Ghana was everything I imagined it would be and at the same time, everything I could never have imagined. I could never have expected the level of poverty I saw. I could never have expected how kind and welcoming the people would be. And although I knew I would, I could not have predicted how deeply I would fall in love with the children.

there will be time for me to tell you about the adventures we had but for now, all you need to know is this: we are blessed beyond our wildest imaginations. I had always believed that I was lucky, that I had much to be grateful for. This belief has now become a knowledge; a knowledge that changes everything. and I will tell you all about it, I promise.

’cause every little thing gonna be all right. – bob marley.

he really gives the best advice.

I’m off to Ghana this week and I have been worried! so I’m just playing ‘three little birds’ over and over… soon enough I’ll believe it!

akin is out of the north shore of hawaii… which, as you know, is very dear to my heart. from the designers to the printers, everything is locally based. for our shoot, we wanted to capture a bit of hawaii. matty raynor of raynor surf, a local shaper, lent us an awesome board and jase from jaseboards let us cruise on one of his longboards (which I can’t rave enough about! so smooth!) so needless to say, we had an amazing time. every smile is genuine.

akin clothing actually sold out of all their shirts just a fews days after launching but the next batch will be arriving soon and I have to tell you, the new designs are AMAZING! you will love them! follow akin on twitter and facebook so you can stay up to date: @akinclothing and facebook.com/akinclothing. you’ll also be able to keep up with all our adventures as we travel to deliver uniforms to schools in Ghana and Samoa. I am so honored and excited to be a part of this amazing project and the incredible team. these are good people doing good things.

join us: buy a shirt and send a child to school.

waimea bay.

I’m leaving hawaii today. To be honest, I’m more upset than I thought I’d be but BIG THINGS are happening so there is lots of be excited about! In 3 weeks I’ll be in Ghana, in 8 weeks I’ll be in Samoa. In between, I’ll be all over the place.

A good friend of mine came to Hawaii and among my friends, I have the reputation of being up for anything. We were making plans for the weekend when I suggested swimming with dolphins. He laughed, “swimming with dolphins is something you do with your pansy wife, let’s swim with sharks.” Jokingly, I replied that we actually could do that, thinking that he’d forget about it. he did not.

There were a few problems with this idea. 1. I get extremely seasick. 2. I can’t breathe with a snorkel. 3. I’m terrified of fish. sharks are very big fish which exponentially increases the terror factor.

you would logically assume that this wasn’t going to go well.

the morning of, I took some dramamine. on the boat ride out, we saw a few whales so I was feeling pretty good about this decision.

we pulled up beside this cage, it was about 7 feet x 7 feet, just hanging out in the middle of the ocean. I stood up and looked over the edge of the boat. I am not exaggerating when I say that there were at least 15 sharks circling the cage. I panicked silently “OMG!OMG!OMG!OMG! this is the worst idea ever.”

I was trying REAL hard to seem non-chalant. I’m going to get into a cage in the middle of the ocean with over 15 sharks… no big deal.

before I knew it, it was our turn. I was passed a snorkel mask and that tube thing you are supposed to breathe through. anxiety really set in… how do they wash these things? is this even sanitary?

But I didn’t have time to think about it because it was my turn to climb into the chamber of death shark cage. when I got in, I was clinging to the bars for dear life, trying to breathe through my snorkel. I kept sucking my mask against my face. waves were crashing over me and up over the boat so water was coming down my breathing tube. I legitimately tried to climb out but… IT WAS TOO LATE. they had un-tethered the cage from the boat. if I wanted to get out, I would have to swim through shark-infested waters. actually.

So I was committed. I decided to abandon the whole snorkel thing and just hold my breath to look under water. I put my face in to get a peek at the sharks. there was one right there. directly in front of me. we made eye contact and it went on its way. I came up for air. I looked over at my friend, he gave me a thumbs up. I stayed in the cage the whole time and watched the sharks swim towards us, around us, and away from us.

in the end, the scariest part of the experience was wearing my bikini in front of strangers. and I even survived that.

if you would like to swim with sharks, I highly recommend http://sharktourshawaii.com/

We forget how powerful we are to create our own existence. I know I do! but in the [short] 25 years I’ve been alive, I have done a lot of things I have wanted to do, that I have dreamed of doing. it isn’t by luck alone. I have had some good luck but I also believe, to a great extent, we create our own luck. it’s cliché but it’s true.

I have been extremely blessed with the family and friends in my life. they are supportive, amazing people. a lot of what I have accomplished is because of them. a friend of mine said something yesterday that really struck a chord with me… he said, “I like to surround myself with people who are better than I am because they make me better”. I can relate to that. The people in my life are AMAZING and INSPIRING! I would say they have played a big part in the “luck” I have had by encouraging me to follow my heart instead of laughing at all my crazy ideas.

Surround yourself with people who support you and then decide:

What do you want to do?

if you want to travel, save your pennies. then GO.

if you want to be healthy, eat right. exercise. take care of yourself.

if you want to talk to God, PRAY.

if you want to hear what He has to say, read the Scriptures.

if you want to develop your talents, practice. practice. practice.

if you want to be beautiful, serve others. (and wash your face.)

if you want to learn something new, find someone who can teach you.

if you want a nice house, take care of it. bigger and newer aren’t always better but clean is always nice.

if you want to be in love, love yourself.

if you want an expensive [pair of shoes, tv, etc] save up and buy it. don’t feel guilty: it’s ok to treat yourself.

if you want to be smarter, read. [NOT twilight. I mean REAL BOOKS with proper grammar]

if you want to be happy, make time for things that make you happy. it’s so simple but not many people do it!

if you want a better job, get the training: be it school or whatever it takes. just do it.

if you want to keep friendships alive… CALL. don’t text. don’t email. DO.NOT.FACEBOOK. a phone call. technology is amazing but nothing can compare to hearing the voice of someone you care about.

when we stop making excuses, our lives happen. it’s true and it’s amazing! there is so much truth in the saying: when there is a will, there is a way. the way will not always be easy but it will always be worth it if you are following your dreams.

What is important to you?

to some people, having a big house and a fancy car is important. for others, it may be living in a shack but traveling around the world. there is no RIGHT answer. there is no BETTER answer. there is only YOUR answer. so take some time and think: what makes me happy?

the only person responsible for the life you have now and the life you WILL have is YOU.

you are the only one. at the end of the day, you have to be happy with yourself, with your life, with the things you have done.

it’s time to start creating lives that we are excited about; that make us feel empowered!

tell me: what will YOU do?

waikiki beach on instagram.

go here http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_11889274

let me know what you think!

xo

Part of the problem was leaving Hawaii. I am so grateful I got to go at all but it was hard to come back to Calgary. I love my friends there and I love my life there! Not to mention that there is none of this -30 weather!

2012 has gotten off to a rocky start. But the great news is, in the words of my idol, shania twain, “up, up, up, can only go up from here!”

I started keeping a gratitude journal so that I could focus on the positive instead of the negative. Like the day I put my agenda in the washing machine (highly do not recommend…) I was able to write several related gratitude phrases and laugh it off.

Actually, I am a big believer in laughter. I love this quote by Marjorie Pay Hinckley

“the only way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh… Crying gives me a headache”

2012 is still young so I’m excited for all the new experiences this year will bring! And if you’re feeling down, try writing at least one thing you’re grateful for every day… It can be something as simple as a hot shower or as important as a good friend. And I’ve thankfully been able to be grateful for both in the past few days!

Can’t wait to post some pictures soon stay tuned!

to be honest, I’m not thrilled. 25 is a little scary to me. 25 was the number I assigned all my dreams and wishes to as a teenager. “in 10 years…” I would say to myself. I know 25 is not very old. it really only means that roughly 28% of my life is over. I can live with that. I haven’t done half the things I planned and on the other hand, I have done things I NEVER would have planned… so it creates balance.

(some things I did expect to do by 25…  from top left: be a flower girl at a wedding. graduate from high school.

live abroad and learn a new language. dress like trailer trash. actually I still do this occasionally.)

25 goals for 25
1. apply to grad schools. 2. release a country music album (!!) 3. save money to go to grad school. this is a new concept for me, as evidenced by my shoe collection. 4. write music. 5. enroll in an advanced spanish class. (it’s true what they say: if you don’t use it, you lose it!) 6. love more. 7. add some fun to my exercise routine. hello dance classes! 8. picture a day for the full year. much easier and more fun than a journal. 9. improve nutrition. 10. organize my new closet! 11. do some form of physical activity every.single.day 12. work on patience. 13. meditate. 14. forgive. 15. teach ballet on the Tsuu T’ina reserve. 16. write more. 17. volunteer at the children’s hospital 18. travel. 19. read more french books. recommendations?? 20. do something outside my comfort zone. 21. drink more water. 22. blog at regular intervals. 23. cook more of my own food ie:less eating out/buying microwave meals/being lazy. 24. make an unusual friend. 25. RELAX. I still have 72% more life to go.

what are some of your resolutions? what are you excited to do this year!?

it’s been a while since I’ve done a long post. blogging is not a particular talent of mine! but I just wanted to let you all know that I’m going to be making some changes to this blog because some BIG things are happening in my life right now! this will still be a photography blog BUT I’m going to start writing about a few other aspects of my life right now… mainly my music career (YAY!) and some projects I have on the side including a lifestyle consulting business and a book I’m writing with a friend. 2012 is going to be such an exciting year and I can’t wait to share it with all of you!!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Peace and Love

-carissa

ps: can you believe this is a 2 minute walk from my house now!? I’m in heaven!