World traveller of 32 countries, eternal optimist, Registered Dietitian in Canada & Australia, Bikram Yoga Instructor and lover of all things food & nutrition.
1. You have 12 months to do whatever your heart desires. 2. You are the most important person in your life! Follow your heart & only do what you want to do! (above all obey rule #1). 3. Money comes in abundance. Spend! Live! Experience! Spend as much of it as you want - don't stress about a lack of it.
The beautiful scenery. This is a gorgeous city. There are so many unique areas of Ottawa that all have something different to offer. I will definitely miss skating on the canal, going for beers in the Byward Market and riding my bike in Hintinberg.
My fiancee on facebook Naomi Simon. I cant believe how many people think we are actually engaged. Ha Ha Ha! Thank you for being such a great friend and riding the waves of life with me. You are my best friend in Ottawa and I love you dearly! You changed my life here!!! Living 200 feet away from you was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. 200 feet from my house but 2 millimetres from my heart! You are gonna kick ass at TT and your going to be a phenomenal Bikram teacher!! Can't wait till you're on the other side of the podium.
The FOOD SCENE!! Ottawa made me into a foodie! I have never tried so many different types of food nor explored my tastes so much in my life! This is largely accredited to my ex boyfriend who most likely one day be famous! He is destined for nothing but greatness and will one day be on top chef! But ......Ottawa does have a great selection of kick-ass restaurants. If you ever come to Ottawa bring your appetite. These are my top 3 favourites.
Murray Street Cafe - Best cartcutrie in town. I took every single person who came to visit me in Ottawa: http://www.murraystreet.ca/
Allium - Had the best steak with blue cheese here in my life but go for tapas on Mondays as it is the best way to try the menu. I went on a Monday with 4 Dietitians and we ate 12 plates! Yum yum! http://www.alliumrestaurant.com/
My first friend in Ottawa Hersi Hujaleh. You were one of the very first people that I had the pleasure of meeting upon moving to Ottawa and steadily became one of my best friends. Thank you for always being there with a listening ear and solid advice. If we are both still single at 40 we are getting hitched! Save your pennies for a big diamond! ;) Ha Ha Ha Good luck in Montreal!!!! You are such a great person and I know you will become a great lawyer! :-) Thank you for everything.
326 Besserer & my roomies - Huge Shout out to Leanne & Chantal!!! Thank you for taking me in on such short notice & for being awesome roommates! Get your ass outta Canada and come visit me. We had a rocking party last night! The pictures will soon be posted and I'll definitely help clean up the candy and 100 dollar bills. :)
Vino and Shiraz - my beautiful kitties. I never knew it was possible to love an animal so much......parting with you was terribly difficult. I always thought people were crazy when they talked about how much they loved their animals but now I understand. You are my BBBBAAABBBBIIIIEEESSSS and I will miss you terribly. Your new mommy will love you and care for you. Perhaps one day we will be together again. Thank you kitties for your unconditional love! I love you both so much and you will be the only thing I cry over.
Vino and Shiraz at 6 months
Signing my name Leah Sommerfield, RD. I am definitely going to miss being a Registered Dietitian. Ottawa gave me my career and provided me with the education I needed to get my 'big girl job' (plus letters behind my name). I had the opportunity to work at three different hospitals and was trained in almost every position. The Ottawa Hospital has a solid group of RD's that all make a difference in their patients lives. Perhaps one day I will work again in a clinical setting however only time will tell....
The Ottawa Hospital Civic campus on Carling Avenue
Anne Marcoux. I may have stole you but you are now destined to be one of my life long friends! There is no escaping me now. I love you dearly and can't wait for you to come visit me on the other side of the Planet Earth
The weather. The winters here compared to Winnipeg are like paradise yet everyone still complains that it's cold. Come to Winnipeg in February and then you'll understand what cold really is. The fall here in Ottawa is breathtaking beautiful. In the fall the leaves all change to beautiful shades of orange, red and yellow. Definitely take a drive to Gatineau, Quebec (just across the river) if you visit Ottawa in the fall.
Location. Ottawa is so close to various major cities; Montreal, Toronto, New York however I will be travelling the world so this component probably wont be missed too much. But in comparison to Winnipeg it is an awesome location geographically wise.
Your love. In two years living here I have been graced with so many great friends! Whether yogis, dietitians or randoms I forced into the hot room and into a friendship I have love for you all. Last nights party was truly amazing! The pinatas were awesome. Thank you to everyone who showed up! The pictures will be posted soon! Thankfully I got a picture with 90% of the people who came and left last night. You guys all rock! Keep eating apples and coming to the mat.
Most of you probably know that Bikram Yoga is a huge component of my life. My relationship with Bikram Yoga is the truest, longest and purest relationship that I have. The reason(s) why I love Bikram Yoga could be discussed for days but in essence it changed my life. I became a teacher in the Spring of 2008 after graduating from the intensive nine week teacher training in Acapulco, Mexico And since that day Bikram Yoga has seeped into almost every area of my life....
My current yoga home is Bikram Yoga Ottawa. A beautiful studio located in the heart of downtown just two blocks from Parliament Hill (you can actually see part of Parliament from the studio windows or from the street below). BYO is located on the third floor above a McDonalds. I am not sure the correlation between hot yoga studios and fast food restaurants but there definitely appears to be one as they always seem to be in close proximity. BYO is the only affiliated studio in Ottawa! Many places here teach hot yoga or hot 26 but this one is the only affiliated studio.
The studio owner was one of the first people I met upon arrival to Ottawa and quickly became someone I greatly admire. We both moved to Ottawa at approximately the same time to begin new adventures. For her it was opening BYO and mine was a ten month dietetic internship. Because both of us were newbies to Ottawa we developed a friendship by exploring the capital city together.
BYO is my home away from home. It is my favourite place in Ottawa to be and is the place I will miss the most. The studio owner has done a phenomenal job of creating a positive, supportive and encouraging environment for students and teachers to grow, learn and practice yoga. Because of this the community at BYO continues to expand daily.
It is a very special gift to be a part of a new studio opening. Because I moved to Ottawa before a studio location had been purchased I had the utmost pleasure of seeing BYO be built from the ground up. From drywall and plumbing to cutting mats and opening day. You get to observe all the hard work, thought and planning that goes into opening a yoga studio. Plus you see first hand how the yoga transforms peoples lives. Many of our students had never done Bikram Yoga before walking through BYO's doors ...
Over the last year we have seen the students at BYO transform their bodies, their minds and their lives. Often it is difficult to self-examine the physical and mental changes that happen but from the other side of the podium it is very profound. Bikram Yoga changes people's lives; one posture at a time, one class at a time, one day at a time. But eventually (or in the future) you wake up and your whole life is different.
The students and staff at BYO are unlike anything else in the city of Ottawa. The regulars greet first timers with smiles and words of encouragement. The front desk staff happily welcome everyone who walks through the door. The teachers all have a deep rooted love for the yoga that shines through when they teach. Overall it is a very beautiful studio to be a part of.
While taking class the other day the reality of leaving BYO hit me like a truck. The process of letting go of all my material possessions will be nothing compared to letting go of the studio. The students, the teachers, the owner, and the hot room have all become such an integral part of my life here in Ottawa. The studio not only provided me with a safe place to practice my yoga but it also gave me my best friends, my support system and a place to call home. My life here in Ottawa would have been dramatically different if BYO had never opened. Once again, the Bikram Yoga changed my life.
In addition to providing all of the above the studio owner transformed my teaching in many ways. She is one of the, if not the best, studio owner that I have had the pleasure of working with. Running a yoga studio or any business consumes the majority of your time, energy and money. Yet she has somehow found a way to efficiently and successfully manage the studio with a smiling happy face. She has a unique way of encouraging her teachers to become the best they can be. The amount of knowledge I have absorbed from the studio owner over the past year is remarkable. She provided me with the foundation to become a confident teacher again and continues to help me positively evolve as a teacher. Thank you so much!! :) I will admire her positive feedback, encouragement and personal strength forever.
To all the students, staff and work share at BYO thank you for making me part of your yoga family and allowing me the pleasure to guide you through class. You have something very special within those four walls - keep coming to the mat!
See you soon.... eventually or in the future,
Love Leah
Everyone in my life knows. Everyone!
There is no hiding from it anymore and no way to escape the decision. Sometimes in life when you don't tell people your inner most thoughts they seem less real. Less concrete. They have less validity. Yet, now that everyone knows there is no backing out. "No Choice! Like Indian marriage" - Bikram Choudhury
Everyone in my life has an enormous amount of love for me. I am very blessed in this sense. I have so many great friends scattered across Canada accompanied by an extremely supportive family. My life is so full of love, however I have found that with this much love and support also comes questions, concerns, and opinions. Therefore conversations tend to become focused on the topic of travel, money, hostels, packing, and time lines. Everyone asks me the same three questions;
1. Aren't you scared?
2. Are you excited?
3. Are you going alone?
My answers are always as follows;
1. Yes. But of never coming back to Canada.
2. Yes! Of course I am silly! If I wasn't why would I do this?
3. Yes.
After the three questions are answered people begin to enquire about how this is all possible. How do you leave it all behind? Where is your stuff? What about your job? Your apartment? Your cats? The above are all answered and peoples facial expression reveal they are slowly trying to put together the pieces, attempting to understand the logic, reasoning, and feasibility of this drastic life change.
During this week off, from my big girl job, I organized my entire existence in Ottawa and began the preparations for my departure. In seven days I organized my whole life and advanced towards leaving.
Shiraz and Vino
My BABBBBIIIEEESSS
Everything that I possess in Ottawa has been accounted for, shipped away or purchased. All my dearest material belongings were shipped in rubber bins to Winnipeg, stuffed to the brim, and kept closed with duck tape. My lamps were sold to a random couple who met in Thailand and fell in love. Vino & Shiraz, my beloved kitties, were accounted for & my bed is gifted to the beautiful soul who will love them once I am gone. All that remains is to pack my suitcase, complete an educational assignment for my college & say goodbye. Literally. That is it!
With all this talk about the future I have found that I am not really living in the present. My thoughts and conversations are focused on planning my route through Asia/Europe and figuring out Visas. Yet..... I continue to teach mindfulness in the hot room.
As I taught class tonight at Bikram Yoga Ottawa it dawned on me all the beautiful things I will miss about Ottawa...perhaps that should be another post....
So after a week of organizing, planning, sorting, and packing I decided to spend part of my Sunday absorbing my current surroundings. Get back to my current location and bring my mind back within my body. So I started walking.... and I walked and walked and walked...through Westboro, Downtown, Centretown, Elgin, Parliament Hill, Byward Market and Sandy Hill. My ears were filled with the sounds of Alexi Murdoch and my eyes soaked up the sights of Ottawa. For your Information - this is a drop dead gorgeous city! I love Ottawa and feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to live here for almost two years.
As I crawled into bed tonight I feel completely satisfied, content, ready and happy. Today showed me a very valuable lesson. In the near future I will be travelling the world yet that day is not here but today is. My life is still here so my mind must be here too. Tomorrow will come, when it's ready, but tonight I am just a girl, in Ottawa, working 9 - 5, saving her money for a dream.
Today marks my last 30 days in the province of Ontario & ever-so-beautiful capital of Canada, Ottawa.
Today marks the beginning of my journey because everything must end where it starts. Ottawa has shown itself to be a transformational city for my mind, career and heart. My guru always says that "the only thing constant in life is change" which has proven to be true in every compartment of my life.
It's difficult to find a place to start. I feel as though I must explain to you my journey, my past; explain what led me to sell everything I own and book a one-way ticket to Hong Kong! However perhaps the past isn't as important as the future. Our past may shape our character, change the direction of our lives but it doesn't define who we are. I will always appreciate my past. The challenges, the disappointments, the mistakes and even the deaths. For the highs would be nothing without the lows - two waves down create one up. Thank you (past) for making me who I am today. There is nothing I would change, nothing I regret and nothing I would want to re-do. In the end, my past will stay where it belongs, in my past, & only the silver lining of life's challenges will accompany me on this journey around the world.
As I look around my room my life is scattered across the floor in boxes, bags and storage containers yet my soul is at ease. I feel complete! I feel this because I know that this is where I am exactly meant to be.
Let's be straight - I am not running from anyone or anything nor I am setting out in the world to find myself or find something. The only place we can find ourselves is in the present, regardless of geographical location, and the only thing we truly need in life is love. I have completed everything society demanded and my family requested of me. The letters are now behind my name & the certificate hangs on the wall. Therefore my reality is as follows;
For the first time, perhaps ever, I love myself, I love my life and I am no longer scared of the unknown or of being alone. Everyone I know seems to be getting married or having children yet I have no desire to do either. My dream, my desire is to pack a bag and travel the world! I have come to accept that before I can commit to anyone, any place, job, or anything I must escape into the unknown & give myself the gift of 12 months of true freedom.
I have learned that this life is not meant to lived safely nor is it meant to be watched. This life is meant to be lived! We are the Michelangelo's of our own lives!! "Whatever the mind can conceive the mind can achieve!" - The Secret. Therefore, there is no room in my soul or mind for negative emotions such as fear, doubt or worry. I only see the beauty of the unknown; the joy of my new found freedom; and the excitement of the adventure ahead! The journey. Our journey. My journey.
My life may be in boxes but my mind is whole and my soul is at peace.
It is a very special gift to be a part of a new studio opening. Because I moved to Ottawa before a studio location had been purchased I had the utmost pleasure of seeing BYO be built from the ground up. From drywall and plumbing to cutting mats and opening day. You get to observe all the hard work, thought and planning that goes into opening a yoga studio. Plus you see first hand how the yoga transforms peoples lives. Many of our students had never done Bikram Yoga before walking through BYO's doors ...
