Go! Canada! Go!

A few weeks ago, the town of Banff, here in Alberta, hosted a Block Party to celebrate, congratulate, and wish all the best to our Olympian's heading off to Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics. My girlfriend and I had the marvelous opportunity to partake in the event and enjoy a wonderful snow day in the beautiful Canadian Rockies. Our original plan was to just head out to the quiet mountain town to meet some friends and enjoy a nice weekend out, completely oblivious to there actually being an Olympic party in the first place. Word of mouth got around however and as we found out about the event and we decided to venture off early Saturday morning in a snowstorm to take in as much as we could.

We arrived early enough that it wasn't very busy in Banff at the time. But the organizers had already shut down Main Street, and the volunteers and staff buzzed around trying to finish up the preparations. This was a marvelous opportunity for us to take a beautiful snowy walk down the streets and visit all shops which were open. Stopping to grab a coffee first of course, the morning was full of sled dogs, candy shops, and gorgeous views. Just after noon, the event really started to pick up and more people arrived to brave the cold and fill the streets. It was like a beehive with all of the people moving about, and with so much energy in the air, you could barely feel the cold. Several hours later we had seen interviews with Canadian Olympians, enjoyed amazing performances from both the Arkells and the Sheep Dogs, and had our picture taken with a moose mascot. It was a wonderful day to lead into a great evening with incredible friends.

With the 2014 Sochi Olympics right around the corner, I want to wish the most amazing experience and success for all of our Canadian Olympians who are attending the games. I'll be watching and cheering them on. So should you! Go Canada Go!

On Communication

I want to talk about the importance of communication from my point of view and as a student. It is a topic and area which I have focused heavily on, looking to improve my ability to communicate coming back to school.

As this is a heavily talked about topic, it's more from my point of view. My view on how important and significant it is has been for me to have not only skills in communication, but to be ambitious in wanting to communicate. The communication topic is always something that comes up as course matter, and the more I talk to others about it, the ability to communicate in general is becoming ever more important. Especially in terms of continuing into the career aspect of life. I am constantly hearing that employer's are looking for employees who can effectively communicate.

As this is my second venture in post-secondary education, a lot has changed since the last time I sat in a classroom environment and actually thought about how I communicate. Some of my newest friends can attest to this fact, especially as I've developed the habit to be opinionated. I get feedback both positively and negatively in terms of being opinionated, as everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But it's not only about having an opinion though that I have found to be such an asset. I've developed and inquisitive mind and invested time in learning, and found that this has helped promote further education and understanding. Through asking questions and joining discussions, not only has it given me a new purpose and appreciation for being back in school, but it has allowed me to realize a real skill and strength in communication.

Now not everyone is so readily open to discussions and posing questions. It really does come down to people as individuals, and where their comfort levels are. The biggest point that I'm trying to make, is that as a mature student back in school again, I can't stress enough about how important it is to want to communicate. Read books, newspapers, ask questions and generally just get involved with what's going on around you. Reading another persons blog is even a great step. Even if you don't care particularly much about a topic, take the time out of your life to maybe learn something about a new topic, because it obviously interests someone. And taking that time to listen and partake in another persons experience is what communicating is all about, and it really shows.