Reverb 10 | Prompt 23 | New Name

December 23 – New Name

"Let’s meet again, for the first time. If you could introduce yourself to strangers by another name for just one day, what would it be and why? (Author: Becca Wilcott)"

Well I really like my name "Katie" but my legal name is Katherine so really I wouldn't change a thing.

I always introduce myself at Katie but will also answer to Kate.

Short and sweet! Nothing to see here!! :)

Reverb 10 | Prompt 22 | Travel

December 22 – Travel

"How did you travel in 2010? How and/or where would you like to travel next year? (Author: Tara Hunt)"

{Future Tool: New Year’s Goal Questions for No-Goals Creatives from Jeffrey Davis. For the next 10 days as you round out your year, the Reverb 10 Crew and Jeffery Davis we’ll share one tool each day to help you plan your year ahead.}

Travel as always been a big thing for me and something I can never get enough of! It has been way to long since I have been back to Europe and I am dying to go back but I do not think it is in the cards for 2011 and that is okay there are many there places I can venture for 2011 and have great experiences.

This is where I traveled in 2010

• July: London, ON/St. Jacob's Road Trip & San Francisco for HR Star Conference
  
• August: Florida with BF's Family
• October: Frankenmuth, MI with BF's Brother & Blue Mountain for Company Retreat
• December: Cancun with friend's from Work
  

Not the longest or most exciting list but sometimes I think I expect too much when it comes to traveling since I have been so blessed in previous year's. I sometimes think I worry to much with the actually destination rather than actually trying to make the most of where I am at the present. So many local places have a so much to offer and I really want to take advantage of that this year. I also want to travel more with work, below is my wish list of places I would like to travel to in 2011.

Boston
Las Vegas
San Diego
Jamaica
Quebec City (been before but would love to go back with the BF again)
New York (want to take the BF!)
Waterloo (for Oktoberfest)

I think that list is long enough since I am also trying to save for a down payment for my first house!!

Reverb 10 | Prompt 21 | Future Self

December 21 – Future Self

"Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?) (Author: Jenny Blake)"

Advice I would give myself a 5 years from now...
- Be patience and enjoy the journey with the ones you love!
- Make the best with the life you got, you are lucky and have the world at you finger tips.
- Remember you are not defined but what you have but what you bring to others.
- You may think life is complicated now but enjoy it because there is a lot lying ahead of you!
- You are strong, believe that!

Signing off for now,
Future Self :)

Reverb 10 | Prompt 20 | Beyond Avoidance

December 20 – Beyond Avoidance

"What should you have done this year but didn’t because you were too scared, worried, unsure, busy or otherwise deterred from doing? (Bonus: Will you do it?) (Author: Jake Nickell)"

I have been avoiding fitness.... I should be active 2-3 weeks but instead I find myself sleeping in and making excuses for why I can't make it to the gym or get on my Wii for a 30 minute workout. I have really let myself down in 2010 but I will be expecting more from myself in 2011!

I will take control of my health and take no excuses! Here I state my commitment to Move More and Eat Less! I am taking on the challenge by Cathy Zielske and going to commit to myself and my body for better health in 2011.

If you are interested in joining me on this challenge check out Cathy's Blog Post here and get you "Move More Eat Less" journal here. I will be blogging about my progress over the next 12 months.

Reverb 10 | Prompt 19 | Healing

December 19 – Healing

"What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011? (Author: Leonie Allan)"

What did I heal in 2010.... I feel like I have had the opposite effect this year. I have found a real difference in the way my body has been interacting with the outside world. With each cut, blister or bruise I have gotten on this year I feel like they linger longer then past year's. I am wondering if this is a sign that I am officially getting older... this scares me. Or maybe this is a sign that I need to improve my health and there is hope for me to regain my recovery rate.

Nonetheless this has triggered something new in me for 2011. I want to bring wellness into my lifestyle to ensure that I heal my body has a whole. To do this I want to have it as a drip by drip evolution so it becomes second nature to me;

I will make better food choices
Cut down/out artificial foods and preservatives
I will integrate yoga into my life 2 times a week
I will run two times and week
I will laugh on a regular basis :)

Stay tuned for my blog posts on fitness in the coming year : )

Reverb 10 | Prompt 18 | Try

December 18 – Try

"What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did / didn’t go for it? (Author: Kaileen Elise)"

Wow this is a tough one since I really pushed a lot of my limits in 2010 and left no stone unturned...

But something I have been working on for some time is my patience; for others, in my relationship and with myself. I worked on this quite a lot in 2010 but feel like I fell short on more occasions than I would like to say. I found myself fustrated with others where really I was more frustrated with myself and my short comings.

I want to be able to except the people in my life as they are and appreciate all they have to offer. I want to be able to except the journey I am in and not rush to reach the final destination, but enjoy what I have not and be patience for what comes next. I do not want to take people for granted in the present since that is all we have.

I will take the challenge on again in 2011 and plan to have more success then I did in 2010. I will know that I have achieved this goal because the people in my life will be at ease in my presence and I will feel at ease with myself. There will be a space for me to have joy within the relationships I have currently and new relationships on 2011.

Reverb 10 | Prompt 17 | Lesson Learned

December 17 – Lesson Learned

"What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward? (Author: Tara Weaver)"

Biggest thing I learned about myself this year... I learned that I can do anything if I put my mind to it. Over the past year I have found a strength in myself that pushed me through the transition I made from engineering to event planner and I am only just getting started.

Going forward I am going to use this strength to push myself to live BIG, no more with excuses or why I can't do something and play it small. I know if I put my mind to it I can do it!

Reverb 10 | Prompt 16 | Friendship

December 16 - Friendship

"How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst? (Author: Martha Mihalick)"

I am not sure if I could boil this down to one person but more to the change/additions of friends I have added to my community.

Working in 2009 I worked in an office that I just didn't seem to fit, I would here of others talking abut their friends they had at work or meeting for drinks after work and I just didn't get it, I didn't have that. For the longest time I had assumed that socializing at work was not the norm, or at least not the norm in my industry. Even though I told myself this I still felt like something was missing from my work life and I felt lonely each day.

I realized that work was where I was spending the most of my time and I was lacking true interaction other than the daily meetings and shop talk.

So I needed a change and that change came when I starting working in the event planning world. I was meeting people left, right and center. Connecting on facebook, twitter and coffee dates. I found myself with a social network that was also my industry community. This was all very new to me and I am still treading water but I am liking it. I am in a place now where I can be one whole person and not work Katie and Social Katie.

Sop in 2011 I am going to concentrate on being the best person I can be, one whole and complete person!

Here's to friends in all areas of your life!

Reverb 10 | Prompt 15 | 5 Minutes

Okay so here I go, I am about to catch up on all my reverb posts from Dec 15th to Dec 23rd!!!! So here come a whole lot of posts today : ) Please keep coming back to read the posts and leave comments!

December 15 - 5 Minutes

"Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010. (Author: Patti Digh)"

Wow I found this one tough but here it is!

The most memorable or life changing moment I want to remember from 2010 is the moment I received the phone call from my current employer. It was a moment that excelled me forward for 2010. I had just come back from my first yoga class at 889 Younge Yogo and Wellness studio and I was feeling energized and at peace with where I was in my life. I had taken a leap of faith to follow a new career path in 2009 and what was ahead was unknown but that was okay because I was savoring the journey and learning all I can from each person I was meeting along the way. As I walked into the Bay & Bloor subway entrance next to the Starbuck's my phone rang. I was jolted with excitement and anticipation. The excitement was then greeted with great news that I was being offered a position as a full time event coordinator! I couldn't believe all the hard work for the last 9 months was paying off.

And here I am today almost 8 months into my new position and I couldn't be happier :)

Life works out in mysterious ways, just trust in yourself to be strong enough to push through and get what you deserve in life :)

Reverb 10 | Prompt 14 | Appreciation

December 14 - Appreciation

"Appreciate What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it? (Author: Victoria Klein)"

As I think about this prompt I am having difficulty thinking of something I appreciate and express gratitude for.... I mean that's not to say I do not appreciate all I have in life. I just do not think I have done a good job expressing gratitude for all that I have. I believe in 2011 I need to open my eyes and change my ways to ensure the people in my life know and understand how important they are to me and my life.

One person that comes to mind is my boyfriend. He has always been on my side and has an uncanny ability to love me unconditionally (something I hope to learn from him) He was my supporter when I made the decision to leave my engineer profession and my cheerleader when I was making my way into the event industry. NO matter what I do or say he is always behind me supporting me.

I couldn't ask for a better person to have in my life and I better person to spend my days with :)

In 2011 I am taking more time out of each day to ensure my boyfriend knows how much he means to me and how lucky I know I am to have him by my side.

Reverb 10 | Prompt 13 | Action

December 13 - Action

"When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step? (Author: Scott Belsky)"

I took sometime to think about this one. I am a do'er so there is always something on the go so and always a next step. But if I had to choose one to focus for 2011 and really make a part of my like it would be my health. I have made it my Personal Top 1 at work to loose 15 pounds. This is not just about loosing the weight but about making a lifestyle change so I am happy about who I am inside and out. I want to make "good choices" when it comes to my health but still enjoy life as well.

My next steps to do this is to integrate both yoga and running back into my life 2 times a week each. I need to utilize my mornings hours to take a run before work in order to both jump start my body and focus myself for the day ahead. Once this is done I am not too concern about the numbers on the scale but the smile it will put on my face.

**I write this blog while sitting in the hotel lobby of Riu Cancun awaiting for my roommates to awake from the afternoon nap : )

One more post to catch up on for Reverb 10!

Reverb 10 | Prompt 12 | Body Integration

December 12 - Body Integration

"This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present? (Author: Patrick Reynolds)"

This year was the first time I tried both Yoga and Hot Yoga. I was amazed how centered and focused I felt as I worked through the exercises and how renewed I felt after the class. I am hoping in 2011 I will integrate yoga regularly into my lifestyle.

I look forward to attending my local yoga studio Moksha Yoga on Wellington hopefully twice a week in the new year. I will be able to find a better me through yoga and allow myself to come back to the ground amongst all the craziness of life. Although I am sure this new habit will drain my wallet... anyone want to sponsor me for my new Yoga lifestyle? : )

Okay fellow reverbers, I am once again caught up! But I am leaving for a 7 day trip to Cancun and not sure how often I will be able to pop onto the internet. But I have made a promise to myself to to get caught up once I get back to Canada!

Reverb 10 | Prompt 11 | 11 Things

December 11 - 11 Things

"11 Things What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life? (Author: Sam Davidson)"

Wow I am loving the concept of this prompt, less see how hard it is to list 11 things to eliminate...

1. Television
2. Being late getting to work in the morning
3. Negativity/Doubt in myself
4. Guilt
5. 15 pounds off my body!
6. Foot pain in my right foot
7. Laziness/Procrastination!!!!!
8. Credit card debt
9. Second thoughts
10. The pile of photos I don't have scrap booked!
11. The need to reach the destination, just enjoy the journey!!

Man this most really got me thinking and brought up something I never really expected!

Reverb 10 | Prompt 10 | Wisdom

December 10 - Wisdom

"What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out? (Author: Susannah Conway)"

A lot of my posts seem to follow a trend... everything relates back to the career change I made in 2009-2010. When I read this prompt there was one thing that came to mind, the decision I made to take the full time Event Associate position at I Love Rewards. (the other wisest decision would of been to leave engineering to pursue a career in Event Management, but this was in May of 2009 so it doesn't count!)

Making this decision changed my world, I went from wearing steel toes to high heels. I traded in my khakis to skinny jeans. My coworkers used to be 15 to 2o years older and now they are my age and even younger. It has been almost 7 months and I get to work in the heart of Liberty Village everyday doing what I love! I get to utilize all my project management, organizational and problem solving skills from my engineering background to a new creative outlet of event management.

I am so excited looking forward as I venture into my new career I see many new possibilities for 2011! Stay tuned...

Reverb 10 | Prompt 9 | Party

December 9 - Party

"Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans. (Author: Shauna Reid)"

Being an event planner you would think I would have a long list of parties that rocked my world in 2010 but the reality I am usually "behind the scenes". This is usually where I prefer to be anyways, so don't feel sorry for me! :)

But one event that I was able to be the "guest" and really represents the full transition I made from engineer to corporate event planner in the city. This was the Film Festival party held at Kultura in Toronto. It was the end event for the 2 days client event I did at for work. I worked hard for months to assist on this large annual event and was up for hours on the days of the event. Then on the Friday night myself and the fellow event planner had a hair and makeup artist meet us at our hotel to get us all dolled up! We both had purchased brand new dresses and shoes. After about 2.5 hours we were ready to meet the other girls and head out to the party to meet the rest of the company and guests.


It was the first time in months I was able to just relax, have all expenses paid night out and get to know my fellow co workers. It was a blast and I night I will never forget.

Reverb 10 | Prompt 8 | Beautifully Different

December 8 - Beautifully Different

"Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful. (Author: Karen Walrond)"

Wow this is a hard one since I tend to be a person who can at times shy away from being different. For many year's in my life I made the choice to blend in over standing out or making a statement. If I truly want to answer this post I might have to be brutally honest with myself.

- I am a mix of both technical and creative (Engineer by education, Event planner by day and Serial Hobbyist when I find the time!)
- I love the cold and would have my window open all year round if I could
- I am shy but relish in sharing my life on the web
- I love to travel but can really be a hermit at times!!
- I am a bowl of contradictions!

Okay none of these are overly interesting I really can't think of anything overly exciting, sorry guys!

To close this off I would like to share one thing that I think lights people up; This is a tough one but I am going to make it simple and re-iterate what my Mother has told me for year's and I think it is my SMILE :) Thanks Mom!

I think this was the most difficult since I felt like I went in two different directions.

Maybe better luck with tomorrow's prompt....

Reverb 10 | Prompt 7 | Community

December 7 - Community

"Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011? (Author: Cali Harris) "

In 2010 it was the year of the event community and social media.

I have connected to the following communities;
- Special Event Boot Camp
- Twitter within the Scrapbooking world/HR Professionals/Torontonians
- WPIC (Wedding Planning Institute of Canada)
- Big Picture Classes
- Event & Meeting Management graduates
- Hip & Urban Girl TO Blogger network
- Close to my Heart Consultants
- My new coworkers as of May 2010
- My family

In 2011 I would like to push my involvement in the communities I am already listening to or participating in over the last year. But I would also like to push new ground and get connected to the communities below
- #eventprofs on Twitter
- Stitch & Bitch (want to crochet more!)
- Health & Fitness community (running/ yoga class friends)
- Book Club with Work have signed up but has not started)
- Smark Cookie Women Financial meet up group
- Blogher
- GenPink

I feel like I could list 100 things but I think these were be the top ones!

Tia Singh (@tiasparkles) from the #reverb10 community had a great suggestion on Twitter today.

Okay officially caught up! Excited about tomorrows prompt :)

Reverb 10 | Prompt 6 | Make

December 6 - Make
"What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it? (Author: Gretchen Rubin)"

The last thing I made was a wedding album for a friend of mine who was married in October (Yes, it is a very late wedding gift!!) I made the project out of a 8x8 album and makde blank pages with embellishments so she can add her own photos and caption. I can't wait to give it to her. That reminds me I need to take picture and post after I give it as her gift.

There are lots of things I would love to make; I am a serial hobbyist and wanna be DIY'er. I will take on any craft and dive right in! But if I wanted to narrow it down to one thing it would be a scrapbook of my travels to Europe in 2006. It has been so long but I know in the years to come I will wish I had but all my thought into one space so I can share it with my family.

Reverb 10 | Prompt 5 | Let Go

December 5 - Let Go
"What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why? (Author: Alice Bradley)"

I am letting go of the need to say yes to everything that comed my way. I find myself drowning in the guilt of not attending each and every blogger/twitter event and not being out of the house 6 nights a week. I do not need to be at those events to be whole and complete. I am letting go of the guilt and the pressure.

I will prioritize what is important to me and bring my full attendance.

Reverb 10 | Prompt 4 | Wonder

December 4 - Wonder

"How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year? (Author: Jeffrey Davis)"

My drive to travel and see new places feeds my sense of wonder. I have found it hard over the year to kept my sense of wonder alive once I settled into the routine of a full time job. I started to believe that wonder does not exist if routine is present. I am taking on the challenge for 2011 to have a life that is balanced and structured but is still a life that is full of wonder.

Traveling is not just about getting on a plane and going somewhere far far away. Traveling can exist in your own backyard. You must stop taken the simply things in life for granted you never know what you might miss. I choose to be a tourist in my city of Toronto for the year of 2011! That is how i will cultivate a sense of wonder.

Reverb 10 | Prompt 3 | Moment

December 3 - Moment
"Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors). (Author: Ali Edwards)"

In my efforts to catch up on this challenge I need to pump out 5 blog postings today. I am dreading getting this one done because I am drawing a blank... I have experienced a lot over this past year but I feel like it has been internal and more of an inner change then some momentous moment.

So I have taken some time and finally chose the moment when I discovered I was being offered a full time Event planner position.

I began my journey to transition from a career in mechanical engineering to event management in May 2009. I will spare you all the details but I left my previous employer and started attending classes and volunteering in the city to gain as much exposure as possible. Eleven months later, an opportunity became avaiable in the corporate sector to work as an event professional. I was not currently on the job hunt but had a feeling this was an opportunity I could not let pass me by. After having many interviews as an engineer I had technical interviews down pat but I was embarking on something completely different when I entered the building for my meet & greet.

I completed the interview and in the process convinced myself this was the only job for me! I left the buidling feeling confident but unsure what was going to be next. But two days after I received a phone call stating they want to book an appointment to have me come in and look over an offer. I couldn't of been more over the moon! I had just completed a very relaxing and clarifying yoga class and was walking home on the cool crisp night in April. I felt as light as a feather when I heard the news and retrain myself from jumping up and down in the Bay Bloor entrance to the Nike Store. This one moment cemented all the hard work I had put into changing my path to a path I was being lead down to a path I was guiding myself.

After almost 7 months working at my new position I still feel I need to pinch myself.

Reverb 10 | Prompt 2 | Writing

December 2 - Writing

"What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?
(Author: Leo Babauta)"

I do a lot of things that do not contribute to my writing... I have never considered myself a writer or a person who has a way with the English language. I have a degree in mechanical engineering and I haven't written an essay since Grade 8. I do not go out of my way to sit down and write, it has never been a part of who I am. But I believe there is always an opportunity to learn and grow and that is what this blog is for me. With each post I will practice putting my thoughts into word and over 2011 I know I will see an improvement.

So to answer the question... what do I do each day that does not contribute to my writing? EVERYTHING!!! But what I can feel I can eliminate is TV. I can easily exchange an hour of time in front of the tube to sit and share my thoughts.

I am making a commitment to trade in one TV hour for one hour of writing each day for the month of December.

Reverb 10 | Prompt 1 | One Word

Prompt 1 - One Word

"December 1 – One Word. Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you? (Author: Gwen Bell)"

Just one word... I have found this quite challenging since I feel like my life this year was pulled in many directions. I ended one career and started a new one; I moved apartments; I became a student once again and completed a certificate in a field completely different than what I took in university and I branched out to discover the new me.

When I think about all the milestones I have reached in 2010 and the word "Transformation" pops into my head.

I believe transformation has acted both good and bad in my life in the last 12 months. Although my over all opinion would be deeply positive. I feel I have transformed to a person who is aware of the journey I have ahead of me to learn about the new me, the new me who has complete control of how I feel hour by hour. I am responsible for the good and the bad in my life and that is okay, life is what it is and I choose how I feel about it. I have transformed from women who must know all the answers to a women who is excited to see what's next and how I can learn more.

Now that I have conquered my word for 2010 and have reflected what these past 12 months have meant to me I now look forward and create what I want for the next 12 months. Now it gets exciting!!!

I have a positive outlook for the new year but I feel with all the change in 2010 I would love to have a year of balance and happiness. I want to enjoy the small things in life and be grateful for what I have around me.

I have chosen my word to be: Rejuvenation

I want to rejuvenate by health and my body, I was to bring life back to my friendships and relationships I have not paid enough attention to over the year. I have spent the past year focusing on me and my career goals and I think I need to rejuvenate the areas in my life I have been neglecting.

Reverb 10 | Introduction

While blog surfing today I came across a very novel website... and a light came on. I think this is the answer to my new found commitment to starting to blog regularly for 2011 and taking the time for myself to reflect on the past 12 months and to look forward to the great world ahead.

The website is called Reverb 10 and is is a daily blog prompt for the month of December. I think if I had taken to to complete a December daily Album this would be a perfect compliment. But I thought I do what I can and you always have to start somewhere right? :) So this is me starting somewhere. I am 6 days behind already but I am going to catch up and get this going.

Here is what Reverb 10 founder Gwen Bell have to say about there movement;
"Reverb 10 (#reverb10) is now an annual event, an inspired response to (and evolution of) #best09. It’s an open online initiative that encourages participants to reflect on this year and manifest what’s next. It’s an opportunity to retreat and consider the reverberations of your year past, and those that you’d like to create in the year ahead. We’re connected by the belief that sharing our stories has the power to change us. We look forward to reading yours."

Happy December!! Keep coming back for more posts and let me know what you think about reflecting on the past 12 months and getting ready for the new year.

It's Been way too long.....

Hello Blog World!

So as life goes by and time flies I have been neglecting this blog and my personal life as I have being living in the world of transformation this year. There have been many changes in my life and I had hope to document these on my blog over the past 12 months but I have been unsuccessful.

But that is okay, life goes as it goes and I have loved every minute of it!

I still have a urge to share my life and my adventures on this blog. I want to make 2011 the year of recording my thoughts and sharing all the small things in life that make me smile. So I have stumbled upon a little site I think will kick start my creative juices and allow me to bring 2011 in with a bang!

I have join the #reverb10 moment; even though it it s little late. I will catch up on the past 6 days then keep it going until the end of December. Check out the website here.

And keep coming back for more!