Cake please...

As great as our Canadian society is here, and it really is great, there is at least one thing we have yet to figure out. In all of the strides we have made towards gender equality, we have not yet effectively answered the question of what exactly a woman is to choose - a career or a family, or an attempt to successfully juggle both.

As I write this, I am 25 and well, not quite sure what to do about the fork in the road I see up ahead. It frustrates me that men don't have this choice to make. OF COURSE there are huge responsibilities and life changes when choosing to be a father but let's be real here, what 25-year-old male is spending this much time and energy trying to decide if to pursue his dream career or to have a family. OF COURSE there are many examples of strong women who masterfully balance both a lucrative career and a rewarding family life. But why is it that when I talk about going back to school to pursue what I really want to pursue, almost everyone gives me the same suggestive smile and asks, "that's so great, how brave, but what about starting a family?"

So I'm 25 and utterly confused. I want to go back to school, perhaps for upwards of 7 years, and I want a family. While I'm still young, it's only a matter of time before the clock starts ticking. This doesn't feel like a choice at all. So, ladies, gents, how does a little lady have her cake and eat it too?

To hell with stoicism...

So it's been almost two months since my last post and that's pretty indicative of how the summer has been. After graduating in April, I spiraled into some weird, lonely state of contemplation. I didn't want to do anything, see anyone, and I definitely didn't have any interest in blogging. But last night I saw Julie & Julia, a movie that pretty much could have been written about me, and I am fully stealing the idea - blogging about some arbitrary self-imposed challenged to sort out a less than ideal period in life. So, in the name of foregoing my stoic ways, I embark on yet another challenge...

The mission of this challenge: figure out what I need to do to feel satisfied. In essence, to figure out my joy.

(Note to reader: I live in a world surrounded by people who know their passion with every ounce of themselves - the bloody musicians, artists, and philantropists - so to even state my last sentence is a tad strange and embarrassing... oh well!) :)

Okay, so, the rules for the next year... and they are intentionally meant to be fun:

1. Because I love cooking... I will cook my way through the following cookbooks: Heidi Swanson's "Super Natural Cooking"; Nigelle Lawson's "Nigelle Bites"; and one section of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child (one section because the book is huge and I don't ever want to eat beef jello. Gross!)
2. Because I love to read... I shall continue with my classics reading list.
3. Because I love yoga... I promise to go to at least one yoga class every single week. End of story.
4. Because I absolutely adore movies... I will go to the movies at least once a month AND will watch at least 25 of these: http://www.filmsite.org/momentsindx1.html
5. Because I love anything and everything to do with wine... I will finally learn about wine!
6. And of course, I will blog - not every day because who has time for that... and who wants to read that?!! - but at least once at week.

After so many years of insanity, let the year of narcissistic fun begin! Yippie! :)