Remember to Breathe...

As many of you know, or those who have been reading my blog for awhile, I was born in Alberta, Canada. For the most part, my entire family originates from Canada. My family moved to San Diego when I was only three years old, so San Diego is home to me. 

But every time I visit Canada, I can't help but feel a strong connection to my history, my past, and feel like, it to is my Country. It as well has a sense of home to it. I grew up hearing stories of my parents upbringing, how my mother was on the hockey team, ski racing team (and many more teams actually!)... how she dearly misses being able to order fries and gravy.

How my dad spent six months out of the year living and working in one of the most beautiful National Parks I have ever seen at his family's hotel. How they lived in the farm lands, how they skied, and played in the daylight until as late as ten at night.

While the smell of the salty ocean brings back memories of my childhood, the lavish beauty of mother natures finest forests and landscape are what hold my family history's memories.

I often wonder how I would be different had I been raised in Alberta versus San Diego. Would I be that different? How much of our ancestors get passed down to us anyways? While I have debated the little differences that would probably have come from being raised in two very different places, I can't help but feel like I got the best of both worlds. While I have my own love for the sea, the canyon lands, and beach coast, I also get to have a connection and love for the mountains and vast wild life that my family has so long been apart of.

At the end of the day, God's earth is the world's finest master piece. The beauty of all the forms of mother nature is seriously breathtaking, and not to be taken lightly. Just felt like sharing these thoughts along with this beautiful video of my home land, my history and heritage, and the message to Remember to Breathe.

Life is meant to be enjoyed. Don't miss out on the moments of beauty that surround us in our everyday lives. 
Remember where you come from. Remember God's beauty. 
Remember to Breathe.

*For those of you wanting to visit Canada, you should also check out British Columbia, my grandparents live in Nanaimo and I must say, that part of Canada is probably one of THE most beautiful places I have ever been.

Lots of Love.

Today I am doing a guest post over at the wonderful blog Cardigan Empire where I will be joining the Beauty-full Tuesday series.
I feel so lucky because so many amazing women have been apart of this :) 
So check it out!

 ALSO
 Just in case you guys didn't have the chance to see the
series I was apart of called Women Who Love.

I wanted to share what I wrote, here on my blog!

Alycia

Age: 22

Love: History and Traveling

How long have you been studying history?

Technically I have been studying history since I started school right? History has always been one of my favorite classes in school, along with all of the Social Studies courses. This is why I decided to get a Social Science Teaching Major along with a History Teaching Minor. I get to study history, geography, politics, government and anything else you can imagine when it comes to people, places and how those relate to each other.

How has studying history made a positive impact on the rest of your life?
I believe that the more you understand a person’s history and culture, the better you can relate to them. I guess my love for history really comes from a love for people.

How has it given you confidence?

I believe that being informed and educated about the world you live in empowers you. When you know where you came from, you have a better idea of where you are going, and what you want to do.

What's your favorite memory of learning about history?

My favorite memory is probably when I was on a bus traveling through Japan. Our tour guide was amazing and she told us old Japanese tales while we traveled to different places. I learned so much about Japanese culture and the people through those stories.

Your favorite historical story?

Oh there are too many to choose! I think for a long time I was most fascinated with Roman history and their stories. Roman history is straight out of a movie, which is why there are probably so many! When I was in Rome I got to see the coliseum. A lot of people know that they use to have gladiator death fights there, but what most people don’t know is that they also would fill the coliseum up with water, put boats in there and have actual pirate battles! Incredible.

Has learning history impacted your love for traveling and culture?

I would almost say that my love for traveling and culture impacted my love for history. When I was in the 7th grade I won a writing contest and was able to be an exchange student in Japan. At the young age of 13 my eyes were astonished at this culture that was presented to me, it was so different from my world. Being there sparked something inside of me that made me want to learn more about other places and people. I developed a strong desire to see and learn about all the other places out there and to meet people different from me. Since then I have been able to travel many other places. So for I have mostly been around Europe, but I can’t wait to see even more!

This love of history is something I want to share with others, which is why I want to teach. I think it is so important for kids to know about their country, their rights, and their ancestors’ stories. In my opinion, understanding your Government and History are vital elements in helping young students figure out what they really want in their lives and in their futures. It helps them figure out who they are.

Do you have any advice for women interested in learning more about history?

Sometimes people think of history and think “boring.” But there are so many avenues that relate to history that are so exciting. I think it is important for women (and everyone) to learn about their families’ histories and the worlds histories so we can continue to learn and grow. I think it is also important to celebrate our successes and unite with people from different parts of the world. Not everyone can travel the world, not everyone can go back to school and learn more about history. But there are specific things women can do every day to play an active role in their learning and growing and participating in history. I think women should be knowledgeable in politics, and VOTE! We didn’t always use to have this right, and it is such a valuable one that helps shape our nation. Women can also document and put together family histories that can be passed down to generations where we can learn about our ancestors, and the things they did for us and their country. I also think women in America can take advantage of the fact that there are such a variety of cultures here to learn from. Women should gather together and have culture nights where they cook and share stories about where they are from and where they come from. Share traditions, stories, culture, celebrate LIFE.

In one sentence, what are your feelings about the importance of learning about history?

Understanding the history of countries, peoples, and places will help you learn how to understand and relate to others, as well as teaching you lessons that have already been taught, that will hopefully make you a better person.