Navigating the Oilfield: A Woman’s Perspective

Ever experienced walking barefoot? This is how I feel when I entered this industry. Every step I take, or move I make, is being watched and I can feel every eye looking at me. Let me describe the environment and other factors you might want to know to prepare yourself before going into this industry.

As a female working in this kind of industry, a short girl, Asian, and with a smiling face wherever I go, I was wrong. Because this attitude doesn’t work here. Well, the environment doesn’t have any drama. But the ego of some of the men working here are topnotch.

Some of men doesn’t like to be watch by someone while working and that’s totally understandable. But as a safety, that’s our job to observe and keep the workers safe as well. And even remind them of things they should be aware especially when they are working.

I worked at a Sulfur Plant on my first job. I am asked to run and supply oxygen for the workers as they enter vessels. This is just a precaution in case any toxic air kill a worker. To be honest, I embraced this role with all my heart. I knew that a life depended on me. I am the extra eyes and extra limb to call for rescue.

Here I learned the balance of not being too friendly to do your job. Because if you smile most of the time, they think that you are not serious enough about your job. And I look like, I am just a kid with my height and being the person on standby for rescue.

This job requires you to climb towers and go to dark confined spaces without panicking. Staying calm is the most vital to this job. It is because when a person is rushing and emotions took over, it often leads them to a complicated scenario. Here you are required to be calm and act fast with a clear mind.

Here it became clear to me. Being a woman has some disadvantages. Due to my physical form, they expect me to carry a 200-lbs person in times of rescue. To tell you the truth, we are a standby person. It means we are the person who runs and asks for help. Make sure we know who to call. Whether it’s medic or rescue people. That’s why we are safety watch.

Most of the workers hate safety. That’s the honest truth. They commonly think that bypassing some safety rules will help them get their job done efficiently. However, that is not the case. That’s the opposite.

Often times, when we rush to do our work for the sake of going home earlier will risk our safety at work. In the next blog, I’ll focus more on the importance of safety in our daily lives.

-Micah

artsytravellerph | March 26, 2025 | 4:01 PM |

Fort St. John || British Columbia

How keeping a journal can change you too?

Don’t know where to start?

Browsing through information after information doesn’t really help me.

I grabbed my journal and my gel ink pen. And just let all my thoughts flow.

I started writing in my journal again. Website by the way. It’s an unfamiliar feeling to press the keyboards as I type. I have been scribbling in my journal for the past years instead.

I am more free when it comes to pen and paper. Of how my hand controls my penmanship and observe how my thoughts get transferred to a piece of paper. I started doing my journal in my first year of college. This was back in my University days. 

1. HELPS YOU NAVIGATE AND TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR EMOTIONS

It helped me navigate through the emotions that I am going through. It’s like dissecting why do I feel a certain emotion in the moment. And slowly discover the factors that triggered it and how will I sued this emotion for the better.
( Self-examination ) 

2. GIVES YOU YOUR OWN SELF CRITIC FOR THE BETTER

Also, keeping a journal helped me reflect on how I reacted and handled the things that I did. Asking myself if I handled it the right way or if there’s another way of dealing with a certain situation.

Making sure that in every experience, I will always value the lesson so that I can live my life for the better. I acknowledge that through journal, I know where to pick myself from. ( Self Observation )

3. ASSESSING WHICH OPTION IS THE BEST FOR YOURSELF.

Another thing that it gave me is how to make a decision that I will definitely not regret and suffer from. It helped me to ask more questions based on what I value more than the other.

If there is a situation that I feel that I needed to decide. I just need a quiet place or put some earphones in and face my journal with coffee and water by my side. What are the trade offs for this decision? Am I willing to accept the resources that I need to give up in order to choose a valid decision? How will it affect my over all well-being? My mental health most especially.

My guide to decision making now changed because before I decide on what is right for most people around me that I forgot to include myself in the picture. Please do not do this. I do not want you to burn yourself out, just like I did. But it’s still up to you. It’s your life anyway.

What I learned when in comes to decision making. It’s completely okay to think of yourself first and are you willing to accept the consequences of that decision. Own your decision and be responsible for it. 

4. IT'S THE BEST COACH AND THERAPY AVAILABLE. ALSO, IT'S FREE.

Venting without hurting other people and yourself is healthy through self expression. You can also do this through other forms. I have different views about artists. They are capable of turning their pain into power creating something beautiful and inspiring out of it. Some create music, art through drawing or painting, sculpting, writing, dancing, and singing. Find what works for you.

Writing on your journal can help you let go of unwanted emotions. These are the emotions that can drag you down. After releasing this unwanted emotions, it can help you focus more to achieve your dream. What happened in the past stay in the past and through learning from it gives you strength as you paused to take time to learn from it.

Through it, you now think of ideas of how to make yourself better and stronger and on your own to brainstorm of what is your game plan for your own life.

” See it for yourself. Grab a pen and paper now. 🩷 “ – Micah B.

artsytravellerph || March 26, 2025 ||1:52 PM || Fort St. John, British Columbia

Break Free: Overcoming Doubts in Your Creative Journey

Ever felt like nothing will work out even if you are putting in the effort to make it happen?

This is just another day to get better and focus on your own craft. But you felt like you are walking on a rope that it’s going to make or break you as well. You are thinking of not giving up but still you feel uneasy in the middle of the night asking yourself to give more. And you know that you need rest too.


You are getting impatient. And it’s up to you to turn that weakness into strength. You can use that feeling of impatience to give more into the day and set healthy boundaries to stop and rest. Because if you rest, the more productive you can be to giving it your all.

As for me, I am getting impatient too. Because I wanted to see the results already when I haven’t committed long enough still. I have to remind myself that I am doing this not for the intention to be liked but for me to embrace and express myself more.

Browsing suggestions and watching videos online are truly confusing. It leads you one thing to another and then after you know it, you already fed yourself a lot of information that you don’t even know what to process.

There’s no perfect route. You do your own thing. Get better on it every day. Put in the hours and you have to stay at the moment to enjoy the journey.

Play one song that connects to you and feel the feeling. Start living by being truly present. My wish is that we listen to our hearts more than our minds. With the healthy balance of heart and mind, we can come up with an idea of which to take.

I know that you are being practical about earning money. But what is money if you lost yourself. These are things that money can buy.

Yes, to self expression. Yes to creating. I think that’s one of the antidote of overthinking. Wherever you are, I hope that your heart starts to say things that you want to do again.

I hope that it will give you the spark to do the things you’ve always wanted to do that you you always tell yourself not now. The time is now, do it in simple ways.

” Get started and start living the life you want. Break free! “

That sense of relief. You need to discipline your thoughts.

This is battle with yourself. Only you can free from those chains.

Stay on course.

It’s You vs. You.

-Micah

Artsytravellerph | March 24, 2025 | 6:58 PM | FSJ | British Columbia

Overcoming Life’s Crossroads: Choose Yourself First

artsytravellerph || March 23, 2025 || 8:28PM ||
Fort St. John, British Columbia

Just like I used to believe that Romeo will come and save me in this small town. My dear, I’ve done that path. It drained me out. Took me a lot to get back on my feet once again. I thought giving was the only way. I thought that the only way to sharpen my skills is to give it away, but no. You are draining yourself that way, you should learn what serves you and things that you need to let go.

I could even describe it in my own words as ‘work hopping’. If there is such a word. Haha. For me, I thought the new job, or the new environment would serve me. I said maybe, let’s do it once again. Like find a new job and see if I could stick out to it. No matter how ideal I associate myself skills I could be learning to that specific job, I ended up not in a crossroads but rather than a corner of two walls. If you know what I mean.

Then days, feel like so slow. I know that I am alive but I lost the sense of living. It’s empty and it’s suffocating. Don’t wait for the day that you couldn’t remember all the food you crave every now and then. Don’t set aside what made you feel alive just because it wasn’t practical financially.

Delaying that dream is like shaking up at soda until it will burst since it can’t contain the pressure already. And before you know it, you’ll hit the corner wall that I am telling you about. Until you don’t have any choice to confront yourself.

God planted that dream in your heart and unless you do something about it, that uneasy feeling will never go away. Just because it’s out of reach right now doesn’t mean it is not possible.

“You were created by God to reach your highest potential. Don’t let fear or doubt stop you from stepping into the future He has planned for you.”

Unknown

But have you heard a beautiful word that is most often understood as being selfish? Starts with ‘B’ and ends with ‘S’

Boundaries. You need yourself too.

It’s healthy.

Don’t wait for the perfect timing. The best bet you can do is work on what you have. Choose yourself this time before you end up losing yourself.

Take care! And let’s weave our dreams!

– Micah

March 2025

“A Dance with Dreams, Goals, and the Quiet Lessons Along the Way”

artsytravellerph || March 23, 2025 || 1:54 PM || Fort St. John, British Columbia

Feeling lost about your dreams is a common experience, and it’s important to remember that it’s okay not to have all the answers right now. Life is a journey of discovery, and sometimes our dreams evolve as we grow. Take some time to reflect on your passions, values, and the activities that bring you joy and fulfillment. Consider experimenting with new hobbies or experiences to reignite your inspiration. Journaling, meditation, or talking with trusted friends or mentors can also offer valuable insights. Remember, it’s never too late to redefine your dreams, and each step you take, no matter how small, can lead you closer to a path that truly resonates with who you are.

For the past 8 years, I have been so focused on short term goals that I forgot what I really wanted in the first place. And now, I found the answer. It’s the courage of embracing life itself. Experience what it feels like and doing more of what makes me feel alive. I hope that this entry would inspire you to take action on your long forgotten dream that you put aside because you have to deal with your current situation.

It was just right this time, that my boss offered me a position to stay at the office. Honestly, I kind of wished this before to have a secured job and comfortable. I felt something wasn’t right. For 2 days, I couldn’t feel the sense of time and I am only playing some soothing music through Youtube and it was the same feeling that has been boggling me for years. 8 years later, I realized what I was lacking.

It sounds scary until you jump. After 8 years, I’ve learned it the hard way. Just this two words.

Choose yourself!

Where to go?

Untitled presentation (1)

“You always ask yourself where you wanted to go. What you really wanted to do for the rest of your life. So you take your backpack with you, trying to find answers while you travel for a place you’ve never been before.”

So many questions I have for myself and to the world. I don’t even know where to start. I feel like I am not doing the right thing. There are times that we verify your actions to the people around us. Ask for opinions and suggestions to the people who’s older than us. Because we know that they’ve done it before and only to find out that most of the people failed because they only tried once and then they eventually give up.

Before I take another chapter of my life, I ask myself  if this is really what I want, if this is necessary. Together with me, you can ask yourself too. What do you really want to get out of life? What is something that you can offer to the world? Who will benefit from it?

Some take life so easy while others take it so hard. Some just live to let everyday pass by while others make the best out of their everyday lives. In our generation, we live in the now that we often forget our future.

Are you willing to push yourself through your limits and go far beyond your comfort zones? It’s easy to say it but when you are actually there, you can feel almost all kinds of emotions. We live in the real world where actually we need to work hard for something that we really wanted to have.

Whether you were given a genie lamp, you need to scratch it first before saying what you wish for. Same in this life. Dreaming is good enough if you work for it. So yeah. Dreams never happen just by wanting it badly. It’s doing something until it makes it happen. If only, one will not let go of his own dreams and let it wither through the drought.

Life’s too short to just stay in just one place. Live, breathe, and take time to think of the things that you really want in life. We have our own definition of life and we will keep searching until we find the thing that makes us feel alive.  I have my own backpack, I am ready to go and search for my life’s purpose. Let’s do this!

artsytravellerph
-Micah B.

First blog post

Hi, I’m Micah of Artsytravellerph

” This blog is my online journal. I’ve been in those not-so-beautiful and wonderful situations. All these blog covers my experiences and reflections about life itself.”

” I wanna inspire more young girls to travel and live life to the fullest. Find what makes them feel alive. That each of us should express ourselves. And shine in our own way. ✨ “

Owner of micahzine and artsytravellerph.

Micahzine is my online portfolio of artworks and artsytravellerph is my official blog. This is my very first post. I should start telling about what urged me to write and publish my works here. It all started taking a very small action that made me fell in love to write.

As a newbie in writing and blogging, yes I know that there are so much things to learn. I don’t have a formal education in writing and all I have is 8 months of writing in my own journal.

It all started when I read a book last summer 2016 and it challenged me to write three pages per day which I later found out it was called morning pages by Julia Cameron. For 8 weeks I managed to do that every single day and then I decided to have my own notebook for me to compile all my morning pages, all my thoughts wherever I go as I do today.

I started doing it for two basic reasons. First, to help me feel comfortable using english as a medium. And second is for me to develop  the construction of sentences that will help me express my thoughts and ideas clearly.

Can you believe it? After few months of keeping all my writings in a journal and here I am, I just decided to make myself visible to the world now.

So what am I going to write in my blog. My blog will be about the places I’ve been to, people I’ve met, stories from conversations I’ve been honored to keep, and the conversation I have for myself to keep going while I chase my dream.

“You don’t have to be great ti get started, you have to get started to be great. -Les Brown”

And then I am starting right now, today, this year 2017.

“I want to be one of those living proof. That dreams are not just dreams if we decided to take action. That dreams are meant for us to live with our eyes both open. That dreams won’t work unless you give up your fears, those excuses. That it is possible for just a simple ordinary girl to live her life to the fullest. Be brave and just believe.

Signed,

Micah B.