Y is for YYZ

Waiting to board my sexy ride to Bahamas!
TAKEN: APRIL 10th, 2024

I don't know about you, but we have no apprehension about air travel. In fact, because we fly as much as we do, we have our routine down pat.

Check in on the app the night before, then land at the Park n' Fly when we know the Valet bus is ready to leave for the appropriate YYZ terminal. We always carry on so to fly through security, then book it on foot to the appropriate gate. On average it is usually about a 5,000 step undertaking in any direction.

Though we never settle in at our gate immediately (we tend to wander), I always check to see how full the plane will be by those that have arrived. Then, I head to the windows facing the runway to check out our ride. 

Rain or shine, night or day, take-off or transferring, I always snap a picture of the plane we'll be boarding. 

I know this may read silly, but there is something really beautiful about an airplane.

Though I believe Air Canada have issued us the most travel points to date, I really enjoy the overall West Jet experience. 

That said, I hear on the radio and in the news that Air Canada has the worst customer service rating, which has never been our experience. We've only been stranded once, in Fort Worth Texas overnight, but United Airlines won that prize.

I may be biased, but in all the airports I have been in YYZ, by far, is the nicest. Clean, and very efficiently run. It honestly makes me proud to be Canadian.

My number two would have to be ATL (Atlanta), followed by IAH (Houston).

You may think I would vote CCC (Cuba) as my worst experience, but in fact it was (LGA) LaGuardia in New York.

As to my reason why.... that is for another post.

X IS FOR X-PERIENCE

Photo copyright: Wrigleyville - Chicago Neighborhoods

As I've mentioned, my travel buddy hubby and I prepare to head to Chicago in June for our anniversary. A huge baseball fan, a trip to Wrigley Field was definitely on his list of things we had to do.

With great tickets set for the Friday afternoon game, I wanted to share a link for a video I found when doing my transportation research.  It shows just how this neighbourood and the ballpark have thrived as a landmark all of these years.

A truly amazing drone footage x-perience that is worth the watch. I promise you will feel like you're actually there.

Thanks, YouTube. 

ENJOY!

LINK: Wrigley Field Like You've Never Seen It Before

(Drone fly through of the neighbourhood, ballpark, clubhouse, fly behind the iconic scoreboard and much more)

U IS FOR UNFORGETABLE

 

My view (flying home) of where we stayed
in South Beach, Miami. Amazing!
TAKEN: APRIL 14th, 2018

In all our unforgettable travel adventures, there are only three destinations that we’ve returned to a second time. South Beach and Miami, the French Quarter of New Orleans, and the Bahamas. 

Our first trip to Miami was a birthday trek, the second was also for that celebration but we only landed in the city to grab a car and drive to Key West. Because we stayed over the day before we flew home, it makes the list.

Our first trip to New Orleans was for French QuarterFest, where 750 thousand people cram in for a long weekend of amazing music and fun. The second occasion was to take our daughter there to celebrate her birthday. (I have personal friends that live there, so I am sure it shall see us again.)

The first time we experienced the Bahamas, it was a killer Black Friday resort deal on Cable Beach that I booked for a little more than eight hundred bucks each. This last trip, renting a house and having the pool and beach to ourselves – hit the wallet considerably harder. 

My husband and I talk often of what it will be like when our age and probably our health restricts us from moving around as freely as we do. It isn’t something we dwell on, but we know that once we officially retire, the disposable income I save on a weekly basis simply won’t be there as readily as it is now.

Anyway, when we arrived back home earlier this month, I logged in my One Drive dedicated to protecting all our photos and videos. As I double clicked into the folder labelled ‘travel spending’, I opened the excel file that logs all our dates and destinations.

Since February of 2012, we have travelled twenty-nine times; Chicago in June will be our thirtieth.

Here’s hoping that there will be at least thirty more!

N IS FOR NOTABLE

 

A reminder of an important notable...
As my travel buddy hubby takes in
the views from the top of El Faro, Mazatlán
TAKEN: DECEMBER 2nd, 2019

L IS FOR LIMESTONE

Yesterday, we hopped the jitney and headed downtown with the express interest of touring the Queen's Staircase.

These amazing sixty six steps are a major landmark here.  

Historians tell us they were hand-carved by roughly 600 slaves, who used pick axes and hand tools to cut their way through solid limestone. The entire staircase took over 16 years to complete. 

It was only decades later that the impressive staircase was then named in honour of the over 60-year reign of Queen Victoria, “who had signed a declaration to abolish slavery on her ascension to the throne in 1837.” 

We also toured Fort Fincastle, to which the staircase provided the escape route. 

Constructed in 1793 from cut limestone, protected the harbour from pirates. The original cannons (3-30lb and 2-20 lb) though rusted from the salt air, are still onsite. We really enjoyed the heritage and history of our visit. 

From the center of town and back, we feel those more than twelve thousand steps were very well spent.

The magnitude of what took all those years and
600 slaves to carve, is eerily present when you walk around
the bottom of the limestone chasm.
TAKEN: APRIL 12th, 2024

K IS FOR KEEN

No one around. and nothing 

but the sound of the waves

(and each other) to keep us company.

TAKEN: APRIL 11th, 2024

I'm not exactly sure how my travel buddy hubby and I got so obsessed with adventure, but I remember the day when we opened a savings account specifically to fund our travels. It was in the late fall of 2011. 

The first couple of years we travelled in mid winter, then we discovered if we traveled in late November and early April, we could get two passport stamps for the price of one in February. Then, I discovered the holy grail of travel called Black Friday, and our long weekend mid-winter getaway was added to our line up.

Aside from the first couple of trips I booked with an agent, I don't think I have ever paid full price since I took over the task. 

The jaunt we are on now had me book our round trip airfare on December 29th, 2023 for a sneeze over $300 each. The house we are renting had just gone on the market, so I knew we would be one of the first tenants to stay. I don't believe we will be able to travel here for the reduced dollar value I paid, ever again.

Always keen for the deals I find, my husband simply goes with the flow. With my work life as hectic as it is, I knew that this go round was going to be about peace and quiet for me. When you look at the photo I am sharing, you can see I am getting exactly that. Aside from that private island off in the distance, there is no one around but us.

So, to be fair to the quiet my husband has had to endure, today we are going to head to the curb, grab the jitney for a $1.25, and head into town for lunch. That said, it will be interesting where we land for grub. 

I just checked the port schedule and there are a Carnival, MSC and Norwegian cruise ships at the dock. 

Meaning only us, and over 12,000 other peeps looking to get conch fritters.

The one thing I do know?

None of them peeps are coming back to the house for a cold been after lunch!  

J IS FOR JOY

Well, it’s that time of year again. 

When after months of waiting, I arrive at my destination of choice to celebrate another trip around the sun. 

This year has me nicely perched next to the ocean, in a luxury home we've rented, in the Bahamas.

Once again, I packed a #petrocanada
glass so I could watch the sunset
...and have a drink with my Dad.
TAKEN: APRIL 10th, 2024

Yesterday was an OK travel day. The airports are always hectic but we have learned to navigate them with a ton of off the cuff comedy and a boatload of patience. Afterall, I know where I am going to land, and I realize that in itself is a privilege most never get to experience.

As our taxi zipped along the highway next to the beautiful blue green ocean, I felt myself become overwhelmed with emotion.  I found myself fighting back tears. Tears of joy.

Joy that we can afford to travel as we do, and joy at the best life I have been obviously blessed to be living.

In a nutshell, I will leave you with this. Life is short people. When in doubt, please always refer to Rhondi Rule #779:

Make sure you don't celebrate your 75th birthday.... by living the same year 75 times!

G IS FOR GESTURE

 

Give me a minute....
 I want to tell you how I really feel!
TAKEN: APRIL 8th, 2022

It's hard to believe that the picture I am sharing was taken two years ago today.

Firstly,  I should say that you can tell by the expression on my husband's face that my very specific gesture wasn't directed at him. He knew it was directed at the Rainbow Bend Resort in Marathon (Grassy Key), Florida. 

Now, if you tend to read here about my travel adventures, you'd know that my travel buddy hubby and I love to check out new destinations. So, when the VID ended, we decided to fly to Miami and drive to Key West for a four day long weekend.

Though our round trip Air Canada flights were a steal, the road to Key West proved to be very overpriced and lackluster. I am disappointed to report that we felt it was NOT money very well spent. 

That said, we honestly thought we had a pretty good plan. We flew into Miami, landed before noon, then swiftly grabbed our airport rental car.  We hit Islamorada for that first night (expensive but fun). Downtown Key West for the next (crowded, crazy expensive but fun). Then hit the Rain-Blow RearEnd Resort for a night (insert the sound of a cat puking up a hairball here).

I knew as soon as we arrived in Marathon, the more than $800 Canadian I had spent to be on the ocean was a terrible mistake.

We checked, in then when we were unloading our things, we immediately noticed a lingering odor in the air. 

Next to our 2nd floor room, was a large bay of shallow water, filled with garbage and smelly seaweed, and the odor was almost stomach turning. As a result, we stayed in our room and watch the Masters golf tourney and ate an early dinner we had bought at the local grocery store. 

Not to throw baby out with the bath water, after dinner we decided to check out the pool. It was full of algae with visible garbage floating in it. Back to the room for more TV time we went. 

The next morning we walked out of the restaurant (where our  breakfast was to be free) because it was so dirty we didn't want to trust the food would be safely prepared.

There is more... 

As I checked the drawers in the morning to make sure I husband didn't leave anything behind, I was startled as a bunch of cockroaches scurried to quickly to get out of sight. I physically felt sick knowing they'd comfortably shared our very expensive accommodation; to which we were officially out of pocket for.

I did write about it two years ago. The photo I attached and description said it all; and how I left it until now.

(Click: K IS FOR KEY to read).

On a final note, I wanted my A word this challenge to be for appendage, but I didn't want to start off with a rant. 

So, after careful consideration, and my strong desire to share this specific experience, my thesaurus had me arrive at the word gesture for my letter G.

#yagottalaughaboutit

SQUIRRELING MY NUTS

It's that time of year again, where I look to the jar of nuts I have squirreled away all winter and decide how many of those precious gems I am going to spend on each venue, creating a great 2024 concert season. 

Since starting my newest position two and half years ago, I have gotten into the habit of transferring the monies I am paid to do site visits and inspections into a savings account. Knowing full well, that those dollars/nuts will be earmarked for more bucket list tickets.

Because he is in such demand, and focuses primarily on playing football stadiums, my No Shoes Nation buddy won't be headed north of the boarder anytime soon. So, I knew eventually hopping a plane to see him perform was going to be a must. 

Then, shortly after Jimmy Buffet passed, and he and fellow parrot head Zac Brown decided to join forces for their Sun Goes Down Tour. I immediately began making plans to head to into downtown Chicago for our wedding anniversary in June.

Though not a concert, the next tickets to be added here will be for my hubby.
A 1pm start on June 14th at Wrigley Field (Cubs vs Braves)
TAKEN: MARCH 21st, 2024

Though the concert is one of the reasons for heading to Chicago, there are a lot of other items that are a must see. 

An afternoon baseball game at Wrigley Field, a trip to legend Buddy Guys bar in hopes he shows up, an architecture river cruise, and definitely lunch at Lou Malnati's for their famous deep dish pizza. Oh, and let's not forget the fireworks at Navy Pier and a selfie at The Bean!

With our Soldier Field, second tier fourth row adjacent to the stage tickets secured, I am now on the Ticketmaster hunt for Wrigley Field resale tickets.  Which, where my husband wants to sit, are currently running at about the cost of a heart transplant at a private hospital outside Canada. Therefore, I am still squirreling away my nuts to purchase.

I suspect those will be purchased after my annual birthday trip in April. This year we are headed to a luxury oceanfront home we've rented with a pool in the Bahamas. We both love snorkeling, which will be steps through our private gate, so it was a no brainer when West Jet packaged our round trip flights for just over $300 clams each.

Yep, Bahamas is where I spend the clams I have shucked, Ticketmaster is all about my squirreled nuts. Which should not be confused with my 'being nuts'. 

...For obsessively chasing really great concert experiences!

Just sayin'.

MY COUNTRY MUSIC QUARTET

Old Dominion - top left (ScotiaBank Arena) TAKEN: January 28th, 2023
Zac Brown Band - Top right (Budweiser Stage) TAKEN: July 14th, 2023
Chris Stapleton - Bottom left (Budweiser Stage) TAKEN: August 17th, 2023
Mary Chapin Carpenter - Bottom right (Ryman Auditorium) TAKEN: October 8th, 2023 

I have always appreciated all types of music, but for the last six or seven years, I have found myself gravitating to the channels offerings country on my Sirius satellite app. Suffice it to say, not many were surprised to discover that we landed in Nashville.

I think what might surprise most, is that all tickets purchased for my country music quartet were purchased with less than a month of them all landing on stage. All (except Chapin Carpenter at the Ryman Auditorium) were purchased off Ticketmaster - resale.

Now, I am not proud of what I paid for the tickets, with Old Dominion being the least expensive at a little over $100 each, and Chris Stapleton being the most expensive at just over $1,500 for the pair.

My first three experiences, were so high energy that I headed for the exit with little to no voice from yelling so loud, the fourth (an intimate acoustic presentation) moved me to my musical core. All of them left me completely and unequivocally entertained. Honestly, concert dollars very well spent!

I have always been an avid concert goer, and no genre is off limits. For instance, when we were in Nashville, we toured the Country Music Hall of Fame and explored some of the roof top honky tonk's on October 9th. Then, walked back to our condo off Broadway just in time to sit on our balcony and watch the sunset. 

On a whim, I logged onto Ticketmaster and purchased two stage left Jonas Brothers tickets at Bridgestone Arena (where the Nashville Predictors play). With less than an hour left before they hit the stage, we took our ten minute walk to the venue. They too brought down the house.

Ramping up to perform (Joe's hit) Cake By The Ocean to a packed Bridgestone Arena.
TAKEN: OCTOBER 9th, 2023

Anyway, I remember having a conversation with my brother this summer and he felt the need to point out that my dogs were a luxury. Though I understood his point, I told him that 'my dogs were a necessity that my husband and I couldn't live without'. 

Which in a nutshell, aside from being a mega fan, is why I clicked the Ticketmaster button and bought the Stapleton tickets; exactly three days later. 

My dogs a luxury? Nope. 

It is my concert going habit that wins his specific label. All the monies spent on tickets, hotels, flights, food and spirits? 

THEY... THEM....THOSE.  Will always be the biggest luxury of my life!!

SIMPLY, UNFORGETTABLE

Last week, when I posted photos of my Canadian Thanksgiving travels on social media as they were happening, I was proud to share that we had included experiencing the spectacular 'Mother Church' of country music in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. 

What I was somewhat surprised to admit (after leaving the building) was that my amazing and intimate musical experience presented at the Ryman Auditorium was simply mind blowing!!

My beautiful exterior shot from across the street, and our third row balcony
seats preshow. (No video or photography is allowed once the show starts.)
TAKEN: OCTOBER 8th, 2023

Yet, it's hard to believe our weeklong vay-cay happened somewhat coincidentally. 

You see, I have a coworker that traveled to Music City last spring to see Luke Combs perform at Bridgestone Arena. With my husband and I having two full weeks off at the end of the year, I thought I would checkout the Air BnB she'd been raving about for availability.

Turned out our festive holidays timelines weren't available, yet the week of Canadian Thanksgiving was. Without a plan, we booked The Burnham (a ten minute walk to Broadway) and we had less than a month to hatch the rest of our plan.

I knew instinctively, we couldn't go to Nashville and not experience the Ryman Auditorium. Without hesitation, I purchased tickets to see Mary Chapin Carpenter and Shawn Colvin. 

As a 1990's country follower, I was familiar with the success of Carpenter,  I only knew Colvin to have one hit with 'Sonny Came Home.' Without reserve, I clicked that famous Ticketmaster button and bought us 3rd row balcony tickets as shown above.

From the moment you approach the exterior architecture of this historic 2,362 seat live-performance venue, you could feel its distinctive vibe. An Instagram follower hit the nail on the head when he commented on my exterior shot with... "Oh the ghosts that reside there, you can feel the history when you visit!"

He's right, this is hallowed ground filled with her spiritual sounds. It truly is a sacred place for any music lover, celebrating all music genres in every sacred pew.

Oh, and the Mary/Shawn duo literally brought down the house. 

The entire evening was... Simply, unforgettable.

HAPPY CANADA D‘EH

Poor Miya Maria. She drew the short Canada Day photo op straw.
(Don't feel too bad, she had a chunk of roast chicken as her reward!)
TAKEN: JULY 1st, 2023

When the Canada Day long weekend was approaching, it is safe to say my Weather Network app was getting ten times more screen action than everything else installed on my phone.

I will compare it to a flip of the coin scenario. Rain we stay in town. Sun we stay at the cottage. Well, sunshine prevailed for the entire weekend marking the fact that I officially got moved in.

It has been several years since I have lived here for 100% of the season. I am glad to be back and am very grateful that this is the first time in my entire career, that I only commute to the brick-and-mortar office with the fancy sign out front just once a week.

When I changed jobs a year and a half ago, I negotiated that I would work from home two days a week. Two led to three, then three led to four. I am hoping by the end of the year, everything will be done via ZOOM.

Though I manage my time well and my boss is pleased with my productivity, my workdays definitely last longer when working from my home or cottage offices. Why? This doggie daycare/obedience school thing-a-ma-hoochie I am running has a very strict schedule that must be adhered to.

So, I start an hour earlier everyday to ensure our 9:30am and 2pm breaks get rid of any excess energy, and they will sleep at my feet for the duration. With two puppies and a high energy senior on point, I need to keep them on track, or all hell breaks loose.

I am serious when I share that I will be working away and balls and toys start getting banged into my legs or dropped at my feet and I must firmly say, “Stop... It isn’t nine thirty yet!”

And believe it or not, they stop and settle until my phone pings that it’s time for recess. I’m not complaining just reflecting. Never a dull moment, and I wouldn’t change a thing.

Well, maybe the shitty internet connection because of all the rock that surrounds me, but that’s a post for another day.

FROM FEAR TO FEARLESS

As I mentioned in my A-Z Challenge posts, my husband and I had a milestone anniversary to celebrate the first week of June, so I booked us into a boutique hotel close to the airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

In years past we had spent a week in Negril, and a couple of years later a week in Runaway Bay, both over an hour from the airport. The last thing we wanted to do on a romantic four-night getaway, was to spend time riding an overcrowded resort bus. 

So, we both agreed Montego Bay was an experience we hadn’t had, and with our excellent flight times and the super cheap price tag, it was a travel no brainer.

Anyway, because we were staying at a 140 room hotel that offered very few resort-like activities, it would be on us to amuse ourselves. Because we both love to snorkel that was an early morning given. I love kayaking so I was pumped, however, my husband had never had any desire to try... So he was left to sit on the beach.

 For 90% of our visit the sky was overcast, and it was perfect.
(As we ran 40+C with the humidity without direct sunshine.)
TAKEN: JUNE 9th, 2023

Day one, out I went. It is hard to describe how amazing it was with the planes flying over me while I paddled. When I returned in, I asked if he wanted to try and he worried he would lose his new glasses. (Lamest excuse ever but I respected his decision.)

Day two, out I went again. When I returned, he commented on how fast I was paddling and how far I was going (code for me to tell him more so he would have the confidence to try). I explained that they weren’t tipsy at all. If he kept his core in the centre of the floating plastic entertainment center, he wouldn’t fall out.

Day three, he decided to try. By now, I knew when most of the planes were overhead to offer him the best experience. I brought my phone in my waterproof camera case that morn, as I knew this was a pretty big milestone for him. Before we knew it, over an hour had passed.

I don't know about you, but I love trying new things (except when it comes to food). I won't put myself in harms way but I definitely like living in the travel moment. So as silly as this may read, I am proud of my husband for going out of his comfort zone.

Kayaking may not be a big deal to most... But I love that we both had a blast touring around in the clear waters of Montego Bay!

X IS FOR X-PLORING

Land's End - at the southern tip of the Baja sur in Cobo San Lucas, Mexico
...An amazing place where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean.
TAKEN: DECEMBER 3rd, 2015

 

T IS FOR TRAVEL

 

Believe the hype. It really is..."Better in The Bahamas"
TAKEN : FEBRUARY 8th, 2018
Melia All Inclusive Cable Beach, Nassau, Bahamas

S IS FOR SEACREST

 

Helllloooooo Rhondi!
TAKEN: FEBRUARY 6th, 2018

As any of my avid readers know, I live for, and love to travel. 

People often ask how we can afford to hit as many destinations as we do, and it is simple. We set a budget for the year and stick to it. Any online deals I come across are simply a much appreciated bonus.

One of the best deals EVER, was booked on Black Friday in the fall of 2017. 

Five days and four nights, all inclusive, on beautiful Cable Beach in Nassau, Bahamas. Less than a three-hour flight and an oceanfront king room, for $805pp via West Jet. 

Anyway, not knowing much about the island, other than Baha Mar was usually out of our price range, I figured I should research. My first entry into Google, things to do in Nassau Bahamas included the date ranges of our mid week stay.

I immediately discovered that the filming of the morning show Live with Kelly (Ripa) and Ryan (Seacrest) was being filmed live at the Atlantis Resort while we were there. I filled out all of the online paperwork to get free tickets, including submitting our photo which was a prerequisite; and the tickets arrived via email a couple of days later.

We arrived early, in the hopes to get near the front but little did we know the seats were filled from back to front and we were in the very last row. Not a problem, as that gave me the ability to stand on my chair and take great photos.

As the show was about to start (you can see Kelly signing an autograph above) I held up my camera and began to yell my name.

RHONDI… RHONDI…. RYAN it’s RHONDI...OVER HERE.

How shocked was I, when he toward me and yelled back HELLLLLO RHONDI! 

And just like that, I got what I would classify as my only great photo, whilst acting like a member of the crazy paparazzi culture!

Definitely a travel moment I will remember forever!! 

R IS FOR REGGAE

My hubby walking the beach (with me and my Blackberry) taking in this great vibe.
TAKEN: FEBRUARY 2012 

In September 2021, the morning my husband was to be admitted into Toronto General Hospital, he sat on the sofa in our hotel room and sang a loud 'Three Little Birds' with Bob Marley. Needless to say, he was understandably emotional and scared. 

As we walked hand in hand to the hospital at dawn, I promised him that our first adventure once all of this was behind us, would be to get him back to Jamaica; his very favourite travel destination.

I know that yesterday was 4/20 but that has nothing to do with his connection with this beautiful island. He loves the people, their culture, the cuisine, but first and foremost he is truly connected to the music.

The first time we travelled to the island was back in 2012. I was given a $3,000 travel voucher as a bonus at work. We had never been to the Caribbean and decided to spend it toward a destination we had both always dreamed of going.

For the allure of seven mile beach we chose Negril, Jamaica, and the experience didn't disappoint. We returned again in 2014 to Runaway Bay, and he has wanted to return ever since.

But, him dealing with my wanderlust has always been a challenge, as I have always ultimately convinced him to open his mind to new adventures we haven't previously taken. 

Yet, our bond will never forget that life changing morning walk, when a simple promise is made. 

It may be only 5 nights and four days (to celebrate our upcoming milestone wedding anniversary) but guess what?

Weeez a goin' back to Jamaica MON!

And I am pleased to report my hubby is ecstatic to finally to be going back 'yard'... In the non residential sense.

L IS FOR LOGISTICS

 “The line between disorder and order lies in the logistics…” ~ Sun Tzu

The dynamic duo chillaxin' taking in the beautiful topography.
TAKEN: APRIL 6th, 2023

When you’re traveling as far as we did for four nights, to ensure you can experience as much as possible, there needs to be a lot of planning involved. 

Our first step being getting us from the airport to the hotel. When we were leaving LAS and headed to grab a taxi, a group of guys heading up the escalator yelled down in tandem, “YOU GUYS NEED TO DOWNLOAD UBER!”

I wanted to yell back, “didn’t your mother teach you not to get into cars with strangers!?!” Instead, we just smiled and waved back.

Unlike some, I refuse to install apps on my phone that house my credit card information. Therefore, using Uber, Lift, or Samsung Pay has never been something I have ever entertained.

What we did include in our carefully planned trip, was a car rental for the day to take a road trip and save on the large fees tour companies charge. 

We knew we wanted to hike Red Rock Canyon. What I missed when hatching the plan was that we needed a reservation to enter; as they only let so many cars in the park at one time.

Rather than trying to reschedule our logistically planned ‘just in time’ day, we made the best of the situation at hand and enjoyed the views from the periphery, before heading toward the Pat Tillman Bridge and the Hoover Dam.

The fact that when back on the road we went over an hour out of our way, went south instead of north on 215 taking us toward LA... Before my driver would listen to me telling him we were going in the wrong direction?

Not even worth mentioning! #yagottalaughaboutit

I IS FOR ITINERARY

When the kids were growing up, there was never an abundance of extra cash lying around for me to get to celebrate my birthday. So, when the nest finally emptied, I decided that every year I would take a birthday trip.

The first couple were week long jaunts but then I discovered I could have a higher end experience for less if I crammed everything into a long weekend. 

Below is a neat snapshot and snippet of the my born day adventures since 2015.

2015: A quaint cliff top resort in Samana, Dominican Republic

This Gran Bahia was an amazing experience but not a resort meant for those with mobility issues. 

One of the main reason I selected it was to walk (daily) the "Bridge to Nowhere" seen below...as taken from my poolside deck chair. 

Great food, Salsa dancing at night, and loved experiencing the beautiful Barcardi Island with friends.

Great shot of the 4 km Bridge to Nowhere 
TAKEN: APRIL 2015

2016: Wanting to learn to surf in Sayulita, Mexica

Sayulita is a village on the Pacific coast backed by the Sierra Madre mountains, known for its beaches and strong surf. 

For this bornday trip, we rented a house with an infinity pool and were joined by friends as well as Jukebox. To this day, my husband says it is still his favourite spot. I snapped this pic in the morning after hiking to Playa de Los Muertos.

In all of my adventures, this is the most time I spent in the ocean. Almost all day everyday. My son was the only one that really got the hand of surfing. I traded my surf board in for a boogie board mid week, 

A great time was had by all!

Heading back from Playa des Los Muertos.
What a view!
TAKEN: APRIL 2016

2017: French Quarter Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana

This was the first of the 'long weekend' celebrations. With Architect friends living in New Orleans, one if the French Quarter, they thought I would really enjoy the festival, and I did.

Landing Thursday, flying home Monday, I got to experience a weekend of music in the French Quarter with seven hundred and fifty thousand of my closest friends. Stages set up everywhere with all genres of music imaginable.

My buddy Darin took me out for my birthday with all of his coworkers at his firm, and though he only joined in the festival festivities Saturday afternoon, we got to spend a lot of quality time together. 

If you've never been GO. The pic I am sharing I took at the big band stage. On the plane ride home, I met the trumpet player for the band Chicago, which began my quest to see them perform live.

... But that's another post!

Darin, my hubby and I enjoying a bevie at the Big Band Stage.
One of my favourites for the entire weekend.
TAKEN: APRIL 2017

2018: The NBA, South Beach, and Burgers - Miami, Florida

This trip was planned with the intent of seeing the last regular season Toronto Raptors game (so grateful we went, because Demar DeRozan was traded to Houston that summer). 

The photo I am sharing is a storm moving in on game night, and I said to my husband, "something is coming though South Beach." He is laughing because I continued with "we both know it's the Toronto Raptors headed in for the Miami Heat tonight!"

In the days we were there, we walked the beach for miles, and I headed into the art deco district on my birthday to celebrate. I chose to have the best burger in South Beach. 

Burger and a Mojito, $125 USD is not for the faint of heart.

Out on our balcony, we were joking that there was a storm coming. 
I said, 'it was the Toronto Raptors landing!'
TAKEN: APRIL 2018

2019: We did so much that I had to rest from my vacation in New York City, New York.

What a whirlwind birthday vacation. Landed in Newark NJ and took the train in Thursday afteroon.

1. Headed to Brooklyn Thursday night to see the Nets vs the Heat. Dwayne Wades last game before he retired. LeBron was there. What a night.

2. Live with Ryan and Kelly at ABC Studios in the morning, Central Park in the afternoon, Book of Mormon on Broadway Friday night.

3. Statue of Liberty, Wall Street Bull, 911 Memorial all day they I headed solo to see Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden Saturday night.

4. Slept the next two weeks to recover!

Jukebox taking in the eerie surroundings of the fallen twin towers.
TAKEN: APRIL 2019

2020: Lockdown had me having coffee for my birthday at home in Muskoka, Ontario

A photo to capture the exact morning birthday moment in a global pandemic
TAKEN: APRIL 2020

2021: Still unable to travel, I bought myself a dog for my birthday ~ in Muskoka Ontario

Born April 9th (seen here at 4 weeks of age) I named her Miya.
Because she was Miya Birthday Present!
TAKEN: APRIL 2021

2022: Roadtrip to the Southernmost point of the USA - Key West, Florida

The price of the post pandemic Air Canada flight was so good we decided to land in Miami and drive the Florida Keys. 

What we didn't know is how expensive the birthday weekend would be. For starters, our hotel room at the Almond Tree Inn was just shy of $1,000 CDN.

A great experience all around but something I have no desire to do again.

Me standing on the retaining wall at the Southern most point.
Too impatient to wait a couple of hours in line!
TAKEN: APRIL 2022

2023: Per my letter D. D is for DECISION. We did Las Vegas Baby!

Thousands and thousands of steps later, we did the Strip, Freemont Street, and drove to Red Rock Canyon, walked the Pat Tilman Bridge, and toured the Hoover Dam. 

NEVER going back. 

We work to hard for our money to gamble it away... and that is primarily all that people did.

By 6pm we had walked well over 24,000 steps.
Highly recommend staying at Paris. We received 5 star service.
Thanks Air Canada!
TAKEN: APRIL 2023

TWENTY REASONS WHY

My husband went back to work yesterday, so I will be flying solo around the house until Friday night. 

It goes without saying that sitting around all day was out of the question, so my first self assigned task was to productively purge my clothing dressers, closets, and totes; you read that right, plural.

What started a three-pile exercise (out to the cottage, neatly bagged for donation, and the third for disposal) resulted in a day that proved to be cathartic as well as seriously eye opening. So much so that it genuinely resulted in me motivating myself for change. 

Long term readers may remember it was ten years ago on this exact day that I decided I was going to get back in shape, and the ‘quest for my waist' began. 

I hadn’t been through menopause back then, so I suspect my results a decade later will take an altered approach, not to mention considerably more work. 

As a goal-oriented person, I knew I would need a way to focus. So, my personal target is to wear this wee ditty around the pool, for my birthday trip to Las Vegas in April.

These beautiful colours were last worn by me in Miami in 2018.
 I am truly hoping to end our five year hiatus!
TAKEN: JANUARY 4th, 2023

Now before you start rolling your eyes, know that I am not doing this out of vanity. 

Rather you should know that I am truly uncomfortable in my skin and need to make a change. Purging my clothes just gave me the motivation I needed. This over weight just simply must go!

...Now, I’m not talking 200 pounds. 

I am looking to lose the extra twenty pounds that have slowly crept back and are comfortably squatting on the midsection of my body. No matter what I do, those suckers seem to want to stay indefinitely. 

I'm not joking. They are stuck to me as comfortably as Jeffrey Dahmer was living in his grandmothers' basement,  and today I decided that was no longer an option.

How serious am I? 

When I finished my chores, I hung her up in my dressing room next to my mirror, where I will see here every time I enter the room to get dressed. As extra reinforcement, I have taped a picture of her on the front of the fridge. 

Oh, and just to be clear. This isn't a 2023 resolution. It is a much needed personal solution using a colourful (albeit memorable) two piece object as a healthy reminder of my task at hand. 

Wish me luck!