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!