it's the most wonderful time of the year!

Summer loving, had me a blast...

No, really. I love everything about this season.  Iced coffee (can you tell that this is an early morning post?), warm nights, and being free from the claustrophobia of 500 layers of clothing.  I can't stand being bundled up.  Throwing on a dress and heading out the door? Perfection.   I love that this summer, I'm in Canada.  Summer's in Dubai are unbearably hot, and with Ramadan having just begun I'm even more thankful to be home.  I understand how important the holiday is to those that celebrate, but for the rest of us, going a month without eating or even drinking water in public is not a whole lot of fun.  I recall standing outside in the 500 degree heat (okay, I exaggerate... but not by much) waiting for the sun to set. Sunset meant breaking the fast, and although I could eat all day long in the comfort of my home, I was typically out and about... because let's face it, I couldn't (and still can't) cook my own meals.  My time in Dubai has made me appreciate going for ice cream in the middle of summer and eating wherever I choose to do so. It's also given me a great deal of respect for the Muslim people in Canada who are fasting despite everyone around them eating.  I applaud the willpower that must involve. 

Carrying on with my list of summer loves... Camping. Perhaps the number one spot on my list of favourite things. I love going to the mountains and having no phone service, thus being forced to interact with my husband the entire time. I love the smell of fresh air, the crisp coolness, cooking over a campfire, and feasting on smores. I love the thrill that comes with the fact we share the area with big scary bears.  I especially love that I am going camping... today! And on that note, it's time to actually get off my bum, stop procrastinating via this blog, and get packing! 

Happy weekend my wonderful followers!  

a little bit of summer and nothing much at all.

Excuse my lack of blogging. I've been busy enjoying my summer... In particular, this "heat wave" that our lovely province is currently experiencing.  With temperatures similar to a spring afternoon in Dubai, I'll admit, it's been pretty toasty for this corner of the world. I trained for such conditions by spending 2 summers in one of the hottest places in the world... and you know what? This is gorgeous.  My fellow Canadians are full of complaints, but we only get 2 months a year to bask in the glorious heat. I plan to take full advantage of it.  Admittedly, we as Albertans aren't well equipped to deal with temperatures above 25 degrees... few houses have the luxury of air conditioning. This makes for sleepless nights in homes much warmer than my apartment in Dubai, which was constantly programmed to be a cozy 24 degrees Celsius.  Before we know it, it will be the middle of winter and too cold to feel our toes. Let's enjoy this... it never lasts.

In other news, today marks 3 months since the day that I married my best friend in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.  Since then, a few more friends have announced their engagements and I'm excited that the wedding fever is all but over.  I might no longer be a bride to be, but now I'm a bridesmaid! I always thought that I'd be the last one married and 10 times a bridesmaid, but shockingly I was the first of my close friends to walk down the aisle and this will be my first time as a bridesmaid.  Life has its way of surprising you. I'm so excited to do all sorts of girly wedding things, seeing as how Ryan and I didn't have a bridal party. These days every time we go to some social gathering the common question is "How is married life?" I'm really not sure what the expected response is. Of course it's great. I married my best friend and we couldn't be much happier. Even if it wasn't great, do you think I'd really answer the question in any other way? We love our life, and at 3 whole months, Hollywood marriages have nothing on us.  

This post is a bit of a rambling one, with nothing particular to blog about.  Okay, fine, I can't lie to you all... something exciting is in the works, but I'm going to save that for a later post.  (And no, before you ask... it has absolutely nothing to do with a baby.)
 Stay tuned my lovely readers! 

Now get offline and go outside... seriously... it's summer! 

another june over.

I love summer. I love it more than any other season.  Life is chaotically busy, and I am completely okay with that.  Boredom is not something that I handle well, so being completely overwhelmed with plans and events is right up my alley.  

After my wonderful Texan friend Sam headed back down south, I drove home to see my husband after a record breaking (since our marriage, at least) 3 days apart.  It's amazing that we once lived apart for 18 months, at one point going 5 months between visits. I'm not sure how we managed, but clearly it all worked out.  These days, 3 days apart is a lot.   I was happy to be home and reunited.

Despite having driven 5 hours that day already, I immediately packed up again and once Ryan was off of work we hit the road.  We drove through the pouring rain, bound for the mountains that were invisible behind the clouds. We stopped in Hinton for the evening. It wasn't a glamorous destination, but it was relatively close to Jasper, the hotels were cheaper, and Boston Pizza was across the street.  We spent our evening drinking from fishbowls. Oh how I love Fridays!

The next day we drove onwards to Jasper. Despite spending nearly every weekend in the mountains, it was my very first time in Jasper. I was thrilled to experience some place new, just hours from home!  The forecast wasn't looking great, but we managed to luck out and get a gorgeous day. We wandered Maligne Lake, spotting a fox, deer, elk, and even a bear!  If only Sam was still here!  It was like a classic summer weekend with Ryan. We drove, stopping numerous times to take photos of gorgeous places. I love few things more than the Rocky Mountains. 

The rain hit us in the afternoon, just in time to soak us as we hiked along a trail high up in the moutons, alongside a glacier.  That evening we dined and treated ourselves to the most amazing chocolate cake, in honour of my birthday that would approach a few hours later. Sunday arrived, and with it left my youth.  I'm not sure how it's happened, but I'm now 26 years old.  We spent the majority of my birthday driving through the pouring rain. We'd intended to go for a nice hike, but the downpour combined with the fact that the trail was still snow covered forced us to reconsider, opting instead for an evening in the hometown.  I called a couple of my best friends and we went to Boston Pizza for caesars and snacks. I also love Boston Pizza, just in case you've failed to recognize this fact.  It was a fairly low-key birthday, but I had no complaints... aside from the fact that I didn't get the puppy that I'd asked my husband for. No surprise there.  After dinner we headed to Ryan's parent's house for some cake and ice cream, before returning home to Edmonton.

The next week zoomed by, and before we knew it, it was already time to go back to Red Deer for the weekend!  I headed down on Thursday, spending the evening eating ice cream with a couple of my best friends. I felt honoured to join my friend Rosie in her search for a wedding gown, and even more honoured when she asked me to be one of her bridesmaids! She is going to be so gorgeous and I am so excited that I get to be a part of the biggest day of her life!  

Friday was another big day... my baby brother was graduating from high school.  We sat through the ceremony, watching him turn into a real grownup. It's hard to believe that it's been 8 years since I walked across that stage myself! I took more photos than all of the parents combined, but how could I resist when my computer-nerd younger sibling was suddenly dressed up like a handsome young man?

   As him and his date strolled across the stage, I found myself crying like the sappy big sister that I am.  It's amazing how time flies. I baked him some pretty awesome cupcakes for the occasion.  

The rest of the weekend was a good mix of family, friends, and of course, food. On Sunday we celebrated our wonderful country's birthday... Canada Day! Like the good Canadians that we are, we ordered caesars and poutine for lunch. My goodness, this country has some brilliant creations.  

We spent the evening at Ryan's family farm, eating campfire food and taking photos as Mother Nature showed off with gorgeous rainbows, cloud formations, and a perfect sunset.  We finished the evening off atop a hill outside of the city, watching the fireworks.  Another wonderful weekend is over, and July has officially arrived! Helloooooo summer!  

playing tour guide!

I have so much to blog about, but life has been so busy! After a week of being on the go, I'm finally home. I have a million things to do and the house is a complete state of chaos with dishes strewn about the kitchen... seems like a perfect time to cozy up on the couch, forget about my responsibilities and  write a blog post.   I'm certain that you will all agree. Aside from my husband, of course. 

Last weekend was a wonderful weekend for reunions.  I consider myself very fortunate to have friends from all corners of the world.  This is not much fun when we are separated and missing each other, but quite awesome when we get the opportunity to meet up somewhere on the globe and catch up.

The very first friend that I made on my journey to Dubai was a fellow Albertan named Naf, who was chasing the same dream.  We met at the Toronto airport before boarding our flight, and later we'd end up being in the same training batch. Last week Naf and his beautiful fiancee Sayaka were enjoying a short vacation in Calgary.  Ryan and I made the 3 hour journey just to have a brief visit over Tim Horton's coffee... an obvious choice.  It was great to see them again and chat about life in Dubai... all that has changed since I've left, and all that never will.  Our visit was short, but hopefully we'll see them again somewhere in this world sometime soon.... we're crossing our fingers for Japan, because that seems a bit more thrilling than Calgary.

Before leaving Calgary, we had another stop to make.  I had a very important friend en route to Canada after 11 years away, and I insisted on being there to greet her when she arrived.  It had been nearly 10 years since I'd last seen my friend Sami, who was visiting from Texas. We had some time to kill before she landed, so we enjoyed a bit of our favourite Calgary activity.... plane spotting! We watched and snapped photos until we saw Sam's plane fly overhead.. our cue to head to the terminal! I waited patiently, Ryan waited not so patiently. We were worried that we'd somehow missed seeing her come out. As it turns out, she got held up in customs after trying to bring pepper spray across the border.  She eventually came out and I ecstatically started shouting at her.  We were finally together again!! She was so surprised to see me there, and her parents were quick to invite us along for dinner.  We chattered away, very giddy and silly. It's amazing how time and distance has no effect on some friendships.  Ryan and I returned home, allowing Sam time to settle in after bombarding her with our presence.  After a relaxing Father's Day Sunday spent with our families, we went back home and back to work. Luckily, I only had to endure 2 long days before I was free again! Tuesday night, I packed my stuff and hit the road, saying goodbye to my husband for our first night apart since we've been married. You'd think that after all of the time spent in a long distance relationship, we'd be conditioned to time apart... but apparently that's not how it works.  It was a quiet night as I hung out with my mom and my puppies, preparing for the excitement of the next day. 

Wednesday morning I woke up and lazed around the house until Sam called. I quickly got ready and drove out to pick her up.  We decided to go on a reminiscent tour of Red Deer. We drove past our junior high school where we'd met, and then headed to the mall to indulge in a favourite from our younger years... Slush Pup! Back when we were 14 and not the smartest, we'd purchase blue raspberry slushes and load them with "Shocker shots"... essentially making them sour to the point of barely drinkable. We opted for one shot as opposed to the eight that we used to ask for, and it was still super sour. I'm pretty sure that we were lying to ourselves when we used to think that drinking such a thing was delicious.  High on sugar, we drove downtown to the Vietnamese restaurant where we met her parents and friends for a feast of pho. I could eat the stuff every day, and lately it feels as though I have.

       After lunch we headed to Sylvan Lake, where we wandered the pier and watched a group of people building cardboard boats. We watched them for a rather lengthy amount of time. Just as they were about to get in the lake and race, the rain began.  It was pouring rain and cold, and we ran to seek shelter, missing the race. We quickly got over our disappointment as we headed to the infamous "Big Moo" for ice cream.  That evening we met up with another long-time friend (and recent newlywed), Laura, for dinner. The three of us chowed down on delicious food while chatting for hours as though we'd never been apart.  Eventually, we called it a night. I drove Sam back to the place that she was staying and headed back to my mom's house in an attempt to get a good night's sleep before what would be a very busy day.  

I woke up the next morning, loaded the car, and headed to pick up Sami.  I got off to a bit of a late start when the highway was closed due to an accident and I had to take a detour through the city. I'm so impatient when it comes to driving in my slow-paced hometown.  Here in Edmonton, drivers race to their destinations.  Slowly but surely, I made it. I picked up Sam, and we headed west for mountain adventures!

Just before ditching civilization, we stopped at Tim Horton's to get our caffeine fix. It was Sam's very first time trying an iced cap, and it was love at first sip! We continued driving, with Sam snapping photos every 30 seconds as we grew increasingly nearer to the gorgeous Rocky Mountains.

  

I always try to see places as though it's the first time I've ever been there, despite visiting these parts on a regular basis. This was easy to do with an enthusiastic Texan who was in awe of her surroundings.  

We drove down the gorgeous highway for hours, taking in the beauty and scanning the side of the road for wildlife. A few frustratingly slow drivers and construction zones later, we arrived in Banff!  

I love the pretty little mountain town and nearly everything about it. After a bit of confusion, we managed to meet up with one of Sam's friends, Candice. We'd only just met, but her enthusiasm for visiting the candy store made us instant friends.  

By this point, we had all been on the road for quite some time and we were rather hungry. As the frequent Banff-goer, I was nominated to decide our lunch destination.  Of course, I didn't even question it... we were going to the Old Spaghetti Factory, because it happened to be the best place, ever. That, and it was my last week of non-paleo eating, so I intended to stuff myself with as much dairy, sugar and carbs as I could get my hands on.  I indulged in bread, soup, pepsi and lasagna. Oh how delicious life was.

After lunch we proceeded to wander the main street, popping in an out of stores along the way.  I normally refuse to cross the street unless there is a clearly marked crosswalk, but when we spotted the candy shop across the street, there was no stopping any of us. We made a beeline for the door, taking in the sights and smells of my version of paradise.

Shockingly, I left empty handed, choosing instead to have an ice cream cone.  After a lengthy time staring at the flavours indecisively, we each picked one... birthday cake flavour for myself, since it would soon be my birthday.  

Ice cream in hand, we continued on our merry way, until we came across a photo backdrop. The tourism employees adorned us with various mountaineer accessories, and we posed for photos with our nerdy helmets on.  Our poor little Texan was quite concerned about how her helmet fit, until it was determined that she had it on backwards.  This provided a great amount of comic relief for Candice and I, for the remainder of the day.

 Next on our list of plans for the day was to ride the gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain. I was shocked that I was the only one who'd ever been to the top... both by gondola and foot. (Yeah, last year we hiked to the top. For fun.  Who does that?!) We bought our tickets, hopped inside our little capsule, and away we went. Sam enjoyed it for all of 5 seconds before realizing that we were in fact dangling from a cable and moving up the side of a mountain.  Once we made it to the top, she'd calmed down and agreed that it was completely worth the moments of sheer terror.

The views were incredible, and the normally windy and cool summit was sunny and calm. It was as though the day was made for us.  We strolled along the boardwalk at the top, laughing at a lady who got her high heel stuck between the boards (just past the sign advising suitable footwear), and trying to get the attention of the adorable chipmunks racing around.  We snapped hundred of photos before deciding that it was time to head back down to a lower altitude.  We rode back down, and Sam was much calmer on the second attempt.  

Back at the car, we decided to continue our exploring, driving past the glamourous Fairmont hotel (castle) and onto the Banff creek.  We walked the path for awhile, staring at the powerful waterfall, never tired of taking in the scenery around us.  When it was time to return to town, we had a few important stops to make... the chocolate shop, and Lululemon. Eventually, Candice had to return home, prompting Sam and I to head to our hotel to check in.  Once we were settled, we headed for dinner. I'd decided to share some of mine and Ryan's traditions... thus we went to Boston Pizza just down from our hotel. Our pizza was delicious, and got us in the mood for bed time.  It had been a long, long day! It didn't take us very long to be fast asleep, oblivious to the trains passing by and people making noise in the hallways.   

We woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and ready to hit the road again. After filling up with gas and grabbing some coffee, we drove off. It was my first time driving in the area, without Ryan's vast knowledge and sense of direction.  Despite this, I was determined to ensure that Sam had a great time, and off we went in search of the Spray Lakes road.  We drove up the steep, gravel road, stopping briefly to take photos of mountain goats before carrying on towards the lakes.



 Once there, we got out, took photos, and Sam gushed about the amazingness of the place.  I had to agree. Us Albertan's are pretty lucky to live where we do.

We took in the last bit of mountain beauty before hitting the highway and returning to Red Deer. There, we said our goodbyes and I continued on to Edmonton to reunite with my husband and pack... for another road trip! I'd had a great time playing tour guide, and I'm quite certain that Sami enjoyed herself just as much!

severe case of the fever.

Somebody save me. Save me from the boredom, free me from the restlessness.

Save me from the monotony that is my life!

In other words... somebody buy me a plane ticket. 

I don't know how to describe travel fever to somebody who has never experienced it. I'm not talking about a sniffly, runny nose and high temperature.... nope, not that kind of fever. Once you've been bit by the travel bug, the fever just keeps on coming back. Those of you who've been in my shoes know the feeling exactly. It's a ridiculous longing... a persistent yearning. You catch yourself staring at vacation photos for hours, wishing that traveling back in time was a realistic possibility.  Home becomes undesirable, routine becomes excruciating. You drive your friends and significant other crazy with your sudden clinginess and fear of boredom. The only cure is more travel. I'm not positive, but it could be a life long condition.  

We endure the pain for various reasons... whether it's a lack of sufficient funds, inability to get time off of work, or responsibilities like family or children. We suffer through it, waiting for the day to come when we can go off into the world and create new adventures.  

Maybe this sounds cliche, but travel changed me as a person. High school me would have never, ever imagined wandering cities like London and Hong Kong all by myself. Or striking up conversations with strangers that would become life-long friends.  The very thought was leagues out of my comfort zone.  When I moved to Edmonton in 2005, I was afraid of walking to the grocery store alone... no word of a lie. It was a big city, therefore, I'd more than likely be shot.  Travel gifted me with such an open mind and fearless attitude, and I fully endorse it to all of you shy, nerdy teenagers wondering what to do with your life... assuming you can deal with the side effects of a life long addiction. 

I need a fix. I need it fast.  I need ethnic food, foreign languages, and gorgeous landscapes that pose oh-so-perfectly for my camera.  In the meantime, I need a paper-bag before I hyperventilate from the madness of it all.  This may sound ridiculous to some of you, but I take comfort in the fact that there are people that will read this who know all too well just how crazy the fever can be.  

When you spend 3 years hopping around the globe and then come back to stay in one place all of the time, it's only natural that you are going to fight some serious withdrawal.  All this frustration induced blogging just because I opted to print photos and delved deep into the layover albums. I'm off to Sweden now... okay fine.... Ikea. 

 

celebrating 3 years in the mountains!

I'm not going to lie, I'm missing my old life. I miss going places. I miss excitement, and constant change. I miss being so passionate about my career and being proud to tell people about it.  Ask me about my job now. I've found myself replying "Oh, I'm just a receptionist.." Did you catch the key word in there folks? Yeah... "just"... I'm "just" working because I have to these days... not because it's something that I genuinely love doing.  Up until a few months ago, I was living my dream... now, I'm just living. 

I'm still lucky. I've got a great, supportive person that I call my husband. He cheers me up when I'm feeling blue.  This weekend, we celebrated 3 years of togetherness, and he took me to the mountains because he understands how important it is to me to cram as much as I can into a weekend.  He gets that I'm not a normal person content with relaxing. What the heck is that? I want to go places, do things, and I'll happily pass up sleep if there is something more exciting happening.  

We woke up Saturday morning at a ridiculous hour. With caffeine, anything is possible. We drove Ryan's parents to the airport as they jetted off to the maritimes for 2 weeks. I was insanely jealous, but still excited for what was in store for us.  I drove as Ryan caught a bit more sleep... he's a bit of a grumpy boy without it. 

We switched over a few hours in to the drive, and headed into Banff National Park... yay! There is something about the mountains that makes me so happy.  Just past the park gates we spotted a big fuzzy black bear. I generally spend an entire mountain trip peering out the windows with hopes of seeing a bear, so I was thrilled to find one right away. It was a sure sign of a good trip ahead.

We carried on driving towards Lake Louise, with a slight detour at the Saskatchewan River Crossing store for  some ice cream. It may have been chilly outside, but you can't mess with tradition. 

Because I'm married to the greatest man ever, he drove to the Alberta-British Columbia border just so that we could take a photo with the sign and say that we'd went to BC. He doesn't  understand how such a small thing can make me so happy, and he doesn't try to. He just drives there because he loves me, and because he knows that I'm like a giddy little kid when it comes to crossing borders. We took our photos, and then turned around. I was satisfied just having left the province for all of 5 minutes.  

Eventually we made it to Lake Louise. It was much less busy than a typical weekend in spring or summer, thanks to a bit of rain.  We didn't complain, as this meant less tourists getting in the way of our photos. 

During a brief period of sunshine and no rain, we stopped to watch a bride walk down (up) the aisle (hill).   It was a gorgeous place to get married, although I certainly preferred my own barefoot beach type wedding. 

We carried on along the path around the lake, snapping photos of the beautiful blue water as we soaked up the sunshine. All of a sudden we heard a strange sound, like an incredibly strong wind that we couldn't feel. We looked across the lake to see an avalanche on the mountainside! So cool! It was a small one, but the sound was thunderous.  I took photos, Ryan took video, and as we carried on along the path we saw a few more... fuelled by a mixture of rainfall and warm sun melting the ice.  Avalanches are scary, but great to see from a distance. 

 As we made it to the far end of the path just in time to turn back, it began to rain.   By rain, I mean pour. By the time we made it back to the car, we were soaked and cold. I was so happy that we had Ryan's parents car for the weekend, complete with heated seats. I think that my new life goal is to one day own a vehicle with heated seats. 

We headed to Banff, where we warmed up with hot wings and French onion soup. Life was wonderful.  We finished off with Starbucks, and then made our way back to Canmore to check into our hotel after a long day. 

 After a short power nap, we were ready to carry on with the evening. We wandered the town, as I babbled on about how we should live there, if only there were job opportunities.  The town is overrun by rabbits, which annoys the locals... but thrilled me. Baby bunnies were all over the place, and I begged Ryan to catch one and let me take it home. He refused, much to my dismay. 

We made a quick loop through Canadian Tire, just because it's Ryan's favourite store, before heading onwards to Boston Pizza. We've got our traditions when we come to Canmore, and one of them is eating until our stomachs hurt and sipping caesars and beer. Great traditions, if you ask me! This time around we even splurged and ordered an incredible chocolate dessert... we were celebrating, after all. After an early morning, we opted for an early night, and retreated to our room for a wonderful sleep. 

The next morning we took in the free hotel breakfast before packing and hitting the road. I begged until Ryan gave in and stopped at Beamer's Coffee... a small local place that I've grown fond of in past visits. My caramel mocha was delicious, just as I'd anticipated.  We went for a short little tour around the Spray Lakes and then made our way back towards Calgary. So long, mountains. I'll certainly miss you.  

In Calgary we browsed the mall, stopping at our very favourite store... Homesense. Rarely does a weekend go by without a visit to that store. We left empty handed, which is a bit rare for us.

It was time to head north again, and for the first time in his life, Ryan drove the car straight through  Red Deer without stopping. We did, however, stop in Ponoka to visit my grandma and stuff ourselves with an amazing dinner of shrimp and crab. How spoiled we are! 

The weekend had been wonderful, but sadly it had to come to an end. We left Ponoka and headed home, headed to bed, and back to another long work week.  I felt so fortunate to have had our little getaway, as it helped a little bit with my restlessness and travel withdrawal. Still, if anybody cares to fund my travel, I'll gladly become a professional travel blogger. Heck, I'll write you a book. Any takers?  Just don't use my blog as an indication of my capabilities... I don't proofread here... 

3 years on...

Once upon a time, a long time ago, a boy and girl met. 

It wasn't love at first sight. The girl was determined to go places in life... far away places... like Australia. She wasn't about to let any boy get in the way of her plans, and so off she went to the other side of the world. While she was there, she talked to the boy.... nearly every day.  She began to grow quite fond of him, though she'd never admit it. She was certain that she only felt this way because of the distance and the fact that there was no chance at a real relationship from thousands of miles away. 

A year later, the girl came back home.  The boy picked her up at the airport, and from that day on, they began to spend a lot of time together.  Friends would ask questions, wondering when they would start dating... to which they'd always shrug off. It would never happen.  They were just friends. The best of friends, but still... just friends.  After 8 months of nonsense, they finally accepted their fate... and 3 years ago tomorrow... the boy finally kissed the girl, and the rest... well... it has all seemed to fall into place quite nicely.  

Sure, they are married now, but who says they can't still celebrate the day that they started dating?  After all, this year they are finally both in Canada! 

I love you, my best friend, turned boyfriend, turned fiancé.... now husband.

  Thanks for the last (best) 3 years of my whole entire life.