jenerrant

[jenerrant]

My 8 Tips to Live a Budget Wedding Fairytale

Work out a list of needs, musts, wants, would-be-nices. Book and work things out in that order.

It is “engagement season”. Marked by stories and pictures of proposals by the tree, or under the New Year’s fireworks, this is the time of the year where there is a flurry of excitement for nuptials to come.For me, it is a reminder of what excitement I had and reliving it through others. It is incredible to be asked to spend the rest of your life with someone, and even more thrilling to say YES!…

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The Best Financial Decision I Ever Made

The Best Financial Decision I Ever Made

When I first joined cruise ships, I told myself that once I paid my loans off, I would be done. Of course, being a doe-eyed, 21-year-old being let loose into the big-wide world, I didn’t always save every penny- and thank goodness for that.When I went out, my mom and dad told me that it is important to save but it is also important to have fun and enjoy myself. Enjoy myself I did. Port days,…

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“What now?”- One Year On

“What now?”- One Year On

One year ago, today we put on our last production of OVO.The last time I went a year without putting on a show, I was in elementary school. 12 years of transition from “afterschool extracurricular” to a career with passion. Few people can be so lucky.One year ago, today we were laid off from our jobs. Entertainment collapsed in literal minutes and the idea of touring shows now is laughable.“What…

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Veggie February

February: a nice short month. Ideal for trying new things and sticking to a timeline.We (read: I) decided to go a month without meat (aside from what we already had in our arsenal- we don’t waste food in the Johnston-Marr household).Chris and I had already decreased our meat intake after watching Sir David Attenborough’s A Life on Our Planet on Netflix. If you haven’t seen it, I HIGHLY recommend…

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"Ignorance is Bliss" meet the Serenity Prayer

“Ignorance is Bliss” meet the Serenity Prayer

Ignorance is Bliss is a proverb that is defined as “If one is unaware of an unpleasant fact or situation, one cannot be troubled by it”. The idea of ignorance being bliss is not a new one, but it is one that I think is very prevalent today. With the world being as turbulent as it is and has been for so long, it is very inviting to want to switch off the news or simply not talk about it.Although…

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The Canadian and American Adoption of Cultural Identity

The Canadian and American Adoption of Cultural Identity

Being raised in Canada, it was common to have school assignments around your cultural identity and ethnic background. This could include family trees, a lunchtime potluck, or a simple presentation of where your family comes from. Canada is a mosaic of cultures. At a very young age of 153 and having essentially slaughtered any housed tradition of the land on a national scale, being a Canadian is…

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Chinese New Year- A Reflection

I didn’t give China a fair shake. THERE. I SAID IT.

I didn’t give China a fair shake. THERE. I SAID IT. All this time I have said with confidence that I didn’t like China and that I would never EVER go back. So, what’s changed? Simply put…I did.I went to China to work out of a cruise terminal in Shanghai a few years back- that is strike number one. Cruisers, regardless of nationality, are, as a general rule, difficult people.Now, before you…

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This One is For The Dreamers

This one goes out to the dreamers. The trailblazers. The chance-takers.

This one goes out to the dreamers. The trailblazers. The chance-takers. This one goes out to those fighting against the current of a world not built for them, a world that now more than ever before has branded you foolish for your “insecurity”.

A pre-covid world was already hard enough for those who dared to go against the norm. The atypical was doubted, sneered at, often judged by those close…

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Why do I travel?

Why do I travel?

I tend to surprise people with my travel experience. I am unsure if it has to do with my age or maybe the town I grew up in… whatever it may be people love to talk about it. Often prompted by the map that is permanently inked on my arm, or more recently my unusual resume, I will get compliments, questions, and opinions by various strangers. It is often a conversation starter at parties or an…

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Blacks

Today, I wore blacks. Not uncommon attire for theatre professionals to wear, that is our uniform after all. We wear black shoes, black socks, black bottoms, and a black shirt-meant to be unseen or draw little to no attention. Today, I wore blacks. Not uncommon attire for someone in mourning. This is to show respect for what has been lost. It could be a person, it could be an entire industry.

Toda…

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Today I announce that I have earned my HBCmS Today I announce that I have earned my HBCmS. My Honours Bachelor of Chris Marr Studies.

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Stillness Stillness fills the air of my backyard in Southern Ontario. As I sway in my swing-seat, I hear the distant sounds of cars and the odd train horn echoing through the buildings that scatter this urban landscape.

[jenerrant]

(I'm)Patient

(I’m)Patient

I like to think of myself as a patient person. I have no problem waiting in lines or for service at a restaurant, I will do my best to teach others no matter how long it takes, and I don’t mind giving up my time to others. This quarantine has shown me that I am not as patient as I once naively thought I was. We have grown accustomed to a “now” society. Amazon Prime essentially has your order on…

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Mice and Men

The biggest thing that derailed us was not COVID-19. *opinion*

One way track: You’ve landed a decent job, maybe landed an interview. Your love life is good, maybe that guy you swiped right to is actually a decent human being and you’re going to see him again for the third time. That trip is booked, the one you’ve saved for and had posted pictures of at your desk for motivation to get through a bad day. You finally joined the gym after a long time of putting…

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Tomorrow Sometimes life gets a little busy… okay sometimes life gets a lot busy.You know those periods of time where you are constantly trudging forward, head down, just busting your way through task after task?

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I am thinking about the dreams I had, the dreams I have and the time gone by. A few years ago, near Christmastime, my Dad and I went walking around Home Sense. For those who don’t know me, I…

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I’m a nervous flyer. There, I’ve said it.

I’m a nervous flyer. There, I’ve said it.

I have grown to hate flying. Not a great trait for somebody who needs to travel for a living and live out of a suitcase… I don’t know where it has come from. Maybe it is the news outlets, articles, my anxiety disorder… something inside me tells me that it isn’t right anymore. I have taken my fair share of flights in my day, the longest being 17 hours (Toronto to Tokyo) and the shortest being 35…