Ashley's Life in 10 Years

My journey from graduating high school, all the way to 10 years from now, in blog format.

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Link to my glossary for my 10 topics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P8J0Lc81toC6b3kgorosFt9OEvSM4Oa4-W4mqc7-Q2k/edit?usp=sharing

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Managing music...

07/18/2026

So I got the managerial position at the Young People’s String Program last year, and so far it’s been such a pleasure doing the things I love for a living. Working with kids, helping out the community, making music with others, I’m really happy where I am right now. It’s been a solid 8 years after my high school graduation, and I cannot believe how old I am now and how far I’ve gotten in life. I honestly wouldn’t have made it to where I am today without my high school experiences, which were some of the best in my life, as well as the key people in my life who have shaped me into who I am today. Every time I think back to my definition of success, I am so proud of how well I accomplished that goal. Not only do I have a job I love and I’m doing okay financially, I’m also so happy where I am in life and I’m surrounded by a large support network of family and friends, and I’m always able to make time to spend with them.

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06/20/2025

I always forget how much I miss Toronto. My friends and family are here, and it makes me so happy visiting during breaks. My life would definitely be incomplete with them, so I try to thank them and spend as much time with them as I can.

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Not broke anymore...

05/18/2024

I’ve started working at the Young People’s String Program at the Peabody Conservatory now. It’s a great work environment and the kids are all really nice. Teaching at Sistema Toronto back in my gap year really helped me develop my teaching skills, and now, I’ve improved so much in helping children learn music. I’ve started off at one of the lower level positions, but I think I may apply for a managerial position after I graduate. According to my Myers-Briggs personality (ISFJ), we are perfectionists, supportive, reliable, and hard-working. However, we may not seek out managerial positions in our careers because we are also shy and humble. Knowing this, I think I will step out of my comfort zone and reach higher into uncomfortable situations knowing that I can handle them.

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06/18/23

To me, work and life balance means not being overburdened with work, and being able to make time for all the other aspects of your life, including relaxation time. Having a good balanced schedule incorporates wellness and stress-relief. For me, my stress-relief includes hanging with my friends and going to concerts. Just last week when I was back in Toronto, I went to see the TSO again, which was exciting and relaxing. This reminded me of a quote I heard back in grade 10 which I really took to heart. It was during the Careers Fair, where a bunch of UTS alumni talked about their career journeys, and the quote was “You have to make time for the things you love.” I definitely try to live by this motto, evident in my music degree and how I always try to fit music into my schedule whenever I have any free time, whether it be playing or listening. The quote reminds me never to get overburdened with work and that doing the things you love will definitely make you happier in the long run. The careers fair was a really inspiring experience, and I want to go back and talk as well because of how helpful it was in opening my eyes to real career paths.

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04/18/22

It’s crunch week at university now, and I'm so stressed. The library, where I usually study, is filled to the brim, and so I took a day off from studying yesterday. I went out for a day with my friends. We went for afternoon tea, we went shopping, and we just relieved all of our pent up stress from studying for finals. It’s important to have a good work and life balance. To me, I keep this balance by spending time with my key people, who understand me and have similar work schedules. My key friends influence me to work hard in my education, but they also make me happy just by spending time with them.

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12/21/21

I’m back in Toronto for the holidays! I got to take some time off to relax, and spend time with my family and friends. I showed my gratitude for them, and bought them plenty of gifts for the holiday. I’m really thankful to have the two different groups in my life to relax with. They mean a lot to me, and although I am intrapersonal and prefer alone time occasionally, I like hanging out with small groups of my friends, and being there for each other as a support system and for fun times. I ate brunch with a few of my high school friends at the restaurants we used to frequent, and my family is holding a giant family dinner with all of my extended relatives on Christmas.

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The George Peabody Library. Isn’t it beautiful?

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All by myself...

10/18/19

I’m in Baltimore! The university is so nice and I’ve made so many new friends. Although it’s only been a month since school started, there’s already been so much work. In between classes, you can probably find me at JHU’s Eisenhower Library or the George Peabody Library. Often times, I prefer working and studying alone or in small groups, so I can be free of distractions and focus better. Although I am at a relatively larger university, I am still rather introverted and tend to avoid large groups of people, fitting of my intrapersonal multiple intelligences. I’d much rather study alone quietly than in a large group of people, which tends to make studying difficult.

Maybe I’ll keep this in mind when looking for a job after I graduate. I would definitely work better in a small work environment, where I can really get to know my colleagues…

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02/18/19

Vacation to Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan!

So I finally took that vacation I’ve been planning! I’m so glad I took this year off to travel and to volunteer. I’ve learned so much about so many other cultures! It’s so warm here and the food is so good. Here are some of the pictures:

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What is school

06/18/2018

I’m going to take a gap year before heading off to university. During my gap year, I’m planning on volunteering at Sistema Toronto - a music based charity, where I’ll teach kids how to play the violin. This will enable me to continue with my passion for music and give back to the community with the free time I now have. I’ll continue violin lessons with my current teacher, but I’ll take lots of time off to travel to places I want to visit again, like Europe and Asia. Maybe I’ll even go to the US again and visit different universities to see which one is really the right fit for me. I’ll be super relaxed and happy, making time out of my education to spend time doing the things I love.

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More Educational Planning

05/18/2017

Music is such a large part of my life; I dedicate a lot of time to it, and it makes me happy and less stressed. In fact, I would consider it a large part of my identity. However, I don’t know if it’s what I want to pursue as a career, or if I would rather just keep it as a major interest. I also like science, particularly chemistry, so maybe I’ll go for a degree in the sciences instead. I think I'm actually going to try and pursue both music and science, maybe in a double degree program. It combines both my life goals and interests, fitting into my definition of success.

The education planning I’m doing now will lead to my future success because of the tailored route I have made in order to fit my goals and my definition of success. Going to a highly academic university, which I plan on doing, can help with financial stability later on in a job. My educational planning also keeps my interests in mind, which is what the double degree in music and a science is for. My planning is also tailored to make my happy throughout my education, with examples being going to a university in an urban area, and being close enough to drive home to visit family.

I’m considering maybe taking a year off as well…

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Decisions, decisions...

So I’ve been thinking a lot about where I’m going to go after high school, almost obsessively like how some people think about where they end up after they die. I’m interested in music, but I don’t know if it’s what I want to make a career out of. I also want to travel to the US, as I want to go explore new places and become independent. But at the same time, I don’t even know if I want to go off to university right away. I’m so tired of work from high school; I want to go travel abroad and take some time off all-nighters and cramming facts into my brain.

09/18/2016

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My definition of success

Success is being happy and stable in my future life. This means having or working towards a university degree, leading towards a stable job and being able to support myself financially. Success also means being able to make time for all the things I love, along with my work and studies.