Life in Moncton

It's been a little over a week I moved into my new city.  I have gone trough all sorts of emotions. It is a much bigger life change than I anticipated.   Let me explain...

People are really nice here... and always ready to help you out...  We even had someone offering to help us empty the truck...  but there was so little stuff and I was so surprised by this offering that I said "no thanks, it's all good".  People on the street and bus drivers are always ready to offer you help when you seem lost...  We even had several people say "hi" to us for apparently no other reasons then we are human! THAT I am not use to... in Montreal, you can go by the same people day after day and NEVER you or they will say anything! I even had people stop me on the street to say they love the way I dress and asked me where I bought them! :-)

All this is really good, but also quite demanding to me... in the sense that I grew up in a city where you can go unnoticed for all your life if you wish to or if you don't make sufficient efforts not to!

I will give myself 21 days as one of my best friend suggested!

The other thing is Moncton is much smaller then Montreal.  No surprise there. The public transit system is actually much better then I anticipated but works very differently then what I am use to.  Instead of "streets", bus lines are by circuit. Using 2 of the main circuits you can actually go from one end of Moncton to the   other in about 30 minutes! That is great!  And there is air conditioning.  All greater Moncton is covered by public transit from early morning to late evening - but not night! Buses are actually ON TIME! Funny thing:  when you want to go out at a station, you ring the bell but you stay seated until the bus stop!  Not use to that.

Being such a small place, and my family being such great walkers, we can actually cover most places we need to go to by walking! Much cheaper then public transit in the long run and serve as exercise!

We can actually find all we need within no too long walking distance: groceries, pharmacy, health food store, vege/vegan restaurants, and even some vegan friendly restaurants! People here are NOT surprise when you say you are vegan and they actually know what you mean!  THIS was a shock to me.

I have walked, over  the last week, more then ever I think. I also realise that everything we really need is close but everything we want to avoid is further! Like shopping places! We either have to walk 10 minutes and take the bus for 15 min or walk 50 min to get to a shopping area! This is great for us who wish to cut down on time spent shopping! Way to go minimalism.

Another thing that surprised me in a good way is the Moncton Market.  It was much bigger then I expected and much more diversified then I assumed. I know where I will be spending my Saturday mornings for the next 51 weeks! ...at least...

Last but not least, the lake view is AMAZING! I love watching the sunset and the quiet water in the morning.  I also found where I will be doing my yoga outside without too much disturbance: but a few baby ducks and baby geese.

This week we are planning at having a look at the Centennial Park and the River front park.  Two huge green areas close by my apartment. Lots to do there apparently.

Also still looking for jobs...  but there has been some development there.

All in all, we are adapting quite well.  We still need to find other ways then walking downtown to spent time - as downtown takes about 1h to cover!

Up until now this is a positive experiment. We'll see what comes next! One day at a time!

thanks for reading!and please share if you like this blog!!!

love&peace,
nath
xox
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#108 days - 7 done/101 to go!

 

 

Hello!!!

Long time no « speak »…

I missed this blog… I love writing on it and having no internet connection beside my phone was not working well for me.  Now, everything is back to normal and therefore I will resume with my usual writing habit!

On Friday, this blog is dedicates to my #108 days project.  As you probably know, today marks the end of week one.

In terms of my challenge, it was not the busiest and scariest one and next week isn’t either.

I have used this first week to move to a new city and a new province. It has been challenging, not in terms of #108 days, but in terms of adaption to a completely new city… and a completely different one. Some parts have been going well other are a little more challenging but that’s OK.  I am taking what comes my way as it does.  Trying not to create expectations.  That was part of the reason for moving – to get out of my usual habit, expectations and deceptions.  To take on new things, challenges and create a new life.  You can’t create anything new when you’re stuck in old molds.

For every day life, I have grocery store right near by, walking distance. This is all we really need on a regular basis.  I also have a wonderful view with a park and a lake right across the street. There are plenty of ducks, gooses, a blue heron and many other birds.

For week end and special occasions, there is a Starbucks, 15 min walking distance.

And there is a vegetarian restaurant 20 min walking distance – a little pricey but I have yet 2 more to try.

I have been surprised that grocery is a little cheaper then in Montreal – this is good news.

I also have been surprised that for a city that is 3 times smaller then Montreal, everything is so well scattered that everything is close and far at the same time – I will need to plan my “trips” better in order to avoid walking useless steps. Not that I ming walking but wasting time because I did not plan well is NOT my favorite!

Last but not least of the surprise, even though I had never visited the apartment before renting it is in GREAT condition, everything was painted and clean AND it suits us perfectly! Having visited it, I would have chosen the exact same one!

What kept us busy this week:

1)      Setting up our new place – we’re all done!  Only need to get a dining table. The rest will stay as is. As per my rules, dining table needs to be used!  We already located a antique store and I will also be looking on Craiglist, kijiji and Freecycle. In a later post, I will share pictures of my new place with you guys. Pictures of my place will follow in another blog post...

2)      Setting up internet connection – this has been surprisingly difficult as there was some issues with the modem they sent me.

3)      Figuring out where to get what.  We walked countless number of hours to see what is within walking distance and what will need public transit.  And when I say countless numbers of hours, I am not exaggerating – for example, on one day we took 2 hours 30 minutes to make it to the area where there’s the mall, Chapters, movies and Bulk Barn. Of course we did a few stop on the road but still, we took the bus back home!

4)      Figured out how public transit work – surprisingly quite easy, efficient and cheaper then Montreal – and MUCH LESS crowded!

5)      Got our membership at the library and took out some books

6)      Started looking for jobs

Nonetheless, I have managed to follow most of my rule most of the time.

-          Did my daily journaling

-          Wrote in my “642 things to write about” every day but Wednesday

-          No processed crap except for a small bag of chips at Subway when we got to Moncton and were done unloading the truck – it was 3pm and we didn’t had lunch yet. I know it’s no excuse and I am not trying to find one.  I cheated. Period.

-          No eating something else then fruits after 7pm except for 5 dark chocolate coated almonds on Thursday night.

-          Posted daily pictures on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook of my journey with #108daystoanewlife

All in all it has been a good first week.  I am expecting week 2 to be similar…. A little disorganised and all over the place. But hey, that’s what happens when you decide upon making such a big move.

thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!


love&peace,
nath
xox
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https://twitter.com/NathalieBriseb1
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#108 days - the night before

My #108daystoanewlife will start tomorrow... yikes!

I am currently very tired as I have been working on getting everything ready for tomorrow... the big move to Moncton! We're all set now! 

It was a very long day!!! 

I can't wait to start this project!
I can't wait to start a new life in a new city!

I have had very good feedback up until now about the #108 days and I know some people have started their own summer challenge! This is amazing!

At this time, the 3 things I am more anxious about are:

1) getting my hair to their natural color
2) getting the tattoo
3) not eating any processed food (chips, cookies, crackers) for 108 days - not that I eat a lot but every now and then some chips are fun to eat!

the other thing I realise today when I was doing some last minute shopping is that today is the last day I can actually buy something non-essential... and even though I was really tempted, while at Old Navy, to just buy something because then I really can't for 108 days, I resisted because there really was nothing I needed! I had selected a few items and I was walking around in the store with them and I finally put them back and left...  I really no longer feel like buying just for buying...  it doesn't make me feel good anymore. Not even for a few minutes.

Ok so this is it for today... I am off to bed!!!  Finally!

Tomorrow is the start of a new adventure!

thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!


love&peace,
nath
xox
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Green, Green, Quinoa

Hello!

Even though I am moving in less then 48h, I wanted to share with you 3 recipes... they are currently my favorite salads! I think they are great for potluck, BBQ season and long week end at the country house...  They can be made in big batches and served in quite a few different ways to avoid feeling like you're always eating the same thing over and over again!

In all cases, dressing is the same:  olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, pepper and salt.

1) Colorful green salad

I wanted this salad to have all the colors of the rainbows....  and it does... or almost!

There is cucumber, orange bell pepper, radishes, tomatoes, fresh parsley and fresh coriander.

Now you can serve this salad with : orzo, walnuts and chickpeas.  It is just delicious! And so nutritious!

Of course, you can use your imagination to add anything you'd like to it....  I am just giving you my preferences! Any nuts or seeds would do...  baked tofu cubes would be amazing...  even if they are still warm! You could add shredded vegan cheese or parmesan... do not hesitate!  This is why I love salads so much: you can almost never mess them up!

2) This one really is green... greens are so good for you!!!

It is made up of: cucumber, green bell pepper. celery, fennel, fresh parsley and coriander.

Of course you could add color... or protein...  can you imagine adding cubes of avocado?  or pumpkin seeds?  You keep the green color and add even more nutritional value! What about green olives???

I like to serve this with brown rice or on the side of veggie burgers: usually top with sunflower seeds. 

 

 

3) Quinoa salad

 

For this one, I will refer you to another blog on which I write every Thursday as a guest...  I have included all the alternative on there too... to be quite honest, this is my favorite one...  It's more fun to play with and it can also be served as is as the quinoa already does include loads of  proteins.

 

You can get recipe for this one here:  www.veganrestaurantfinder.com/blog

 

Any options/alternative you would make to those salads?  It could be interesting to share.... 

 

 

thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!


love&peace,
nath
xox
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https://twitter.com/NathalieBriseb1
http://www.pinterest.com/briseboisnathal/boards

 



The paradox of time

Today was my uncle funeral.  It was a very emotional day.  I cried... and laughed... and cried some more....  but I know he is much happier that way... He was not happy without his beloved wife with whom he spent some 55 years...

My uncle had told every one that when he died, he wanted a single white rose... as a result, he got dozens of them... and he shared with us.  The above picture is one of those rose.

The only thing I want to add, is that the poem below was read at the funeral and I know it resonated with him... and it does with me too. I want to share it with you guys and in turn hope you'll share too! 

I could not find who actually wrote it as the Internet attributes it to 3 different authors... but in any case, it is lovely and thank you to the author.


The paradox of time


The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, yet more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less. These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; big men and small character; steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce; fancier houses but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.

Who will share? Who will hit delete?

thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!


love&peace,
nath
xox
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https://twitter.com/NathalieBriseb1
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Mixed feelings

As I start writing this on Monday June 16th, the day is pretty much over...  therefore, there are 4 complete days left in Montreal for me.  The upcoming week is CRAZY!!!  And quite frankly, I do not know how I will pull this through...  and I wanted to not write on this blog until Friday to give me more time...  but I know this is not what I should do.  Why?

Because when I started this blog on January 2011, I told you guys, but most importantly, I promised myself, that I would always be honest here. I would tell things as they are. Good things and bad things.  Success and set back.  I think I have been doing a pretty good job at it and not writing this week would be a little white lie! I do not have much time to spare but I have things to share... things you guys want to hear about.

I am 4 days away from moving 1000km away from everyone and everything I know (except for my brother). ONLY 4 days!!!  This is bringing all sort of emotions.... and unlike any decision I have announced here or project I tried, moving to Moncton and starting the 108 days is by far the scariest and most challenging one EVER!   The only other things so challenging I may have done in my life were having a son and getting over MS. And even that was not as scary!

For that reason, I have all sorts of emotions...  one minute I feel like bouncing all over the place, the other I want to cry... and yet the other I burst of laughter! 

I am feeling anxious, stress, calm and at peace...  I am scared... and I am confident that this is the right thing for us...  I am happy and exited... and yet sad to leave some people behind... I want to cry and laugh... celebrate and avoid it!  I want to say good bye but not sure how to...  without crying...

I can't wait for this week to be all over and get going...  I think it may be easier once we actually are over in Moncton in the sense that I move on quickly... but this week feel like dragging... my home is a mess..... there is almost no food left...  and not much to do as almost everything is packed away.
And yet, I am so busy... with last minute errands to run...  a funeral... an appointment at the SPA (Christmas gift), 2 more friends meeting...  and tying some loose ends.... and NONE of that I want to cancel...  I NEED to do it!

This is basically my state of mind for today... and all I can write about. I have many things in my mind right now but I do not want to bore you with stupid "to do" lists...

One thing is for sure though, I would never have done this not being a minimalist.... just thinking about moving that far in an apartment I do not even know of what size with ALL my stuff from before would have been impossible for me to do! It would have driven me crazy. Minimalism ROCKS!!!  And it opens up many more doors I didn't even knew existed.

One last thing, as my 108 days challenge start at the end of this week, I have decided to be more organized with my posting on the blog.  Therefore here's the schedule starting this Friday.

Monday: anything about life - similar to what you're used to with me
Tuesday: something about minimalism - home, clothes, shopping, activities...
Thursday: still my Vegan day - minimalist vegan of course
Friday: my 108 days project - update of the week and plan for next one

If you want to follow the blog, you can do so by registering here, following me on Google+,  Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.  All blog post are announced in all those social medias. Links are below.

If you want to follow closely the 108 days challenge, you can do so on Instagram as every day I will post a picture of my 108 days there with #108daystoanewlife - if you do not have Instagram you can either get it or wait for the pictures on Fridays and an occasional one on Facebook.
If you started a similar project on your own, do not hesitate to use the hashtag so that I can be aware of it...  it would be fun to know that I am not alone on this crazy project!


thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!


love&peace,
nath
xox
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http://www.facebook.com/MinimalistVeganNath
https://twitter.com/NathalieBriseb1
http://www.pinterest.com/briseboisnathal/boards

#108days - The inspiration

Hello!

Friday means writing about my #108 days project!

I am really exited by this project and the feedback I am getting thus far. I didn't even start the 108 days and people are expressing their enthusiasm for it.

This is starting in 8 days!  On June 21st.  The day on which I am leaving Montreal and Quebec as a place to live.

I wanted to do this to get a good start to my new life in Moncton, New-Brunswick. There are quite a bit of challenges awaiting me there and I want this to be a positive experience.  I figured out that sharing the first 108 days with your guys would help me!

Last week I have shared my rules with you.  You can read them here if you missed it.

In that post I said that the rules, from now on could not change.  I really meant could not become less...  I can add if I want to!  ;-)
Therefore today, I want to share with you a new rule and a "maybe" rule... 

1) For 21 days, there will be no television - now I already do not have cable but I will not be allowed to watch Netflix either. Not even on my phone! Giving Netflix and the black box a break!
2) Currently thinking about doing a "raw till 4" period -most likely 7 days. Only need to figure out which 7 days it will be.

As for my inspiration for this challenge they are:

1) Liz Gilbert with Eat, Pray,Love.  What she did inspired me and I wish I could do that. Being realistic, I can't do it at this time of my life therefore I will play around with it.  However the goal is similar...  by turning in, and going out of my comfort zone, I hope I'll be able to answer a few more questions I have about my life.

2)Yasmin Yoga - my yoga teacher for 2 years.  She did a 108 sun salute for 108 days a few years back.  It changed her life. I am hoping for some changes.  I love my life as is but some spheres could be improved.  I will work on that.

3) Tasmanian minimalist - she decided to not buy anything for a whole year!  I will aim for 108 days.... and add more to it. Hopefully I will take care of the remaining issues I have with shopping.  I have already addressed most of it but in case of stress or negative emotions, this is still a "go to" activity for me. Moving to a new city and a new province will bring me lots of happy moments but I am not naive.... there will be stress and sadness.... and it will require adaptation.  I do not want to go back to my old shopping pattern because of those emotions.

4) #100happydays - On Instagram, a few people are posting picture of their happy moment for the day...  I think this will help me concentrate to the positive side of this big life change.

5) The happiness project - no need to add a lot to that. She took a year to be happier, I will try and do it in 108 days. It is not a competition... it is just the time period my schedule is allowing me!

6) The art of non-conformity - I will take some of his stuff to include in my life.  At 41, I still tend to care way to much what other people think of my life.  It's time I grow up and live my life... the way I want to...  the way I see it deep down inside of me.  Who cares about what such and such have to say?

So this is it... my inspiration for this 108 days...

Hopefully you will follow me in this adventure and give me feedback...  Honest feedback! 

thanks you, thank you, thank you!

thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!


love&peace,
nath
xox
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https://twitter.com/NathalieBriseb1
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