Phew!
What a week. It’s been full of onboarding to NP leadership life, well wishes from you and the broader NP famjam, and learning how to upload blog posts to name a few.
… I haven’t learned how to post blogs just yet. Rob posted this for me (thanks Rob)!
I thought I’d take the time this week to share some initial thoughts with you and properly introduce myself.
But first, thank you for the warm welcome. This is kind of overwhelming and very exciting if I’m being totally honest. Thank you for being you as I move into a different role with NP.
Participant to co-leader. It still feels weird to say (nevermind type it out!).
We know each other. Some of you know me better than others. Some of you don’t know me at all.
I thought it would be a good idea to say hi and share a bit about myself. So, how about some fun facts about Lazina?
Here’s 10 things you may not know about me:
- I’ve lived in Edmonton for 14 years now. I’m from Toronto (Richmond Hill, actually) and I miss home. When I’m there, I miss this home. So, I am happy to say I have two homes- Edmonton and Toronto.
- I played competitive tennis as a teenager. I was ranked in the Ontario Tennis Association and got a few scholarships to go to the US and play tennis (no, I didn’t go).
- I really give a s**t about where I live. I show up and contribute. I think that if you want to live in a great place, you have to help make it great. I do what I can when I can. That was instilled in me as a kid.
- I strongly believe in “helping people help themselves”. It drives me in everything that I do.
- I’m married to a wonderful human being. For 12 years now. We’re a happy family of 2. He makes me better and I’d like to think I make him better too. You might see him in the summer on Wednesdays – Commonwealth stairs (pre-covid and hopefully post covid too).
- I’m the middle of three daughters from parents who immigrated from Guyana to Toronto in the early 70s- when there were few people of colour to be found. I’m the recipient of hard-working, progressive parents who always wanted more for their children. I have the life I do because of them.
- I like to run! And because of NP, I like to run in the wintertime now too!
- I live with a chronic disease that, without medical and lifestyle intervention, could leave me unable to do basic tasks. Thank goodness for modern medicine.
- I love pretending I’m a chef. I love creating new and delicious things to eat and I love taking food photos.
- I showed up to NP in June 2014. I have no idea why. I didn’t know anybody. I came on my own. Turns out though, I knew Nadim! I had no idea he was leading NP when I first showed up. I’m so glad I chose to come that day…
Ok. So that’s a bit about me.
I want to know more about you. I hope that as time unfolds, I get the chance to know you better. Whether we’ve said hi, shared a sweaty hug, high fived one another, dolled out birthday booms alongside one another, sat with freezing bums in the snow to take a group photo (with good posture of course), or waved at each other on the screen in recent days, I want to know more of your story too.
Can’t wait for this.
Rob and I have just started talking about what’s next for NP… especially in the uncertain covid times we live in. You’re part of that conversation. More from us in the coming weeks on this…
Talk soon.
Together is better ~
L
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