Just returned home from my trip to Winnipeg. I went to present at the WestCAST 2026 conference at the University of Winnipeg, but also support and mentor 3 teacher candidates from the UNBC Teacher Education program to present as well. What an amazing job the conference organizers have done to make this event possible, memorable, and incredible. I had a wonderful time, and I believe that this event will be one that the teacher candidates will never forget. The kind of thoughtfulness, organization, and orchestration were outstanding and I was so impressed by the number of attendees and quality of the presentations as well. The UNBC teacher candidates all did an amazing job in preparing for and presenting at the conference. I loved how personalized each inquiry was and how they were able to present their work that was meaningful to them and reflective of who they are. I am so proud of them. As for me, I did A LOT of OVER THINKING and preparing for my session… and I have no idea why???
I was definitely noticing that I was pouring a significant of time in this presentation and I approached my presentation like I did when I was a school trustee and I was writing a speech. It was so important to stay on time, but there was so much to say. Unfortunately, in speech writing, I lost the “pragmatic” or personal approach to my presentation. I tried to blend a bit of ad libbing during my presentation, but I went a bit overtime so I quickly rushed the end. Anyway, all went well and the group that was following my paper presentation would really see what I was trying to say… so much so, they were able to ad lib their work and incorporated what I was saying into their presentation. That was a true compliment and I loved what they had to say with a student led initiative in Indigenous Education at the University of Calgary at Werklund. I feel very lucky. The photo below was a posed picture taken after the conference. Sad, I know. I did not take a good photo when I was presenting, so I wanted to take one posed. What was amazing about this photo was, the teacher candidates I was working with made it possible. Very grateful.
I had such a good time at WestCAST 2026. I loved that I got to present with some colleagues from BCTEN (see image below) about Connective Professionalism and we just riffed off of each other during that presentation. I made the PowerPoint for the group and we collaborated after discussing what we wanted to talk about and after a follow up meeting to decide who was going to speak to which slide. What was fun… or amazing… about this presentation was, although we had “assigned” each other which slide we would speak to, we each created space for one another to speak and add to what each of us had said about our slides. It was, in essence, us modelling connective professionalism and the process of the Métissage that we had co-created for WestCAST 2025 at SFU. I just loved working with these folks and how joyful working together can me. I love BCTEN and the work we accomplish. I feel so wonderful about knowing who I am and understanding what’s important to me. These people are important to me an the work we are doing. I am so happy to be part of a group where we can lift each other up regardless of role of institution. It’s extraordinary. I am thankful to be a part of BCTEN and for these people.
I did not know what to expect from Winnipeg or from the conference, but overall, I am very thankful for everything that Winnipeg had to offer. Not only did I have the pleasure to coach and mentor three amazing teacher candidates from the UNBC teacher education program who volunteered / expressed an interest in presenting at WestCAST 2026 (see images below), but also for all of the fun things we got to do together while at the conference. We went to the Forks, a beading shop, the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, and Festival de Voyageur. The keynote speaker, David Robertson, resonated with all of us, and I think we each did a bit more shopping than we had anticipated. I think what surprised me the most, was reconnecting with folks in teacher education (i.e., from UBC, UVic, and SFU) but also folks who are from Winnipeg. I loved connecting with members of the WestCAST 2026 organizing team, and I got to bump on to a friend and former school trustee colleague who is currently the president of CSBA (no photos). I love my career in education, and the teacher candidates made it known that they were impressed with folks who know me. I said, you have to make your teaching career what you want it to be. For me, human connection was important to me… as a K-12 educator, school trustee, and now academic. Connecting and networking with people make my work fulfilling, FUN, and fruitful. PS. love conferencing!! I’ll be back in May, Winnipeg.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, February 21st, 2026 | Comments Off on Returning from WestCAST 2026
Look at what I found at Costco this week… DUMPLINGS!! Finding these is a moment to celebrate. Let me explain… I moved to Prince George from the Lower Mainland. Access to Chinese/Cantonese food was very easy. I have a lot of good memories having dim sum or double duck dinner with my mom and family. Food brought us together. I moved to the Central Interior of BC about 7 years ago (and 2 of those years were spent on the Sunshine Coast during the pandemic). Anyway, Chinese food in this area tends to be more of the Canadian-Chinese genre and finding places with authentic Chinese food is hard to find. We did find a few yummy dishes at one restaurant called Fortune Palace. It’s pretty close. There are also a few dishes that taste pretty good at Famous Wok in the mall too. So, I do like going there sometimes if I don’t want to spend $100 to get a meal. But, it would be nice to cook at home. What I really want are DUMPLINGS or dim sum.
One year, after the pandemic and returning to Prince George, I spend a whole year investigating where I could get yummy Chinese food, in particular, dumplings. I found some in Superstore. I found some refrigerated potstickers with that yummy vinegar sauces. That was excellent. I have also found Hong Kong style rice rolls, deep fried bread, and frozen onion pancakes. Lastly, the Superstore also have some delicious frozen vegan dumplings, egg tarts, hargow, and rice noodles. All of these items are pretty good. And taking the time to list these items makes me realize that there are quite a few things here in Prince George. There is a local store call the Marquee and I love getting the frozen dumpling there and sticky rice. AMAZING. I also try to by my sauces there and anything that seems to catch my attention. I love supporting a local business. And, I did find Hon’s potstickers at Save-on-Foods. That said, I love the Bibigo dumplings at Costco (and Superstore and Save-on-Foods). It’s my favourite, but can be pretty pricey. As you can see, I found bags of suimai and hargow at Costco. I’ve had the hargow before and now in stock, but the suimai was a new find. Both products are made in Canada. #winning
FOCUS ON THE JOY
I tried both dumplings yesterday along with some BBQ Buns from Costco (of which the taste was spot on), and the dumplings were pretty good. They are a 7 out of 10. You cannot compare these dumplings with those found in Vancouver. I go to a restaurant called The Neptune near Metrotown and The Boss in Metrotown. These two places are must go-to’s for me. The food reminds me of my mom, but one of the very few things that I hold on to as part of my ethnic identity. I feel that’s why I am so determined to find items like these to keep me grounded to who I am. As I reflect on this dumpling find and the dumpling-hunt overall, I am reminded by the process. There were lots of wins, but also some losses. And, that’s ok. That’s learning. You have to try some things out to see if it’s something that you want, or not want. Ironically, it serves as a metaphor for my work as a practitioner-scholar. That’s probably the first time that I have identified myself as that, but I am coming to terms that the term PRACTITIONER-SCHOLAR best describes who I am. I am deeply invested in action-research, program evaluations, and self-studies as part of my scholarship. Identity, experiential learning, and reflective practice are at the heart of what I do. The context is mathematics education, teacher education, and professional learning. Leadership, policy, and governance weave into my work ask well.
I feel very lucky to do what I do. I love going to conferences, I love presenting, and I love learning. I love working with others, whether it be students or colleagues, and I love learning from experience. I understand that in my work, there is a sense of urgency, productivity, and publishing to attain tenure and promotion, but my position is a bit different. As much as I could “complain” or be distressed about not being tenure track, but I feel lucky nonetheless. I live in a community that is just the right size for me. I live in my home (that I bought all by myself) with my kid and cat. And, I live in a way that works for me and my pace of life. I am learning that I am not living my life for anyone else, but for myself. There are wins and losses, much like the dumplings. For example, I have won 2 internal grants as the principal investigator to support two research assistants and I am currently working with 3 teacher candidates to go to a student teacher conference and 3 recent graduates to publish a chapter. I think my only barrier is… ME. No one wants to eat a yucky dumpling, but how else do you learn? Yes, there is a potential to be rejected (which I have been) but the focus is what I can learn from the experience and feedback. You never know… it might be a winning dumpling!! Just try.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, January 16th, 2026 | Comments Off on Focus on the Joy
Sadly, this photo was taken from the archives… LOL. It’s a photo from September 2025 and it kind of reflects my current feeling. So, why not? The reason why this photo was in my recent images, I was reviewing my photos throughout the year and selecting a photos for each month for a photo collage of highlights for 2025 (see below). I guess this image of me did not make the cut. It’s snowing today and I just finished my PowerPoint presentations for my classes on Monday. I still have to prep on Sunday, but it’s nice to be ahead on the “lesson plan” and then prep the details the night before. I’m hoping to figure out my routine for the winter term. Last year, it was terrible. Having 8-hours of instruction on Mondays does not lend well to “be a person Saturdays.” I am a little combobbled right now. I totally forgot to recycle today because I was working today.
Recycling will now have to wait a week… a natural consequence to being combobbled. I did do the weekly cat-cleaning duties this morning, but I guess working on the PowerPoint and planning offset my momentum for the week. Nor here or there… I’m not even sure why I’m writing about it. LOL. Actually, I do enjoy recycling. I love the closure of sorting and emptying out my recycling bins and bags. I did realize that I did not recycle this afternoon and it would have been viable to “get up and go” to recycle this afternoon, but it was snowing A LOT and I just came back from a short outing with the kid (and she was driving). I made the executive decision NOT to recycle. I did not want to go outside. Accept the consequences and move on. But here’s the deal… NOTHING HAPPENS.
No one cares if I had recycled today or not, or if my photo was just taken yesterday or four months ago. NOTHING HAPPENS. This life’s lesson has taken me a very long time to understand. There are always natural consequences, but the intensity of anyone caring or that life will end or that “something terrible” will happen… doesn’t happen. I learned this lesson almost a handful of years ago when I rented a car. I backed into a planter on my way back to the airport and I was stressing the whole way there. During the whole trip, I imagined many different outcomes… and none of them were good. My anxiety was at an all time high as I approached the parkade to drop off the car. I told them about the back bumper on the driver’s side. One of them went out to inspect the car and confirmed my claim. They asked me to sign in a few places and said that the bill to repair the vehicle would be in the mail. There was no judgement, no shaming, and no blaming. NOTHING HAPPENED. I got the bill and for such a “small” ding, the bill was a doozey, but not unreasonable. I realized then that I was the one who cared… but no one else did.
There are some instances when people do care, but the actions are my doing and others may have been negatively impacted. Again, there are natural consequences, but I can take ownership for my actions. That’s another life’s lesson. Take ownership of what you do or what you believe in… that’s my agency but also my responsibility. I can understand that, for sure. I will admit that I do appreciate when “nothing happens.” It was almost like I had to cool-down my nervous system and not overthink or overreact to a situation. That fear was deeply embedded in me and I needed the time to unlearn or deprogram myself into a different way of being. I can see that I can be my biggest obstacle. The fear of failure or success is overwhelming sometimes that it just leads me to avoidance, procrastination, or self-sabotaging behaviours. That’s not a good thing either, even though NOTHING HAPPENS. And, even if something did happen, I would potentially be deeply triggered into cognitive paralysis. The fear would be and can be overwhelming.
Of course, I see Adam Grant’s post tonight as I was writing this blog post and I was heartened by the message of focussing on habits and not outcomes. The outcomes will come. I would give that message to my math students (when I taught high school math). “Don’t focus on the grade, focus on the math… the grade will come.” How full circle is this? It’s the pot calling the kettle black. I am so grateful for my #OneWord2026: PRACTICE… in particular, “deliberate practice.” What I really intended with this word are HABITS. Changing one thing at a time… nothing major… but with a real focus on improving my health, courage to take (academic) risks, and be present. Today, I exercised for 30 minutes, I had 2 Stanleys of water (with electrolytes), and I’m getting used to using my NEW electric toothbrush and brushing for 2 minutes twice a day (and flossing). I am also trying to blog on Saturdays (even though it’s now Sunday after midnight).
There are a few habits I want to break… or minimize… but it’s these small victories I need to be celebrating and PRACTICING different habits and “alter actions that are in my control.” I also finished my planning for Monday on Saturday (with some prep on Sunday). THIS IS PROGRESS. I am also going to bed at a decent hour and I will get up tomorrow morning to start anew. I can do this and I am realizing that I also need to be reasonable with all the things I put on myself as well. I can’t expect that I can do a million things (plus one) just because I perceive other people are doing that or if I believe that is something I should do. There you go… another habit I am practicing. When do I say no? What do I love to do? What makes me happy? I also believe I am trying to kick the PLEASER-mindset to find my self-worth, but rather I am understanding my self-worth and learning how to act accordingly. Focus on the process. In the end, NOTHING HAPPENS.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, January 04th, 2026 | Comments Off on Nothing Happens
Look at this image. Unbelievable. My kid made Christmas dinner this year and she did an incredible job at it. We opted to get a bigger turkey (compared to the one we bought for Thanksgiving). I just found that there was not a lot of meat on the smaller bird and we felt that we needed a few more days of leftovers for Christmas. Anyway, we bought a bigger turkey this winter and it paid off. The kid did a phenomenal job making Christmas dinner with all of the sides, and the turkey… just kept on giving. I mean, look at this plate!! It was delicious… and it was the third day of leftovers. So tasty!! No regrets on the bigger turkey. It’s moments like this turkey dinner… when I have to say… I’M GRATEFUL.
I am grateful for the work that I get to do… I am grateful for my friends and family… I am grateful for my cat… I am grateful for my home, my car, my phone, and my laptop… I am grateful for the food I eat and the clothes I wear… I am grateful for my LIFE. Although that sounded a bit dramatic, I’ve been listening to a podcasts and watching a few Reels that say that being alive is a miracle. The chances of being conceived, the chances of being born, the chances of being alive and living a full-live… is rare. Admittedly, I never understood life (or myself for that matter) for the first 20 years of my life. The next 20 years of my life was trying to prove myself to others. The next 15 were transformative.
When I say “transformative”… I mean, I quit my career, took on politics, finished my doctorate, moved away alone for work, got divorced, became a single mom, bought a home, took time to heal and LOVE myself… and here I am. I am happy. I am joyful. I am in LOVE with my life. Why wouldn’t I be grateful. I could have died a few times due to health or driving with wildlife or in the snow, but here I am. This life is not about survival or living up to someone else’s expectations. It’s about taking ownership, LOVING your strengths and stretches, and being the CEO of your life. Yes, that’s another podcast takeaway… I AM THE CEO OF MY LIFE. I understand this now… and life is incredible!!
It’s been over one year in my new place (that I bought and maintain on my own), over one year with my cat (Simon), and over one year since getting my gall bladder removed. I have resigned for 3 more years at the university this summer and I am leading a research project and co-leading a chapter (of which I need to proceed with submitting ethics). I will admit that life is not perfect, and it’s not supposed to be. Where would the learning be otherwise? I love to do what I get to do, but I also love that I am able to honour myself, my boundaries, and my way of being. This life is 180 degrees from where it was before and a lot of tough learning or life lessons that had to happen to get here.
The truth is, I don’t have to beat myself up anymore… just accept and don’t be scared. I was always scared about not living up to other people’s expectations, but that’s not how it really is. It’s about living up to my expectations. Of course, I will do my best to meet the criteria of what’s expected of me as a mom, faculty member, and human… but my happiness and wellbeing are equally important as well. I feel very grateful to LOVE as my #OneWord2025… and be HAPPY as my #OneWord2024… but now it’s time to PRACTICE as my #OneWord2026. Practice being BRAVE. Practice being HEALTHY. Practice being WHOLE. The next years ahead is my last chapter and I want to make the most of it.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, December 29th, 2025 | Comments Off on Focusing on Gratitude
My kid was hanging out in my office for a bit last week. I invited her to see a talk with me on Friday afternoon. she agreed to go with me as she had a couple of meetings after the presentation. We went to my office to charge her iPad and she started looking at some of my collectables in my office. One of the things she found was my dad’s slide rule. She asked, “What is this?” I said it was a slide rule. She said, “What is it used for?” I knew it was used for mathematics, but of course, I looked online to see what the slide rule is really (see image below). It’s used for math… for logarithms, exponents, trigonometry, etc. It was a device used before calculators. She then asked me if I knew how to use it or if I ever used it for school. The answer was no and no, but I did say to her that it was one of those gems that I took from my dad as a keepsake. My brother and I have so many memories of things that were in the house that we remember as a kid (i.e., a copper globe that opened up and it was a cigarette holder… LOL).
Anyway, we started talking about logarithms. I asked her if she know what a logarithm was. She did not take Pre-Calculus Math 12, so I wondered what she knew about logarithms. She was not aware of logarithms, so I started talking to her about it. I started to give her some examples, orally, and then asked her some questions. Through trial and error, she started to get the concept. This activity was so fun. It reminds me when she was 3 of 4 years old and I’m teaching her about square roots when we were driving in the car. Yes, it’s true. We did math problems in the car instead of singing or telling stories. I talked math… and she would get it. So, it was really cool for me to see that she was getting logarithms base 10. So of course, I changed the base and started asking her different questions. She started to get it. Classic mom… I asked her what was log 1? Hence the picture, we needed to talk and write it out in terms of a logic using exponents. I was so impressed that my kid persisted. LOL. I thought it was a good sign even though she ended the conversation with “I was never good at math.” I would strongly disagree.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slide_rule
Here is what I love more… the next day, she asks me… “When do we use logarithms anyway?” She insisted that I give examples… and so I did. Example 1: Earthquakes and the Richter Scale. Example 2: pH values and acidity of solutions. I think I might have impressed her. LOL. I’m giggling… with joy and wonder. I love that my kid was interested in mathematics. I took joy in her curiosity and willingness to learn and engage. I mean, I’m her mom. I can get potentially annoying and I’m talking math!! Finally, I took much joy in talking about math and I loved teaching math to her and with her. I did say to her that I was not the smartest in mathematics, but I did ok. She said I was smart. I said, I taught high school mathematics for more than a decade. You just get better at it over time. Anyway, that experience told me that I would love to go back to K-12 education teach math. In the meantime, I am teaching numeracy to elementary teacher candidates. That, in itself, has so much to learn as well. Math is too fun and that’s where my joy sits.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, November 23rd, 2025 | Comments Off on Talking Math
Here is a photo of me watching my cat watching a cat documentary on Netflix last night (aka. on “be a person day” – Saturday – a guilt-free, work-free day). I was super curious about my cat watching the documentary, but I was also curious about the value of reading break. For me, I needed it. The last month getting a little overwhelmed with my workload with teaching and various projects on the go. Although I adhered to my “be a person day” as best as I could, my stress level was over the top. I had troubles sleeping. Tasks with a timeline were always on my mind. It weighed heavily. Even though I used the time during reading break to get some tasks completed, I needed the additional time to think clearly about what was required to get those tasks done in addition to grounding myself in a pace that is sustainable and more aligned to how I want to operate. I needed to have a good night’s rest. After one week, I’ve had a few good nights sleep. Yay!!
I am not complaining. I am so grateful to do the work that I do, but I am no longer driven by the hustle-culture. What I am driven by are working with people who collectively want to work towards the same goal, to build my capacity as a researcher and educator, and connecting with others to create places and space where we can all thrive. That’s it. I just realized that I have signed up for a few things that is spilling over my cup, but I am grateful that there is so much for me to find joy in and engage in activities that challenge me. I only have gratitude. I am feeling challenged in ways that are nourishing and I am reminded by “the perfect curling shot.” Although I am not curling this season, I am reminded of the end from a couple of years ago. I was working and playing around with “A Curling Mindset.” Just focus on what matters and everything else will fall into place. This mindset requires trust, vision, and confidence. It also requires removing the noise.
If anything, I do appreciate the fact that I am willing to take time for myself. Friday nights, all day Saturday, and most of Sunday. This blocked time has created some balance, but also, I don’t have to panic about anything else. I can only do what I can do… and that’s it. I am happy with the work that I am doing and I hope to hone my skills, time management, and contributions. I am really appreciative of where I live, the work that I get to do, and for the time reading break has afforded so that I don’t have to walk through the world numb, fearful, and stressed. I hope that the students appreciated the time to get grounded, rest, and catch up on any work, if needed. Tomorrow marks the return to the regular work week for the fall, and blogging also marks me re-entering the work week. I loved the slow pace of the weekend and I am ready for this work week.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, November 16th, 2025 | Comments Off on Goodbye Reading Break
Although I could only validate my week’s experience with my sister, who seemed to be having a similar week, I felt like when “it rains, it pours.” Everything seemed to be happening all at once. Nothing “bad” happened, with exception to not handing in one more conference presentation for myself for an organization I am volunteering for, but everything seemed to require my time and attention. Unfortunately, I could not accomplish all that I wanted to get done… something had to give. GB to my conference proposal… LOL. Sad, not sad. If anything, it is brought to my attention that the topic I wanted to present about is important to me. If anything, I have more time to investigate that topic as well as consider another conference.
You have to see the “cup half full” sometimes. As soon as I “let go” of the idea of submitting a proposal, I could feel some relief in the stress and tension I was experiencing last week. It seemed like all was a flurry after the long weekend and the four day work week was fulsome to say the least. I just was not sure what was happening last week, but I could not establish my footing, nevertheless rest, last week. My kid definitely noticed I was running on fumes and I am hoping my classes did not pick that up (even though I spoke about my week explicitly). By Friday, I am grateful to have a friend/colleague to hold some space from me to listen to my little rant, and then have the rest of the day to get back on track with things. Sadly, some things remain TBD.
After finishing some work for one study and having a meeting with another colleague to figure out what I needed to do for another project, I threw in the towel and opted to go out for dinner that night with the kid. I did not feel like cooking. Truthfully, I refused to cook. I could not do it. I was spent. And, guess what? I think everyone else seemed to have the same idea because the restaurant I wanted to go to was full. Admittedly, I was not 100% if they were full but the parking lot was full as well as the roadsides. My dinner dreams were dashed. We went to another restaurant and we were sat at a table near the back of the restaurant near washroom. The restaurant was full. We took the table and the service and food were good. Thank goodness, but even the dinner experience seemed to exemplify the vibe of last week. Nothing bad, some concessions made, and it was BUSY.
After dinner on Friday, the kid and I went to a couple of places to shop and walk around. I bought a couple clothing items from Costco and soup dumplings, of course (they were on sale), then we went home and I actively rested on the LazyBoy chair with the fire place on and my cat on my lap. It was pure bliss. I had full intentions of blogging yesterday (aka., on Saturday, that is, “be a person day”), but my body and mind said, NOPE. It’s be a person day. I recycled, changed the filters in my fridge, went food shopping, cooked a few things, cleaned up the house a bit, played a few video games on my phone, and well… hung out with my cat on the LazyBoy chair. That’s it. I needed to rest. No guilt. It’s Saturday. I think that I have mastered being ok with resting. That’s what I did last weekend during Thanksgiving, but felt that the week unravelled in a way that I did not anticipate. I am wondered if Karma was getting back at me for taking some time off last weekend. I put that inquiry forward to my students in all of my classes. It’s a constant dilemma for teachers. Rest, then work… or is it rest and work. I chose rest.
If anything, it’s Sunday. I feel rested. I had two wonderful sleeps on Friday and Saturday nights. I am caught up on my email, I have done my laundry, I cleaned up my office, and now… maybe… it’s time to return back to work. Although some would say that there is no work-life balance, while others claim that there is. For me, I just have to listen to myself and how I am feeling. It’s ok to say no or get things off your plate to make things happen. It’s also ok to REST and enjoy life. Do what’s best for you despite what’s happening around you. This week was a good reminder of who overwhelmed my work can be and it’s ok to just do what you can do, try your best, and feel satisfied. And, I do.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, October 19th, 2025 | Comments Off on Was it a Full Moon
I cannot believe it’s October… and, I cannot believe I’m 55. What an accomplishment. I even tested my blood pressure a couple of days ago at the pharmacy. It was the first time I got “OPTIMAL” with 115/77. Yay for medication!! I also think that I have taken some intentionality to REST and not be burdened or driven by the THE CHASE and trying to prove myself to someone. The only person I need to impress is myself. That thinking and this way of being is pure LIBERATION. Dang. I am really appreciating my 50’s and lots have happened over the last 5 years, and many years prior, to bring to this place. There were definite ups and downs, struggles and victories, but I would not have it any other way. I had to learn exactly what I needed to learn when I did. No regrets. All is good.
I just loved my birthday and how it manifested. I had no expectations. I feel very humbled and loved. Thank you to my students, my kid, and my friends for making the day so special. I am filled with gratitude and happiness. When I look at all of the well-wishes online via social media, DM, text, email, or in-person, I can see how diverse and wonderful my life has been. I often think I lead a “boring” life, but really, I have done many different things in my career and lived in different places. I’m not comparing, but honestly, I loved how diverse the folks were who reached out to wish me happy birthday. How lucky am I? I feel very lucky. I have my health (even though I’m not a super athlete and could eat a little bit better). I have a career of my dreams (I am always focused on learning). And, I have good people (and my cat) in my life. I have lots to be grateful for.
Over the last year or so, I’ve been hyper-focused on rest, doing what I love, and creating boundaries that can sustain my happiness, freedom, and autonomy. This pedagogical journey has not been an easy one, and when I look back, I had to make some critical decisions (knowing or not knowing) that took the left turns to arrive where I am today. I have never felt better. I am finally feeling like more like myself without feeling like I’m having to please or prove myself to someone else. Again, the person I need to impress is me. The person that needs to feel satisfied is me. Turning 55 is a big deal for me and I feel that I am officially starting the third chapter of this life (and I am happy to be here). At 55, my aunt (on my mother’s side) retired from her occupation in banking (very corporate) and when my dad announced his FREEDOM 55 plan, which was to leave the pulp mill and go to China before retiring in the Lower Mainland. What am I looking for?
I am looking for PEACE. I feel very content right now and yet, I feel scattered at times. So many things to do, yet so little time. That said, I have been prioritizing slowing down and pausing when I need to. Unfortunately, things like my DESKTOP, for example, on my computer has a 1000 tabs open and well as my search engine (another 1000 tabs), and lots that I would like to get done, but I am not. Let’s be clear, I am making lots of progress, and I am also finding the courage to find another journal to publish my dissertation (that has taken some time). But I know I can do better. So here are 3 short term goals (while continuing doing what I am doing with respect to rest): (1) clear off my computer desktop (aka., get organized) and write a list of things-to-do in my planner; (2) drink water and eat whole foods (aka., cook at home); and, (3) do some daily exercise (i.e., walk, YouTube videos, go outside, meditate). Small changes can lead to big change.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, October 06th, 2025 | Comments Off on How Many Windows
It’s hard to believe that it’s almost October. I’m still stuck on “where did July go?” Time is certainly flying by. The weather is a good indication that it’s FALL. I do love the rainy weather. It reminds me of the coast. But, I also love the changing colour of the leaves. Fall is my most favourite season in the Central Interior, and this area has four distinct seasons. There is a lot to love about this time of year… and it’s my BIRTHDAY MONTH. Can you believe that I’m turning 55? I can’t. I think that I was 37-years old for a very long time… and now, I’m 55.
I remember when my dad turned 55. We were in Prince Rupert. His birthday is May 19th. So, if he was 55, I was 22 (turning 23 that year). My kid is 22-years old right now. This year is very full circle for me. I have an image in my head (a memory, I suppose) of us having a family dinner at Galaxy Gardens, our Chinese restaurant of choice. We were sitting on the dining room side in one of the closed off areas with the large round tables. My dad was “cutting the cord” with Mark’s tennis ball (don’t ask… LOL) and we presented him with a Canuck jersey with “FREEDOM 55” written on the back of it. Mark must have been graduating from university and my dad was retiring from the pulp mill. Turning 55 was a big deal for my dad and it was a day of celebration.
I’m beginning to question the timing and location of this celebration… soon after he retired, they went to China for a handful of years (to figure out how to make pulp from long grass) and then moved to the Lower Mainland. Mark and I lived in the condominium my parents purchased after they left Prince Rupert. I think the timing is right. I think I just graduated from my Bachelor of Science and hoping to enter the teacher education program after the summer. And yes, I was in Prince Rupert and worked at the gift shop at the Museum of Northern British Columbia. Huh. This memory of my dad’s 55th birthday was very clear… very joyful. And, I do recall there is a photo of us in the restaurant with one image of my dad “cutting the cord” and another image with my dad holding up the jersey. Freedom 55 is not quite how I’m entering this lifespan milestone. I think I’m entering it with lots of gratitude.
First of all, I’m early to mid-career at the university. This employment (hopefully) will not end any time soon (even though I see lots of my friends retiring from the K-12 school system). I am really enjoying the work and I am learning lots. I have finally come to a place in this work where I am very content and feel that I have lots of agency (and freedom) to engage in academia and teaching that brings me a lot of joy and on-purpose to contribute back to K-12 education (and teacher education). I am really enjoying the work and believe that I am where I need to be. Second, I am still living with my kid. This co-habitation has been absolutely wonderful for me. As we both transition into “adulthood,” we are able to live together and support one another in our new home (hence the patio-pic image above). I just love our place and I am very happy living here. We have all the amenities we need, we have space to live (with strata doing lots of the outdoor maintenance), and we love the location. We are only 8 minutes away from the university. Finally, life has taken many left turns to lead us here in Prince George. I have never been happier. And for that, I am grateful.
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, September 28th, 2025 | Comments Off on Gratitude 55
A much better week this week… busy, no question… but more representative of what my work week will look like this fall term. On Monday, I did some work for the School of Education. Tuesday was focused on research and I had my first class with a graduate class at St. Mark’s College as a sessional instructor. We had an incredible class. We proceeded with my online class design and worked like a charm. Thank you to my previous online graduate level classes over the last few years who helped me to co-construct my online approach. I really like it, and I believe the students like it too. Wednesday was spent prepping for my Wednesday night class that was originally scheduled to be in-person but now its hybrid. I’m up for the challenge. We tried a few things to make the class more personable. Not perfect, but I think that class went well. Wednesday is a big day for me… because after night class, I am prepping for my morning class. Thursday begins with an 8:30am class. I managed to prep and went to bed at a decent hour. I had a pretty good sleep and we had a pretty good class. Friday ended with doing some work on campus in the afternoon and organizing my office.
I ended the week feeling very satisfied with the work I accomplished and it feels great to get “re-set” for the new school year. Although I did not get through my email, that might be a next week thing. Now, we head into the weekend. And, let me tell you… I entered this weekend guilt-free. Normally, I would have listed a whole bunch of things to do over the weekend. I had informally created a small list, but it is likely that I’m not going to address the “list of things to do” until Monday. Keeping work between the bookends of Monday to Friday (as best I can) might be the next step of my self-care, rest way-of-being. I need to keep this work sustainable and JOYFUL. I feel great when I’m rested. I know this sounds obvious, but I did not live my personal and professional life this way. Work took precedent and rest was only a privilege that I thought was purely indulgent and only available to me when my work was done.
Here some news… THE WORK IS NEVER DONE. That took me a long time to understand. Moreover, to get really good at maintaining balance and a healthy lifestyle, I need to PRACTICE. I’m guessing that after I finish this blog post that I am going to do a “workout” from YouTube. Yup. I would rather walk outside at night time, but it’s not safe. So, this weekend, I truly enjoyed my time RESTING. Saturdays is”be a person day.” What does that mean? I can do chores… I can sleep in… and I don’t do any work. I love recycling on Saturdays. I’m not sure why, but it brings me a lot of joy (or closure) to recycle on the weekend. This Saturday, I roamed around, went shopping, then food shopping, and went for a walk with a friend. Today, I took out the garbage, built a shelving unit, and re-organized my office/bedroom. Oh my… it feels great to be organized. Resting is intentional. In the end, I feel great. So, why not?
Written by Christine Ho Younghusband, September 14th, 2025 | Comments Off on First Real Week Back
