I have been sick…
Most of you may be wondering why I haven’t been blogging nor attending events, nor anything to that extent. Sadly, I’ve been so sick that I have been unable to even think straight enough to write...
View ArticleThe realities of anti-bullying rhetoric, as it relates to the campaigns It...
I was bullied as a child. Not once, not twice. Not three times. Relentlessly, throughout primary school and secondary school (Grades 3rd-9th). Because I was short, I was geeky, I was nerdy and I was...
View ArticleNarrowing the circles of friends…
Richard Long, Sea Lava Circles, 1988. Photo credit: yhsu on Flickr. When I was a child, I used to get extremely painful canker sores. Even as a teenager. Mostly, they were associated with stress and...
View ArticleOn being driven…
I am at an incredible point in my personal life and academic career. I am enjoying my research, I have a fantastic research team (incredibly smart, motivated, confident, independent and self-starter...
View ArticleManaging yourself: Do something every day that moves you forward
Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent. - Marilyn vos Savant One of the things I have learned about life is that it often throws you a curve ball and that...
View ArticleOn tenacity and never giving up
Photo credit: Paul Belmore on Flickr When people look at my overall life, they always tell me that they wish they had the kind of life I have. The level of success I enjoy, the amazing friends I am...
View ArticleI’m incredibly busy. And your point is? A response to Tim Kreider’s NYT’s...
I am the busiest person I know. Period. I don’t actually know anyone who is busier than I am (and I do know a lot of people, and no, I am most definitely NOT being self-congratulatory). I am incredibly...
View ArticleProcessing pain and loss
I have an extremely low threshold to process pain and loss. Particularly loss of life. I have never been able to properly process seeing my loved ones die. My method to process my pain and my losses is...
View ArticleYes, Vancouver, I have moved.
Photo credit: Linda Solomon So there is a rumour in the blogosphere that I may have moved away from Vancouver, and most people are wondering “where the hell is Raul”. Well, the time has come to put...
View ArticleDay Four: Adapting to a new city…
While most people call Mexico my home, they seem to forget that out of the last 16 years of my life, I have lived in Mexico only 2. I have lived in Spain, France, Canada, England, and thus I can’t...
View Article“Are you happy you moved?” My response to this often-asked question
The TL;DR (too long, didn’t read) version of my answer is: Yes, I am. I have lived in half a dozen countries and travelled through dozens more and I have learned to be happy wherever I am. I had lunch...
View ArticleGrape Jell-O for the soul
When we first met, JT always asked me if I had known myself and who I was my entire life. After all, to most people I look like (and behave like) an old soul. In many ways, I *am* an old soul. I thrive...
View ArticleCanada isn’t better than Mexico. You make your own paradise, or your own hell…
“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven..” ― John Milton, Paradise Lost Photo credit: Austin K on Flickr I never moved to Canada escaping Mexico. In fact,...
View ArticleAnnouncing an indefinite hiatus from blogging
Life has an interesting way of turning out. After almost 7 years of juggling my academic life and my social media life, I have come to the realization that I can’t do everything. This past week I’ve...
View ArticleResurrecting my blog, on my terms, on my own time
On September 17th, 2012 I took the extremely hard decision to stop blogging altogether (to take an indefinite hiatus). The reason I did it was because I had a professional life that had taken a toll on...
View ArticleMy 2013 Manifesto: Maintaining focus
My parents have always loved that I use the hummingbird as a metaphor for my many interests and projects. I fly from flower to flower, from project A to project B, and in the process, I exert so much...
View ArticleBraces are my new reality. And a demonstration of self-care.
If you follow me on Twitter, or are my friend on Facebook, you probably know that I got braces installed in December of 2012. Yeah. At this age, I decided to get teeth surgery (I had the four wisdom...
View ArticleOn having higher standards of living in Mexico compared to Canada
My Dad and I had a lovely conversation this morning as we walked through the downtown core of the city of Leon. We were commenting on the incredible gap between my standards of living in Vancouver as...
View ArticleMy life with braces: Reporting back at the 6 months mark
If you follow me on Twitter, you will know that on a regular basis, I tweet about how painful it is to live with braces. I got braces six months ago, in a demonstration (to myself) that I care about my...
View ArticleOne year later: I’m glad I moved to Mexico and left Vancouver behind
For the vast majority of my readers, and particularly those who live in Vancouver, saying what I just posted as the title of my blog entry would be heresy. After all, I was for all practical purposes,...
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