Happy holidays!

December always sneaks up on me so I try to be prepared as much as possible. Christmas shopping is always done ahead of time. I try to do as much as I can in the beginning of December before it gets super busy at work. 

This year has been a very busy year for me especially at work. It has been a very successful year and a very rewarding one. It's nice to be appreciated for all the hard work and long hours I put into my work. 

It has been a challenging year as always. A lot of bumps along the way that I thought I couldn't overcome but somehow did. Hard decisions were made and a lot of tears shed but in the end "what doesn't break you, makes you stronger", right?

And after the crazy ice storm that gave us no power for 3 days, it made me realized how lucky I am to have such a great family and friends. Everyone rallied together to make the best of the situation. We had a sleepover at my house to make use of our gas fireplace. Everyone was warm and sleeping on a mattress in the basement. We made s'mores with the kids and spent time together without the distraction of a tv, computer, or phone. The blackout/storm made us all realize that the most important part of life is family. 

I have a lot to grateful for so I'm choosing to see the positives.

+Travel - it's my passion to explore new places every year.  I was fortunate enough to take 3 weeks off in the winter to travel to Portugal and Spain.  That was an amazing experience being able to drive around the two countries.
In the spring time, I went to Chicago for a long weekend and had my first deep dish pizza. In the summer, it was off to Montreal with my guy friends for a weekend of eating.
Late fall, I went to sunny Cuba for a week. I need a last boost of vitamin D before winter started. Had the best time snorkeling and relaxing.

+Health - each year I strive to be healthier and this year was easier for me health wise. I started running and hope to continue again in Spring.

+Family - no matter how crazy and how loud; always love my family! And each year we get bigger and bigger!

+Friends - always grateful to have my close friends who I have known since highschool. For always being there for me during happy and tough times.

+My love - my travel partner. Thank you for always being there for me <3

Happy holidays everyone! May you have a safe and happy holidays! Happy travels!! See you all in 2014 :)

Sea creatures

I love walking on the beach and poking around. I love getting out of my bubble and exploring places as it gives me a new perspective. On this walk, we can focus on the sea creatures living around the beach and ocean.

A hermit crab

Another one with a different shell

my bf picked this sea urchin without prickling his hand

I saw a lot of corals drifting to the shore

P.S. no harm was caused to the sea creatures. Everything was deposited back to the ocean.

Snorkelling in Cuba

Ohh hi, it's December! I can't believe it's almost Christmas again and the year is ending. I feel like I need a 13th month out of a year. I barely have time to finish all the projects I want to do before the year ends. It's so busy for me this month at work again but what's new. I could really use another sun vacation this month ;) It's freezing here in Toronto right now.

I have more posts from Cuba. One of the best thing that happened to me on this trip was trying out snorkeling. We all know by now that I can't swim but that hasn't stopped me from enjoying beach vacations. I mainly freak out when I can't reach the bottom of the floor or if the water is past my waist.Silly fears.

It took me a few days to warm up to the idea of doing it. I watched my bf snorkel one day while I stayed on the beach watching him. It didn't look too bad. So one day, I was tanning when I saw a few people throwing bread on the water. I went up to them and saw lots of fish swimming up to us. The water was so shallow and clear that I didn't even need to put goggles on. It was so much fun so I did that for awhile until my bf gave me the snorkel gear and told me to put it on so we can go underwater to have a closer look.

The goggles took some getting used to. I was having a hard time adjusting to breathe through my mouth but it went ok and I went underwater. It was amazing!!! I saw a lot of fish but I didn't have an underwater camera so I couldn't capture it all. Next time..

The best part was feeling like I was a mermaid!!!  It was so much fun and I had my bf holding my hand the whole time so I didn't panic. One of the highlight was seeing a green fish with blue lips.

Time to learn how to swim!

Another day in paradise

It's never easy to lose someone especially a person who became everybody's friend not just a colleague. It's hard for me to accept that you're gone. I will miss seeing you everyday when I come to work and I can't imagine not having you around.

As sad as we all are that you passed, I know that you're now in paradise. I will miss you.