s adventures together!