University Sucks. Go Travel the World.

Dear fellow bloggers & readers,

As you may know, I was planning on going to the UofA in September. Which all sounded good in theory until I factored in $30,000 in debt for 4 years of study. I do not owe money to anyone, and nor do I intend to. Since I consider the monetary system to be fake to begin with then owing money for school is not an option for me.

Instead I applied for a working visa to Germany to teach english and work on my online business. From now on, I am only looking 3-6 months down the road. Beyond that things begin to get foggy and uncertain. I know eventually that I will have to get a “real job”, whatever that means, but for now I am content with travelling and gaining new experiences.

Going back to school has been on my mind recently and finishing my electrical technology diploma. I have the skills but need to find the right company and apply. But not now. When I have seen more of the world and feel like settling down for a bit. Maybe Montreal, Hamilton, or possibly Vancouver.

I am learning how to code. I just started Javascript with codecademy.com and so far it has been a good learning experience. They have very useful tutorials and everything is step by step. Eventually, I want to learn how to build/design websites from scratch. That way I don’t have to pay somebody and I can work freelance from any internet connected place in the world. (Dream big or go home!)

I realized the other day what my first online business is going to be about. Originally, I was thinking a travel website but it seems the market is saturated with that sort of thing. The answer was right under my nose all along. And this blog provided part of the key. I found my niche: 18-30 year old adults struggling with what to do with their lives.

I should know. I am one of them. But that hasn’t stopped me from trying and doing things in the last 5 years since highschool. I have a lot of knowledge to share with people my age looking for alternatives to university and working dead-end jobs instead of doing what they love. I have travelled the different roads and would like to provide a road map of sorts. A guide to figuring out what to do with your life and the skills required to pull it off.

I want to announce that Yesman1989 is getting a face lift, (moving to a brand new site) and will be shifting the focus to provide how-to guides and personal consulting. In addition, I will posting more regular updates about travel, alternatives to university, and muse creation. I am looking forward to this new website as a resource/forum for young people to come together and share their thoughts, feelings and ideas. 😀

Thank you so much for your continued support,

Bill

TEDxVictoria – Dave Morris: The Way of Improvisation

 

Life is Improv.

 

Cultivating Zen Habits

Good Morning!

I woke this morning at 5:30 with the intention of going to the pool. Using the Single Changing Method, I am going to focus on changing one habit per month.

This month I want to wake up earlier in order to be more productive. I am coupling this with going to the pool because I needed a reason to get out bed. Swimming is good for my back and overall health.

I have been trying to take on too many changes at once, and realized that they aren’t sticking. It is better to focus on one thing at a time, and follow through until it becomes automatic. After that it should be okay to move on to something else.

Taken directly from zenhabits.net there are 4 steps to lasting change:

1. Start very small.
2. Do only one change at a time.
3. Be present and enjoy the activity (don’t focus on results).
4. Be grateful for every step you take.

This year I am going to focus on just one change or per month until it becomes automatic. 

All the best,

Bill

Voyage au Maritimes pt2

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Voyage au Maritimes June 2012 pt 1

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Living the Moment and the Need for Change (An update)

 

Hey there, fellow bloggers and readers!

Realized today that I have 34 followers. Awesome! I would love to hear some comments/feedback on some of the articles I have written thus far. SVP 😀

Just got back from a 10 day trip to the Maritimes (PEI, Cape Breton Island, and Halifax) which was an amazing experience. Rented a car for a week, visited Charlottetown and Cavendish, took the ferry back across to NS and continued on to Cape Breton Island. We drove the Cabot Trail, visited Chéticamp and Pleasant Bay, did a few hikes along the way, took a detour to White Point, and found a Keltic Lodge. (All in the same day) Then we stayed at Cabot Shores Lodge for 2 nights in yurt. To top it all off, we spent 2 whole days in the city of Halifax taking the in the sights and sounds. (Pictures and video to follow…)

I have started a slow-carb diet called the 4-hour body by Tim Ferris. The basic rules are remarkably simple and easy to follow. For more details go to:

http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/04/06/how-to-lose-20-lbs-of-fat-in-30-days-without-doing-any-exercise/

I made a few personal modifications such as berries and high quality beer instead of wine, but other than that, I have followed it to the letter. I have stuck with it for a month, alternating my cheat day from Wednesday to Saturday depending on the week. Starting to notice changes in my body including increased upper body strength and my abs are more defined. Looking forward to introducing this style of eating to my family. We will see how it goes. 😀

As you might have realized I am going back home to Northern BC. For the rest of the summer, I am going back to my “old” job and working on projects. Namely reconnecting with my family and preparing for school in September.

5 Big Projects this summer:

1) Run 5k without stopping

2) Bike 60 km without stopping

3) Swim 1km without stopping (Total Immersion Method)

4) Read the “Hunger Games” in french

5) Start an internet/marketing business using methods from the 4-hour work week.

Wish me luck, these are really big goals to accomplish in about 6 weeks.

Cheers,

Bill

 

Montréal Fevrier 2012

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Casseroles en Cour à Québec May 2012

Peaceful “pot & pan” protests take to the Québec streets. Manifestation de paix prendre les rue par casserole en cour! 😀

Friendship/Amitié

Friendships are great things. As my friend, Scott Richey once said to me: “…they are like building bridges between islands.”

Each person is an island connected to other people’s lives by “bridges”. We live independently and connected at the same time. I spend a lot of time building and maintaining my friendships with people. Making new friends and enjoying the company of old ones.

This past weekend, I reconnected with people in Hamilton, Ontario some of which I have not seen in over a year. It’s really amazing to reforge those bonds after not seeing someone for a while. E-mail, phone, and Skype are okay, but it’s always nice to reconnect in person.

I have 2 types of friendships: people I have known forever and new friends I have made while traveling. For example, I consider Tom and Teresa Summer to be my best friends as they have known me the longest. I have friends that I consider family such as Katlin and Kurtis Lindsay. Our moms were friends before we were born. Friends in the womb as we like to say.

There are my old school friends, such as Patrick Poirier, Mike and Marshall Spinney, and Toby McWilliams. These are my oldest and closest friends and even though we don’t hang out as often anymore, our “bridge” is still quite strong. Whenever possible, we meet up to remember the good ol’ days and build new memories.

Then there are the people who I have met while going to school in Vancouver. Jamie Maloway is one of my closest friends outside my family. We shared a common experience at the Medieval Dungeon called BCIT and have been friends ever since. From Katimavik, I met so many people that its hard to keep track. My closest friends would be Genèvieve Leblanc, Alexis Dionne and Brent Campbell. They are all my friends but in different ways.

Lately, I have been thinking about what being a “friend” means to me. I have made lots of new friends here in Québec City during the Odyessey Program and I wonder how many connections will continue once I have moved on? Some will and some won’t, but that’s okay. It’s natural for friends to come in and out of your life. You will need the space to build new bridges.

What does friendship mean to you? Feel free to leave comments below. 😀

Bill

Katimavik: the Meeting Place

To whom to it may concern,

Katimavik was cut the other week by the 2012 federal budget. I am particularly upset by this decision and feel like one of my best friends got hit by a bus. As an alumni, I can tell you that this program has enormous benefits to young Canadians and the country as a whole.

I joined because I was looking for adventure and the opportunity to do something different with my life. My brother was going to embark on his 6 month adventure starting in July, but because the government broke their current funding agreement, all programs are cancelled until further notice. It broke my heart when I had to tell him this, it really hurt. I cried. I never cry.

There has been a lot of public outrage and protest by alumni/supporters of Kvik. It has been voiced mostly by social media like Facebook and Twitter. Within 24 hours there was no less than 5 Save Katimavik/Sauvons Katimavik groups. Now with over 13,700 members. (And counting) Incroyable. What this has done is finally brought the Katimavik alumni and staff together like never before.

People with only be pushed so far until something has to give. So, what if this a Liberal associated program. Stop being petty. Grow up. Get a Life. Katimavik is not about political ideology, it’s about giving youth the tools to be engaged and productive citizens. This is something a formal high school and post secondary education fail to do. That is not what those structures were designed for. They are designed to keep everybody in line, and not question government or authority.

Government should work for people not the other way around. The current PM and  Conservative MP’s need to wake up and smell the coffee. We need Katimavik to empower youth to be the leaders and thinkers of tomorrow. This program meets and exceeds all expectations set by government policy, so why is it being cut? Because somebody doesn’t like somebody elses way of thinking. Come on. Be a bigger person than that. You are stopping a deserving young Canadian from learning by doing meaningful volunteering, one community at a time.

My request is that the government reinstate the program, follow though with its current funding agreement, and increase the budget to allow more youth the opportunity to reap the benefits. Katimavik is is something Canada needs to foster national unity and give young Canadians the tools they need be to successful in life.

Sincerely,

Bill Summer