I live in a small town in central BC with my husband and my dogs. I love to get outside whether that is hiking, kayaking, taking the dogs for a walk, or spey fishing for steelhead. I have had the privilege to complete several backpacking trips from the historic gold rush Chilkoot trail in the north, the Brazeau Loop, to the West Coast Trail and many in between. I have also made the trip around the Bowron Lakes circuit a couple times and fully intend to go back.
When I am not escaping to the bush I am working as a Literary Intern, bookkeeper, social media advertising, and working on my own creative writing projects. I love learning about the publishing industry and the intricacies that work within it. I love working with agencies and being able to see the publishing world from their perspective. As might be assumed by now I am an avid bookworm and I am always working on building up my own collection. Some of my favourites include Suzanne by Anais Barbeau-Lavelette translated by Rhonda Mullins, Ru by Kim Thuy, The Vegetarian by Han Kang, and I could go on.
Valentine’s day has become a day of diamonds, roses, and chocolates. The history of Valentine’s day has become lost in the rubble of modern commercialization. So, where did these traditions start? Are they all purely a modern concept? Or, did they, at one-point, stem from tradition and have simply become overblown? Researching the history of… Read more »
I remember several years ago, someone had posted on the AU Facebook page that they were only a few courses away from completing their degree. I recall thinking, “wow it is going to be amazing when I can post that one day.” I “liked” the post; I did not know the person who had posted… Read more »
Learning the various rules to citing work can be daunting, though necessary. In my studies I have encountered three different citation methods: American Psychological Association (APA), Chicago Manual of Style (CMS), and Modern Language Association (MLA). Each varies from each other. While, I find APA and MLA to be close in style there are subtle,… Read more »
I attended a bricks and mortar university directly out of high school. I was unsure of what I wanted to take and through the guidance (possibly misguidance) of an advisor I was taking predominately visual arts courses. I remember one lesson well, and I have tried to translate it into my current degree: into my… Read more »
We have rung in another new year and with it comes reality. December gets lost in festivities, visitors, and general hoopla. It is a time when we spend more hours with family and friends and get pulled away from the daily grind. With everyone having more time off we all get pulled away for a… Read more »
One of the hardest things that I have found I have had to deal with as a distance-learning student is the feeling of isolation. When you attend a traditional university you are surrounded by your peers?like-minded people taking the same courses you are. I live in a small community and, while I am able to… Read more »
A part of distance education is an insane amount of reading, especially as a humanities student. When we are not reading, we are writing about what we read, which often means rereading some of the previous readings. This can get mundane, and I tend to lose focus. My mind will wander and after a few… Read more »
It was intimidating at first, seeing those directed studies courses. When I added them to my plan a few years ago I assumed by the time I got to them I would feel more comfortable: I would know what I was doing, and have a clear goal. The first one I took was English 491,… Read more »
Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, was a story which captured my imagination, as well as countless others. It is the story of a young man who cuts himself off from his family and wanders the country. As most people know, even those who have never read the story, his journey ended tragically. Chris McCandless… Read more »
On Thursday, November 19th, I wrote my last exam for my degree. That is, of course, unless I change my mind on one of my final two courses. The rest I have enrolled in have no final exams. So while it was not my last course it was still a milestone. A milestone which makes… Read more »