My biggest inspiration

I love my Nonno (Nonno means grandfather for those who don't know) with all my heart. However, I've always had a terrible time understanding him because his English is pretty rough. Having a conversation is near impossible for us because we literally have no idea what we are trying to say to each other. We sort of just smile, nod and play some cards or watch the Price is Right or something. 

Yet even though we have this barrier in our relationship, he manages to be my biggest inspiration.

Let me explain why.

Thanksgiving of 2013, my Nonno (as always) had to hear me play piano. Now usually I just declined his request because for unknown reasons, I get incredibly nervous singing in front of my family. Except this time I decided to take my place at the piano bench, my Nonno at my side. The room fell silent as I began to sing, and honestly I have never felt so much of my heart being put into a song. Sure I’ve performed in front of crowds before, but nothing was as special as this moment.  

Part way through the song, my uncle’s yappy dog began to bark and my family began to yell back at the unfortunate looking thing (it really is an ugly dog…). Yet my Nonno remained quiet. He just put his hand on my shoulder and asked me to keep playing. Without looking, up I did what I was told and continued from where I left off, the silence resettled.

When I played the final note, I let it ring before I took my eyes of the keys.

As I looked up, I felt my heart drop when I noticed my Nonno was in tears.

‘Bella, Bella,’ was all he could manage to say.

Without hesitation, I wrapped my arms around him and stifled a nervous laugh. Yet as I looked over his shoulder I noticed that my Aunt Mimi began to cry as well (she had moved to Canada from Ethiopia and like my Nonno, I have a difficult time understanding her because of her accent).

I couldn't help but cry.

This is probably one of the most amazing moments I have ever experienced in my life. In that moment, I have never felt more connected to my Nonno than I did that day.

Music is a universal language that connects us. For me, it explains things that cannot simply be put into words. Until that moment, I never truly understood what it was like to feel the music for more than what’s written on the page. A million people could teach me how to read and play music, but my Nonno is the only one who could teach me how to feel music.

And that’s why he is my biggest inspiration. 

The video I have attached is the song I sang for my Nonno. It's my own cover of 'Skinny Love' by Bon Iver.

  

5 tips for staying awake in class

Looking back on my first two months here at Ryerson University, I have found that there are so many things that we as students have to adjust to. Completing assignments, reading, studying for tests, and being away from home just to name a few. But there is one habit I've seen a lot throughout some of my classes that a lot of students have either done or probably will do in the near future: and that's falling asleep in class.

That's right, I've seen the awkward 'wake up and realized I drooled on myself' look or the subtle nod just when you're about to fall asleep and then you wake up right before you smack your head off your desk.

And to all you sleepy-eyed students, let me be the one to say you are not alone.

I have found myself guilty of taking a snooze in the middle of a boring lecture but I am here to help.

Here are five tips I have found helpful to stay awake in class.

1. Be healthy

Perhaps this is the most obvious tip but for some reason students still skip meals, pull all-nighters and declare that their daily exercise was the walk to and from class.

NO.

Let me start by saying how important eating three healthy meals a day is. Without food, you will die - that's a fact. It gives you the energy you need in order to get through the day and without that energy you're going to be drowsy. If you're drowsy you're likely to fall asleep in class.

Easy as that.

Now something that's a bit tricky to get into the habit of: falling asleep at a decent hour.

Yes I know there was probably a 'really sick party' the night before or maybe you were binge watching Game of Thrones until 4am. But if you have an 8am class the next morning - guess what?

You're going to fall asleep in class.

You're in university now, which means you probably don't have your mom sending you off to bed at a decent hour. So do yourself a favor and get the sleep you need. It will save yourself from becoming stressed, getting sick and more importantly, falling asleep in class.

And here is the most dreaded word in my vocabulary.

Exercise

Yes. I said it.

To those who do exercise: congratulations you're amazing

To those who don't: Get moving.

I understand that with school work and classes it can interfere with your 'work-out' time, but seriously 15 minutes is all it takes. Go for a run, do some jumping jacks in your room, buy a yoga tape, whatever you decide to do it will give you the energy to get through the day.

2.Sit near the front

There is no rule saying the front row is reserved for the nerds and near-sighted. If you find yourself becoming drowsy in the middle of class, you're more likely to fall asleep in the back row as opposed to the front row. At the front of the class it's easier to pay attention to the lecture and process whatever information your prof is throwing at you.

3. COFFEE

If you haven't yet, you will soon find yourself in the unavoidable situation of being swamped in school work at 2am with no end in sight. All I can say to that is: coffee is your friend.

4. ACTUALLY Participate 

After reading that I'm sure that 99% of introverts just cringed.

Being introverted myself, I've always found participation to be a struggle, but a great way to get involved with discussion, better your grade and surprisingly stay awake in class.

5. Don't Stress

One of the worst things you can do in university is stress.

Avoid overwhelming yourself by completing assignments as soon as possible and making sure you're in control of everything you're doing. It's tempting to participate in a bunch of clubs and teams but it's important to know your limits.  When you stress you lose sleep, and when you lose sleep you're probably going to make up for the lost time in class.

What my tattoo means to me.

Under a year ago, my best friend and I got tattoos together (because what else are two single people supposed to do on Valentines Day?). I got my favourite quote tattooed on my forearm that reads "Living is easy with eyes closed."

Yes, Beatles fans, it is in fact a lyric from John Lennon's "Strawberry Fields Forever."

Now here is why I both hate and love my tattoo.

The one thing that drives me insane about it is how everyone questions why I got it (I guess that's just the price you pay when you get a tattoo in such a visible spot.

"Living is easy with eyes closed, huh? Let me give it a try then," remarks one smart-ass customer I had to deal with at work as he shuts his eyes and trips over the closest shoe rack.

And the sad thing is this has happened on more than one occasion.

Now, here is the reason why I love my tattoo.

It's for me and not for anyone else (and I mean this in a non-selfish way... if that's even possible).

For one, it's a constant reminder of how big of a step it was for me to endure the pain of getting the tattoo when so many people were more than certain that I wouldn't do it.

And then there is the deeper meaning beyond the ink.

This quote can be interpreted in so many ways and that's one of the reasons I got it tattooed. It doesn't literally mean shutting your eyes and walking around like an idiot. It's a reflection of the most beautiful and most emotional moments in our lives that happen with our eyes closed.

We dream with our eyes closed
We cry with our eyes closed
We scream with our eyes closed
We kiss with our eyes closed
We pray with our eyes closed

It's a reminder of both the greatest moments in my life and some of the hardships I've had to overcome.

The tattoo is also an escape for me.

The song "Strawberry Fields Forever" is about John Lennon's childhood and how free he was
as a child. Being able to run off to the park close to his home called 'Strawberry Fields' without a care in the world.

Whenever I find myself stressed about something, I like to think back to that time when everything seemed easier. The full lyric reads: "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see." As you get older, you begin to recognize all the things that are wrong in the world. As a child, typically you're oblivious to anything that doesn't have a direct relation to you. When you're young, the world is yours and yours alone.

So whenever I find myself overwhelmed by something or I'm low on motivation, that lyric sparks something within me and inspires me to keep going no matter what the world is trying to throw at me. Although things would be easier if I were to throw everything away, this tattoo is a constant reminder that I can do anything if I really push myself forward.


And that is what my tattoo means to me.

A somewhat formal introduction.

Here we go.

My name is Micaela Storey Tesi and I'm currently living in Toronto, Ontario. One very important thing about me is that I absolutely love writing - otherwise why would I be in the journalism program at Ryerson University?
Aside from writing, music is a huge part of my life. I love listening to music and I have made it my life goal to learn as many instruments as I can. I love reading and I typically have a difficult time stopping whenever I encounter a good book. Due to my poor coordination skills, I typically try to stay away from sports (but I do enjoy running or yoga every once in a while).
I have an amazing family. I have two parents and two siblings who I adore and would be at a loss without. Of my two siblings I am the middle child (and yes middle child syndrome is a real thing).
I'm very introverted and typically enjoy spending time on my own, but of course I don't mind the company of others.
In my spare time I enjoy reading, writing, and doing musical things such as attending weekly open mic nights. 

Overall I'm an enthusiastic and optimistic person and I always put as much effort as I can into my work.

On this blog, I will be posting stuff about my personal experiences, my different opinions and thoughts, and school assignments that I may be particularly proud of.