One Rising Star

Just about a year ago, I made a goal of running a marathon. On Friday, January 24 th 2014, that goal was finally achieved! Of course, my time could have been much better, but I told myself that for my first ever marathon “It was not about perfection, it was about the effort.” I truly just wanted to make it from start to finish and that’s exactly what I did. In approximately 5 hours, “I learned that finishing a marathon isn't just an athletic achievement. It's a state of mind; a state of mind that says anything is possible." I know many people are wondering if I will ever do another marathon again, but I truly don’t know quite yet. It’s a very grueling experience! Right now, I need to take some well-earned rest time before I set any future fitness goals. Throughout the past 12 months, I have done a few 5/6 km runs, one 10 km race, two half marathons and last but not least a full 42km marathon. I have trained many hours at the gym with some am...

“The special bond shared between a mother and daughter is the one place in all the world where hearts can be sure of each other. Like branches on a tree, we may grow in different directions, but our roots remain one. And through the fury of the storm or the calm of the rainbow, we depend on each other for understanding and compassion. We will always share these moments, sparkling, like a star in our hand...keeping memories we have gathered through the years close to our hearts.” For approximately 5 years now, my mom and I have planned yearly trips to various destinations. We've been to Daytona Beach Florida, Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada and Cancun, Mexico . These trips have allowed my mom and I to bond and to create ever-lasting memories. I am forever thankful. This year, a last minute decision was made to fly my mom out to Dubai, UAE . This was not easy. Those who know my mom know that she hates planes and rarely travels on them alone. Considering t...

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.  ( Walt Disney ) When you’re a young kid, adults regularly tell you to work hard and that you can do anything you want to do when you grow older. Often though, it can be hard to believe these words without proof. I’ve learnt in recent years that I can pretty much do anything I want to do, as long as I am willing to put in some hard work and to take some chances; it doesn't matter whether it be at the gym, at work, or in my everyday life! Just over a year ago, I took a chance when I left the stable job and life I had in Canada to move to Dubai, UAE. Some people may have thought I was crazy to leave everything I had going for me there, but others understood that I was taking a step in the right direction to pursue my dreams. Some of the most encouraging people were (and still are) my Canadian students. It was very difficult to tell them about my decision, but they showed great maturity...

As soon as I set foot into Switzerland, I was pretty much in love with the place! The views of the mountains and the lake immediately took my breath away. The small town of Lausanne and its French speaking population made me feel right at home. I was beyond excited to be surrounded by French people, French school resources (I wish I could have bought everything) and the French culture in general. During my short stay, I got to spend some time at the beach / pool area, to walk around the city centre, to take a boat over to France and visit Evian, to drive up a mountain for amazing panoramic views and to eat some fondue. It was definitely a very nice and relaxing few days! I really didn’t know what to expect when I decided to make a trip to Switzerland, but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s really a beautiful country! Only downside is that everything is REALLY expensive here! Thank you to my friend and former work colleague Alena for showing me...

My time spent in Portugal was made up of some relaxing moments and of course, some more sightseeing.  First off, I began my Portuguese passage in Lagos. Lagos is a great little touristy town with fine beaches, beautiful landscape and…VERY cold water. I enjoyed walking around there, checking out the little stores and market stands and eating in a variety of small restaurants. During my stay, I also had the opportunity to kayak through caves along the shoreline. That ended up being a fun experience! After a couple days in Lagos, I got to visit Lisbon, Portugal’s capital. In my opinion, Lisbon was a lot like most other big cities I have visited in Europe; fountains, monuments, parks, stores, restaurants... One day though, I did get to visit a cool place called the “ Oceanário ”. It was basically a very big indoor aquarium with a variety of water species displayed. Very cool! On my last day in Portugal, I went to Sintra, a smal...

Travelling through Spain has been a fantastic adventure!  Firstly, staying in peoples apartments (airbnb.com) and in hostels (hostelworld.com) in 4 different cities has been a really interesting experience.  Secondly, travelling with all my luggage by metro, taxi, bus and train from one city to another has been painful at times, but well worth it in the end. Here is a quick look at my thoughts on each city visited in the last week or so. 1-     Barcelona Barcelona was pretty much exactly what I expected it to be: a large touristy city with lots of things to see and do. While touring in the day, I had the opportunity to enjoy the beach and to see numerous architectural treasures; one being the famous Segrada Familia. In the evening, I got to enjoy wonderful tapas (basically like appetizers) and a great stroll down La Rambla (a long street with little market stands and many restaurants). 2-     Madrid Madri...

Well, well, well! My summer vacation in North America has come to an end. The short time I have spent here has been pretty sweet! In Michigan, I had the opportunity to catch up with family and friends, to celebrate the 4 th of July, to do a fun Zumba class outside and to hang-out around the lake; boating, tubing, skiing and wakeboarding. In Québec (Gatineau, Hull), I had the chance to visit with more family members. These pictures were not taken during my visit...just wanted to showcase my cousins! :) During my 2 weeks in Ontario, I got to meet with friends for breakfast, lunch or dinner, to cook, to shop, to go see car races, to experience Iftar with some old students, to work-out at the gym, to do some Zumba and to play soccer.  Of course, throughout all of this, I also got to spend time with my parents and brothers too! 24 days went by pretty quickly, but I leave once again so thankful for the amazing family and friends I have here....