Today's Blog Post is dedicated to my dog Aura, who passed away from a Brain Disease today at the young age of 3 years old. Those who have pets can understand the impact on ones life a pet makes. They become part of your family, your best friend.
From the moment I got Aura, she held a special place in my heart. Originally I had got her for my dad to help him deal with the loss of my grandmother. I drove over 2 hours each [.....]
Port Douglas is a beautiful place. A place one would absolutely fall in love with. Beaches, boutiques, great people. What more can you ask for?
When my friend and I visited, it took a couple hours to get our surroundings in check. Then again weren't in any rush. The beach and the scenery was absolutely beautiful. White sands, beautiful hills... was surreal.
Because we were there in January (stinger season) they had signs saying to watch for stingers and crocodiles...what?? Ok this wasn't in the tour guide. caution signs everywhere and even vinegar stations just in case. With that in mind, decided to obey by the rules on this one.
Our accomodations were a [.....]
So I have to admit, this was my first Caribana...ever! and please excuse me for saying Caribana as opposed to Scotia Bank Caribbean Carnival as that is all I have ever known.
My friend asked me to play Mas this year. For those who don't know, thats where you dance for a Mas Camp in the actual parade and get the chance to dress up in these elaborate, beautiful costumes. We were part of the Louis Saldenah Mas Camp... What an AMAZING time!!
I spent a few days [.....]
It's been awhile since I last blogged...but i'm still here! Life has a way of keeping one busy sometimes. It's been a super busy summer and I have LOTS to write about as I sit down and reflect on everything that's been going on here in Toronto...and abroad. Lots of reviews, stories, opinions, the works. However even though I can say that I have done a lot in the last couple months, theres something about August that makes me feel that summer is wrapping up soon... I don't know if its the thought that the next long weekend will be Labour Day or that Dollarama now has Halloween decorations. Either way, only a month left until september and it's time [.....]
The winter blues...its February, it's cold, dark by 6pm and you are in a down mood. If that sounds like you, you're not alone. Lately I have been feeling unmotivated and been trying to think of ways to get out of it. So came up with a couple ways to keep busy and turnaround my mood so as not to fall victim to the winter blues. Here are a few thought starters, but would like this to be an expanding list so please add your thoughts and ideas on how you try and cope with the winter blues. 1. Expand your mind
Take a course or class in something that interests you. Having a regular commitment keeps you out and about and [.....]
January 16, 2012
Day 10
So after taking a break for a few days, I was ready to try Scuba diving again. When I first got to Sydney, I went for my first open water dive and was having a lot of troubles with my ears. I think it must of had something to do with the pressure from the plane and then the pressure underwater. I just got off a plane and then within a couple hours, right into dive training. Although they had said it was ok to have it so close together, my ears felt another way. I still had trouble with my ears the day after. The ears, as well as the long wait and weather [.....]
January 15, 2012
Day 8 - Longrains in Sydney
After yesterday, today was going to be a chillaxing day. Which consisted of a bit of shopping and a bit of sightseeing. Today the highlight for me would definitely be dinner. We dressed up and went for dinner at this place called Longrains. I have to say the food was incredible.
It was a fancy Thai fusion and since I'm not much of a foodie (I just eat the food not critic it) the only way I can [.....]
January 14, 2012
Day 7 - Hunter Valley, Australia
So today we woke up early to go on a hunter valley wine tour. Had received numerous recommendations to check it out and definitely had to add it to itinerary. Although we had to wake up early, it was definitely worth it. The wine tour we went on took us to several places, and the servings were VERY generous. All the wineries we visited were great and the hosts very knowledgeable. We visited several wineries and the view [.....]
This Valentines Day, my boyfriend and I along with some friends headed out to Niagara Falls for a romantic night on the day of love and romance. We had got a deal on a room/dinner package so thought it would be a great idea and an excuse to get away for the night.
We had a great night with great company, a wonderful dinner at the Keg overlooking the falls, a falls view hotel room... very nice! However, I was a bit disappointed with the lack of things going on in Niagara Falls on Valentines Day. Niagara is often known as a romantic place for couples, however on a day that is "supposed" to be one of the most [.....]
January 13, 2012
Day 6 - Bondi Beach... and UGG Hunt
So today I was feeling a bit rough, I guess that's what a few drinks and a night of dancing can do to you. My plan today... no plan. We woke up and decided to play it by ear. As we slowly got ourselves together and organized and adding some food into the equation, thought it would be a perfect day for shopping and the beach.
We first headed down to the CBD (Central [.....]
January 12, 2012
Day 5 - Taronga Zoo and a night out in Sydney
Woke up today and my ears were still bothering me from the day before. I had hesitations about diving the same day I landed but went ahead after I was reassured by the dive shop I could. Unfortunately was a bit too much for the ears and the following day my ears were feeling very uncomfortable. Thinking about the safety of my ears, I had to cancel the full day of diving (which [.....]
January 10, 2012/ January 11, 2012
So it's day 4... Well I think it's day 4, with all the changes in time I don't even know what time it is anymore.
I'm in Sydney and can't believe I'm finally here. I don't think it's actually kicked in yet. So where to begin.... The flight was comfortable but long. This was by far the longest flight I've been on, plus the largest plane - an Airbus A380. A pretty cool plane I have to admit. I have to give Quantas credit because they really tried to make the flight as comfortable as possible. Blankets, pillows and headphones to start, not to mention the all the food and drinks. [.....]
Day 3
Jan 9, 2012
So my last day in California and it was a lazy day. Spent the day chillin around the house on the Internet and checking out the ranch.
My aunt and uncle have a beautiful ranch in the hills with tons of animals. I explored a bit and decided to meet the "locals". The animals were all very curious about me, who I was, and came up to greet me. There were some horses including some wild stallions, llamas, goats, chickens...you get [.....]
So the time has finally come to start the next leg of our journey. It's my last day in Sydney and in the evening will be Cairns bound.
During the day, we spent time packing up and took a tour of the Opera House.
Was really interesting hearing the history of such an iconic building and taking tons of pictures. I never realized that the Opera House design stemmed from a Design Competition and then later into an iconic structure.
If you are interested, I found [.....]
The last day of my stretch in Sydney is quickly approaching. It's weird how it snuck up so fast. We decided to spend the day over in Manly and take the ferry across. You can grab the ferry from Circular Quay over to Manly and its not too expensive at all (it was under $8). The ferry runs pretty regularly, which was great because we were really looking forward to heading over.
Down at the Sydney Harbour, there are tons of different places to see and visit. It really [.....]
Officially my first full day of vacation. We woke up early for a van cruise. My uncle is really onto cars and does a lot of customized work on vans and cars. They look absolutely fantastic . The cruise started around 730am where we met up with a few cars from Wheels of Confusion and drove through the Palos Verdes Peninsula on our way to Rotondo Beach.
We took the most beautiful scenic tour around the coast and by the time we got to the end of [.....]
So here I sit at the airport waiting for my flight. Been an interesting start to the trip so far. My flights been delayed an hour so far so here I sit in the bar killing time with a Rickards red (actually not a bad way to kill time now that I think if it lol)
My boyfriend dropped me off at the airport and it's weird because I was fine until we got to the airport and I saw all the signs for the terminals and I realized wow this is really happening! As he dropped me off and we said our goodbyes, I started to get sentimental. I kissed him good bye and [.....]
Today I embark on a new adventure... I start my travels to Australia! This is just the first in several daily entries I will write on my travels. I've never been to Australia before so i'm excited about facing the unknown and going on a bit of an adventure, writing about the experience along the way.
It's funny because before you go on a vacation, especially one for an extended period of time, there is so much preparation. It becomes a bit daunting and stressful at times, but as they say...keep your eyes on the prize. As I sit here, pretty much all packed waiting for my flight I think about how much I will miss the ones close [.....]
