Where in the World has CanadianPrep Been?

It has been a shamefully long time since my last post.  To say that I fell off the blogger bandwagon would be a gross understatement.  The last year+ has been quite the whirlwind as I made the transition from student to young professional,  moved cities, and struggled to find out who I was and who I wanted to become.  As someone who has always had plans for everything, had checklists for life, and found uncertainty debilitatingly frightening (still do!), the last year has been life-changing in so many ways.  So what have I, CanadianPrep, been up to since last year?

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I lost a job before I even started - The summer I worked as an intern for The Emily Post Institute was one of the best summers of my life.  When I graduated I had an opportunity to return to work in Sales/Marketing.  However, due to immigration issues, working in the US was not feasible.  It was devastating to have to pass on that job. 

Doesn't my old desk look lonely?  I miss my little Emily Post corner and everyone with whom I worked. Thankfully, one of my fellow interns moved to Canada and has quickly grown to become one of my best friends! Having her so near me has been such a blessing.  

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I moved back home to Ottawa - Moving back in with my parents after  so many years of independence was slightly painful.  I have Polish parents. Strict Polish parents. Independence and autonomy are not in their vocabulary.  To suddenly have someone commenting on the fact that I was up working until 2am, drinking too many cups of coffee a day, or  not wearing enough layers on a cold day ate away at me.  I love my parents, but I am not meant to live with them ever again.  But that experience of moving back home was the push I needed to finally find a job in another city.

I started an internship in sports marketing - I'm not a big sports fan. I love rowing and horseback riding and always will. I differ from the Canadian stereotype by not being a diehard hockey fan.  But here I was, working in marketing consulting for sport organizations and sporting goods companies. And yet, it was a great experience!  My responsibilities started with research, but quickly piled on to the point where I was writing final reports for clients, conducting analysis on different markets, and coming up with strategic plans for a sport's 50th anniversary (note the ringette game photo above!).  My inner nerd was not only challenged and let loose, but it was also revered.  I loved it! It also led to a new full-time opportunity in....

Toronto! - I moved to Toronto in the new year, and am beyond thrilled to have settled into the fashion district of Canada's largest city.  Since moving I have reconnected with so many friends from school, expanded into non-profit sponsorship consulting through my job, became a vegetarian (thanks to my ever-fickle digestive system),

enjoyed the cultural offerings of my new city (like TIFF in the Park!) 

and Friday night parties at the Royal Ontario Museum (yes, I've been partying with dinosaurs!!),

went blonde after years of debating the change,

started dragon-boating (and won my first race!),

and attended my first fashion show!  Actually, I attended three, and it was a spectacular experience.  I love fashion. I have since I first wore my gap kids pleated corduroy skirt in elementary school.  I was in awe by what some fabric could do to change the way I felt about myself, my day, and the world around me. Getting to sit in the second row of three shows was a dream come true. 

So here I lounge on a long overdue vacation in Miami, a twenty-something with a new hair color, renewed confidence, and a better idea of who she is and wants to be.   I may not be able to post daily, but I am recommitting to blogging, my followers, and to fellow bloggers.  Join me as I continue to overcome any quarter-life crises thrown my way and  enjoy my new CanadianPrep life in Toronto.

Now to catch up on all that I've missed in everyone else's lives!

xoxo,