CODY SHIMIZU

A look into my life, a journal to look back on, a blog for others to see.

The school year is coming to a close for most high school students, and the dilemma arises for some to either take a year off, or to attend post secondary. I ended up taking a year off. For me there were two big reasons that lead me to the decision to taking a year off. First was to ride my bike more, I was planning to try and get some big miles in as well as work and save up so I would be able to do more bike trips to BC and to not have to work over the summer. The other reason was because I couldnt get into the program at the institution I wanted. I at least at this point think that I know what I want to do so Id rather wait until I can get into the program I want, rather than wasting time and money in a program that I have no interest in.

So as September rolled around and many of my friends were preparing for their first year of post secondary, I was sitting at home dusting off my cross bike. It was great, I was working part time, and getting lots of quality miles in on the bike with plenty of time to recover at home. I could see my fitness improving as the cross season went a long, and my savings building up. BUT THEN LIFE HAPPENED. Like the initial disapproval of my parents on my decision to take an year off, life bitch slapped me with a dose of real talk. My ankle snapped. Maybe it was a blessing in surprise cause going to school, with a broken ankle wouldve been a pain in the ass.

Anyways thats where my plan for my year off started falling apart. I lost 3 months to just laying in the bed and watching a lot of YouTube, during those months I couldnt work a single hour at the job I was at. In January I got the go ahead to get back on my feet (literally), the unfortunate part was that I couldnt get back to my job right away, as business was slow they didnt need me working during the winter so I was back to square 1, no job, no school, no training. To add insult to injury, now that I thought things were going well, I found a job washing dishes, had an awesome solo backpacking trip to Japan, I got a stupid back injury that completely threw off my hopes for the season before it even started.

Uhh so anyways lets get out of the damp dump of disappointments and move onto the good things that occurred over the past 10months. During the time I was laying in bed with a cast on my leg I had a second rising of my interest in photography since junior high, watching all and any YouTube tutorials about photography. With everything Ive learnt, once I felt good enough to hobble around on crutches, with my unbroken right leg I drove myself around Edmonton to take photos. It was really a nice way to get my mind off the weight of the cast. The other pro was my trip to Japan. YouTube does wonders, from learning photography to inspiring backpacking videos. The simplisity of travelling cheap with minimal belongings weighing you down. Before I always thought of travel as an rare special occasion to drop all of your savings on, staying in expensive hotels, living the 1% life for a few days. But these videos showed me that it was possible. Travel cheap, travel minimally, just travel. I really wanted to travel, but I didnt expect I would have an opportunity so soon. I was fortunate enough to have my parents have help me pay for the plane tickets, otherwise I completely drained my bank account and headed off. It was an amazing trip, that really opened my eyes to new opportunities and possibilities for seeing the world that Ive only seen on Instagram.

So should you take a year off? I dont fucking know. But for me I think I made the right choice, I learnt how to build a website from scratch, found a new passion for photography, got to experience the backpacking life, go to Japan, and got into the program I wanted at the University Of Alberta. I get to ask all my friends on little tips and tricks on University life. Of course I still sometimes think to myself what in the world was I thinking!? Ive really accomplished nothing in the past year, sitting around at home, looking at my friends who are already a quarter of their way through completing a degree, or my cycling friends travelling to big races, producing results, as I go for rides only to feel how slow Ive gotten. But what can I do? Everything BUT regretting.

I am looking forward to going back to school and enjoying University life to the fullest!