…I was in Cabo. Sniff.
Last week over the holiday break I was in hometown Alberta for Christmas Eve at mom and dad’s. Since my brother, sister in-law, nephew, niece and I took a drive past our high school (my brother’s and mine), I thought it was appropriate that my #tbt this week be a high school graduation day photo. That day was 20 (and a half) years ago…
Wait…
What?
Two decades? Seriously? Nooooo.
Sometimes high school doesn’t seem that long ago and other times it seems like a lifetime when I think about how our lives have all become so different.
Circa June 1993, in my parents back yard (I’m in red)
The five of us were very close throughout high school and university however, our chosen paths eventually lead us all in our own directions. Although we parted physically, we are all from the same place – and have our cherished memories of each other.
Countless experiences and interactions with life in general have shaped our lives since then – careers, boyfriends, husbands, friends, kids, travel – but essentially I know inside we are still the same people. Although I am not as close to all of these wonderful ladies as I once was, I know that who we were then, is also who we are now: good old friends. Despite distance, time apart, or who our new friends are – my memories tell me that will remain.
(P.S. I did have a lunch date with Joc in green last week, and had a cocktail date with Alison in black but had to cancel due to feeling like crap! 😦 . Tanya in purple and I are in contact on FB, and Monica in blue and I email every once in a while to catch up).
From my own stand point, I can not make a single valid complaint about the year I had. Yes I encountered some challenges and struggles, as we all do. But any complaint I can muster is really very insignificant.
So here’s to another year of travel experiences, good times, eating, and discovering with friends and family.
Cheers 🙂
Me… At a wedding… In Hickory… North Carolina…
I was invited to Candace and Brian’s wedding as my friend Alaa’s date, which was awesome because we always have a good time together. But… I wasn’t sure how I was going to fit into this equation… me at a southern wedding.
Pre-wedding selfie
First, I’m not a wedding-y person, but I knew that Brian and Candace were planning a wedding that was very characteristic of them, rather than a wedding that people have been to before.
Ceremony side of Warehouse 18
Eeek!
And second, I may be from small town Alberta where the people have a different kind of accent, the weather is unsuitable for humans about 6 months of the year and people drink Molson, but I don’t have a southern accent, I don’t wear my hair in a bouffant and I don’t drink moonshine (yes, I know – huge stereotyping).
But I have to tell you – Candace and Brian put together such a comfortable and charming wedding.
They held it at a former textile warehouse in Candace’s hometown of Hickory. This warehouse was converted by a talented artist lady into an art/living space and event venue. I could try to describe the coolness and the eclectic nature of the space, but I can’t. It was that awesome.
On the living space/event venue of the warehouse. Love!
Popcorn!
HOPE
After exploring the space and getting to know Candace and Brian’s families, I felt like I was hanging out with people I’d known for much longer than a few hours. It was great to meet people from different places and walks of life in this cozy and unique setting. Who wouldn’t bond in a candle-lit room with soft music playing or in a living room where there are giant tubs of popcorn where people you know are there to join together as a new family unit?
Small-town southern United States does have a homey feel, once you get to know it and you’re in the right space with the right people. So thank you Candace and Brian, for introducing me to the real south 🙂
First dance ❤
Yesterday I flew from my new home (which will be +17C this weekend, sniff) back home-home (-28C) for part of the holiday break. For the next few days I will be spending my time with my family mostly, and a handful of friends.
My first few visits back to Edmonton after moving to New York were always really really busy. I wanted to see all the friends I left behind: catch up, go out for dinner, drinks or whatever.
However, my last two or three visits have been different. I am spending less time running around to see the most people I can see, and more time with less people making our time together more valuable. And I think the time here is better spent. I’m not saying I don’t want to see anyone else, because that would be great, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out – and that’s okay. We all find our ways of keeping in touch.
So, happy holidays and enjoy your time together. And now I need some coffee because it is way too early to be blogging!
First, I am very thankful that I was able to sleep in until 8:30 this morning, despite Brett and I both forgetting to turn of our alarms. At this time of year, sleep is so essential.
So we got up, bundled ourselves and headed to our usual diner around the corner for breakfast. In conversation during breakfast I mentioned to Brett that we should walk over to Dunkin on Lex to pick up the correct K-cups and possibly from there we would be able to see the Macy’s parade balloons. Neither Brett or I are parade people but this was the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and it’s the kick-off to holiday season! So Brett made a face and said he would go, but only as far as Lex.
Well, we left the diner, picked up the coffee, stepped back out onto the street and looked across the avenues … and we couldn’t see anything. It was pretty chilly and I contemplated going home, but instead I told him to go home and I’d just walk over to catch the end of the parade. I had to!
I hung a right and headed toward Rockefeller. I’d say my timing was pretty smack on – I got to see some of the enormous balloons as I approached 6th Avenue, just on the other side of Rockefeller. Many people, young and old – toques, puffy scarves, mitts and parkas on, to experience this iconic NYC event. It was energizing absorbing everyone’s holiday spirit! Although the end of the parade is not as cool as the beginning – all the new balloons are at the front – it’s still pretty cool to watch numbers and numbers of people controlling these huge inflatable characters and shapes. They look so small in comparison.
I’d say my hour this morning walking through Rockefeller, watching families all bundled – some making special trips into the city just for the parade and to experience the festivities, and observing that 15 minutes of parade pushed me into the Festivus season! For these moments and opportunities I am forever grateful.
Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Chanukah, and Happy Holidays everyone! Take one of the most stressful times of year and turn it into a relaxing season of sharing, giving and cheer!
Those of us who have watched Dirty Dancing upteen times know Kellerman’s Anthem. The iconic song that winds down the summer at the upitty resort. The lyrical phrase of importance here being: “old friends are the best”. Don’t get me wrong, I love the friends I’ve had the pleasure of gaining in recent years, but there really is something something special about old friends.
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I spent the last few days catching up with one of my two long-time BFFs. I put work and running to the side to catch up and have some fun with Jill – the “trouble girls” were back together! We acquired this nickname in our early 20’s… How did we get this name? Pure, innocent trouble we called having fun!
Circa 2001
So Jill came to this glorious place I now call home last Wednesday eve. This was not her first visit so it was nice that we didn’t have to do all the touristy stuff. We spent our time doing the usual things women do; and also laughing at our young stupidity, drinking some wine, some coffee, some beer, taking a road trip and exploring our now mature friendship in a way we hadn’t been able to for a few years. Although our lives are very different now, we are still the same when we are together.
Eve 1: A little wine at home and a night of chit chat.
Day 2: Brunch at Ze Cafe, a nice little French bistro. Shopping. Manis and pedis. Cheese tasting with Monica at the 92nd Street Y. That’s right, a cheese talk and tasting with the Cowboy Creamery ladies of Petaluma California. Wowza, loved this! (Next step in this cheese process – cheese making class!) Finished off the night with appys and sangria (best sangria ever) at Vero Wine Bar, and of course eavesdropping on a young dating couple. Oooops, did I say that out loud?
Day 3: I had to work so Jill did her own exploring and shopping. After work though we went to Bryant Park to visit the Winter Village holiday shoppes and have some appys at Celsius Lounge. Next made our way to Brooklyn for the Brooklyn Night Bazaar (bizarre hahaha!). Jill was a little “uneasy” about this event since the neighborhood was graffiti-ridden, warehouse-y and baron. Once inside – hello hipster Brooklyn! Enjoyed the mini ice cream cones, chatting with locals about their products, and laughed at our glowing teeth in the mini golf area, where of course I had my picture taken with a cardboard Fabio and Jill became a cardboard hot dog! Tina and her friend joined us then we all made our way to a lovely biergarten in the neighborhood for a bier (more plaid everywhere!).
Bryant Park
Day 4: Up and out the door to Penn Station to catch the LIRR to Ronkonkama. From there, car rental and road trip to the Hamptons! Beautiful fall foliage, deer prancing around, gorgeous summer homes on the beach. First stop in Westhampton for lunch. Second stop in Southhampton at the beach, deer again prancing between massive homes, deciding whose place housed the best foliage I suppose. Third stop in Montauk for the night. Stayed at the Montauk Marina & Yacht Club. Gorgeous sunset. Wanted to crash the wedding but it would have been too noticeable so we went for dinner and ended the night early with the TV… dang just couldn’t stay up to make it to the newlywed’s bonfire hahaha!
Southhampton Beach
Montauk Marina and Yacht Club sunset
Day 5: Up early for room service and a beautiful sunrise! Checked out and off to the Montauk Lighthouse we went! Boulder walking, shell picking and carcass inspection… still not sure what that creature was… Next headed into East Hampton for a coffee and a stop at BookHampton, couldn’t resist our love for book shopping. Back on the road – lots of roadkill! Poor Bambi and family! Finally, off to Riverhead Tanger outlets to meet Lana for shopping and lunch. After all that, headed back to the city on the LIRR where we hung out for the eve before Jill had to retire early for her very early airport pick-up.
Montauk Lighthouse
Public Beach at Montauk
I wrapped up our days in a whirlwind, yes. Unfortuntely the short amount of detail in my paragraphs doesn’t give our time together justice at all but the point is, it was a great time of reconnection and new memory-making for us. Memories that we both will look back on very fondly, like many from the past.
P.S. Some of these memories will end up cycling back as jibberyjab posts too 🙂
P.S.S. And bucket list checking too.
Jibber Jabber & Happenstance 