Goals for 2019

Happy New Year 2019! It's so exciting to have a brand new year ahead of us and a fresh calendar to pencil in upcoming events and activities. Today I'm sharing my overall plan and goals for 2019.

My overall plan for the year is to create nice memories with my family and friends, to stay healthy, and to enjoy life. I group my specific goals in three categories: Family & Friends, Health, and Leisure.

MY GOALS FOR 2019:

FAMILY & FRIENDS

• Do four fun family outings, tentatively in January, April, July, and August.
• Go on a trip with my sister in March.
• Visit a cousin who lives abroad, tentatively in June.
• Get together with my family clan, approximately every two months.
• Meet up with my friends as many times as possible throughout the year.

HEALTH

• Meditate 15 minutes daily.
• Find humour to smile or laugh daily.
• Walk 45 minutes near nature 6x/ week.
• Strength workouts 3x/ week.
• Yoga 2x/ week.
• Swim 1x/ week.

LEISURE

• View three art exhibits/ month.
• Blog weekly, except when I travel.
• Read three books/ month.
• Listen to three concerts/ month.
• Learn French and Spanish, 15 minutes/ day for each language.
• Watch three movies/ month.
• Travel to explore five new-to-me countries this year.
• Try at least one new food dish in each of the countries I visit.

I'm motivated to achieve my goals. I expect to accomplish more in some areas when I'm at home than when I travel. I'm open to try something new that is not on the list as well.

To track my progress, I'm using a simple sheet. It makes it easy for me to see at a glance how I'm doing and to share my monthly summary on my blog throughout the year.

Before I end this post, a friendly reminder that our first Wellness link-up of 2019 is on Wednesday, January 9. Feel free to join in on the fun and share your wellness-related post. I look forward to reading what you have to say.

Your turn...What are your goals for 2019?

Summer fun list update #2

Greetings! It's been about four weeks since I posted my summer fun list update #1. Today I'm checking in on my progress and sharing my second update of the season. 

My Summer Fun List Update #2 (June 21-August 19):

1. Visit farmers' markets, local parks, or beaches: Making great progress! Since June 21, I've made seven visits to farmers' markets, and spent time at the local parks or beaches almost every day. This summer is still going strong with warm, humid weather, and occasional heavy downpours. When I'm outdoor, I stay in the shade as much as possible and drink a lot of water.

2. Attend summer festivals: Good progress. I've attended five summer festivals in eight weeks. There were two other festivals that I noted the dates in my calendar but ended up not going as they were outdoors on very humid days. The show performers are so diverse and fantastic. For example, in July, the Barbados on the Water Festival and the Brave Festival presented amazing musicians and singers. Last night I was at the Small World Music Festival and saw a band named Kalàscima from Salento, Southern Italy playing various instruments and engaging the audience during their show. I'm happy to be in town to experience the festivals.

3. Go to outdoor concerts: Making great progress! In addition to the summer festivals,  I attended eight outdoor music performances by Mike Branton, Amanda Rheaum, Elan Trotman, Jordan John, Sol de Cuba, Amai Kuda & Y Josephine, Rufus John, and Ryan McNally. Every performance was unique and showed how much talent is out there. Listening to live music in a summer outdoor setting is simply wonderful!

4. Watch new-to-me movies: Good progress. So far I watched five movies I Feel Pretty, Beirut, Overboard, Life of the Party, and Avengers: Infinity War. I'm not picky about the movies at the moment as I only watch a movie once a week with my neighbours. We enjoy popcorn and chat before and after the movie so it's a social and entertainment combo activity.

5. View art exhibitions: Making great progress! This summer I viewed numerous indoor and outdoor art exhibitions like the art on King Street. The most recent exhibition titled Alternate Perspectives is at a gallery that I haven't been to before. It's always a pleasure for me to discover new art galleries and get to view new art work.

6. Enjoy BBQ gatherings with my extended family: Good progress. We enjoyed one family BBQ gathering in June, and one in mid-August. There were birthday cakes at both gatherings. Note that the candles are just representatives now, not the real age, or we may have to have a fire extinguisher ready, LOL.

7. Meet up with friends in Quebec City in July: Completed! We had a wonderful time in Quebec City. I wrote a post about the trip and included some photos here.

8. Celebrate my cousin's wedding in Paris, France in August: Getting close! I started going through my travel checklist and did a quick packing for my trip. The weather forecast in Paris looks good. I hope to get a photo of the Eiffel Tower with some blue skies this time.

It's been an excellent summer so far. I look forward to going to Paris later this week. I'll post on my blog again when I return home in early September.

How are things going with you? What good things happened? I'd love to hear your comments.
 

An InLinkz Link-up

Countries I have visited

Greetings! On my blog, I created a page titled Countries Visited to keep track of the countries I have visited by continent, not counting airport stopovers. At time of this post, I've been to fifty countries, including twenty nine (29) in Europe, nine (9) in Asia, eleven (11) in the Americas, and one (1) in Africa.

It takes a bit of time to write up my travel stories and I know not everyone has a keen interest in travel like I do. So in this post, I randomly picked a sample of five ancient wonders and three natural wonders that I've visited outside of Canada and shared my photos below.

A SAMPLE OF WHERE I'VE BEEN:

The Great Pyramid and Great Sphinx in Giza, Egypt - Constructed around 2580-2560 BC, the Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact. To see the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid in person was a surreal experience for me.

The Acropolis in Athens, Greece - To visit the Parthenon and temples on top of the Acropolis during the day, and to see how they're lit up at night from our hotel rooftop patio was unforgettable. I wrote a post about my stay in Athens here.

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy - It was awesome to see the huge amphitheatre in the centre of Rome. When I walked inside the Colosseum, I imagined the more than 50,000 Roman spectators who were there. That was one of many special moments of my stay in Italy.

Chichen Itza in Yucatan, Mexico - There are a lot more to see and explore at Chichen Itza than the El Castillo or Temple of Kukulcan in my photo below. Fascinating traces of the Mayan civilization left me yearn for more learning about the culture.

Machu Picchu in Peru - The first sight of Machu Picchu took my breath away. Lots of climbing up and down the mountainside stone steps to admire this magical ancient wonder. I wrote a post about my visit to Machu Picchu here.

Ha Long Bay in Vietnam - I remember sitting on a junk boat and enjoying the view of the thousands limestone islands named for their shapes. Then entering small coves and caves while thinking of the legends of the Descending Dragon (Ha Long means Descending Dragon).

Iguazu Falls in Argentina - The power of the water, the sights, the thundering sounds, the red earth, and raw nature of Iguazu Falls knocked my socks off. There are trails and lookout points to see the falls up close. I wrote a post about my visit to Iguazu Falls here.

Moon Valley and the Atacama Desert in Chile - The driest desert on earth, the moonscape, the salt flats, Licancabur volcano, the starry nights, and the adobe town San Pedro confirmed that I made the right decision to come. You might like to read my post about San Pedro de Atacama and Moon Valley here.

There are many more places that I could add except I would risk tuning you out. The above photos remind me of the amazing sights I've seen, the countries I've visited, and the wonderful friendships I've made at each location.

WHERE TO NEXT?

Later this month, I'll be going to Paris, France to visit family and attend my cousin's wedding. France is my second home because of the close family connections. Every time I go to Paris, I add a side trip to explore another town or city outside of Paris. I think I might have visited more places in France than in Canada.

After I return from France, I've been thinking about visiting a new-to-me country in Africa before the end of this year. Even though I'd love to revisit the fifty countries that I've been to, there are still many more I'd like to explore. So my general goal is to visit as many countries as possible.

How about you? What country did you last visit? Where is your next travel destination? I'd love to hear your comments.

Summer fun list update #1

Greetings! It's been about four weeks since I posted my summer fun list. Today I'm doing a quick check-in to review my progress. 

My Summer Fun List Update #1 (June 21-July 20):

1. Visit farmers' markets, local parks, or beaches: In progress. Since June 21, I've made three visits to farmers' markets, and spent time at the local parks or beaches almost every day. This summer has been hot, hot, hot which makes going to a park or a beach a welcome relief.

2. Attend summer festivals: In progress. I've attended three summer festivals in four weeks. I think that just shows how many fun events are out there. Two of them were in Toronto (HTO Wave Pendulum, Barbados on the Water) and one was in Quebec City (Festival d'été de Québec).

3. Go to outdoor concerts: In progress. Some of the outdoor concerts were individual shows, and some were parts of the three music festivals that I mentioned in #2 above. I attended four separate performances by Mike Branton, Amanda Rheaum, Elan Trotman, and Jordan John. All of them were excellent.

4. Watch new-to-me movies: In (slower) progress. I attempted to watch three movies but only saw one comedy, I Feel Pretty, in its entirety. I enjoyed Amy Schumer's acting in the movie.

5. View art exhibitions: In progress. I saw plenty of beautiful arts and architecture in Quebec City, plus three art exhibitions in Toronto. I'll write about a number of fun outdoor art installations that I saw in my next post. Hope you'll return to my blog to check it out.

6. Enjoy BBQ gatherings with my extended family: In progress. We enjoyed one family BBQ gathering in June. We have another BBQ scheduled this month. Good food, good company in good weather, what's not to love?

7. Meet up with friends in Quebec City in July: Completed! We had a wonderful time in Quebec City. I wrote a post about the trip and included some photos here.

Le Château Frontenac hotel, Quebec City

8. Celebrate my cousin's wedding in Paris, France in August: Pending. I look forward to this trip. I'm also planning a side excursion from Paris.

My summer has been full of fun activities so far. I look forward to enjoying the rest of the season.

How are things going with you? What good things happened? I'd love to hear your comments.

An InLinkz Link-up

Guest Post: Where in the World Have You Been?

INTRODUCTION

Greetings! It's my pleasure to introduce Donna as my first guest blogger today. I've been following Donna's Retirement Reflections blog for a while. We both live in Canada, only about 3,500 km (2,186 miles) apart. Donna writes about her life after retirement, new chapters, new discoveries and new adventures. Her posts are clearly written and well-researched. She seems to have a knack for connecting warmly to her readers and always leaving concise and thoughtful comments. We share an interest in travel so it seems perfect to have her on my blog today asking the question, "Where in the World Have You Been?".

Without further ado...Here's Donna.

WHERE IN THE WORLD HAVE YOU BEEN?

I first met Natalie virtually when I was hiking The Camino Trail in Spain last summer. Natalie was also in Spain at that time and popped by my blog to ask me a couple of questions about my experience on the trail. I returned the visit by checking out Natalie's blog and was delighted to find kindred travel spirit.

To date, Natalie has traveled to 50 countries. Her extensive planning, keen sense of adventure, and wise tips to stretch travel dollars are practical and captivating.

Inspired by Natalie's list of countries visited (highlighted as a separate section on her blog), I used a free online tool, by Adventure Ally, to map out countries to which I have traveled. My initial guess was that my total number would be 30. As you can see below, it is currently 32 (not including airplane transfer stops).

Countries Visited: Australia, Austria, Cambodia, Canada, Cayman Islands, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Vatican City, and Vietnam (32 of 195 countries, 16% explored).

Such a simple exercise has been an incredible travel motivation boost. I am proud of the green areas highlighted on my map. This striking visual image has stirred up fond memories of past adventures taken. But, the grey areas on my map are now calling to me...loudly! So many places left to explore, and whole continents in which I have not yet set foot.

Some places that my husband and I are currently considering for our next big trip include:

• Hiking in the Rhine Valley - Germany,
• Machu Picchu - Peru,
• Everest Base Camp - Nepal,
• The Trans-Siberian Railway - Russia,
• Another round (our fourth) on the Camino Trail (this time from Astorga to Seville - Spain),
• Nunavut - Canada's largest, and northernmost territory (officially separated from the Northwest Territories in 1999), and the only Canadian province/ territory that I have not yet visited!

Which of the above adventures would you choose?

Regardless of your preferred method of travel (including close to home and virtual travel), what has been your favourite destination so far? What's next on your travel wish list?

About Donna: Donna lived in Beijing, China for fourteen years. Leaving international life behind, she and her husband retired to Vancouver Island, Canada, in June 2015. To document this transition, Donna initiated ‘Retirement Reflections.’ Her favorite part of blogging is the interaction with others. You can connect with her in the comment section below, or via the following social media sites. She would love to hear from you.
Blog • Facebook • Twitter • Linked In • Pinterest • Instagram

Feature Photo Credit: Chris Lawson, Unsplash.

Spring fun list update #2

Greetings! The last four weeks seemed to pass by quickly. It's time to review my Spring fun list update #1 and see where I've made further progress. I'll be linking up with a group of terrific bloggers who also maintain their seasonal fun lists.

My Spring Fun List Update #2:

1. View two art exhibitions: Done and enjoyed! I actually viewed six art exhibitions as written here and here, plus two that I haven't written about yet. This has turned out much better than I thought.

2. Attend eight music recitals: Done and enjoyed! The weekly program was exceptionally organized with the following accomplished performers:

• One piano-violin duet recital by Asher Armstrong and Emily Kruspe
• One four hands piano recital by Emily Chiang and Elizabeth Bang
• Four solo piano recitals by Jean-Luc Therrien, Mary Kenedi, Andre Fu, and Vlad Soloviev
• One soprano, mezzo, and organ recital by Allison Angelo, Ariana Chris, and Dan Bickle. Ariana Chris sang the Greek national anthem at closing ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.
• One classical guitar recital by Daniel Ramjattan

3. Watch ten movies: In progress with 80% done! I enjoyed watching The Shape of Water, The Darkest Hour, Coco, I, Tonya, The Post, Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool and even Paddington 2. I gave thumbs down to Daddy's Home 2. Seven good movies out of eight seen. That's pretty good.

4. Review French 15 minutes daily: In progress. I'm right on target as I have not missed any day. I plan to continue my lessons until Fall.

5. Plan a long weekend trip with my family: Done and enjoyed as written in my spring fun list update #1. I'm now on to planning our summer trip.

6. Meet up for coffee or lunch with my friends: In progress. I was able to meet with my friends for coffee six times and for lunch once from March 21 to date. That's about once a week, pretty good in my book.

7. Visit farmers' markets starting at the end of May: Pending. This will have to wait until after I return from Europe, or I may visit a farmers' market while in Europe!

8. Explore the Baltics: Pending. I will be packing my suitcase and boarding my flight to Tallinn in Estonia in a few days. Feeling excited!

I counted three completed items, three in progress, and two pending. I look forward to completing my Spring fun list by June 20.

Bonus: One activity that I didn't have on my list but I've enjoyed a lot is to visit local parks and gardens in the Spring. The trees and flowers are beautiful at this time of the year here. Their growth is astonishing to me, especially after one or two sunshiny and warm days. The promising visual and fragrant treats make me look forward to doing my daily morning walk.

How about you? How are things going with you? Please share.

An InLinkz Link-up

Spring fun list update #1

Greetings! Back on March 21, I wrote my spring fun list to use as a guide from March 21 to June 20, 2018. Today I'm sharing my progress update and linking up with a group of terrific bloggers who also maintain their seasonal lists.

My Spring Fun List Update #1:

1. View two art exhibitions: Done and enjoyed! I visited the Life in Flight art exhibition at the Sur Gallery, and the Kingston Prize 2017 Canada's Portrait Competition art exhibition at Harbourfront Centre. Both are free to the public.

The Sur Gallery is Toronto's first publicly funded gallery showcasing Latin American Canadian Art. Having recently returned from my trip to Chile, I was delighted to discover this new art gallery.

Welcome to Sur Gallery!

The Kingston Prize is a biennial national competition and touring exhibition for artists working in the media of painting and drawing. This exhibition presents the thirty finalists, chosen from a field of over 430 entries by Canadian artists active throughout the country and internationally. The 2017 Winner is Christienne Cuevas' Portrait of the Artist.

2. Attend eight music recitals: In progress with 50% done! I've attended two duet recitals (performed by Asher Armstrong and Emily Kruspe, Emily Chiang and Elizabeth Bang), and two solo piano recitals (performed by Jean-Luc Therrien, and Mary Kenedi). They're all very talented and accomplished musicians.

3. Watch ten movies: In progress with 50% done! I've watched five movies since March 21. Thumbs up for The Shape of Water, The Darkest Hour, Coco, I, Tonya, and thumbs down for Daddy's Home 2.

4. Review French fifteen minutes daily: In progress. I've been learning Spanish online fifteen minutes daily. I added French this spring since we're planning to go to French-speaking cities in the summer.

5. Plan a long weekend trip with my family: Done! At time of this post, we're on our way. We have a glorious stretch of sunny weather from Friday to Monday for the trip.

6. Meet up for coffee or lunch with my friends: In progress. I've enjoyed three coffee meet-ups so far. I have three dates next week, and hope to book a couple more dates by June 20.

7. Visit farmers' markets starting at the end of May: Pending.

8. Explore the Baltics: Pending. I mapped out my itinerary as shown in the snap shot below. My stops include Tallinn (point A), Riga (point B), Vilnius (point C), and Warsaw (point D). I'm reading up on each of the four cities. One exciting addition is meeting my Finnish friend in Tallinn.

In summary, I counted two completed, four in progress, and two pending items. I'm enjoying spring, and the activities that I planned on my fun list. Plus I have my wellness goals to work on as well.

How about you? How are things going with you? Please share.

An InLinkz Link-up

Meeting my Finnish friend

I have a Finnish friend who lives in Helsinki, Finland. We started our friendship as pen friends when we were in high school many years ago. After graduating from university, I did a backpacking trip in Europe. One of the stops on my itinerary was Helsinki to meet my pen friend in person.

I was travelling by ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki. I remember my anticipation of our meeting, and my hope that everything would be alright. Would I recognize her first, or would she recognize me first in the crowd? Would we get along in person as we have been by letters? Would there be any awkward moments? These were some of the questions in my mind. At the same time, after having been in touch for about five years, I felt confident that we would have a great experience.

My friend came to pick me up at the ferry terminal. I don't remember who recognized whom first. I remember that it felt natural right away. She took me home and introduced me to her mom, boyfriend, and neighbour. Everyone was so nice to me as if I was part of the family. We spent time exploring Helsinki for a couple of days, then my friend's mom drove us to their cottage, about three hours north of Helsinki. My friend's dad had built the cottage, with wooden stairs and a long pier all the way to the lake. I still remember the quietness and the beauty of the place. It was there that I experienced the authentic Finnish sauna ritual and cottage life with my Finnish friends.

We stay in touch all these years and share our life events now via email. This spring as I was planning my trip to Tallinn, Estonia, it occurred to me that since there is regular ferry service between Helsinki and Tallinn, perhaps we can meet in person during the weekend that I'm in Tallinn. I contacted my friend with my idea. The answer is Yes! She had been to Tallinn before, as recent as March this year.

I'm really looking forward to meeting my Finnish friend again. Would I recognize her first, or would she recognize me first in the crowd? We'll chat over coffee or a meal. We'll walk to see some sights together. We'll create new memories.

Many years have gone by, and here we are again, one of us is taking a ferry ride to a foreign country, to continue our long-lasting friendship. I feel grateful to have my Finnish friend in my life and the opportunities to meet her in person, more than once.

Your turn...I'd love to hear your friendship stories.

Spring fun list

Greetings! I'm back from Chile, feeling energized from the experience, enjoying this beautiful week at home, and making plans for my next adventure.

I'd like to wrap up my winter fun list which I started on December 21 as posted here, with my update #1 in January, and update #2 in February. The last item Explore Chile in March on my winter fun list is now complete. Separate posts to come with highlights of my fantastic adventure in Chile.

Today I'm sharing my spring fun list and linking up with several fun-loving bloggers. I'm excited to be in spring season. I love the sunshine, the freshness in the air, and the increasingly warmer temperatures. In my neighbourhood, I see spring flowers growing and the trees start to look greener. When I walk outdoors in the morning, I hear bird songs and see ducks swimming leisurely in the lake. The sights of new beginnings are invigorating. Bring on spring!

My Spring Fun List from March 21 to June 20, 2018:

1. View two art exhibitions.
2. Attend eight music recitals.
3. Watch ten movies.
4. Review French fifteen minutes daily.
5. Take a long weekend trip with my family.
6. Meet up for coffee or lunch with my friends.
7. Go to farmers' markets starting at the end of May.
8. Explore the Baltics in May-June.

My spring fun list is full of new experiences for me. I'm eager to give it a whirl. Item #8 gives me lots of reading to do. I'm thinking of visiting Tallinn in Estonia, Riga in Latvia, Vilnius in Lithuania, and Warsaw in Poland. My travel planning checklist will come in handy again.

How are things going with you? What do you do for fun this season? If you've been to any of the capitals in the Baltics, please share your experience.

An InLinkz Link-up

Exploring Chile

Greetings! I'm planning a trip to Chile as mentioned in a previous post here. Today I'm writing about what's on my itinerary, and what I hope to see and do in Chile.

What's on my itinerary?

Chile is a long and narrow country on the Pacific Ocean side in South America. The header picture for this post shows the top half of the country and its neighbours. You can click to enlarge the picture. From my travel readings, I gathered that Chile's five main areas to visit, from North to South, include:

• North and the Atacama Desert
• The Central Coast where Santiago, the capital of Chile is located
• Easter Island
• The South with its lakes and volcanoes
• Patagonia and Antarctica, with Torres del Paine National Park as the major attraction

Initially I was going to explore just the Central Coast. However, SKY Airline, the local Chilean airline, had a special offer that made a trip to another region affordable. Easter Island is remote and hence fairly expensive. Torres del Paine National Park would require more travel time to reach the park and fully explore it. The South area with its lakes and volcanoes seems nice. The Atacama Desert, described as the driest desert in the world, sounds intriguing with its moon-like landscapes, lagoons, geysers, and salt flats.

It's unlikely that I'll travel to the moon in my lifetime so I decided to visit the Atacama Desert area and the Central Coast of Chile.

What do I hope to see and do?

• In San Pedro de Atacama (Point A on the map), I hope to take a walking tour to explore the archaeological capital of Chile, a day tour to visit Moon Valley, one of the many lagoons, and salt flats, and a visit to the Tatio geysers if my time and energy allow.
• In Santiago (Point B on the map), I'd like to do one or two walking tours to explore the capital city.
• In Valparaiso (Point C on the map), I'd like to do a walking tour to explore the city, known for its steep funiculars and colourful homes. If time allows, I'd also like to visit Vina del Mar, a coastal resort city near Valparaiso.

This itinerary would let me experience a mix of historic archaeological monuments, natural wonders in a desert, and urban sights.

I'm feeling excited about the trip. A new adventure awaits!

Where's your next adventure? Tell me more.

Winter fun list update #2

Greetings! It's February 21st which means it's time for me to provide a second progress update on my winter fun list for the period of December 21, 2017 to March 20, 2018.

You might like to see my original list here, and my first progress update here.

My Winter Fun List Update #2:

1. Exercise one hour daily: In progress. I've been meeting my daily target since December 21. The community pool that I use was closed from January 26 for about four months. So I've been walking daily, going to the gym three times per week, doing yoga at home three times per week, and running 5K once per week.

Nothing like winter to have an urban beach to myself LOL. At time of posting, the snow has melted and gone. With temperatures above freezing point for the next several days, and longer daylight hours, spring is in the air!

2. Continue learning Spanish 15 minutes daily: In progress. I haven't missed a day since December 21. The short duration works for me. My upcoming trip to Chile in March keeps me motivated to learn.

3. Enjoy three family outings: Exceeded by one. It turned out that we had four fun family outings including one family gathering on December 26 that I wrote about here, a three-day family trip to Ottawa in January, another three-day family trip in early February, and a family potluck dinner this past weekend. For our out-of-town trips, we took the trains which were quite comfortable.

VIA train to Ottawa

4. Go on five coffee or lunch dates with friends: Exceeded by two. I was thrilled to be able to book time with my friends and make our dates happen. The wintry weather did not derail our plans. So far, I've met up with my friends for coffee twice in January, four times in February, and lunch once in January.

5. Attend seven cultural events: Exceeded by five. Since December 21 to date, I've watched seven movies (Star Wars The Last Jedi, Despicable Me 3, Dunkirk, Battle of the Sexes, American Made, Breathe, and The Foreigner), attended two piano recitals (performed by Jana Luksts and Jialiang Zhu), and visited three art exhibits (Toronto in 2050 photo exhibits, Winter art exhibits, and the Ice Breakers 2018 outdoor art installations that I wrote about here.)

Through the Eyes of the Bear

6. Start a new blog link up: Done! I was excited to see the Wellness link up launch on Wednesday January 10, and the second link up on February 7. Thank you to all bloggers who are participating, and readers who have left encouraging comments. The next Wellness link is on Wednesday, March 7. The topic is Favourite exercise equipment or gadget, and an update on our Wellness goals. We'll be thrilled if you join us then.

7. Plan an independent trip to Chile: Yes! I booked my flights and accommodations about a month ago. Now I'm ticking my list of how I plan for trips to foreign countries. I'm getting excited about the trip.

8. Explore Chile in March: Pending. A new adventure awaits! If you've been to Chile, I'd love to hear your comments.

That's my progress update for now. I'm pleased to have three exceeded, two done, two in progress, and one pending. By staying active and social, I'm enjoying the winter season. I'll wrap up my Winter fun list on or around March 18.

How are things going with you? Please share.

An InLinkz Link-up

How I plan for trips to foreign countries

Greetings! I mentioned in my winter fun list update post that I'm planning a trip to Chile in March. It will be my first time visiting Chile solo. I don't have any family or friends there and the official language in Chile is Spanish. After researching and booking my flights and accommodations weeks ago, I took a break. Now I'm slowly getting back into trip planning state of mind which prompted me to share how I plan for trips to foreign countries.

How I plan for trips to foreign countries: 

1. Read and inquire about potential destinations: This gives me an idea of where the country is located, its general safety level, entry requirements, how to get there, the main attractions, the official language spoken, currency used, availability of public transit, and general cost of living compared to my home city. I do most of my travel readings online by visiting the official web sites, travel web sites, and blogs. I also talk to my family and friends in case they have been to the destinations.

2. Select the destination to visit: Once I've done step 1, I select the country to visit based on my availability to travel, the weather at the destination for when I plan to visit, my interests, and travel budget. In general, I prefer to visit countries that do not require a visa to enter. I also check to see if any vaccination is necessary. If a visa or vaccinations are required, they take more preparation, more time, and incur more expenses. The local weather is important as it affects what to pack, how comfortable it is for outdoor activities, and how easy it is to get good photos. Who wants to walk in pouring rain with moisture fog on the camera lens, right?

3. Book my flights: I check various flight-booking web sites and the official web sites of the airlines to compare fares before booking.

4. Book my accommodations: I check various accommodation booking sites, and the hotel web sites to compare rates and read their cancellation policy before booking. Depends on my flight arrival and departure time, the room check-in and check-out time sometimes play a factor in my booking decision. Free WiFi is always a plus.

5. Book my train tickets or bus tickets or car rental if applicable: I prefer to visit countries where I can take trains or buses, as opposed to drive a car. I'd book my tickets in advance for popular routes, or trains that require seat reservation. Some rail companies give significant discounts for early bookings, like when I travelled by train in Ireland. I usually book directly with the rail or bus company.

6. Buy a SIM card in advance if needed: It's nice to have my mobile device working upon arrival. In some countries, it's less expensive to buy at the airport upon arrival but language may be an issue to complete the transaction, or the store is closed when I arrive.

7. Buy travel insurance: To have peace of mind and coverage should I need it. I add the insurance contact number and my insurance policy number to my mobile device and my contact list (see #10 below).

8. Buy foreign currency: To have a small amount of cash on hand upon arrival, and to be familiar with the bills in advance. I also print out a cheat sheet with Canadian dollars and the foreign currency travel exchange rates that I found here, and put it in my wallet. It's very useful to quickly figure out the exchange rates and how much I'm spending. It worked wonder when I explored Central Europe and used three foreign currencies (euro, forint, and koruna).

9. Notify my bank and credit card company: To inform them of my travel plans and when I may use my card abroad. I add their 24/7 phone numbers to my contact list in case my card is lost or stolen.

10. Have useful tools ready: I'm referring to maps, or a phrase book. I prep my mobile device for what I need for the trip, and create a contact list with key contact information. I usually keep the contact list both on my device and a hard copy (see #12 below).

11. Let someone know: I leave my itinerary, booking confirmations, and a copy of important documents with someone close and whom I can contact during my trip. I also register on Government of Canada Travel Abroad web site.

12. Have a back up: I keep a hard copy of my IDs, confirmed reservations, and key contact information separate from the originals, as well as an electronic version on my mobile device.

13. Book my airport transfers if needed: I usually take airport shuttle service or local transit to get from the airport to the city centre and vice versa. Most of the time, I can buy tickets on site. In some destinations, it's wise to book the transfer service a few days in advance.

14. Pack my carry-on and day pack: I travel light and my luggage has always been under the allowable weight. It's a good practice to pack and carry before departure date, to see how comfortable I am with the overall weight.

15. Check in my flight and get my boarding pass 24 hours in advance: Most airlines that I fly with offer this option. Having my boarding pass in advance saves me time at the airport.

That's pretty much how I plan for trips to foreign countries.

How about you? What do you do differently? Please share.

Winter fun list update #1

Greetings! Back in December, a few days before Christmas, I wrote my winter fun list here. Today I'm posting my progress update, and linking up with several fabulous bloggers. Please join in on the fun and/ or leave a comment so we know you stopped by.

My Winter Fun List Update #1:

1. Exercise one hour daily: In progress. I've been meeting my daily target since December 21. My current physical exercise schedule, one hour/ day, looks like this:

• Monday, Wednesday, Friday: gym time includes warm up, cardio, weights, core, balance exercises, and cool down
• Tuesday, Thursday: gentle yoga at home
• Saturday: swim laps
• Sunday: run 5-6 km and gentle stretches

I know some people would say exercising is not fun. I'd suggest to replace the term 'exercise' with a physical activity that you enjoy, add your favourite play list, or grab a partner or a friend or your dog(s) to make it more social and voilà, it's fun!

Even in the winter, I go for my morning walk and enjoy nature. In my eyes, every season has its own beauty, like the blue sky, morning light, and snow at one of our urban beaches in the picture I took below:

TO sign at HTO Park Beach

2. Continue learning Spanish 15 minutes daily: In progress. I haven't missed a day since December 21. I've learned new words, and had to review parts of past lessons. More importantly, I'm having fun with this activity. I allocate 15 minutes so it's quick but I do it daily to reinforce my learning.

3. Enjoy three family outings: In progress. Two done and one is coming up in February. We had a fun extended family gathering in December that I wrote about here. We also just returned from a three-day family trip to Ottawa this past weekend.

4. Go on five coffee or lunch dates with friends: In progress. So far I've gone on one coffee date and one lunch date with my friends. Two more coffee dates have been booked. It's so nice to chat and catch up with what's on in our lives.

5. Attend seven cultural events: In progress. Since December 21 to date, I've enjoyed three movies (Star Wars The Last Jedi, Despicable Me 3, and Dunkirk), and attended one contemporary piano recital performed by the talented Jana Luksts. I plan to go to an exciting outdoor interactive art exhibition this month and more piano recitals starting in February.

Jana Luksts

6. Start a new blog link up: Yes! I was excited to see the Wellness Wednesday link up launch on January 10 as posted here. Thank you to the bloggers who are participating, and readers who have left encouraging comments. You're the best! The next Wellness Wednesday link is on February 7. The graphic is below.

7. Plan an independent trip to Chile: Yes! I did some travel readings on Chile and mapped out where and when I'd like to visit. While looking to book my flights and accommodation, I scored a flash sale on my air tickets and a special offer on my room rate. Both saved me quite a bit of money which of course will go towards more travels! I'll write about my itinerary soon.

8. Explore Chile in March: Pending. A new adventure awaits! If you've been to Chile, I'd love to hear your comments.

That's my progress update for now. I'm pleased to have two completed, five in progress, and one pending. My next progress update will be on February 21. 

How are things going with you? Please share.

An InLinkz Link-up

18 FEASTs to enjoy in 2018

Happy New Year! It's so exciting to have a brand new year ahead of us and a new calendar to pencil in upcoming events and activities. I wrote about my best of 2017 here. I hope to make 2018 an amazing year. 

As I was thinking about 2018, interestingly enough, the word ENJOY kept popping up in my mind. Then when I jotted down the activities that make me feel good or that I enjoy doing, I noticed that I had eighteen (18) items and they can be grouped into five buckets. The first letter of each bucket turned out to be FEAST. Hmm, '18 feasts to enjoy in 2018' sounds pretty good to me.

Here are my 18 FEASTs to enjoy in 2018:

Fitness

• exercise one hour daily
• eat more plant-based foods
• meditate daily
• sleep 7-8 hours each night 
• smile and laugh every day

Entertainment

• admire nature every day
• attend fairs and festivals
• listen to music recitals
• watch movies 

Arts

• visit art exhibitions
• learn a foreign language
• read something new every day

Social

• spend time with family
• stay in touch with friends 
• blog and make new friends 

Travel

• take trips within Canada
• explore new destinations
• revisit some destinations

I'll set specific goals in my seasonal fun lists, like my winter fun list here. I'll also post my updates on how I'm doing throughout the year.

How about you? What do you do for fun in 2018?

Winter fun list

Dear friends and readers,

Today's post has two parts:
  1) An update on my list of 5 simple pleasures for the holidays.
  2) My Winter fun list for the period of December 21, 2017 to March 20, 2018.

Two birds one stone means the post is a little bit longer than usual so grab your coffee or tea before you read on.

PART 1 - Update on my five simple pleasures for the holidays

1. Make donations to help those in need: Yes, we donated cash to a local community centre, and the Out of the Cold program which serves hot meals to those in need. We also donated non-perishable food items to a local food drive.

2. View the various light displays in the city centre: Yes, some of my favourites are the 100-feet tall and sparkly red Christmas tree, the life-sized silvery reindeer at Eaton Centre, and the festive lights at Nathan Phillips Square.

Christmas tree in Eaton Centre

Christmas reindeer in Eaton Centre

Nathan Phillips Square

3. Listen to choirs singing joyous seasonal music: Sure did. We were at St Andrew's church for the dramatic readings of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, and choir singing.

4. Taste freshly baked goods with chocolate or ginger or cinnamon flavour: My husband baked a batch of delicious and cute-as-a-button cookies with cinnamon flavour. We've been eating them this week. I think we he'll bake again next week :)

5. Enjoy a big family gathering and dinner on Boxing Day (December 26): Coming soon. I'm looking forward to catching up with everyone, and enjoying dinner with my extended family.

PART 2 - My Winter Fun List

My winter fun list is shorter than the previous three seasonal lists (spring, summer, and fall) because I'd like to spend some time working towards my goal of living light by reducing my material possessions. I made some progress on this goal in 2017 and will continue until I'm satisfied.

For each item on my winter fun list, I have a time frame or a numeric count for me to track my rate of completion. I plan to report my progress on the 21st day of each month.

1. Exercise one hour daily: From December 21 to March 20, my target count of exercise sessions is 11 in December, 31 in January, 28 in February, and 20 in March. I'll vary my exercises with yoga, walking, swimming, strength training in the gym, stretching, and running short distances.

2. Continue learning Spanish 15 minutes daily: I've been doing online Spanish lessons throughout 2017. From December 21 to March 20, my target count of online sessions is 11 in December, 31 in January, 28 in February, and 20 in March. Knowing basic Spanish was useful when I visited Costa Rica and Spain. It will be useful again for my upcoming trip (see below).

3. Enjoy three fun family outings: We have one big family gathering confirmed for December 26, one long weekend family trip booked in January, and another long weekend family trip booked in February.

4. Go on five coffee or lunch dates with my friends: I'll wait until after New Year's to book the dates and will aim to go to some or all of my five favourite coffee shops.

5. Attend seven cultural events: I'm excited to have a series of art and entertainment events lined up throughout the winter so I can get out there and experience new sights and sounds.

6. Start a new blog link-up: I've proposed a new monthly Wellness Wednesday link-up with fellow bloggers in the New Year. The first link up is on Wednesday January 10, with Wellness goals as the topic. Easy, right? I hope you'll join in on the fun. The more the merrier, so we can share, inspire, and support each other.

7. Plan an independent trip to Chile: This includes activities such as reading travel guides, designing my itinerary, booking the essentials, etc. Having had wonderful experiences in Argentina and Peru, I look forward to exploring another country in South America.

8. Explore Chile in March: A new adventure awaits! If you've been to Chile, I'd love to hear your comments.

I look forward to enjoying the holidays with my family and friends, and completing my winter fun list with much enthusiasm. Happy holidays to you and your loved ones!

An InLinkz Link-up