My name is Michelle and this is my blog.

I am a collector of things, a reader, a web designer. I crochet, knit, design jewellery and have high levels of affection for insects (but not spiders). I take photographs, I’m shy and confident, I’m a walking contradiction. I get upset, I laugh, I cry. I’m a romantic, a girl who can’t drink too much alcohol. I smile and a frown. I’m nothing if not immensely complex at times, and sometimes simply simple. I’m a girlfriend, a lover, an experimental individual. Most of all, I am myself.

What do I do?

I’m a 20-something year old who is a full-time student in British Columbia, Canada. I graduated in May 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences and Earth Sciences. I am a Bachelor of Science in Nursing candidate, my anticipated graduation will be in May 2015. When I’m done, I will be eligible to write the NCLEX (in Canada), and when that happens (and I pass…) I will be a Registered Nurse.

Volunteering has been a huge part of my life since 2008, when I started at the long term care facility that I volunteer at. I spend a few hours a week spending time with senior citizens and people with a varying range of mental and physical disabilities. Hearing their stories of the places that they grew up in and the things that they have lived through really humbles me and I love learning more about the history of the world from a primary source. I stopped in 2012 when I started my nursing school journey, but I still go back from time to time to visit with the residents and the staff that I worked with for just under four years.

I collect Blythe dolls and I also write about them, take photographs of them, and tote one around in my bag when I can.

And the people that I love…

A big part of my life is my boyfriend, Clay. There have been many ups and downs since we started dating in September 2008. There have been upsets, forgiveness, tears, and quite a bit of happiness within it all. He’s one of my best friends, a listener of my tangents who believes in me and loves me.

I have a fantastic group of friends. Many of them are from high school, some from university, some from work, some from online. My support group through life is important to me, and I try to let them know how much I care.

People on my blog generally do not get identified by their names – Clay does get identified (mostly because ‘the boyfriend’ is longer to type out), most people get their initial mentioned.

Why am I on the web?

I have been dabbling in web/graphic design since 1999 but never became very serious about it until 2003, when I was first hosted on someone’s domain. I got my start in making websites when I joined NeoPets in my preteens. I got my first domain in March of 2004 and my second in June of 2004. Imaginary Sunshine is my third domain (registered in October 2007) after spending about a year without a domain/website.

Imaginary Sunshine is also the domain that I’ve had for the longest time (from 2007 to present). I documented all of my undergraduate degree here and I will be writing about experiences and feelings about nursing school (2012-2015) here as well. I do go through phases where I just don’t blog, either because there is nothing to report or because of time constraints elsewhere, but I always come back home.