Week Twenty Four: Father’s Day Card by Mail.

To follow up last month’s Mother’s Day gesture, I decided to do the same for my papa. My father might not be fully aware of how much of an influence he’s had in my life, but every day I owe him for instilling in me the passion I now have for music and the arts. I also included one of the oldest picks I own in the card to show him my appreciation for taking the time to show me how to play guitar. 

To fathers everywhere, thank you for your continuous inspiration.

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Happy Father’s Day!

G. 

Week Twenty Three: Weeding a Flowerbed at the University of Ottawa.

As I was walking by the University this week, I noticed that the flowerbeds were really starting to flourish. I also noticed that there were some weeds that were taking away from the full potential prettiness of these said beds. I weeded an area, thinking that it might alleviate the landscaper’s work load by just a little the next day. 

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I left with a green thumb and the satisfaction that I might have helped someone out just a bit.

G.

Week Twenty Two: Sending a Card to a Friend’s Family Overseas.

I’ve been feeling rather nostalgic of my travels lately. So this week, I decided to write a nice letter to some people who mean a lot to me overseas to let them know that I was thinking about them.

When I was working in France in the summer of 2011, I decided to make the most of my sojourn and travel around Europe (obviously). I got along really well with one of my coworkers and one long weekend, she invited me along a trip to visit her parents in Saint Jean de Luz in the south western part of France. Her parents were amongst the nicest people I have ever met and accommodated to my every need and then some. They brought me around town, suggested some sites to go see, cooked for me, provided some family recipes and even packed me a lunch so I wouldn’t starve on my way back to Paris on the TGV (the high-speed trains in France). That weekend, I brought them a small gift from Paris to thank them, and have been sending them Christmas cards every year, but I thought it would be nice to send them a small letter two summers later to reiterate how much I appreciated their hospitality.

Instagram: geneseguin. #k4kproject 

Again, just because I have been thinking about my travels, a couple of pictures from my trip:

My coworker Caroline and I. 

The beautiful beaches of Saint Jean de Luz.

Enjoying the view.

The famous montagne Basque de la Rhune. 

Supper table.

Supper one night: Muscles in a white wine
and cream sauce with rice.

The very French lunch they packed for me:
a piece of baguette, cheese and a patisserie. 

I feel like I learnt a lot from them in terms of hosting and I have every intention to continue to make it a part of my lifestyle and to pay it forward.

G. 

Week Twenty One: Thank You Call to Kids Help Phone Line (Jeunesse J’écoute).

This week, I decided to call Kids Help Phone Line to thank them for their services. They’re a great confidential resource for youth who are seeking for anonymous support and advice on life struggles and obstacles.  

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I feel like these organizations are key to help youth grow as individuals and to make them feel like they are not alone in this journey called life. I thanked them for the time and effort that they dedicate to helping these kids grow stronger and more confident.

Every little bit counts.

G. 

Week Twenty: Leaving Bus Tickets at the Bus Station.

This week, after dashing to the bus stop in fear of missing my bus, I found myself ticketless in front of the driver. Thankfully, I had change on me so I was able to hop on without a problem. Then I wondered, how many times a day does this happen to people at this particular bus stop?

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The next day, I decided to leave some bus tickets behind at the stop in hope of relieving stress from one person who couldn’t originally get from point A to B successfully.

G. 

Week Nineteen: Mother’s Day Card by Mail.

This week’s gesture is small and common, yet very meaningful: sending love to my maman by mail for Mother’s Day. Mothers everywhere deserve to be celebrated for the length of a lifetime, and then some. I hope that every mother felt the appreciation that they merit on this special day and on every other day of the year.

Instagram: geneseguin. #k4kproject

Happy Mother’s Day!

G.

Week Eighteen: Picking Up Trash and Recyclable Materials During Lunch.

A couple of weeks ago, I went home to visit my family in Northern Ontario. On the drive back to the greyhound station, my mom and I noticed this man picking up trash on the side of the highway. She was saying how this man was very well known in the community and how his daily routine consisted of walking from village to village in the area to pick up litter by the side of the road in order to make it a better and cleaner place to live. I thought this was a great deed and it got me thinking that I should do the same too. 

When I was taking a walk during my lunch break at work on Friday, I noticed that there was this field full of trash nearby. I went in the closest store and asked for a garbage bag. The nice man, after chuckling to my unusual request, handed me one and expressed  support and gratitude towards what I was doing. In 15 minutes, I managed to pick up a full garbage bag of trash and some recyclable materials.

Instagram: geneseguin. #k4kproject

Fifteen minutes is all it took to make a healthy green field a bit more pleasing to the eye.

G.