What doesn't kill you makes you stronger

The people around me who never give up always inspire me. I’m thinking about those people who face challenges, but who choose to react to them in a way that allows them to grow into some of the strongest people I know.

Once again, the past 10 months living in Dubai have been filled with many challenges; some at work, some in my family life, some in my social life and some in my personal life. I've struggled to work through some of these challenges, but in the end I've also realized how strong of a person they've helped me to become.

"I am an unfinished work in progress. One of the good things about life's challenges: I get to find out that I am capable of being far more than I ever thought possible."

One of the biggest challenges I have faced in recent months is being away from my family during some difficult times. As many people know, this past January, just a few days after his birthday, my brother Nic was the victim of a very serious head injury during a hockey game. Receiving this kind of news when I was on the other side of the World wasn't easy and it had a great impact on many aspects of my life. I was struggling to go on with my everyday routine, knowing what he was going through. I'm glad to say that my brother has made great progress in the last 6 months. Despite having some people think his hockey career was over, he's surprisingly back on the ice and working once again towards his dreams. Nic has proven to be strong and determined and I've chosen to be inspired by these great qualities and to put them into practice in my own life.

Of course, the past 10 months have not only been filled with challenges!

NO WAY!

Here is a list of my TOP 10 achievements or memorable moments for my second year in Dubai:

1 - Participating in a long list of races (short races, fun races, competitive races, obstacle races, half marathons and of course my first full marathon)

2 - Having my mom visit me in Dubai

3 - Travelling to Oman with my mom and friend/colleague Sonnette

4 - Having my friend Sarah visit me in Dubai

5 - Travelling to Malaysia and Hong Kong with my friends Sarah and Jessica

6 - Travelling to India with my friend/colleague Marlene

7 - Travelling to Canada to surprise my mom for her birthday and visiting with family, friends and students

8 - Completing my level 2 gym instructor course (on my way to becoming a personal trainer)

9 - Working towards goals in the gym (participating in fitness challenges and doing pull-ups)

10 - Being offered a new position at work (director of the new language academy)

With just a few more days of work left, I am really beginning to look forward to my summer vacation; spending time with family and friends, playing soccer, travelling to Colombia, witnessing a best friends wedding...relaxing and having fun!

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