CASIE STEWART

Casie January 16, 2018 LIFE

Rest in Peace, Betty

Last night when the plane landed I received a text saying that nana had passed away. Mum and I left SF and I guess around that same time in NZ, Betty passed peacefully. In a message from my auntie, she said ‘we were all in-flight together’.

Mum and Betty with her freshly painted nails

It was hard being there and seeing her struggling to eat or sit up. Nursing homes have this old smell and it is sad seeing people in their last days of life. It was my first time experiencing that and I felt sad but I wanted to be there, yet part of me wanted to run away from it. It gives you all these conflicting feelings about life and death, sprinkle that with a bit of family drama and it would give anyone anxiety.

I’ve spent my whole life on the other side of the world from my family and not been there for any death or sickness. This trip was the first time I’d been there to experience something like this with relatives. We visited nana each day I was there in Palmerston North and mum stayed an extra week to be with her. I took photos and printed one of her and mum, then put it in a frame to put beside nana’s bed. Mum went through some of nana’s things and we all took a few mementoes to remember her. I painted her nails and did her lipstick. We told stories about Canada and our families here. Mum put some nice cream on her frail dry hands.

I’m so glad we were able to be there with her in those final days, especially mum. I can only imagine how hard it was for her. Seeing her, and also leaving her.

Betty was a strong woman. Always dressed well and wore lipstick. Her hair was always permed with a perfect curl. She always had her nails painted nicely. She had 5 children, 3 boys and two girls, including 1 set of twins, my mum and Jimmy. She was a sassy woman, known for saying exactly what was on her mind. A good listener. Very sweet but still a hard case. She liked to do things her own way.

Twins, Jimmy and mum at The Batch over the holidays

We felt a little bit like she was holding on just to see us. We first visited her on January 2nd and she passed away January 15th. Each day we were together we could see her health declining. I didn’t know what else to do but be there and tell stories. She was so happy when I did her nails. I always like to have my nails done too.

Mum and I were saying to her that she could ‘go anytime, it was ok‘ and she mumbled ‘bitch‘. Mum and I couldn’t help but burst out laughing, I think she’s been hearing that from people the last couple months and was like ‘I will damn well go when I please thank you very much‘.

This trip was special in so many ways but taking mum back to see her family and spend time with her mum before she passed away was priceless.

I’m going to get my nails done a bright red today for you Betty.
Rest in peace.

Settling Back Into Work Mode

This week I have two Mondays. I woke up about 7am Monday in Auckland, NZ and flew to San Francisco in the afternoon. Then we travelled back in time, and here I am experiencing Monday morning again in San Francisco. It’s 8:30am now and my flight is at 12:30pm. The wifi is great.

Luckily for me, I’m someone who looks forward to Monday, it always brings new opportunity and you never know what will happen. I’m glad to have North American power outlets, walk on the right (not left) side of the halls, and Starbucks everywhere. The wifi here is also great and I’m really glad to sit at my computer and settle back into work mode.

Since I’ve been on vacation for the first part of the year I kinda feel like I’m only starting 2018 now. Well, when I get home and wake up in my own bed. I’m excited for what this year will bring. I’m focused on doing more directing, travelling, and speaking. My blog will always be my diary but it’s important to constantly innovate. You don’t want to get left behind and I prefer to be ahead of the pack!

The last month has been an opportunity to learn more about the things I really love doing and what I don’t want to do. I got a glimpse of lots of different lifestyles and perspectives. I strive to bring more joy into my life and keep my sunshiney positive attitude. The more you live that way the more you bring it into your life. Like attracts like. I have no time for negative attitudes, people, or perspectives.

Last year around this time I had a big awakening during my trip to LA. This post was written Jan 14th and this one on January 31st if you want a refresh. When I came back to Canada I made a few changes that I stuck with all year.

Do what you want – don’t fall into pressure to go places, hang out, or do anything you don’t want to do. You are the director of your life.
Put yourself first – you need to self-care and make time to be creative, healthy, workout. Make yourself happy and you’ll have more sunshine to share.

I signed up for unlimited classes at Yoga Yoga Studio and went 3-4 times almost every week. At the start of each week, I put in classes my calendar and don’t miss one unless something important or a job comes up. There were obvs exceptions but I was focussed on making my classes because they make ME FEEL GOOD. They’re good for my mental health and great for stretching my bod.

I also gave up going to so many events. For years I went to heaps each week, I WAS EVERYWHERE. Back then, it was essential to getting my name out there and for building relationships. I highly recommend doing that if you’re just getting started! These days, my priorities have changed. I’m doing work I love and have some amazing partnerships. This year I’ll be continuing my work with Telus and Sassoon Toronto. I’ve got some projects on the go with 1188 and am represented by the National Speakers Bureau (Global Speakers Agency). This work brings me so much joy!

2017 was the year of cutting the fat from my life. I went full Marie Kondo on my whole damn life. If something doesn’t bring me joy, byeeeeeee.

2018 is the year of love and light and I’m excited.

JUST HOLD ON WE’RE GOING HOME: live blog from 35,000ft!

Helloo! I’m on United flight 916 from Auckland, New Zealand to San Francisco, California. Mum and I are watching Battle of the Sexes movie about the Billie Jean King story. For years I’ve had a Billie Jean King quote framed on my wall that was given to me by mum when I was a teenager. Perfect timing for this movie considering what’s happening in the world right now. As the plane took off I put through an order for a ‘Time’s Up’ shirt via PayPal on my phone. Mum thought that was pretty cool and such a ‘me’ thing to do as the plane was taking off.

As we were boarding I got a notification a new game of HQ Trivia was starting. I’ve got mum hooked on it this trip. We haven’t got higher than 7 questions but what does it matter?! we both love Scotty (the hilar host) and we have a bunch of laughs every single time.

Passport in 1 hand @ScottRogowsky in the other. Boarding in AKL heading to SFO! HQ BABYYYYYY! pic.twitter.com/JJPK4vzzI7

— CASIE STEWART ☀️ (@casiestewart) January 15, 2018

Before driving to the airport I bought 2 books of stamps and sent off a pile of postcards I’ve written this trip. I asked people to give me their address and also sent them to people I’ve worked with or haven’t seen in a while.

I love travelling so much. Sending postcards is something I’ve been doing the last few years and it always makes me feel great writing them and sending sunshine to people around the world.

Sent heaps of postcards before I came to the airport! ??☀️?✌??❤️ pic.twitter.com/pBNxGrS0wO

— CASIE STEWART ☀️ (@casiestewart) January 15, 2018

This trip was really awesome. I saw parts of NZ I’ve always wanted to and spend a good chunk of time driving the open road by myself. I learned a lot and mum’s said she learned a lot from me about travelling too.

HOMETIME! Have an extra bag because of all the SHOPPING!

I’m really proud we made it through the 21 days together and came out strong. There were some hard family times to go through and a bit of drama but we stuck together. Both mum and I feel at peace with Nana, it was hard but it’s good we were there. We have nothing but pure joy when it comes to the family and all the cousins. I got to see so many people and build/form new relationships. Mum spent a few extra days in her hometown hanging out with cousins and old friends. I feel non-ironic, honestly actually, blessed to have great people in my life.

I also feel pretty lucky to have such a great mum. Yes, there were times she drove me crazy (what mother doesn’t!) but we also had so many laughs, went for walks, stopped at nearly every vintage shop we saw, and drove long country roads singing along to Adele (haha). we didn’t make it yoga but there’s time for that.

Excited to be coming home and have memories to last a lifetime. They are serving lamb as the lunch on the way home with couscous and it is delicious. I love new Zealand food! We are also having Heineken!

With love from the sky at 35,000 ft!

The air here smells like manuka honey and the sea.

On The Road Again: Palmerston North to Lake Taupo

I spent most of today in the car on a 3hr road trip from Palmerston North to Taupo. Woke up feeling a bit groggy from loud singing Adele with mum after an amazing dinner and few bottles of wine with my cousins. We had so much fun together last night. I love having my family close, getting to know them, making jokes together, them making fun of me, and laughing. This trip has been so exciting.

PETER, ISAAC, COOKIE, ALEC (and the doggos!)

I went to say my last goodbye to nana at the home this morning. She was doing better than yesterday but she’s had quite a decline from the first day I saw her over a week ago. Getting old is sad. Next, we visited my cousin Lisa and gave gifts to her three darling little daughters. It was nice. Lisa came to visit us in Canada when she was 9. Her and my sister used to look so much alike. Lisa is 1/2 Maori and beautiful. Mum is staying in Palmy this week to spend more time with her mum and I’m on the road alone.

The best parts of my trip today were stopping at least 10 times to take photos and post things on the internet. A long drive on the open road is nice but I like to take photos so luckily for me, New Zealand has a lot of rest stops.

Aside from driving on the other side of the road, it’s pretty challenging because the roads are narrow and twist and wind all over the place. You really have to concentrate. I had my GoPro along for the drive and haven’t even checked the card for that yet. I’m planning to do some data backup and management on the long, nearly 24-hour journey back to Canada.

I stopped to take some photos from this lookout.

Stopped at Mt Ruapehu, an active stratovolcano at the southern end of the Taupo Volcanic Zone. On the way in we drove past but it was too cloudy to see the peaks. Still looks good from the last time I saw it back when I was 18! The last eruption was in 2007.

Then went to the Tokaanu Hot Pools about 45 minutes outside Taupo. For $12 you can get our own private pool. I took a dip in the public one too and was out of there in just over 20 min. One of the joys of solo travel is zipping in and out of tourist attractions really fast. In Wellington, I did both the National Museum Te Papa and the War Museum in about 30 min each. That post is coming soon. I’m a few days behind!

Private Geo Thermal Hot Pool YES PLEASE!

You Can’t Swim w/ Us. Jk, come right in!

Hellooo hot POOL and hot SUN. It was actually super hot out.

At Lake Taupo I stopped for ice cream at the beach and read my book in the sun. It was so lovely. People were swimming, riding bikes, riding seadoos, parasailing, and boating.

This thing was melting so fast, was hot AF outside!

After a little rest up on the beach, I drove over to my Airbnb. My hosts are super nice. We talked over tea before they headed out for a night swim at the pool. I took in the sunset and soaked up the wifi to write this all down.

Hosts have a nice patio where I sat with my computer for a bit.

I’m really having a great time. I miss Sean and home but I also love being on the road. Can you believe we sill have 5 more days!? Tomorrow I drive to Auckland to stay with a friend. Can’t wait!

With love from New Zealand,

Being Human on The Internet #TEDx

This my TEDx Talk from late 2015 where I speak about innovation and social media. The theme of TEDx Western was The Human Condition. I start out sharing some things I’ve had the opportunity to do because of the internet and then move into how the internet has changed, how fast they change, faking it, followers, narcissism, influencers, and where all this social media stuff is going. The original blog post from the day I spoke at Western University in London, ON is here.

“If you’re in school there’s a good chance you’ll be working in a job that doesn’t exist yet.” – Casie Stewart

Posting this gives me anxiety because I don’t think it’s my best work but I can’t take it back now! Feel free to watch if you have 15 minutes. I would love your comments, good OR bad. I know I kept turning around to face the screen and don’t do that anymore, the monitor up front wasn’t showing my slides. I was also a bit heaver here than I want to be omg the internet gives me anxiety.

“If you have a vision, keep that in mind. Follow that. there might be people who may not understand but that’s because your vision is so far ahead they can’t see it yet”. – Casie Stewart

TEDxWesternU 2015: The Human Condition; a concept that is intimately intertwined with every single one of our lives. All of us subscribe to the human condition and the diversity of what that means makes humanity the enigma that it is. Together we will try to navigate its definition from the perspectives of a variety of professionals. From implications on healthcare to business to human rights, TEDxWesternU 2015 will explore what it means to be human.

Casie January 4, 2018 LIFE Himatangi Beach, New Zealand

The Best Fish & Chips Come Wrapped in Paper

The last couple days have been so incredibly lovely. We’ve been staying with Catherine and having so many laughs. The first day we visited nana who was doing ok but she seem’s a bit better. My last update I was feeling super emotional, it was real talk. Happy to report I’m feeling much better now. I’ve been meeting up with cousins and getting to know my family and my heart is full of love.

Yesterday we went to Himatangi Beach for a long walk and swim. IT WAS AMAAAAAZING. Both my mum and dad used to go there heaps growing up. My granddad used to have a beach house but I didn’t know which one so I don’t have a photo lol.

I walked along with mum, and my cousins Alec (dad), Margot (his daughter), and their two little Scottie dogs. It was so much fun. They call them ‘doggos’! We ran up and down the beach playing with the pups and walking on water while the tide was out. After we stripped down to our togs (kiwi for bathing suit!) and body surfed in the ocean.

That night Alec invited us over for dinner and we had a good kiwi bbq w/ salad, potatoes, steak, sausages, and wine. Lots of wine! Mum drove home lol. We all told stories around the table and laughed our heads off. We had more wine back at the house with my other cousins and I loved every minute of it. Doing a good job of making up for lost time while I’m here. Did a pop by and made dinner plans for my mum’s twin brother’s daughter and her family next week (another cousin party!).

Today we tried to go to yoga but it was closed for the week. It’s crazy how everything shuts down here for the holidays. After not doing yoga we stopped into one cafe that had a closed kitchen for the week. See?! Crazy! We had a nice brekky at another little spot before mum and I met a different cousin in the park. I bought her girl’s an ice cream each and it was so hot out they melted all over the place by the duck pond. It was pretty funny!

We had a few laughs and a brief afternoon visit with nana too. She remembered us today. Next week I’ll be on adventure by myself mostly. I bought mum a one way flight on a local airline so she can spend more time here with nana then meet me in Auckland a couple days before we come home. I’m looking forward to it! Have some fun stuff planned.

Tonight for dinner we had fish & chips from Mork & Mindy’s and MY GOD THEY WERE GOOD. They’re best when wrapped in paper. When I was a kid they were wrapped in newsprint. That would never happen now! New Zealand ‘fush & chups’ are so fresh and delicious, it’s hard to explain but they’re just so GOOD. We ate heaps with lots of laughs and had a nice night at the house.

Tomorrow we drive out to the coast. I can’t wait to be back there. It’s incredibly beautiful. Everything here is stunning. Another cool thing about New Zealand is how the air smells. It’s fresh, sweet, and exotic after a good rain. There’s a storm right now so hoping it clears up by morning!

LOVE FROM NEW ZEALAND!
I THINK MUM IS HAPPY!

Hi from Palmerston North, aka Palmy!

Well my friends! It’s been almost 10 days since I’ve been away and it feels like forever! I had a nice time over the weekend at Coromandel with my family and the weather was beautiful. We had fresh fish everyday and I took as much time to read at the beach as possible. It’s lovely here but I can’t help but miss home, I miss everyone, my bf, my house, and even the snow. I’m grateful but it’s been a bit hard.

I’m in Pamerston North now which is about 6 hours south from Auckland in the North Island. The air is warm and the air here smells fresh and clean. I love the smell of new Zealand. Yesterday I met some of my cousins for the first time and we shared laughs and stories at a cafe called Baristas.

We’re staying with a friend of mum’s, like a sister, and she is so incredibly lovely. An artist who is all about positive energy with a garden full of monarch butterflies, apple & lemon trees, grape vines, and green grass. She also has 5G wifi and I’ve got my own room, so, about as good as it gets!

Travelling with a parent is kinda stressful and if you have any tips please share. Stayed at a great Airbnb at Lake Taupo yesterday and then drove to our next destination Palmerston North. We visited my nana yesterday, mum’s mum, who isn’t doing that great and tbh don’t think will be around much longer. I’m glad I was able to bring mum to see her but just the weight of it all is heavy. I’ve cried a lot the last two days.

Beautiful New Zealand, it looks like this almost everywhere once you leave the city/town.

It’s kind of weird being here because a lot of it is familiar from my previous trips but so much is different. I’m taking it one day at a time but knowing in the back of my mind that nana could go at any minute is hard to ignore. This afternoon we’re planning to go to the beach if the rain holds up. I’m sitting outside at a cafe drinking a flat white and using wifi outside. I found a yoga studio and am planning to pop by for a class in about an hour.

Sending sunshine from New Zealand!
I’ll be home in 11 days!

Happy New Year from Coromandel, New Zealand!

G’day from down under! Haven’t had great wifi the last couple days and it’s actually been quite lovely! We’ve got a small cabin at a park on the beach about 2 hours north of Auckland. I was 12 when I was last here.

It’s so great to spend time with my cousins and family. Today we’re having a New Years Eve H?ngi, a traditional M?ori method of cooking for special occasions. Instead of cooking it in the ground, uncle Donald and Linda are cooking the food all day in a beer keg! How cool is that? Luckily they remembered to remove these Custom tap handles for your beer keg which they picked up when they bought the keg, beer and all.

Today I went fishing w/ my cousin and caught this big snapper!

Being out on the water was incredibly beautiful and HOT. My god the sun here is brilliantly warm and sun block is essential because there’s a hole in the ozone layer. I’m going for safe gradual tan and we’ve still got 2 weeks to go.

Tomorrow we drive to Taupo and stay in a farm house Airbnb for one night. Next we head to Palmerston North for a couple days then out to the coast near Masterton for the weekend.