Aliyo 1 : McDonalds 0

Source: http://www.empowernetwork.com/easyliving/files/2013/01/Believe-In-Yourself-2.jpg

Dear McDonalds,

Today I was working on an assignment, and it was taking much longer than it should've been. You know when you're in a time crunch and spending way too much time on something that doesn't deserve that proportion of your functionality? And you know that you should be speeding up the efficiency, but that actually just slows you down? Yeah, that happened to me today, and I was getting frustrated with myself and just wanted to enter your haven and get a McChicken with an Oreo McFlurry (with a side of those fries which will never rot and instead slow down the passage through my intestines).

But guess what - I won this time. Yeah honey, beat that, I controlled myself, ha!

Instead I...

• listened to some empowering songs such as my favourite song since my childhood - Des'ree: You Gotta Be, and my favourite song to jam to as I imagine how long my locs will be in 5 years - Willow Smith: Whip My Hair
• danced in front of my mirror like I was a musical sensation performing a sold out tour...it's Aliyo b***h
• taught a Zumba routine I used to teach as I visualized the memories of my participants who enjoyed themselves so much
• My body felt awesome as I moved to the music, and felt the rhythms and every beat of these amazing fusions of creativity. It felt so good to stop looking at that computer screen for awhile and get my molecules of living jiving!

And after all of that activity, I decided to whip up up a snack - cucumbers,  grape tomatoes, green peppers, and dip. It was so refreshing, not just because of the water, vitamins and minerals they supplied me with, but also because I know the roughage will regulate my bowel movements, rather than give me diarrhea or painful constipation!

As I ate my Christmas-coloured snack, I wondered why I even wanted to jump into your arms and shove you in my mouth. Turns out, you and I have a long history, so it's hard for me to resist you when you creep up on me.  In my childhood (back when your toys were actually good), "treat night" meant you, and I would get excited for your delicious treat 1-2x a week. Then, when I moved to the city where I lived for 13 years and grew up in, you always  had a location within walking distance. Your first one was literally across from my complex, but then got burned down. However, shortly after a  revamped one popped up in the exact same plaza.

And when I was working multiple jobs and cared more about saving my money than my health (lack of sleep included), you were faithfully nearby, sometimes in the building I worked in, so that I'd never have to worry about starving (well, at least psychologically, because you didn't provide me with nutrition, that's for sure..thanks for that by the way). And now, you're less than a 10 minute walk from where I'm studying to become a Naturopathic Doctor. And you have to be all up in my space, situating yourself right outside of my gym, tempting me as I walk to the subway, knowing that I'm not too excited to eat that homemade meal in my fridge that I've already eaten 3 days in a row.

But guess what: today, I chose myself, I chose to preserve my health. And I'm very well aware you beat me over a hundred times in the past (and may catch a few in the future), but all it takes is one day to begin a change. Get that ball rolling down the mountain. And believe me, once my ball gains momentum, you will miss receiving all of the hard-earned money you lured from me, and you will be devastated when I finally get rid of your toxicity laying deep in my fat deposits which refuse to leave (grrr). And worst of all, you'll be heart-broken from the mental hold you'll cease to have upon me.

I Want to Understand ME

So I just completed week 11 of my first semester of my first year of becoming a Naturopathic Doctor, and I'm in the midst of deciding whether or not I'd like to change the pace I'm going at.

I made it my aim to complete to program in 4 years because I'm so excited for all of the opportunities that will await me after I finish, and I just want to be there. However, a constant theme that keeps arising is that all of life is a journey, and to gain the most out of it, we need to treasure every moment, experience, and what they teach us.

I think another reason I've been pushing myself to complete this program in 4 years is because I finished university in 5 years instead of 4, and I would compare myself to others who finished in 4 years or even 3 and think that they were smarter and more competent because of that. Yet, I've also noticed that I forget to remind myself that I took 2 years to adjust to workload, environment, and expectations - being a first generation student. In addition, I was so used to working part-time in high school and used to saving money for my education that I worked throughout university as well - that time was taken away from studying. My work opportunities led me to leadership opportunities and vice versa - without all of those things happening within those 5 years, I think I'd be a very different person. So, those 5 years were incredibly valuable to me, and I wouldn't have wanted it to turn out any other way. 6 years would've definitely been pushing it, but 4 years would've been too short.

http://www.quotepictures.net/life-is-a-journey-not-so-much-to-a-destination-but-a-transformation/

Now back to my life now, and why I'm highly considering changing my pace to part-time (so, finish in 5 years instead of 4), rather than staying on the full-time track, and finishing in 4 years.

These 11 weeks of my life have flown by! The only constants I can remember are being in class most of the day, going to the gym on Tuesday nights for Step or Combat, and Pump on Wednesday nights. Every other evening is different whether it's what I'm working on or need to plan to work on. It's very go-go-go! I enjoy that pace because it feels like I'm working towards something, as opposed to the summer where work became quite consistent. However, I miss working, and I'm sad about the opportunities I have to miss out on because this is my first priority. Yet, those outside opportunities are what excited me about taking this path.

I was speaking with a third year student last week who I had met at a supplement dinner, and she was telling me why she doesn't regret going part-time: time to attend workshops, you actually enjoy class because you don't experience as much information overload along with more time to process everything, you have time to work/volunteer which keeps you motivated. She was speaking to me! Then, I compare what she said with what I'm hearing from other 3rd year students who mention that there are endless assignments, it's so stressful, you don't have time for anything else, and there's a sense of desperation to finally get out of the quicksand and begin 4th year. They'll all make it through, but I don't like the thought that they're disliking it more than enjoying it.

 

http://www.improve-the-self.com/self_understanding.html

Although my mind seems to have been made up, I'm going to complete this semester, and possibly my winter term on full-time track before I make my final decision. You see, once I choose to take the part-time path, the program is set up in such a way that I won't be able to go back to the full-time track - so I want to be sure.

The reasons I want to go part-time are because:

• I want to put more time towards this blog (it feels awesome to be writing again!)
• I want to get my vlog up-and-running and learn more about making videos (I know virtually NOTHING!)
• I miss sleeping, especially now that I'm working hard to have a regular routine
• I want to invest more than I'm currently able to in my closest relationships. Although my loved ones are understanding, I want to be present in their lives, and I need them too
• I want to start a club on campus (for now the topic is a secret *wink*)
• I miss working: not for the money as I understand that I will be in debt regardless, but it gives me motivation and a context for why I'm spending all of those hours in class
• but most of all....I want to understand myself

As in Naturopathic Medicine we search for the root cause of illness in order to facilitate the healing process of the patient (through the healing power of Nature - the Vis Medicatrix Naturae), I realize that I have my own emotional problems which are stagnating my ability to heal, and they manifest as migraines, insomnia, and social anxiety. One of my priorities is to work through my personal problems which will allow me to heal myself, and also be more understanding of, and able to connect with my patients. Thereby, it is more important to me to invest in both my personal and academic progress, rather than put all of my energy towards progressing academically and losing some of my inner peace.

New Beginning

Just as each new day yields new opportunity, taking a chance and new direction  will  do the same
Source:  http://chakrabodyyoga.blogspot.ca/2012/06/from-blah-to-brilliant-3-great-reasons.html

     I feel quite lucky because a few weeks ago, I've started my journey of the program I've wanted to begin since 2008. Can you guess what it is? Ok...I'll give you a few hints:

1. Its teachings are a vital component of the health care field

2. The three major areas of study are biomedical sciences, clinical sciences, and naturopathic therapeutics (huge clue there!)

3. Although this field is beginning to bloom, it is commonly practiced around the world - we're just starting to catch up.

4. We believe in the healing power of nature, and aim to cure our entire patient as opposed to only focusing on symptomatic treatment

     Okay, if you haven't guessed it yet, I'll give you the answer at the end :P

 So far I'm trying to saturate myself in the knowledge I'm gaining, especially after a summer of just working.

      My first experience was attending a summit with my class of ~85 students, where we got to bond and learn about what's upcoming, and were fortunate to hear some amazing speeches from several alumni of the program. Upon returning, the next week was a full week of class and the best word to describe that would have to have been - overwhelming! I currently have 11 courses this term (Anatomy, Asian Medicine, Biochemistry, Botanical Medicine, Clinic, Clinical Physiology, Ethics and Jurisprudence, Health Psychology, Homeopathy, Naturopathic History, Philosophy, and Principles, and Principles in Research), and am in class about 30 hours per week. Yet, in years prior, it was even more intense, so the lecture component is always a work in progress. In fact, over the next four years, I can expect to spend more than 3 000 hours in the classroom, and gain more than 1 200 hours of clinical experience. I should be very competent after that!

     Just as I had an urge to begin this blog, I've been getting an urge to start a YouTube channel (fanoflifend). I'm planning to vlog about more personal matters such as documenting some self-experimentations, documenting my hair progress, and personal experiences I encounter through my involvement in this program. I'm not sure what it will evolve into, but you never know what direction projects will take you in unless you open yourself to starting them. However, I still enjoy writing so I'm still planning to blog a few times each month!

     Alright, so the answer to the question above is...duh duh duh-duh (drum roll): I've started the Naturopathic Medicine program at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. I'm very excited, and I hope to keep the excitement alive amongst the challenge I'm about to embark upon (which will hopefully make me a stronger person and ND in the near future).

If you gather interest in this program, a great first resource to check out would be my school's website, and then check out the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges.