America decides

Today, America votes for a new president. As a Canadian, I'm curious and nervous as to the outcome, but hopeful that it will be a positive one. Regardless, the tumultuous and chaotic manner in which this election has been run reminds me and re-enforces for me how lucky I am to be Canadian and live in this country. Good luck to the United States. No matter who wins, I think they're going to need it.

Midnight flight to Heathrow

I love the app Timehop. For someone who has the memory of a goldfish like I do, it helps me remember life events and things I've done or seen in the past. Like this little gem from two years ago:

I was hopping on a plane to jet off to Europe for two weeks with a good friend of mine. I hadn't taken a real vacation like that in years and was so looking forward to getting back to Europe, with all its history and delicious food and fantastic sites. I think about the places I visited on that trip pretty often, and can't wait to get back there again soon.

It's that time of year again...

NaBloWriMo time! National Blog Writing Month is the time of year when I put my blogging skills to the test. When I see if I can actually blog once a day, every day, for an entire month. I did it last year and while it was a struggle at times, I made it. So, I want to try it again this year. Blogging is something I really enjoy but struggle with, due to work, personal, life in general. But, NaBloWriMo (based off of NaNoWriMo) forces me to dedicate myself to my writing and to the upkeep of my blog.

You can expect a lot of random entries about the oddest little thoughts that pop into my head, as well as some longer, more thought-out posts. Sometimes all I'll have time for is a quick musing over a photo I've taken and posted on Instagram, and others might be a bit more in depth. It's going to be a mixed bag, but that's kind of the fun of NaBloWriMo!

So, here we go, off to the races. Entry #1 = DONE. Hope you enjoy this month-long journey with me!

Welcome, autumn

Sometimes I think autumn is my favourite of the seasons. Not just because the changing of the leaves makes it look so pretty, or because I finally get to pull my riding boots, cozy sweaters and scarves back on, or because drinking hot lattes on cool days makes them taste a little bit better.

To be honest, I think autumn is my favourite season because of the nostalgia it brings up. I always think about what I was doing this time of year in 2005, when I studied abroad in Harlow. I've talked about it a number of times before, but that's because it made such an impact on my life. Now, each time September rolls around, I'm reminded of the happiness I felt all those years ago, and let myself think back to what I was doing those days. It's always nice to be reminded of times in your past that were so positive for you.

It's also good though, to think of what's to come in life, and what could come.  Sometimes, reflecting on the past has a way of making you excited for the future.

And so, here's to autumn: may you bring waves of pleasant nostalgia and the hope of new possibilities.

Remembering Harlow

How can it be 11 years since I went to Harlow? How can so much time have passed, when I can still smell the fresh laundry in the halls of The Maltings? Remember the feeling of the brick wall beside my bed that I would run my fingers along when trying to drift off to sleep? The taste of the potato salad the chef in the cafeteria would make for every single dinner meal? The feeling of joy and excitement and devastation bubbling up inside me while standing in Piccadilly Circus the night before I flew back to Newfoundland, trying to get as much of London into my veins as I could?

So many memories. So many sights and sounds and smells that bring me back to that place every autumn for the past 10 years. My time in Harlow changed me, changed my life, changed the way I see life and see people. I've told people it was the best four months of my life, and while I've had other amazing experiences and been fortunate to have had them, there's nothing that has compared to my time in England.

Stepping back into history

Travelling is something I've loved to do ever since I was young. I've been very fortunate that my parents insisted on going somewhere every summer while I was growing up, so I've been able to visit almost all of the provinces in Canada, a number of the states in the United States, and parts of Europe, Australia and Central America. Suffice it to say, I was definitely bitten by the travel bug at an early age.

Sometimes, though, it's nice to be a tourist in your own backyard. Which is why I took in a performance of Fleming at the Basilica of St. John the Baptist here in St. John's.

The one-man play features local Newfoundland actor Paul Rowe as Bishop Michael Anthony Fleming, the man whose determination and vision brought the cathedral to life over 150 years ago.

I won't give too much away, but will say that the play spans a number of years, from the beginning of the construction up to the celebration of the first mass by Fleming. It's interactive too, moving you around inside and outside the church, learning the history visually and aurally. 

Rowe does a fine job of portraying Fleming, using a mix of fact and humour throughout the play. His delivery is captivating, never allowing your mind to stray from the performance and keeping you interested at all times.

The play runs from July 5 to August 27, Tuesday through Saturday at noon. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for students and seniors and can be bought day-of just before the performance. For more information, visit the Basilica Heritage Foundation website or check out their Twitter account.

*Thank you to the Basilica Heritage Foundation for the complimentary tickets.

Pink sky at night...

I know the saying is technically "red sky at night, sailor's delight", but in this case, a pink sky was what we saw last night in St. John's. A sudden thunderstorm came over the city and poured for about 10 minutes. Shortly after, the sky brightened and cleared, and we were treated to this beautiful sight.

As I get older, I seem to be getting more and more of an appreciation for nature and the world around me. I just came back from a week out west in British Columbia and Alberta for a family wedding. Driving through the Rocky Mountains, I saw sprawling landscapes and natural beauty that really are a sight to behold.

The wedding ceremony was at a beautiful spot called Emerald Lake, in B.C. It was stunning. Snow-capped mountains, lush green forests and a teal-blue lake...breath-taking. 

If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend driving through the Rockies, as they'll give you a new appreciation for the vast land we call home.

January

Sometimes I feel bad for the month of January. Everyone's coming down from the high of Christmas and New Years in December (and wishing we were still on holidays), and no one is giving any love to January. It's no surprise there's a day in the first month of the year that's called Blue Monday.

For some, January signals a "new year, new me, fresh start" sort of mantra, and I'm one of those people...most of the time. But, I too, feel the January blues - of missing the excitement of Christmas and parties and vacation and family time.

Sometimes though, on an afternoon in January when the sky is blue and the sunshine is beaming down through the window of my apartment, January doesn't seem quite so bad. Those blue skies remind me of new beginnings, a chance to try again, start fresh. The sunshine is like a beam of hope and encouragement. I'm going to hold on to that.

2015: A Year in Review

It's that time of year again - my annual year in review. I've done this a few times since I started blogging and I like doing it because it forces me to reflect on the past 12 months and take in all that's changed in my life. So, let's go:




- I hit the big 3-0 this year and celebrated with family and friends in style with a fancy pink and gold sparkle party. The glitzy glam night was exactly how I wanted to enter into my next decade. 






- I spent some time in the hospital and had emergency gall bladder surgery! What a whirlwind three weeks that was. As painful as the experience was, I know I'm much better off now that the ordeal is finally over. 







- My wonderful brother married the love of his life and I finally gained a sister. The wedding was one of the most beautiful I've ever been to and I was so honoured to be involved as a bridesmaid. 

- Some of my girlfriends and I began a monthly brunch club, where we tried different restaurants around the city. It was so good to have a regular date with friends, to catch up over delicious food and of course, obligatory mimosas. We love brunch club!!

- After a hectic first half of year with work and surgeries, I finally took a vacation in August and went back to my second home, Toronto for a week of friends, food and familiar haunts. It was so good to be back and to get the city into my blood again. 

- I celebrated the ten year anniversary of the term that changed my life. I've mentioned time and time again in the blog how my experience in Harlow changed my life. During the autumn, I remembered where I'd been on a particular day or what I'd been doing during a certain period of time. It's hard to believe ten years has passed since I was with this group of people. 

- I took another last minute trip to Toronto in December, this time meeting up with my folks and taking my mother to a taping of one of my favourite television shows, The Social. We had a great time! 

- I also popped outside of Toronto and spent a weekend with two of my favourite gals, shopping and visiting wineries in the Niagara-on-the-Lake region. Lots of laughs were had those couple of days! 

- I enjoyed a magical Christmas break packed with brunches, lunches, coffees and parties with friends from home and friends from away. It's always a whirlwind time of year, but it's always so good. 

So there you have it. 2015 is in the books. It was a good year with me turning 30 and my brother's beautiful wedding, but I have a feeling there's big things to come next year. 

I usually like to come up with some kind of motto or quote to live by for the upcoming year. This year, the one I'm really feeling is one I've used before and even blogged about recently during my #NaBloWriMo challenge. "More fun, less fear" is what's going to push me through into 2016 and stay with me throughout the next 12 months. Let's see how it goes. 

Here's to new beginnings, new experiences, fresh perspectives. 

Welcome 2016: more fun, less fear!

It's beginning to look a lot like...

We had our first snow fall of the season yesterday. And more today. I was hoping autumn would last a little longer, but it seems winter has decided to start a bit early this year. As much as I love Christmas, I feel like it was summertime and August just last week. It's like I blinked and whole months disappeared. I guess that's what happens when you're busy with work, friends, life in general. 

I'm hoping to take some time to myself in the coming weeks to relax, recharge and reflect on the year coming to an end and a new one beginning in less than two months. Before we know it, we'll be ringing in 2016. It's time to make the last few weeks of 2015 the best few weeks of 2015.