Marley & Me

"A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes. Status symbol means nothing to him. A waterlogged stick will do just fine. A dog judges others not by their color or creed or class but by who they are inside. A dog doesn't care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his. It was really quite simple, and yet we humans, so much wiser and more sophisticated, have always had trouble figuring out what really counts and what does not. As I wrote that farewell column to Marley, I realized it was all right there in front of us, if only we opened our eyes. Sometimes it took a dog with bad breath, worse manners, and pure intentions to help us see."

Thanksgiving

"I think what we mean to say is we're so grateful for what we have because we've been through so much this year. So many things that were not easy and things that make you realize you're all grown up and on your own. Hopefully we came out the other side stronger with the realization that we really do have a lot to be grateful for. So maybe instead of focusing on what we don't have we can focus on what we do have"

I know technically it is the American Thanksgiving today, and I totally should have done this on the Canadian one, but as Tammy loves to say I'm 'American'. SOOO, this is a list of some of the things I am grateful for...

1- My family.

2- My bestfriends.

3- Bella. 

4- One Tree Hill & the cast.

5- My education

6- My Mac & iPhone

7- My voice, however little it may be, it makes a difference.

8- My shitty car, which saves my ass from being stranded.

9- My jobs, which support my unhealthy habits

10- My bed, soooooo comfy and welcoming every night. 

What are YOU thankful for?

#GoodnightTreeHill

"A lot of lost kids found their way to something better in this park. In a confusing world, at a confusing time in their lives they found something that made sense, and they became better people because of it. Surely that is worth preserving..."


I have been sort of a mess lately with the show ending and all, so I thought what better then to post my first official blog about something that makes (made?) up such a huge part of my life? I don't even know where to begin so let's just ramble. 
ps. Did you know I didn't want to give the show the time of day in the beginning? Never would have guessed would ya? 


For starters, the show is the reason I am bestfriends with the one I call my bestfriend today. She asked me in grade 9 English class if I watched 'One Tree Hill', my automatic response was "No" (I mean come on, The O.C. all the way... what I thought anyways). Well come second semester, Hobo and I had gym together and I had at this point already caught up on OTH and most obviously asked her what she thought about One Tree Hill, of course a beautiful, and most definitely awesome friendship started at that moment on... 
So I guess I can say I will always be thankful to the show for connecting me and my bestfriend, that and James Lafferty of course ;).

me and the bestfriend in 'Tree Hill' this summer <3

Next, let's talk about the adventures One Tree Hill has given me the chance to experience. I was lucky enough to have visited "Tree Hill" 4 times in the past 3 years! Being able to visit Wilmington, and fall in love with Wilmington is something I will treasure for the rest of my life. I have gone with bestfriends who are near and dear to my heart, my mom; who I am sure will never know how grateful I am for taking me the first 2 times, and I have even made some awesome friends there while on vacation. I love the show because it has this power to connect people that may be just a little like you...

2nd time in Wilmington where we met Abi & Sandy <3

Me, Kianna & Steph at The Rivercourt last trip <3

Being reunited with Anna & Melanie the final trip <3

Experiencing Wilmington has had its ups and had it's downs, it saw many tears; both good and bad, and presented many situations that have altered the relationships in my life. Last trip however, it added another perspective, it added a whole new aspect of independence to my life. I flew for the first time on my own, and I was in the city for the first time on my own with no one from home. Yeup, Wilmington has a special place in my heart, so much that I fell in love with the little town and hope to reside there for a little while when school is over.

As for what One Tree Hill brought to my life? 


Music. The show has introduced me to so many musicians, artists, singers, whatever you want to call them that I probably would have never given a second glance had I not heard or seen them on the show. My iTunes is filled with music that not only can I go "Oh hey, that's when such and such happened," but also music that gets me through some of my roughest times. 


Quotes. SO many quotes that I try to live by come from this show. Mark is a creative genius. Sure, he fucked up a couple times, but for the most part when he wanted a message to get across, or set the tone for an episode he could whip a couple ordinary words together and you would go DAMN! 


Here are a 2 of my favourites:


"Happiness is a mood, not a destination." - Julian Baker


"The rest of your life is a long time and whether you know it or not it's being shaped right now. You can choose to blame your circumstances on fate or bad luck or bad choices or you can fight back. Things aren't always going to be fair in the real world, that's just the way it is but for the most part you get what you give. Let me ask you all a question. What's worse: not getting everything you wished for or getting it but finding out it's not enough? The rest of your life is being shaped right now with the dreams you chase, the choices you make and the person you decide to be. The rest of your life is a long time and the rest of your life starts right now." - Haley James Scott


Life Lessons. I learned from Brooke Davis that I AM Enough. I'm pretty enough. I'm smart enough. I'm good enough. I learned to be a loyal friend to the ones that matter. I learned that life isn't perfect, but there is always hope. I learned that people can love unconditionally. I learned that love is all that matters, in whatever form; friendship, familial, or romantic. I learned that it's okay to follow your dreams...


Lastly, it shone a light on the biggest role model/inspiration/girl crush my life has ever seen... Bethany Joy Galeotti.


She is so underrated it is unbelievable, but she is so pure and honest that it stuns me to silence. Joy is everything that I wish to be as a woman. Someone that appears to be fiercely loyal. Someone that loves with her whole heart, unconditionally. Someone who is thinking of others. Someone who puts their all into everything that matters. Someone that wants to protect her family at all costs, yet at the same time begs us to pray for someone that hurt her deeply. Someone who is pure in her faith that it's inspiring. Someone who is absolutely gorgeous and NOT a size 0. Someone that has class, and loves things for the simplicity that they are. She has taught me SO much about life, and she doesn't even know it.


There are a MILLION things I can be grateful to the show for. And my words aren't coming to me right now so I shall end it with this....


"For now, I say goodbye to this chapter in my life. And I look forward to what comes next..."


I will NEVER love a show or be so protective of a show like I was/am with One Tree Hill. It changed my life just as it changed so many others. The Rivercourt can be symbolic of One Tree Hill in the opening quote said by none other than Marvin "Mouth" McFadden. So many lost souls found their way to better days with this show, so many friendships were made, and so many lives were changed. So... Goodnight to reading spoilers because I can't wait for the episodes to air. Goodnight to spending countless hours on the internet trying to dig up any scoop I don't yet know about the show. Goodnight to spending countless hours watching filming in hopes of meeting my role models. #GoodnightTreeHill