Monterosso

Monterosso, one of the five villages that span across the "Cinque Terre".

We decided to take a quick train ride from Genova to Monterosso, and as soon as I stepped off the platform, i was in heaven. Sandy beaches, beautiful cliffs with lush green trees and the vast baby blue salt water. We did not explore any further then Monterosso considering we only had the day. So we rented ourselves some beach chairs and an umbrella, sat under the sun and took frequent dips in the cool, yet inviting blue water. For lunch, we sat on the deck of this amazing italian deli/restaurant. Here is where we had the best pesto and foccacia bread! It was amazing.

In life, we have moments, tearful moments, beautiful moments but not often have I felt like my life was a movie. In that moment, sitting on the deck, eating such great food and looking over at Ben, with the ocean and blue, sunny skies as a back drop. It really was magical.

Genova

What an amazing port city, that hosts the second largest aquarium in Europe. Ben & I fell in love with this city. We are lovers of sea life and thus had to go to The Aquarium of Genoa. What an amazing display of sea mammals: dolphins, manatees, seals, sharks and all the large and small sea life in between! Thousands of gallons of water used at this aquarium every day! Its great what they are doing with their adopt a dolphin program. 

Along the port when we finally made our way out of the aquarium we noticed large white tents being set up. The closer we got, the more excited I got! Clearly we stumbled across a Festa, and that festa was Festa Democratica Nationale. Simply, it's a festival to celebrate democracy within Italy. So naturally, there's authentic italian food, drinks and desserts. The port was lit up, with music, laughter and the moon light! I can whole heartedly say, this place made me fall in love with the thought of living close to a body of water. Sigh

We ate like royalty in Genoa, further developing our love for mussels! Genoa is known for pesto (a sauce of crush basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese, and olive oil), and focaccia bread (flat italian bread made with yeast and olive oil topped with herbs). Delicious.  

Paris

Paris

The city of love. It is a city rich in history, culture, fashion and monumental highlights. One needs a good amount of time and a very large budget to take in all that Paris has to offer. But even a brief visit to this breathtakingly beautiful city leaves you planning your next trip to France's capital!

We arrived in Paris by train around noon on July 29th. We made our way to our beautiful hotel, Le Meridien, which is a short distance from the arc de triomphe. After checking in we decided to venture forth on a long journey by foot to take it all in and see the Eiffel Tower.

Nothing can prepare you for what you are about to see! You've seen it movies, in pictures and paintings, or you have heard of it by word of mouth. This humongous, iconic monument took me by surprise. Being a typical girl, I have pictures of the Eiffel Tower at home. Those back and whites alone made me want to venture to Paris just to see it! If this city is on your bucketlist, the Eiffel Tower is worth the trip alone. We sat on a bench just to the northwest side of the tower, chatted and casually ate our amazing soft serve ice cream. In that moment, I felt like there was no one else there, just Ben, the tower and me. 

It is truly beautiful. Grab some wine, plastic cups, macaroons and have yourself a picnic right on the grounds. That is one memory at will for sure last a lifetime.

Among the other amazing sights were the arc de triomphe, the lovers bridge, the louvre, the Bastille monument, Notre dame and of course, DISNEYLAND!

The arc de triomphe is quite a sight. It is a large arche at the I tersection of L'etoile, and commemorates Napoleons victories. You can climb it for a fee or admire the carving and sculptures from the ground. The louvre is the famous French museum that houses da vinci's Mona Lisa. Take warning that it is completely closed on Tuesdays, as this was the day we had planned to visit it, we settled for admiring the beautiful square, building and glass pyramid that can be seen outside the museum. We continued our long walk and made a stop at lovers bridge, the famous bridge where lovers place a lock to symbolize there love. You the. Throw your key into the river and make a wish, it was very romantic and we witnessed a very romantic proposal right there on the bridge. Helpful hint, if you don't have your own lock and are looking to purchase one, go beyond the bridge as prices are cut in half from those of stores and stands directly adjacent to the bridge.  We then went to climb yet another amazing bundling at Notre Dame Cathedral. The cathedral itself is beautiful and has some amazing stain glass  work. After enjoying the beauty of the cathedral you can make like a hunchback and climb the narrow spiral staircase of the north tower. This provides a closer look at the many amazing gargoyles, the gothic architecture and a panoramic view of Paris that is breathtaking. We continued the very long trail all the way to the giant monument that commemorates France's civil war and rebellion, where the Bastille used to be. 

Paris Disney!! So much fun! If you've travelled to California's Disneyland or Florida's Disneyworld then you must go to Disney in a foreign country! It is an experience all on its own. The underground metro in Paris is easy to navigate through and if you get confused, there is always someone willing to help! We took the underground metro and changed trains to Disney Paris, a commute that took roughly an hour and a half. We were the second train of people to arrive that early morning, and every step we took, our inner 8 year olds started to unfold! Taking pictures all along the way to the entrance we were extremely giddy! We made our way through the gates and the first thing you see is the amazing pink and blue castle! Gigantic! We roamed the Main Street, looking at all the stores - where I purchased my first pair of mini mouse ears- and themed restaurants and made our way to our first coaster, Space mountain.  This got our hearts racing and our lungs ready for the many coasters to come. A major difference you find is that everything is in French, this is particularly funny in the line up to the Star Wars space adventures ride, where all of the robots including C3PO are speaking French to you. Who thought C3PO could be any more annoying?!

The highlights were the Hotel Tower of Terror, the Aerosmith ride (Ben screamed like a girl), Indiana Jones coaster and Crush's Coaster. This is all finished with an amazing show using fireworks, fountains, projectors and graphics all shot on the amazing Disney castle. All in all it truly was a magical day!

All in all, this was an absolute wonderful taste of Paris. It is a beautiful city, as romantic as all of the stereotypes suggest. The people are nice, the food is amazing, the wine is wonderful, and the sights are breathtaking. 

We are already dreaming of the next trip we can make to the city of love! :)

Amsterdam - Holland

Amster-DAMN!

Amsterdam is a beautiful city, rich with Dutch culture, cheese, beautiful canals, medieval cathedrals and squares. It is a tourists paradise as it is home to the Anne frank huis, where you can explore the secret annexe where Anne Frank's diary was written. Amsterdam was also the home of the eccentric artist Vincent Van Gogh, and the city is rich with art galleries and tributes to this troubled man.

Amsterdam is also every stoners paradise. Typically known for its decriminalization of marihuana, we were quite surprised to learned only 5% of Amsterdams population are regular smokers. The "de Wallen" district is home to over 50 "coffee shops" that will sell you a gram of premium bud that you can enjoy with a cappuccino and smoke with your best friends. This is where we truly found our home. As stereotypical western Canadians we have enjoyed marijuana in all it's forms for years, and even would consider ourselves conoseurs of a sort. But nothing could prepare us for what an Amsterdam coffee shop has to offer.

We arrived at Schipol Airport on July 18th to beautiful sunshine, and set forth to check in to our hotel in the business district just outside Amsterdam. We met with our good friend Carter Obleman, and immediately set forth to downtown to enjoy the first joint we would have in over a month. We made our way outside of Centrall Statione and dodged trams on our way to get lost in the many alleys of the red light (de Wallen) district. We chose a path and were immediately drawn to the red, yellow and green colors of the "Double Reggae" coffee shop. We entered and were given menus of the many different kinds if marijuana and hashish that they had to offer. With our jaws on the floor we read the descriptions of the strain, strength and description of the expected high you would get and each made our selections. After sitting down with cappuccinos we continued to roll the green gold we had just

aquired and it was time for lift off.

The ten days we spent in Amsterdam are a wonderful smokey blur. We spent three nights with Carter,  trying new coffee shops, new strains of weed, getting lost in the canals and alleys, stopping to point out the interestingly dressed women in the glowing red windows, and eating as much ice cream as we could find. We laughed and giggled our way through each beautiful day, checking off the coffee shops on Carter's map as we went. Some highlights include a very informative afternoon at the "Canabis College" where you can get information on marihuana and hemp in every facet, which we found extremely informative. Along with entry you, get a lifetime membership to use there vaporizers and smoke for free on their comfy couch with a skylight right above you. They also had a grow room in the basement with all kinds of information about the plant, along with displays the Canabis plant in all stages of its grow cycle. Just next to the college is the, "Marijuana, Hemp and Hasish Museum", a must see for any stoner. It displays the first hash pipes, history of the Canabis  plant and its many uses, Canabis and its influence on culture throughout the ages, as well as the many Eco friendly ways to substitute hemp into the production of many products. It is a four hour exhibit, especially when you are under the influence. (Haha!)

We also had a day in the Amsterdam bas forest at the annual "Electronic Family Festival". Surprisingly there was a zero tolerance drug policy at this festival and the average age, was closer to 40 than anything. None the less we danced away to Cosmic Gate and enjoyed a few drinks.

We said goodbye to Carter and continued the rest of the week much the same but with a trip to the Anne Frank Haus, and the 3D Van Gogh experience, both attractions being phenomenal. We were also on a constant quest for the perfect candy store and found the same one many times while being lost and roaming around. Still have no idea where this candy store was or what it was called. Also it is legal to grow and sell magic mushrooms in Amsterdam so we had an afternoon experimenting with some magic truffles.

Overall the weather was beautiful, with only one afternoon of rain out of the 11 days we were there. The marijuana was the best we have ever had and the ability to know and understand what you are getting was awesome. A few hints we picked up were to never buy a "pre-rolled" joint, as there is lower quality marijuana used in these. Although it is a lot more expensive than in Canada it is a great experience to enjoy this in public, safely and to understand your product.

Our hotel was wonderful, but it was a airport hotel, therefore the added cost of transit each day into town makes it more economical and hassle free to book inner city, even if your per night rate is higher.

Glasgow - Scotland

We arrived in Scotland July fifth bright and early. We stayed at a Central hotel called St.Enoch. For every backpacker it is a dream because of its central location. Right behind us was the River Clyde and right next to us was an amazing pub called, The Hootenanny"consisting of amazing beer deals, live music on the weekend and a menu to die for! We will have to admit, we didn't do our research on Glasgow, not knowing it was mostly a quiet city. Great shopping, not enough sight seeing attractions. We stayed in Scotland for one week! After London, arriving in a quieter city, we realized this was a blessing in disguise. Culturally, Scotland has plenty to offer. Stores dedicated to kilts and clan clothing! Frequent bagpiper's, kilts, friendly, accommodating Scottish accents and the constant smiling faces in the streets of Glasgow, made for a more than pleasant stay. We mostly explored Glasgow north of the river Clyde- Kelvingrove Park and museum is an attraction for Glasgow. we got to see Dali's infamous painting of Christ on the cross of St.John, and we also visited their mall called Xscape ! Which has an indoor ski slope, movie theatre, arcade, bowling, multiple restaurants and a sky park! So much fun! 

For Ben arriving in Scotland was a dream come true, considering his family history is Wallace. That's right William Wallace is in his bloodline! So, naturally we went on exploring certain parts of Scotland, our first stop being the capital - Edinburgh. We were blessed with beautiful weather all day. We took the train from Glasgow into Edinburgh, and started on our Journey to the Edinburgh castle, a short half hour walk from the train station. Along the way, your eyes are overwhelmed with awe-inspiring infrastructure! The Scott's Monument is one of the first things you notice! Tall, black stone, and a mass amount of detail. You have to see it for yourself. This city was our top pick for a home base if you are going to explore Scotland for a week, find a bed in Edinburgh! There are many enormous monuments and historical buildings making the beautiful skyline a clash of mid evil castles and cathedrals and modern centres.  With the coast a short drive from the city centre, you have the ocean, and the scenic highlands at your disposal. Seeing the castle is a must, but BOOK YOUR TICKETS ONLINE! Not only will this save you 10%, you will get to skate by the enormous line and straight into the castle. The highlight by far is the very well done history exhibit on your way to viewing the Scottish Crown Jewels. Other amazing sights include the one o'clock gun and a very well done military museum. 

Our other day trip was to Sterling. This is a quaint town, with a beautiful scenery and the legendary Wallace monument.  Rich history surrounds the town as the battle of sterling bridge where William Wallace lead the Scottish rebels to their first victory over the English to win there independence.  The monument is a must, and has a great history lesson about Wallace and the constant struggle the scots had against the English. We fell in love with sterling and thoroughly enjoyed the monument, including an amazing exhibit of William Wallace's incredible 5 and a half foot sword. 

Scotland is definitely worth the visit and exploration!  

Time

At exactly 1:30pm today, it will be 11 days until I marry the man of my dreams. 

I am The Queen of Cheddar Town ..

Here it is... Another-more public-proclamation of my love for him. This is the outlet I choose, so I will let it out!  

I've been typing and erasing and typing and erasing scrambling, trying to string the words together to describe this feeling in my heart right now. I could simply say, "I miss you like crazy!" But for some reason that just doesn't seem to do it justice. I have never felt so far, yet so close to someone like this. To feel as though my heart is with you right now. I can't sleep, can't eat, can't focus. It is so consuming. The emotions involved in missing someone so much. Laying in bed doesn't seem right without your arms around me, learning something new is not as much fun when I don't have you to share it with.. It is so astonishing to me that I have been blessed, so young to have felt something this beautiful. To fall in love with your integrity, and kindness. To witness your altruistic hands, move and sway so wonderfully towards everyone you meet. That feeling everyone gets when YOU walk into a room because you put everyone at ease. To watch how magnificent you are in times of hardship, because your nobility and compassion is what gets me through. Every. Single. Time. What I've come to learn after all this reflection is that..

This is only the beginning of the rest of Our life together.

and that is a blessing all on its own.

Always & Forever

So we planned it all out for the middle of June, 

From the wedding cake to the Honeymoon.

57 days!

I cannot wait for June 15, 2013.

Engaged =)

The love of my life proposed to me this Saturday afternoon.
It was all kinds of romantic.
He got our parents blessings and had an elaborate plan.
I was very surprised  !

So extremely happy. I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with the love of my life.

1 + 1

Had an awesome weekend!

My boyfriend is amazing.
My family is amazing.
My roommate is amazing.

I love my life. I am so blessed and thankful to have each and every single one of you in my life.
I am so appreciative of all that I have.

I feel whole.
I feel so loved.

Encouragement

Everyone needs it.
Spread a little love today. :)

ADULT

I flew the nest this May long weekend. I am now living on my own with my best friend Alicia. It was just time to get up and enter the real world full force. 
I love my parents, they are awesome and supportive. 
It is just my turn to start my life a new. This is the move that begins it all. 


=) peace, love & happiness.

4/20

Breathe it in! Exude positive energy and you will wake up every morning with a vast smile on your face! Look out side! Wherever you are and pick out the one positive sight you see! For me, its a blue sky, sunny day. The wind is a reminder that its not quite summer yet, it's nippy and cool, but it puts a smile on your face because you can still feel the warmth of the sun on your cheeks! Spring, in all its glory.

Happiness comes in the swiftest of tides.

There's no stopping us right now.

---

No guts, No Glory!

Everything you are: your attitude, point of view, personality, character, etc; is what you will attract in someone else! 

Stay positive, love with everything you have, be patient, find something you're passionate about, and be honest! 

Knowledge is power!

I am so ready for this.
Embracing the change.


entrepreneur |ˌäntrəprəˈnoŏr; -ˈnər|nouna person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so.

Robinhood

‎"The real winners are not those at the top, but those who have come the farthest over the toughest roads. Your victory may never make the headlines. But you will know about it, and that's what counts."

Ernest Fitzgerald


I see this, and automatically think of you. 


I have been single for a year, and have learned so much about myself, about what I want, what the world has to offer, and most of all how much I really don't know. Which only makes me excited to learn! 
I resented you because of this. 
I was so ignorant and selfish and you tried to help me understand..
Now, I understand. 

PROOF

I will be such a great example.

I am a fantastic leader.

I am EXCITED and PASSIONATE about my future.

Ask yourself, How do you want to live?
Really think about it.



Thats what we should be asking our children.

faint

Seriously go after what you want out of life! Do what makes YOU happy. You can only have a positive outcome if you exude positive energy. Be kind to everyone you meet, eye contact, and for pete sake people, smile!