Hello again!
I’m Hannah, a Double Major in English and Psychology going into my third year at Queen’s. I grew up surrounded by lush fields in Guelph, Ontario. I love word stringing, filling the walls of my home with music, swimming under the sky, and writing love notes to kindred spirits. This will be my third year writing for SASS (which feels unreal!), and I am thrilled to take you along on my journey of what this next chapter will bring!
If you have read my posts before, you will know that I aspire to teach kindergarten one day. This dream expanded even more whilst I spent my summer planting (literal and metaphorical) seeds of blooms I might never see as I worked at a tree nursery and a summer camp. The extent to which I care about investing in what allows littles to stay curious about the world around them has deepened. Spending so much time with children who are curious by nature reminded me of how much this is a quality we tend to forget to nurture as we grow up. I have lived most of my life with undiagnosed ADHD and anxiety, and since my doctor gave me language for struggles I thought were my weakness, I have learned how important it is to engage with the stories that make us who we are.
Part of my story is my identity as a multiracial person. In this blog, I shared my experience as a person of colour at Queen’s University during my first year, and my experiences and understanding of the space I take up in the world have evolved and expanded since. I have been learning how to engage with an aspect of my identity that I felt confused about. I started celebrating Lunar New Year in Kingston, learning how to cook food for myself that reminds me of my mom’s cooking, and learning how to care for the hair on my head that is as complex as my identity.
This semester, I am most excited to learn how to cultivate a rhythm of rest, play, and work that allows me to thrive academically and not burn out at the same time. I am learning how to implement a Sabbath routine once a week and intentionally do more things that would make my five-year-old self feel seen. I want to wear more ribbons in my hair, have more solo dance parties in the kitchen while I cook, and watch more Anne with an E. Enrolling in courses like the Psychology of Sleep and Writing Children’s Literature also thrill me as these feel relevant to what I find most engaging in the world.
I’m so honoured to take up some space here on the internet to share all the musings that come with being a 20-year-old still figuring things out. I hope you feel encouraged that I feel as clueless and hopeful as maybe you do. I am learning that it is okay to try, fail, and try again. I am increasing my capacity for humility and curiosity—and being more honest about needing help.
Cheers to new chapters!
Until next time,
Hannah