R IS FOR RESORT

This resort complex is massive
TAKEN: APRIL 10th, 2026

 This year we went back to the Baha Mar for the first time in eight years. 

The last time we were onsite there was only one hotel that housed the casino. That is the building you see directly behind my travel buddy hubby. Now there are three large hotels on 1,000-acre resort complex; with 45+ dining venues.

Our original intent was to walk over for lunch. With the help of Google Earth, we figured out how to access the employee entrance which made our walk from our AirBnb 1.75kms rather than almost 6kms had we walked around through the front entrance.

Like any typical tourist, we walked the beach and the boardwalk, took a ton of photos, and realized how lucky we were to not be staying there. 

Don’t get me wrong, it is a nice place to visit but $10,000 USD doesn’t go very far. 

Anyway, we decided against a pricey lunch. So, our total dollars spent on resort was two dollars and seventy cents. 

You see, I put a $20 bill in a slot machine, then cashed out so that I would have small bills for the jitney to get is to the fish fry at Junkanoo Beach

...Where we had lunch for less than $40 USD with our tip.

The flamingo's that do yoga were cool.
TAKEN: APRIL 10th, 2026

Our AirBnb is beside the taller building
TAKEN: APRIL 10th, 2026

Trying to find our way back out.
TAKEN: APRIL 10th, 2026

Walking out the main entrance
to catch the jitney.
TAKEN: APRIL 10th, 2026

Q IS FOR QUIT

WORDS WE LIVE BY.
TAKEN: FEBRUARY 8th, 2018

P IS FOR PUPPUCCINO

Miya isn't taking her eye off the prize!
TAKEN: FEBRUARY 5th, 2026

I can’t remember when the puppuccino craze started but I personally jumped on board about a year ago.

We don’t go to Starbucks for thier freebie but with a dollar store investment for four expresso cups, $3.99 at WalMart for Redi-Whip, our girls were quickly and firmly on the band wagon.

Now, this is what I consider a 'special' treat. Truth is, the can got buried in the back of the fridge, so the lapse between this specific treater was just over two months apart. 

Could that be what makes the offering so special?

Not a change. Miya and Katie are so food driven that everything is the perfect treat!!

I usually use two hands but they
 did great keeping to thier own.
TAKEN: APRIL 16th, 2026

O IS FOR ORPHAN

Little Orphan Brandy
TAKEN: APRIL 13th, 2026

Peeps, meet my buddy Brandy. 

An orphaned street dog that was recently adopted by a young family on the lane where we stayed on Cable Beach.

She wandered across the lane on our second day and by our fourth day she didn’t want to return home. The little Bahamian boy whose family took her in became distraught when she didn’t want to leave us.

So, I gave him a ten-dollar Bahamian bill and told him that I have two dogs at home. I told him I felt that Brandy knew how much I missed them, and she stayed with us because she didn’t want me to be sad.

He grabbed the cash and proudly announced that we could take Little Orphan Brandy with us to the beach

...My spidey senses tell me that he said we could take her to the beach with us because he thought he would score more cash!

He did not!!

#yagottalaughaboutit

N IS FOR NASSAU

MCS Grandiosa is massive.
One of  five cruise ships in port that day.
TAKEN: APRIL 12th, 2026

I would like to clarify that my travel buddy hubby and have never booked a vacation specifically to visit downtown Nassau, New Providence. We have always stayed in the beautiful area of Cable Beach, giving us the option to venture into downtown Nassau on the jitney.

As I am sure Google can confirm, the Port of Nassau is one of the busiest ports in the Caribbean, so with the help of a cool website CruiseMapper.com (for real time port maps) we know when to NOT go into the downtown area.

We chose the 12^th as it was raining when we left our AirBnb and there were only five ships in port (approximately 20,000 people). With it raining, we figured we could manage a hopeful 50% capacity.

Our big investment downtown this trip was a $14 USD admission price into the Pirates of Nassau Museum. Two years ago, I won the coin toss for the Queen's Staircase and Fort Fincastle, this year my hubby wanted to check out the museum - so we did.

This is our third venture onto the island and this one has been the best by far.  Though we changed the address where we slept, we easily found our bearings with the understanding how to escape the astronomical cost of being a transient vacationer.

For this trip downtown, we selected a second story patio to enjoy lunch.

I couldn’t help but admire the colours of the World Famous Bahamas Straw Market and this size of the MSC Grandios that flanks it in the background. 

M IS FOR MONUMENTOUS

Two thumbs up from
my cool 'cuz' in the middle!
TAKEN: FEBRUARY 27th, 2026

It was definitely a day and evening to remember.

We met the entire group at the dock at 9am and by 9pm we were still going strong. All extremely sun-kissed from a nine-hour day on a yacht; everything about our late night dinner was perfect.

My one cousin, Tootsie (with the orange wristband on the far right) was staying with my aunt at a nearby all inclusive resort. The other four of us were staying together but walked to meet her so that she could join us for the evening. 

What can I say, with all others on our cousin’s trip ‘down and out for the count’, the five of us decided to let the wine and even more childhood stories flow at Villablanca Hotel (Santa Maria, Huatulco). 

Though we are all linked together electronically, there is something about aging and seeing and laughing with the people you love in person.

I guess my point is that the moment you realize how just how precious time is, THAT is when your entire perspective about life changes.

Which in itself is what made this amazing trip momentous!

L IS FOR LONGEVITY

 

Auntie Andy, wee Jukebox, and Me.
On the shores of Lake Temicamang, QC.
TAKEN: JULY 1991

A couple of weeks ago, I got a call from one of my closest friends with a very simple request. She wanted me to come keep her company until her name was called at the local medical clinic.

Working to an early afternoon deadline, I arranged the next best thing. 

I had my travel buddy hubby pinch hit until Goob finished his shift, then once I delivered my proposal, I tapped him out and stayed with her until she was finally seen by a doctor.

By the time I arrived, she was understandably frustrated as she had been waiting for hours. As I settled in she said something to me that spoke to the depth of our deep love for each other. She said, “Ï am glad you’re on the last shift, because I think we are going to need you to channel your inner bitch to get things going!

I burst out laughing and kept her entertained until we left together a few hours later.

Andy and I went to high school together. She lived in a townhouse across the street from my parents, and we eventually bought the house next door to her, which is where we raised our children.

Always known as Auntie Andy (her parents were Nana Anne and Poppa Peter) and she was there in all aspects of our lives for just shy of forty years.

I guess the real heart of the matter is that the true longevity of our friendship isn't measured by the years we have known each other... Rather it is cherished by the unwavering support we've shown each other no matter what is happening through life's ups and downs.

They say you only have a handful of true friend through-out your life, well she's grabbed a couple of those digit and a good portion of my thumb.

What can I say, we all love you longtime Auntie Andy!

K IS FOR KUDOS

This place is perfect!
TAKEN: APRIL 9th, 2026

 I rarely brag about general accomplishments, but that is about to change.

Two years ago, we travelled to Bahamas for my birthday. So, when we looked at what we had saved at the end of 2025, I knew I wanted to travel back to the island to celebrate my 2026 birthday on Cable Beach. 

Over the holiday break, my travel buddy hubby and I looked at booking our spot from 2024 but quickly realized that $1,200 a night was in all cases highway robbery. Then I discovered Little Bahama. I am sharing the photo I took on our way to the grocery store, right after settling in.

Located just a few steps from the amazing beach, this place is far better than the overpriced apartment where we had stayed in previously. Our selection this year is beautifully appointed, in upscale neighbourhood, close to everything we need.

About a kilometer and a half walk to BahaMar, that is where I spent my birthday. Total dollars spent onsite? Nothing!

I found a chit on the floor for .60 cents, put in a $20 USD bill, then cashed out to get small bills for the jitney. 

Look, any Bahamian island is extremely expensive. 

Kudos to us for bringing what we could in our carryon luggage, so to avoid the grocery store. Kudos to us for knowing how to stay out of $40 USD taxi cabs. Most importantly?

Kudos to us for booking the same weekend here next year!

J IS FOR JITNEY

A white knuckle ride
to the fish fry!
TAKEN: APRIL 10th, 2026

There are a few letters of the alphabet I struggle with, and the letter J has always been one of them. I suppose my plight is that I never use the same word twice.

Well, yesterday, as we made our way from Baha Mar to Junkanoo Beach for the fish fry, my word for today became obvious. Just like in Isla Mujeres driving a golf cart, you take your life in your hands riding the local jitney in Bahamas.

One step up from an oversized mini van, it is how the locals navigate the island.

The price is $1.50 Bahamian dollar per ride, and you pay as you exit.

A bargain basement price to travel from Cable Beach though the downtown of Nassau.

Just be sure to keep your hands and feet in the ride at all times - because they drive like maniacs and the speed limit is never something that is respected.

#yagottalaughaboutit

I IS FOR IGUANA

This local tree chicken feel out 
of the same tree three times that day.
TAKEN: FEBRUARY 28th, 2026

It wasn’t until we returned from our trip to Mexico in February that I discovered that the iguanas have been given the nickname of, “tree chicken.”

Well, spending the day by the Villablanca pool under an umbrella after a nine hour day on a yacht, I can confirm that his fella fell out of the tree above us three time and bounced onto the patio stones beside us; once landing in the pool.

Though my immediate though was because they live (and fall out of) trees, but they were given the nickname because they are a popular Central/South American delicacy known for tasting like chicken.

Though I stayed away from local street food trucks while in the center of Huatulco, I was told they are regularly served in stews and tacos here as a high protien option.

I may have had no desire to chomp on this one, I really did enjoy spending a few hours with them.

H IS FOR HIGHLIGHT

Can you find us ?? (Hint - I am raising my glass)
Posing on the 70 foot yacht my cousin
chartered exclusively with other Canadians.
TAKEN: FEBRUARY 27th, 2026

We are what I would classify as easy-going travelers. Though we enjoy meeting new people, we generally keep to ourselves and always manage to find our way.

In this instance, I wasn’t sure how I felt about a commitment to chartering a seventy-foot yacht with twenty (plus) other Canadians we had never met.

Like I do everything, I researched it to death and realized that the $1,000 peso per person (about $75 Canadian) price tag was an opportunity that may never come our way again.

As the date of departure approached, I would continually ask my travel buddy hubby “what the hell are we going to do on a boat in the waters of Huatulco for nine hours?!”

Well, it turns out that the day flew by. We stopped three times to swim and snorkel, stopped for a picnic lunch that everyone had packed for themselves. We whale watched, followed multiple pods of dolphins, and enjoyed really great conversations; yes, I got one guy from Edmonton to discuss politics with me!

I can say with confidence that we have previoulsy done many prearranged resort tours and have never experienced anything like this. 

It was intimate, exciting, educational, but best of all… it was batshit crazy fun.

Definitely a highlight that will offer great memories for years to come.

G IS FOR GOOB

A fun night out with our son... GOOB.
TAKEN: AUGUST 28th, 2025

As you may or may not know, I very rarely use the actual names of people I am referencing in my electronic journal. My husband is referred to at my travel buddy hubby, my oldest is Jukebox, his sister is Sweetie... and this is her twin brother Goob.

An avid lover of music he introduced us to Leon Bridges when he first landed in YouTube. Only twenty-five when his first album Coming Home was released, its R&B vibe that became known for its 1950's and 60's throwback sound. (Official Coming Home video to get the jist of his vibe.)

So, when I discovered his guy was coming to Canada, I bought tickets and the three of us ventured to Budwiser Stage for an night of great music. Goob reciprocated by purchasing tickets for the three of us to see Jesse Wells at Massey Hall last month - but that's another post. 

Though the urban dictionary refers to the word goob as a nerd, geek, or silly person, my son is anything but. He was given the nickname at a very young age as I had never seen as much drool out of a baby in my life.

In his mid thirties now, I am the only one that still calls him by his nickname. And what I will say... 

Is that he prefers I don't do it in public!

#yagottalaughaboutit

F IS FOR FAVOURITE

It is my favourite. 
It is my mantra!
TAKEN: SEPTEMBER 18th. 2018

Not sure about you but for me, there is something about a really great coffee mug. 

As soon as I pick it up in the store, I know I need to have it. There is a certain way that the handle fits in my hand that I instantly know if they are a keeper.

Always in the mood to shop, I know that no matter if it is a grocery store, department store, or specialty store, I make sure I check and seek out their goblets the hold my precious caffeine. I find myself picking them up randomly to see if they meet my specific criteria.

For the last decade or so, every holiday season I buy myself a new Christmas themed mug for the whopping price of $4.97 at WalMart. When I take down the tree in early January, I pack it away with the others I have collected to keep each other company.

The following December, I hold each one of them to remember the holiday season that they spent the mornings with me, keeping me warm.

The photo of the one I am sharing today is my very favourite and it keeps me company at the cottage. 

Think my mug obsession is quirky?

That’s nothing, if you are a new reader, put Petro Canada Glasses in the search and check it out.

I have over two hundred and fifty of those suckers. 

So I guess technically, they are ALL my absolute favourite!

#yagottalaughaboutit

E IS FOR EPIC

Words can not describe how just how EPIC our upoming 2026 Toronto concert events will be. Rogers Stadium, here we come. Oddly enough, we are in the same section and row for all of them.

Let's say I had an extra ticket for all of them.

 If you had to pick one, which of these three would you like to see most?

Trust me, as a Super Fan of them all ...There is NO bad answer!

D IS FOR DEFINITION

My travel buddy hubby admiring
the Carribean Sea at Punta Sur
TAKEN: NOVEMBER 30th, 2026

Believe it or not, my travel buddy hubby has worked for the same company (which was sold and only incurred a name change) since he was fifteen years old. Something not many can admit, including yours truly.

The reason I shared my husband’s years of service is because he has earned a whooping six full weeks of vacation, so when I changed jobs about five years ago, four weeks of vacation time was a hard negotiation point in my selecting my employer.

Anyway, when the children left the nest, we finally decided it was our turn to reap the rewards of our years of hard-work. So, we took our first trip without our children in the winter of 2012.

After that amazing trip to Negril Jamaica, we quickly embraced a sense of wanderlust that has increasingly grown with each passport stamp since.

I guess you can say that I chose the word I did today because so many people have opinions on the amount of travel we get to enjoy – and I tend to feel obligated to explain how I budget and execute our travel choices.

So many passive agressive comments, so many so many sarcastic "it much be nice" judgemental type remarks. Which is why we accept no one’s definition of how we should live our lives.

...Because we are quite capable of defining it for ourselves!

#yagottalaughaboutit

C IS FOR CONFIRMATION

We haven't been everywhere
...But it's on the list!
TAKEN: NOVEMBER 24th, 2025

As my travel buddy hubby and I look forward the hard stop called retirement, there are a few things I have come to terms with in the last few years. 

For instance, the older I get, the less I worry about what people think. 

I have always been a people pleaser, so in a lot of ways I have let people away with behaviours that I should have nipped in the bud years ago. One by one, that genuine good grace has shifted.

I am the first admit that as I have aged I have become more set in my ways, but I think that is because for the last five years I have worked remotely from a home office. By this time last year, I no longer kept a workstation or desk space at the brick and mortor office that employs me.

That said, I have got a great gig. I have a strict home office routine that allows me to run a doggie daycare, as well as meet my deliverables; and ultimately earn above and beyond within a bonus structure I have in place.

That incentive has allowed us to embrace our love of travel and collection of passport stamps.

As I prepare to hop another plane to Bahamas for my birthday trip next week, there is one thing that I can confirm.

Because I work remotely, I rarely want to leave the house.

Yet, at the drop of a hat… I cannot wait to leave the country!

#yagottalaughaboutit

B IS FOR BOCANA

I have only one word.... STUNNING
TAKEN: FEBRUARY 25th, 2026

For about the last decade, I have watch my first cousins' adventures from afar, as she traveled from Saskatchewan and rented a condo in Huatulco, Mexico. This year, we traveled with four of my first cousins and one of my aunts traveled to meet her for a week at the end of February.

The first outing she arranged was lunch by the ocean on La Bocana Beach. She told us that she really wanted us to see it. 

Well, when lunch was finished (hubby had a fresh seafood dish) we sent those anxious to be on their way, simply because we didn’t just want to see it; we wanted to experience it. 

The photo I am sharing is of us, walking in silence, appreciating just how lucky we are to experience each destination together. As you can see, the beach was absolutely pristine. 

In the moment, I posted a story on my socials confirming that ‘my travel buddy hubby and I have been to a lot of different beaches, and this one is definitely one of the best.’

Muchas gracias beautiful Bocana, we love you. We will see you soon.

...Because we will definitely be back!

A IS FOR ARRIVAL

Decending on the beautiful beaches
in Santa Maria, Hautulco, Mexico
TAKEN: FEBRUARY 24th, 2026

As I began to prepare myself to take part in the April A-Z Challenge, I found it hard to believe I have been torturing myself every year since 2013. You know, the platform where I muse in my electronic journal about a letter a day for 26 days for the entire month of April...with Sunday's off for good behavior. 

Well, this past February was the first time in almost a decade that my travel buddy hubby and I vacationed during the shortest month of a dreary Canadian winter. The last time was 2019 and we spent a week in Cuba. 

This year we sent the last week of February in Huatulco, Mexico – situated on Oaxaca’s Pacific coast.

For those unfamiliar, the city is located where the foothills of the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains meet the Pacific Ocean, which is approximately four hundred kilometers east of Acapulco. 

We spent our week in a small boutique hotel that was, in every respect, wonderful.

The photo I am sharing comes from a tradition I have always embraced, which is to snap a picture as the plane begins its descent and we prepare for arrival; to which this photo does not do the plethora of area beaches justice.

There is always something special for us when we arrive in a new city. We research it to death before we leave yet arrive without a plan. Just a couple of free spirits packing in as much of the experience before we have to leave.

What I will say about any new adventure that excites us most…

It is that our arrival is merely the simple transport vessel for the boat load of fun that we always manage to have!