Live a little.

Just do it.

The Countdown to Midnight

A New Year. Smells like second chances. Take one on yourself.

2013 has come and gone so incredibly fast, it was almost too hard let go.

I've been reflecting on this past year, on the person I want to become and just how to get there. On the successes, and failures. The love and the losses. The adventures made and moments savored. When I really think about it, it all comes down to love. What you put out, you receive right back..

This year I have finally understood this. I have learned after many life lessons, you are your words and thoughts. If you think, but do not do, you will achieve nothing. If you put in the action and just have a little faith, you'll succeed in every way.

Just like your outfit for the day, you choose your attitude. Blame is just a tool. And so is forgiveness. Once you walk out that door, know you have the power to make someone smile. Your life will be made up of small kind moments. Don't forget, there will always be Karma.

So remember, whatever you do, do it with love.

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.  

Firenze

Florence, Italy

The Piazza del Duomo, is as sweet as it sounds. In the heart of Florence, Tuscany, this piazza is one of the most visited places in Europe! From marvellous gothic cathedrals, to golden gated baptiserys, along with a Da Vinci exhibit! David would be proud! ;P

We may not have stayed in the most …romantic of places-old nunnery- but we tried to make the most of it! In the span of five days we learned so much about our selves, the art of machines, and developed a love for wine! 

The Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral is the most beautiful cathedral I've ever seen! I felt like I was looking at a painting of a church. So beautifully crafted with detail, you could stand outside it for hours just tantalized from every angle. 

To be honest, Ben & I are not the artsy types. By this point we've seen enough cathedrals and exhibits that we were only willing to pay for entry if it was something either one of us was really interested in. So we walked Florence twice over in the five days we were there, simply admiring everything from the outside. The Baptistery.. conveniently located just across from the Duomo! 

We stumbled across the famous bridge Ponte Vecchio, "Old Bridge". A bridge the is across the Arno River, it has three arches and has the tall apartment styled buildings on it. We walked across it on that hot sunny afternoon, and were in awe at all the jewellers that lined the street! 

The wine! The wine from this region was amazing! The red's and the whites! We loved everything we tried, and learned to pair what type of wine with which dish! (Such a fun date night idea in the future!) 

Side note - When in Florence for breakfast, lunch or dinner go to Club House!! The BEST gluten free pizza I ever had the pleasure of tasting on our entire trip! Ahh, I miss it already… 

Rome, Italy

What a magnificent city! The cobblestone streets lined with gelateria's, pizzaria's, souvenir shops and leather clothing stores! There is so much to see and do in this city, so when you visit prepare yourself for a lot of walking, and a lot of photographs! Ben and I had so much fun! We truly felt like historians; learning so much from the architecture to the vast, glorious history that haunts Rome to this day.

I took one step into the Colosseo and thought to myself, "Wow! …Gladiator didn't do this any justice!" SO BIG! The Trevi Fountain was astonishing! Truly amazing piece of work. We loved it so much, that  we saw it on more then one occaision. Sitting back admiring the view in daylight and moonlight! We watched various families and couples struggling to take a picture of themselves, when it hit me! I gladly volunteer'd to help! Here is where I ignited my passion for photography. =) We walked so much that we learned quickly, if you want gelato walk as far away as possible from any historical, touristy site and save yourself some money! Not only that, but the quality of gelato is way higher! 

Growing up italian and being able to come to this city, really was amazing for me! So rich in culture, history and scenic views! We toured the Vatican, climbed the Spanish Steps, saw the Pantheon and so much more! The gelato was unlike anything I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. I would simply say, if you visit Italy, Rome should be on your itinerary! 

Naples, Italy

We arrived in Naples August 3 to the open arms of my amazing aunt piña and her son Davide!! I was ecstatic to see them, and the rest of my family! With the anticipation of landing in Italy, I was filled with pure joy. It has been fifteen years since I was here in Naples , which is my dads home city. 

The weather and the beaches is what Ben and I were most excited for, and we were not disappointed !! The weather was nothing short of 35 degrees, 52degrees with humidity on the hottest day we were there. 

We tried every cappuccino we could get our hands on, and devoured a copious amount if gelato! Naples is a city that is full of people, and a slim amount of tourists except at the ports. Not a lot of people speak English, only my aunt. This however tested me in many ways. I studied Italian for many years, but never spoke it fluently. The challenge was tough at first, but I learned quite quickly. Love the language, it is absolutely beautiful. 

The first beach we went to is called Formia. Just thirty minutes from the town Terracina - which is my moms home town. The sand was scalding hot from the sun, the water a darker green than blue, and soooo salty! Needless to say we finally got our tan on we're extremely excited to fulfil our passion of being "beach bums". You can say we are conoseurs of sorts. 

We also got the opportunity to drive along the Amalfi coast, hit a rocky beach with beautiful blue water and many waves! I fell INLOVE with this coast. In the same day, we hit a beach in Positano which Is a smaller town on the Amalfi coast. This too was beautiful, a bit lighter sand color than in Formia and still blue water. A port filled with boats, and more tourists, but so worth the drive/ bus ride. You must try limoncello here! An italian lemon liquor. Amalfi is famous for its limoncello. 

We also visited the island of Ischia. Bigger in size than Capri, more European tourists on this island, this is probably because Capri is more known to non European travellers, therefore more of a touristy attraction. In Ischia we didn't tour the island, instead we headed straight for the beach! A bit rockier than the last couple of places we hit, but probably the most beautiful coast line we got to see this far!! We found a beach titled, "inglese", not sure why Haha, but it was amazing! Small! No more than 75 people where we were. We purchased some beach chairs and umbrellas on the private beach side with my relatives, and enjoyed a full day in the sun! :) Ben and I rented a paddle boat so we could go out as far as was allowed to take in the hillside. No words can put in to description how serene it was. 

Pompeii is a must see!! 

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!  

Good ol' London Town.

LONDON

A city of so many faces. 

Where do we even begin? Two weeks we were there, and I felt like I received one history lesson after the other. With our amazing Economical London Pass, we saw: The Tower Bridge, The ZSL London Zoo, The HMS Belfast, The London Eye, The Crypts, The Parliaments, Westminister Abbey, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, St. James Park,The London Monument, St. Paul's Cathedral, British Music Experience, Camden Market, Stonehenge, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, London Pride Parade and the Warner Brothers Studio tour of Harry Potter!! Are you tired from reading that? Hahah. It was a great two weeks. A whirlwind. You can't possibly keep the pace high enough to see the whole city.  After two weeks we had only scratched the surface of what London has to offer, and with the sore legs to prove it. You can climb to the top of virtually every monument in this city, up terribly tight dizzying spiral staircases, to take in amazing panoramic views of all the landmarks that make London so interesting.  It is amazing to climb a monument like St. Paul's Cathedral that was built in the 1600s to view some of the most beautiful modern buildings like the recently completed "shard", Europes tallest building.

Our Review
Everything you have heard about London financially is true. It is very expensive. We had the great fortune of staying with family, so unfortunately we have no experience with getting good accommodation in London although the most economical, comfortable and clean as far as we can tell would be the YHA in SOHO. If you go for the purpose of sight seeing, we highly recommend getting the London Pass.  You get entrance into a lot of the main attractions of London with the convenience
 of swiping your prepaid card, and most importantly a week long tube card to all zones that you can reach on the subway. Economically speaking you save a ton of money (and as stated EVERYTHING from the zoo to the tower bridge tour is expensive), and the tube pass makes it so that you look for reasons to get on the subway and go.

As far as the city and people go, it is a vast tapestry of faces and sights. There is a very high paced vibe and a hustle and bustle that made us feel like people were very unpersonable and rude at times (especially on the side walks and in the tube stations).  No one seems to say "excuse me" or "I'm sorry", so save yourself the learning curve and check your amazing Canadian manners at home and allow yourself to throw a few shoulders. That is not to say that we didn't meet great people though.
 The shopping is unbelievable, with everyone you are used to and much, much more to accommodate the 7 million plus that consume in the great city.  Keep an eye out for the stunning architecture, we found it so awe inspiring for a 400 year old building to be next to a McDonald's or modern work of art, truly something to behold. If you are a history buff and love to browse free nationally maintained  galleries and museums you will have met your heaven. We figured out early that we are not the "spend a few hours in the gallery types" and thus stuck to things we knew would really interest us.
Some of our favourite sights and moments include:
1. The Warner brothers studios the making of Harry Potter:
If you have even heard the name Harry potter, read a single book or have an attic full of nerdy wizard memorabilia, YOU MUST SEE THIS TOUR. For Christina it was the tour of a life time, seeing so many of the props and sets that inspired her growing up with the movies. For me I acquired a whole new appreciation for Harry Potter, I can't wait to get to watch the movies again! From the tiniest props of the actual Horcruxes to the elaborately gigantic sets of the Ministry of Magic it is a must do on your list for London

2. Westminster Abbey
The history lesson and architecture you get in this amazing building is outstanding.  You can't move two fee with out stepping on a kings tomb or bumping into a creepy monument.  The craftsman ship in the ceilings is truly breathtaking and there is so much to see that truly anyone should be captivated.

After much reflection of this trip here are five things we are grateful for:

1. Creating New Memories

2. Sleep

3. Alberta Health Care - haha! Oh what a story. 

4. Ben's Uncle John, who hosted us.

5. Our family 

WEDDING

Having a fairly large italian wedding is a beautiful thing. Walking into the venue at MY Bridal Shower, I started crying. It was the most overwhelming, unexpected feeling. All of these people are here for me? They are here to celebrate Benjamin and I becoming one? EVERYONE HERE IS FOR ME TODAY?!?! I am not a person that feels comfortable being the centre of attention.. so at first it was unnerving. Just think about it, sixty-eight women in one room. Hungry, hormonal, some menopausal, and others too young to know what menopause is! So where do I even begin? Once I finally got all the way to my seat, the decor was fantastic! Theme was Alice in Wonderland. So I had the most bad ass Alice in Wonderland cake, each table had a teapot filled with beautiful flowers and the games were a lot of fun too! So much effort and love put into an event for me. You might ask, well Birthdays are sort of the same thing.. WRONG. Your wedding first of all, is once in a lifetime. Also knowing, that each person cares about you to some extent or the other in that room- is staggering.  They are my family. You can't beat it. It is such a great feeling. Everyone before me that has had the whole, "get married" experience has told me, "Take it all in. Remember to breathe, it goes by so fast." They were right. Those 3 hours flew by in an instant. It makes me think of the BIG DAY. I don't want it to go fast. So I am trying to develop a sense of ease, relaxation and appreciation for everything around me . It is working. Focusing on today, instead of the past. Taking one day at a time! - My advice: (especially for those of you planning!) Stop thinking so frantically and sporadically about what is next. Trust me. Focus on the task at hand. It makes a big difference.

That day I felt an extreme amount of love. I will always be grateful for how I felt walking into that room.

"It's no use going back to yesterday, 

because I was a different person then."

`Alice

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.

Never Forget.

Close to my heart, where you will always be.

ah!

technology frustrates me sometimes!
So i wanted to post some pictures of my vacation with my family. Unfortunately for some weird reason, it won't let me open that folder. (strange i know).

However, I have GREAT news! I get my tattoo in an hour!! I am 15% nervous and 85% excited! My mom is going to come with me and hold my hand! =) love you mom.

UPDATE MY LIFE. I MEAN BLOG.

Alright, so my mini vacation to Montana was fabulous! Thanks to Dano's grandparents for letting us use the condo and thanks to Dano for driving =) . I had so much fun with the wonderful ladies: Bree, Dee, Dano, and Lisa. I spent more money then I should have. budgeting is so hard. I have found a new love for frozen yogurt and made many new memories . "Classic", "I CAN NOT", "S.F". love you ladies and I loved cute Whitefish Montana.

Lethbridge. Oh lethbridge. Helped dee, jess, jill and megan move into their spacious 5 bedroom house. I had a blast as usual. I never knew how much I missed Mr.Carter until I saw him! I miss it alot already. Not school just the atmosphere (haha!) Thanks to Mr.Carter and dee, i have a new love for Vampire Diaries as well. (Just what I need more television).

Being back home is sensational.. until I realize that I'm back to reality and I have so much to do in 2 months I don't even know where to begin:

1. Save money for Ottawa & Montreal Sept 22 
2. Find cute dress for wedding in Ottawa
3. Book drivers ed
4. Pass drivers ed
5. Tattoo October 1 !!
6. Find a big girl job
7. Clean out room/clothes/shoes/purses (i have a shopping issue)
8. Get license
9. Save for a car
10. Purchase car
11. Apply to SAIT
12. Get accepted to SAIT
13. Next lethbridge getaway
14. Reach weight loss goal by Dec 1.

So much to do. 

MUST ACCOMPLISH ALL!

I've come this far.

I've learned.

Himalayas

Sometimes we become attached to what's familiar, and sometimes we hold onto things that are safe and predictable, even if they are bad for us. 

- Greg Behrendt



It's time to leave that all behind. Branching out, becoming someone new. Finding new things to love, to practice, to believe in. Growth.


Think of it as 'leveling up.' *enter super mario theme song.

truth..

I still think of you; wondering if you're still thinking about me.
when we said friends, I hoped it would at least mean talking.
hope you're doing great; I wish the best for you. Always have.

made me feel so good.

thank you to who ever mailed this secret, because its my (not so secret-anymore) secret.

 

past

confession: when you message me, my heart beats just a little faster. such puppy love back then. when i get reminded it always puts a smile on my face, no matter how bad it got at one point between us. it was good what we had.