When I told my friend Jess that I was moving to Seoul, the first thing she said was 'you HAVE to meet my friend Maddy, you guys will totally hit it off.' So, a week after I arrived, Maddy and I went on our first date: we had dinner (where I was quite embarrassed because I had not yet adjusted to Korean spice and my nose was running like mad), then proceeded to a bar where we drank with a self-proclaimed famous Korean ajussi and his friends. From then on, Maddy and I hung out all the time, and eventually started travelling around Korea together on multiple weekend trips. We also had quite a time in China (you can read about it here) for our summer vacation. Maddy is always fun to be around; her positive energy and contagious laugh are impossible to ignore and she is one of the most friendly, beautiful, and easy-going people I've ever met. One of these days...or years... I will visit her in PEI or Calgary... or both :)
Where are you from and where are you
now?
I am from Prince Edward Island, Canada. My recent home of two years was Seoul, South Korea (where I was lucky enough to meet Kristen) and my soon to be home will be Calgary, as I will be starting school there this Fall.
What goals are you working towards and what keeps you motivated?
I was recently accepted into the Midwifery Program at Mount Royal University and I will begin school there this Fall. I’m currently very focused on that - on successfully completing my degree and absorbing as much information and advice as I possibly can before I hopefully embark on my profession as a Midwife. The idea of bringing more pregnancy-centred healthcare options and information for women is what currently keeps me motivated. I cannot wait to one day be a positive influence on mothers, their partners, and on their babies during the pregnancy and birthing process.
What does confidence mean to you? To me, confidence is knowing that, just because there are other beautiful, intelligent, and interesting people in the room, that does not mean you, yourself, are any LESS beautiful, intelligent, or interesting. I think that all too often people feel ‘situationally confident’ based on the time, or place, or people present. Certainly, we all have days when we feel a bit better than other days, but I think that confidence has to come from a place inside you, a place where you’ve accepted all of your small (or big) flaws and love yourself entirely, despite them. Where does your confidence come from? Growing up, my parents always made me feel as though I could do absolutely anything… But it wasn’t that sometimes blind, misguided confidence where they made me feel as though whatever I wanted would simply come to me - it was a ‘If you work REALLY hard, THEN you can do anything’ type of confidence, and I have carried that with me throughout my entire life. Sure, I have come across situations where I did not feel entirely confident in my knowledge or my abilities, but if I simply remember that the work you put into something often equals the rewards that you reap from it, then I feel much more confident that I can tackle anything thrown my way. What do you love about yourself? a) Mentally? Mentally, I love my decision making and reasoning skills. I consider myself to be a very logical and practical person, and this way of thinking has proven to be very beneficial in many areas of my life. b) Physically? Physically, I love my strength. It has always been very important to me to be strong physically, not just for health or aesthetic reasons, but also for simple, everyday scenarios. I love knowing that whatever situation I may find myself in, I can rely on my body to get me through it. c) Emotionally? Emotionally, I love that I have a tendency to see, feel, and to internalize most situations in life as positive ones. I can appreciate when things are bad, but I think that I often tend to ‘look at the bright side’ of things, which is something about myself that I really love.
What is one of your greatest accomplishments?
I honestly think that moving to Seoul entirely on my own and flourishing in the way that I did there is one of my greatest accomplishments to date. I’ve always been proud of my ability to adapt to any and all situations in life but that move was definitely a true test of that, and I couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out. Allowing myself to move to a foreign country and to be entirely open to a new culture and way of life was one of the best things I’ve ever done, and I feel very proud of that. Do you find you compare yourself to others often? It happens, of course. Especially in this day and age of social media, it can be so easy to find yourself caught in a downward spiralling vortex of staring at beautiful ‘Instagram Models’ on their vacations in Majorca and wishing that you had their lives, bodies, and wardrobes (don’t tell me you’ve never done this). BUT the reality of it comes down to the fact that I’m HAPPY, and when I take a second to remember that, none of that other stuff really matters anyway… However, I’m also a strong believer in self change and constantly working to make yourself a better human. So, if you see something in another person that you really admire, I also don’t think it’s necessarily such a bad thing to allow that comparison of someone else’s great traits to inspire you to be a better person. In this sense, comparison to others CAN be a good thing, when used in a positive manner, rather than for self deprecation.
Is there anything about yourself- mentally, physically, or emotionally that you would like to improve? I am currently trying to improve on my ability to depend on others. I am a fiercely independent individual, and although that is something that I really do love about myself, I often have a very difficult time accepting other people’s help. Not only do I have trouble surrendering control in certain situations, but I also often feel guilty asking others, even friends or family, for support. I know that my life would be much more enjoyable and fulfilling if I were to openly accept the help that my loved ones try and give to me, and this is something that I am currently really trying to work on.
Do you feel pressured by societal norms for your life to turn out a certain way?
Absolutely.. About 5 months ago, upon returning from South Korea and some subsequent travelling, I was 25, single, unemployed, and entirely unsure of what my next step in life was. Although I was happy and I had loved my time abroad, ‘societal norms’ had me feeling like I had potentially made a mistake choosing to work overseas for two years in a profession that I did not see myself in forever.. However, I stuck to my guns and now, just a few months later, I’m about to embark on an entirely new chapter of my life; I’m moving to a new city, I’m going back to school, and I’m in a relationship with the most kind and supportive person I’ve ever known. All of these things happened BECAUSE I didn’t necessarily take the most direct, or standard route to this place, and I am so grateful for that. So yes, I do feel pressure by societal norms and I do believe that this pressure can be good in some senses - to perhaps guide or steer you when you feel a little lost, but in conclusion, I’m so happy that I didn’t follow the ‘typical’ path set out by society to get me where I am today.
Who has helped shape who you are?
I think that there are a lot of people and experiences that have helped shape who I am today, but I definitely do credit a lot of who I am to my amazing parents. I consider myself to be a strong, independent, and confident young woman and these are things that I know came from my parents… I don’t want to delve too deep into my Feminist beliefs, but growing up, my parents NEVER made me feel as though there were things I couldn’t do, or things I couldn’t achieve, because I was a girl. The women influences in my life - my mother, my older sister, my aunts, and my grandmothers, are truly the most inspiring, most accomplished, and most amazing people that I know, and their strength has always helped me to fight and to stand up for who I am and what I know I’m worth. What is the most important part of a romantic relationship? I think that respect is an absolute must in any strong, fulfilling romantic relationship. When you truly respect another person then that automatically instills a desire to be honest, kind, supportive, and decent to them. I think that this respect also encompasses a feeling of equality and partnership between a couple, which I think is vital. What are three things you are grateful for today? I am grateful for my amazingly supportive and fun-loving family; I am grateful for my friends, new and old, who I can always count on for an ear, a shoulder, or a drink; and I am grateful for my significant other who, in just a short time, has proven to me that unconditional love truly does exist, and that not only do I have it with him, but that I am worthy of it as well. What book should I read and why? ‘The Birth House’ by Ami Mckay. Perhaps this is a shameless plug for me to get you (and hopefully others) to read a book about the life of a Midwife, but it’s honestly an amazing book, not only based in Atlantic Canada, but also written by a Maritimer.
Where are you from and where are you
now?
I am from Prince Edward Island, Canada. My recent home of two years was Seoul, South Korea (where I was lucky enough to meet Kristen) and my soon to be home will be Calgary, as I will be starting school there this Fall.
What goals are you working towards and what keeps you motivated?
I was recently accepted into the Midwifery Program at Mount Royal University and I will begin school there this Fall. I’m currently very focused on that - on successfully completing my degree and absorbing as much information and advice as I possibly can before I hopefully embark on my profession as a Midwife. The idea of bringing more pregnancy-centred healthcare options and information for women is what currently keeps me motivated. I cannot wait to one day be a positive influence on mothers, their partners, and on their babies during the pregnancy and birthing process. What does confidence mean to you? To me, confidence is knowing that, just because there are other beautiful, intelligent, and interesting people in the room, that does not mean you, yourself, are any LESS beautiful, intelligent, or interesting. I think that all too often people feel ‘situationally confident’ based on the time, or place, or people present. Certainly, we all have days when we feel a bit better than other days, but I think that confidence has to come from a place inside you, a place where you’ve accepted all of your small (or big) flaws and love yourself entirely, despite them. Where does your confidence come from? Growing up, my parents always made me feel as though I could do absolutely anything… But it wasn’t that sometimes blind, misguided confidence where they made me feel as though whatever I wanted would simply come to me - it was a ‘If you work REALLY hard, THEN you can do anything’ type of confidence, and I have carried that with me throughout my entire life. Sure, I have come across situations where I did not feel entirely confident in my knowledge or my abilities, but if I simply remember that the work you put into something often equals the rewards that you reap from it, then I feel much more confident that I can tackle anything thrown my way. What do you love about yourself? a) Mentally? Mentally, I love my decision making and reasoning skills. I consider myself to be a very logical and practical person, and this way of thinking has proven to be very beneficial in many areas of my life. b) Physically? Physically, I love my strength. It has always been very important to me to be strong physically, not just for health or aesthetic reasons, but also for simple, everyday scenarios. I love knowing that whatever situation I may find myself in, I can rely on my body to get me through it. c) Emotionally? Emotionally, I love that I have a tendency to see, feel, and to internalize most situations in life as positive ones. I can appreciate when things are bad, but I think that I often tend to ‘look at the bright side’ of things, which is something about myself that I really love.
I honestly think that moving to Seoul entirely on my own and flourishing in the way that I did there is one of my greatest accomplishments to date. I’ve always been proud of my ability to adapt to any and all situations in life but that move was definitely a true test of that, and I couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out. Allowing myself to move to a foreign country and to be entirely open to a new culture and way of life was one of the best things I’ve ever done, and I feel very proud of that. Do you find you compare yourself to others often? It happens, of course. Especially in this day and age of social media, it can be so easy to find yourself caught in a downward spiralling vortex of staring at beautiful ‘Instagram Models’ on their vacations in Majorca and wishing that you had their lives, bodies, and wardrobes (don’t tell me you’ve never done this). BUT the reality of it comes down to the fact that I’m HAPPY, and when I take a second to remember that, none of that other stuff really matters anyway… However, I’m also a strong believer in self change and constantly working to make yourself a better human. So, if you see something in another person that you really admire, I also don’t think it’s necessarily such a bad thing to allow that comparison of someone else’s great traits to inspire you to be a better person. In this sense, comparison to others CAN be a good thing, when used in a positive manner, rather than for self deprecation.
Is there anything about yourself- mentally, physically, or emotionally that you would like to improve? I am currently trying to improve on my ability to depend on others. I am a fiercely independent individual, and although that is something that I really do love about myself, I often have a very difficult time accepting other people’s help. Not only do I have trouble surrendering control in certain situations, but I also often feel guilty asking others, even friends or family, for support. I know that my life would be much more enjoyable and fulfilling if I were to openly accept the help that my loved ones try and give to me, and this is something that I am currently really trying to work on.
Do you feel pressured by societal norms for your life to turn out a certain way?
Absolutely.. About 5 months ago, upon returning from South Korea and some subsequent travelling, I was 25, single, unemployed, and entirely unsure of what my next step in life was. Although I was happy and I had loved my time abroad, ‘societal norms’ had me feeling like I had potentially made a mistake choosing to work overseas for two years in a profession that I did not see myself in forever.. However, I stuck to my guns and now, just a few months later, I’m about to embark on an entirely new chapter of my life; I’m moving to a new city, I’m going back to school, and I’m in a relationship with the most kind and supportive person I’ve ever known. All of these things happened BECAUSE I didn’t necessarily take the most direct, or standard route to this place, and I am so grateful for that. So yes, I do feel pressure by societal norms and I do believe that this pressure can be good in some senses - to perhaps guide or steer you when you feel a little lost, but in conclusion, I’m so happy that I didn’t follow the ‘typical’ path set out by society to get me where I am today.
Who has helped shape who you are?
I think that there are a lot of people and experiences that have helped shape who I am today, but I definitely do credit a lot of who I am to my amazing parents. I consider myself to be a strong, independent, and confident young woman and these are things that I know came from my parents… I don’t want to delve too deep into my Feminist beliefs, but growing up, my parents NEVER made me feel as though there were things I couldn’t do, or things I couldn’t achieve, because I was a girl. The women influences in my life - my mother, my older sister, my aunts, and my grandmothers, are truly the most inspiring, most accomplished, and most amazing people that I know, and their strength has always helped me to fight and to stand up for who I am and what I know I’m worth. What is the most important part of a romantic relationship? I think that respect is an absolute must in any strong, fulfilling romantic relationship. When you truly respect another person then that automatically instills a desire to be honest, kind, supportive, and decent to them. I think that this respect also encompasses a feeling of equality and partnership between a couple, which I think is vital. What are three things you are grateful for today? I am grateful for my amazingly supportive and fun-loving family; I am grateful for my friends, new and old, who I can always count on for an ear, a shoulder, or a drink; and I am grateful for my significant other who, in just a short time, has proven to me that unconditional love truly does exist, and that not only do I have it with him, but that I am worthy of it as well. What book should I read and why? ‘The Birth House’ by Ami Mckay. Perhaps this is a shameless plug for me to get you (and hopefully others) to read a book about the life of a Midwife, but it’s honestly an amazing book, not only based in Atlantic Canada, but also written by a Maritimer.
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