I don’t know what it is. This urgency. To do it all now. All of these things I’ve always said I wanted to do, but never made the time for. I’ll do it one year I’ve always thought, but then you wake up and you’re 34 and it hits you. There’s no better time than right now. Now is the time.
With a lot of thought, and some fear and uncertainty mixed in there too, I have decided that my 34th year will be one to remember. A year that I dedicate to doing the things I love, taking a year for myself. Living a little bit less by the book, and a lot more by the heart.
I don’t know what stemmed this idea. Maybe it’s because of some recent unexpected life changing circumstances that have made their way into my life, or the fact that I’m 34 and have a healthy pair of ovaries with a time clock, OR it could be that I witness disease and regret on a daily basis as an Emergency Nurse. Whatever the case, however crazy this may seem to some, I’m choosing to live right now. To work less and enjoy more. So that I can look back at this precious time in my life knowing that I lived my fullest life.
I started making a realistic list of things I would do if I only had one year to live. It sounded and felt a bit morbid, but it got me thinking of what I would REALLY do with the time I had if it was limited. *Travel. *Adventure. *Friends and family. *And my work that I get so much fulfillment from. These are the things and feelings that I will put first this year. Things that would genuinely make me smile with my heart. It’s kind of an experiment I guess you could say, hence I’ve made it a project. The Smile With Your Heart Project. My goal is to start living every new year, every moment, with this mindset and to maybe inspire a few people while doing so. All it ever takes for something extraordinaire to manifest is an idea, some courage and determination, and most importantly trust – trusting in possibility and then watching the magic unfold.
So here’s to being bold and courageous, and living my best life imaginable – hopefully inspiring you to do the same.
My 34th year, starts February 1st…. (Here’s my rough draft :) )
February
- Work as a remote RN in Bella Bella
March
- Ski the Neve traverse
- Sail in Mexico
- Ski the Spearhead traverse
April
- Penticton road biking weekend
- Hike the Annapurna circuit in Nepal
May
- Juliana Bicycles Ambassador weekend in Santa Cruz
- Summit Mt Currie
- Run the Sunshine Coast Trail
June
- Mountaineering course with Westcoast Mountain Guides
- Rock climb the Chief
- MDev’s Peak Bagging/Mountain Biking Stagette
- Summit Mt Baker
July
- Work as an RN at BC Bike Race
- Summit the Golden Hinde
- Summit Mt Habrich
- Van Isle bike tour
August
- Hike the Hesquiat trail
- Ride the Hellracer in Lillooet
- Run the Nootka Island trail
- Adventure Race in California
- Summit Alpha Mountain
September
- Chillcotins mountain bike float plane trip
- Europe mountain bike hut to hut trip
October
- Run the Great Wall trail, Nelson
- Travel for 2 weeks in Central America
November
- Patagonia Adventure with Mandy
December
- Work as a remote RN in Bella Coola
January
- Whitecap Alpine Hut ski trip
- Sail in Mexico/Central America
Thanks for following me on my journey!
Hello, I am really wanting to do some remote nursing this next year as well and I was just wondering for your remote nursing experiences is that through your job or position at your hospital or do you set that up on your own and take time off to go do that form your position at your hospital? Like is it something you worked in to your contract or is it something you take vacation time to do or does your hospital give you time for this experience?
Hi there! I work for both a private travel nursing company and have a casual position with my health authority for two remote locations. If you have any more questions, please feel free to email me at smilewithyourheart@live.ca and I’d be more than happy to help!
Thanks Jenn… I will email you ASAP…
Hey Jenn I sent you an email did you get it?
Hi, I didn’t get it, sorry. Try either smilewithyourheart@live.ca or jennthiel6@gmail.com. Sorry I didn’t get it!
Awesomeness!
You go girl!
Erin
Thanks Erin!!!!
Hi Jenn!
I have been following your blog for a bit now and truly love it ! ( go BCBike race!) I also am an ER nurse , and a solutions nurse and have done remote nursing as well. ( RN 16 years, with Solutions for 10 ). Currently on assignment in Saltspring. I live in nelson , yeah , almost as great as Squamish ! ( which I have only been to do medical tents at The music festival ! ( also a shambhala first aider for years. Look me up
If you come to do that trek in nelson. I have a lovely guest room and a house filled with bikes and skis ( my dad has a ski run named after him at Red Mountain 😃 ) and a hot tub overlooking the kootenay river !
Colleen Bernadette on fb if you want to add me. Cheers , again, truly love your site.
Hi Colleen, this is awesome!!! Thanks for the invite, I will take you up on that for sure!! I’ve never been over that way, so it would be great to have the help of someone who knows the area well – thank you! That’s great you are working on Saltspring, I love it there. We are so fortunate to be able to work all over BC with our career – I love it!! Thanks Colleen!