I'm on a self-imposed holiday of sorts. I think it's important to organize my studies, and I plan the occasional break from course work into that as well. I still do reading and review but I stop reading course guide books (these are the written material that replace lectures in my program). Doing correspondence requires that you create your own structure, after all.
Anyway, it's been somewhat of a nice holiday. I've caught up on my Gilmore Girls reruns, did some crafts and slept a bit more, but also caught up on Harvard Business Review articles, articles I missed in Economist back issues and my mountain of books to read (though I admit I've procrastinated a little with doing accounting exercises like I meant to. I'll still do it I swear!) I managed to do a bunch of research about MBA programs, which is a lot to take in but informative. And I've found the time to cook, blog and watch an internet video series called "Very Mary Kate" (see last post). Anyway, in all, not half bad!
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
The Last Couple of Weeks
I've been quite busy. Too busy to blog! So bear with me, this is going to be a very long entry. But there will be some pictures! I'll go through day by day.
Monday, June 14th
I woke up after slipping into a sort-of jet lag coma on Sunday night. I got up fairly early, at 6-ish. I lounged around for a while until Jess woke up, then we had breakfast and went through a walk through James Bay. It's a beautiful neighbourhood, and it's cleaned up a lot since I was last there (years ago, before I left Canada.) I met Corrine for coffee at Ogden's Point Cafe, which is a lovely cafe right on the point, overlooking the breakwater. Afterward, we walked all the way down the Breakwater. It was quite windy; I felt like I was going to blow away! Great views though. In the evening I ate sockeye salmon with Jess, then Jen came over to watch DVDs (Center Stage and Down With Love.)
Tuesday June 15
We got up early-ish to go wine tasting. Only two wineries were open, but both were well worth it. Church & State was a bit more "commercial" but they had a couple of wines I really loved (I bought a bottle of the rose, which surprised me because it was quite dry.) Muse was eclectic and there were some interesting notes in the wine (the bottle of Pinot Gris had distinctive apple notes.) You don't think of wine when you think of BC, especially coastal BC, but Island wines are actually wonderful. They're very artful. I think they have to put the effort in because they don't have the large productions and reputations that more well-known wine regions have. People who open wineries over here are also extremely dedicated to wine-making and know a LOT about wine!
We went to Red Barn (a farm market) and got some fruits and veggies for dinner, and Jess hosted Jen and Ryan, and Eric (as well as myself of course) for appys. We chatted, had wine, and some great food!
Wednesday, June 16
I spent the day with Matt, which was really awesome. I bussed over to his place, and then we went over to Sooke Potholes, which is a place in the Sooke River that has these deep spots and is great for swimming (http://www.sookepotholes.com/) We didn't swim, because even though it was warm weather, it wasn't super hot, and the water was still freezing cold. Also, I forgot my bathing suit in Berlin :( We had some junk food, and basically hung around in the sun. Then we went back into Victoria and cooked me an awesome steak dinner and we played Trivial Pursuit, which is the awesomest game ever.
Thursday, June 17
Headed over to French Beach. On the way, we stopped at the Meadery, which was interesting because I found the mead a lot different than the mead I've had in Europe. It was a lot drier. It was really cloudy and windy, but we had a nice picnic and goofed around on the beach and playground (there were no children there.) That evening, we ate at Ferris's Oyster Bar, which has amazing food and drinks. If you're there, the downstairs is more of a pub style, but if you go to the second door (on the outside), which leads up some stairs, that's where the actual oyster bar is, and the space is AMAZING. I really can't describe it because in words it doesn't sound all that cool, but I'll upload my pictures later.
Friday, June 18
We had a fun day of shopping, then went back to town for some gelato and salt water taffy (my HUGE guilty pleasure. I love it so much!) That evening, I went to my aunt and uncles house for dinner, which was really nice because I haven't seen them in years. My cousins, Louis and Colin, are SO much older than I remembered! I couldn't believe it...nothing will make you feel old than family members you remember as children suddenly popping up as teens.
After dinner, I met up with Jen, Ryan, Jess and Mandy at the Sticky Wicket, and we had some nachos, which I barely touched, but BC has this stupid law that EVERYONE in the food area of a pub MUST be eating, or else you can't sit there, and it was too crowded in the rest of the bar to sit there, and Jen and Ryan really did want food. Afterwards, we were going to go out dancing, but everywhere in the area was SO incredibly crowded, and waiting in the long lines really killed the mood, so we just went home.
To be continued....
Monday, June 14th
I woke up after slipping into a sort-of jet lag coma on Sunday night. I got up fairly early, at 6-ish. I lounged around for a while until Jess woke up, then we had breakfast and went through a walk through James Bay. It's a beautiful neighbourhood, and it's cleaned up a lot since I was last there (years ago, before I left Canada.) I met Corrine for coffee at Ogden's Point Cafe, which is a lovely cafe right on the point, overlooking the breakwater. Afterward, we walked all the way down the Breakwater. It was quite windy; I felt like I was going to blow away! Great views though. In the evening I ate sockeye salmon with Jess, then Jen came over to watch DVDs (Center Stage and Down With Love.)
Tuesday June 15
We got up early-ish to go wine tasting. Only two wineries were open, but both were well worth it. Church & State was a bit more "commercial" but they had a couple of wines I really loved (I bought a bottle of the rose, which surprised me because it was quite dry.) Muse was eclectic and there were some interesting notes in the wine (the bottle of Pinot Gris had distinctive apple notes.) You don't think of wine when you think of BC, especially coastal BC, but Island wines are actually wonderful. They're very artful. I think they have to put the effort in because they don't have the large productions and reputations that more well-known wine regions have. People who open wineries over here are also extremely dedicated to wine-making and know a LOT about wine!
We went to Red Barn (a farm market) and got some fruits and veggies for dinner, and Jess hosted Jen and Ryan, and Eric (as well as myself of course) for appys. We chatted, had wine, and some great food!
Wednesday, June 16
I spent the day with Matt, which was really awesome. I bussed over to his place, and then we went over to Sooke Potholes, which is a place in the Sooke River that has these deep spots and is great for swimming (http://www.sookepotholes.com/) We didn't swim, because even though it was warm weather, it wasn't super hot, and the water was still freezing cold. Also, I forgot my bathing suit in Berlin :( We had some junk food, and basically hung around in the sun. Then we went back into Victoria and cooked me an awesome steak dinner and we played Trivial Pursuit, which is the awesomest game ever.
Thursday, June 17
Headed over to French Beach. On the way, we stopped at the Meadery, which was interesting because I found the mead a lot different than the mead I've had in Europe. It was a lot drier. It was really cloudy and windy, but we had a nice picnic and goofed around on the beach and playground (there were no children there.) That evening, we ate at Ferris's Oyster Bar, which has amazing food and drinks. If you're there, the downstairs is more of a pub style, but if you go to the second door (on the outside), which leads up some stairs, that's where the actual oyster bar is, and the space is AMAZING. I really can't describe it because in words it doesn't sound all that cool, but I'll upload my pictures later.
Friday, June 18
We had a fun day of shopping, then went back to town for some gelato and salt water taffy (my HUGE guilty pleasure. I love it so much!) That evening, I went to my aunt and uncles house for dinner, which was really nice because I haven't seen them in years. My cousins, Louis and Colin, are SO much older than I remembered! I couldn't believe it...nothing will make you feel old than family members you remember as children suddenly popping up as teens.
After dinner, I met up with Jen, Ryan, Jess and Mandy at the Sticky Wicket, and we had some nachos, which I barely touched, but BC has this stupid law that EVERYONE in the food area of a pub MUST be eating, or else you can't sit there, and it was too crowded in the rest of the bar to sit there, and Jen and Ryan really did want food. Afterwards, we were going to go out dancing, but everywhere in the area was SO incredibly crowded, and waiting in the long lines really killed the mood, so we just went home.
To be continued....
Monday, March 8, 2010
Tomorrow, Tomorrow!
I'm going to Athens Tomorrow! Can't wait! I'm mostly packed and I got all my other stuff done so I'm pretty much set to go. Now all I have to do is get to sleep (easier said than done.) Luckily, my flight isn't too early tomorrow.
The cucumber and tomato seeds that I planted last week are sprouting already. Hopefully they do ok while I'm gone. At this stage when they're in the greenhouse flats I have they don't need so much water luckily.
The cucumber and tomato seeds that I planted last week are sprouting already. Hopefully they do ok while I'm gone. At this stage when they're in the greenhouse flats I have they don't need so much water luckily.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
I want an adventure!
It started 2 days ago, on Sunday.
Shortly after I posted my last entry, I met my friend Kathie for a late sushi lunch. We got to talking and she told me about how she was looking at last minute travel deals to beat the ugly weather here, but how she didn’t find anything for when she had the time to go. It got me thinking that I’d love to do something like that. I always hold myself back because I want to save money, but something inside me told me to go anyway. When I got home, I started looking at various flights and hotels all over Europe and came up with a few promising options. After more research, Athens seemed like the best deal in early March. I was still hesitant, but I thought about it for a while and decided to take the plunge and go.
I think part of the reason I’ve been so up and down with Berlin lately is tied to my previous post. I don’t leave, and I don’t take advantage of what the city has to offer. Further thought brought me to the conclusion that I am not actually living my life. I socialize with friends, so at least that’s something, but I’m not doing things that I want to very often. I’m not having the kinds of experiences that I want to be having. Basically, I’m missing out. I always have a little voice inside my head that tells me ‘when I’m in a relationship it would be fun to do this stuff’ or ‘when I have a career and have more income I’ll go there’ and it just seems to me now that I’m waiting to live my life instead of actually living it. I don’t need to wait until my life is perfect to live it…I can do it now. It doesn’t have to cost me a lot and I can still save money for the future. I think it’s about balance. I’ve also had a creeping fear inside me for the past couple of years that I think holds me back from living my life. I find myself spending a lot of money on books and DVDs, and it’s like I live my life vicariously through fictional characters. This stops NOW. I have enough books to read for probably 2 years. I don’t need more books. I already subscribe to a DVD service and have lots of my own so I don’t need to buy DVDs either. Instead, I can spend that money DOING things. Great idea, huh?
So I did it. I booked a ticket to Athens. I leave on March 9 and return on the 15th. I’m not even a little nervous. In fact, I can’t wait!
Shortly after I posted my last entry, I met my friend Kathie for a late sushi lunch. We got to talking and she told me about how she was looking at last minute travel deals to beat the ugly weather here, but how she didn’t find anything for when she had the time to go. It got me thinking that I’d love to do something like that. I always hold myself back because I want to save money, but something inside me told me to go anyway. When I got home, I started looking at various flights and hotels all over Europe and came up with a few promising options. After more research, Athens seemed like the best deal in early March. I was still hesitant, but I thought about it for a while and decided to take the plunge and go.
I think part of the reason I’ve been so up and down with Berlin lately is tied to my previous post. I don’t leave, and I don’t take advantage of what the city has to offer. Further thought brought me to the conclusion that I am not actually living my life. I socialize with friends, so at least that’s something, but I’m not doing things that I want to very often. I’m not having the kinds of experiences that I want to be having. Basically, I’m missing out. I always have a little voice inside my head that tells me ‘when I’m in a relationship it would be fun to do this stuff’ or ‘when I have a career and have more income I’ll go there’ and it just seems to me now that I’m waiting to live my life instead of actually living it. I don’t need to wait until my life is perfect to live it…I can do it now. It doesn’t have to cost me a lot and I can still save money for the future. I think it’s about balance. I’ve also had a creeping fear inside me for the past couple of years that I think holds me back from living my life. I find myself spending a lot of money on books and DVDs, and it’s like I live my life vicariously through fictional characters. This stops NOW. I have enough books to read for probably 2 years. I don’t need more books. I already subscribe to a DVD service and have lots of my own so I don’t need to buy DVDs either. Instead, I can spend that money DOING things. Great idea, huh?
So I did it. I booked a ticket to Athens. I leave on March 9 and return on the 15th. I’m not even a little nervous. In fact, I can’t wait!
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