My Winter Travel Plans..or Lack Thereof

Overall, it's been a good year but one thing really disappointed me; I didn't get to go on my annual vacation. You know, that trip I take every year to a foreign land that I've never been to before? Yeah that one.

Lots of things came together to make 2015 the year of the Staycation. Technically I did travel to an international destination when I flew to Barbados at the last minute in December but it's getting so close to a year since I got on a plane that for the sake of rounding things off, we'll just say I haven't traveled this year...because it has been slightly more than 365 days since I left Canada.

I planned to travel to Newfoundland in the spring but was called to work from June to October. Having a set-in-stone date for the end of work meant I could plan to go anywhere I wanted for however long I wanted and I had 4 months to think about where to go and plan an amazing trip. I thought about it a lot. First, I thought of doing a multi-country tour of Europe. That was soon replaced with the idea of going to just Greece. That idea faded fast when the Syrian refugee crisis reached its peak and it looked like traveling anywhere in that region might be a bad idea. Hawaii also crossed my mind around that time but it was New Zealand that I finally settled on as my travel destination for the fall of 2015. I made the decision to visit the North Island and planned to do a semi-guided tour with GAdventures. I looked at flights and set up flight alerts to keep track of prices. I did tons of research on the Island. And it didn't happen. None of it fell through. It's the end of December, just days away from 2016 and my renewed eligibility to be recalled to work and I'm here writing about how I didn't take that trip to New Zealand instead of writing about my experience in the place that has been at the top of my bucket list since I was a child. Yeah it's a bummer alright.

The downward spiral leading to the demise of my most recent travel plans started with a dull ache in the right side of my head that turned out to be a toothache. A trip to the dentist revealed a severely decayed wisdom tooth in desperate need of either a costly root canal or an almost as costly extraction. I made the appointment to have it taken out the following week and continued to make plans for the upcoming trip that I already told everyone I was going on, much to the envy of my friends and co-workers. Meanwhile, I discovered that the house I'm living in is to be sold next spring and I have to find another place to live which will double my cost of living. My car started to act up around this time too. The brakes were grinding, the engine light came on, a loud squealing started under the hood and something was rattling under the front end. I dropped it off at the garage one morning and 4 hours and almost fifteen-hundred dollars later, my car was returned to me only to be parked in the yard for emergency use only as I was no longer able to afford to put gas in it. And to top it off, the dentist called only two days before my scheduled appointment and informed me that they were unable to do the extraction as it was more suited to a dental surgeon who specializes in more complicated extractions like mine. That appointment ended up being a month away - during the time I would be traveling. So with all that having happened over a short period of time and the fact that I suddenly became short on both time and money, I cancelled my trip. And yes it broke my heart. No I am not being my typical sarcastic self, it really broke my heart.

Some excitement started to stir right before Christmas when rumours started to spread that some people may be called back to work in January. At first I hoped I wouldn't be because I hated the thought of driving to work every day in blustery, winter conditions. But the idea of having the summer off started to appeal to me and I hoped they would call. They didn't...yet...and with January quickly approaching, I don't suspect they will. Either way, I've started making plans to travel as soon as time allows me to do so. I have three options for the near future: 1) If I get called back in January, I will travel to a climate that is warm around the time I get laid off again which will be May or June. I'm thinking Western Europe...England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. 2) If I don't get called back in January, I know I'm safe until at least April when call backs start again so I'm thinking I will use some of my Airmiles that are soon expiring and head somewhere warm in South America or the Caribbean. Argentina is a destination I am seriously considering. 3) I am also considering the option of not going anywhere until the fall of 2016 and saving up to go to New Zealand. Three great plans of attack, one tough decision. I think the best way to tackle this whole scenario is to do minimal planning until almost the last minute so I don't face disappointment again and just play it by ear and see how things transpire.

Mini-trips, or Staycations as some people like to call them, are always in the works but I don't really count any trip made within Canada as a "real"trip which is defined by the use of a passport and the crossing of at least one border. I have quite a few WestJet dollars and I'm thinking I may use them for a trip Out West to see my sisters in Alberta.
Although I didn't get the chance to travel to a far-flung destination this year, I still managed to explore some new places closer to home and enjoy some relaxing time spent in some of my favourite places around Cape Breton. I'm rarely idle, I'm always itching to go somewhere and if that somewhere happens to be to places closer to home, then so be it. There are more than enough places to explore around here. So many beaches and trails that I have yet to lay eyes on. That being said, my itchy feet won't allow me to stay put for too long. Only time will tell when and where my next international adventure will take place. I can only hope it will be sooner than later!

Another Christmas Has Come and Gone

The days following my return from hot and sunny Barbados to cold and snowy Canada weren't as bad I thought they would be. Years ago, there would already be snow on the ground and temperatures would be dipping below zero. The last few years, this year included, December temperatures are more like October and November temperatures, hovering just above zero with no snow to be seen. In fact, the temperature rose to a very warm and unseasonal 13 degrees on Christmas Day and it rained.

I love Christmas but the last few Christmases have not really felt like Christmas...at least not like the Christmases I experienced as a child. For one, I always remember having white Christmases growing up. My sisters and I would help dad build snow forts in the backyard during Christmas break and these were not just little holes in tiny snowbanks; these forts were intricate tunnels that we could stand up in and bring plastic furniture into. You need A LOT of snow to build a fort like that.

Obviously with my mom passed away and my sisters both living out west, along with most of my friends and extended family, Christmas is certainly a lot quieter than it once was. Growing up in the big house, there would be the five of us, both sets of grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and friends and neighbors piled in on any given day between the 23rd of December and New Years. At times, there would be more than twenty people. The adults would sit around the dining room table playing cards or gossiping and us kids would bein the living room watching holiday classics and pigging out on chips and candy. The best thing about Christmas now? Going back and reminiscing about the good ol' days. I feel so fortunate to have those memories - memories that, when recalled, have me remembering the people who were around and the events that transpired with loved ones, not the presents that were under the tree. It sounds cliche but Christmas HAS become way to commercialized. I suspect that many children today only focus on the mass amounts of material items they receive. And the material items that they get today are more geared towards keeping them inside on the couch being zombies. When I was a child, it was a new bike, a pair skates or a year pass to the ski hill that awaited me under the tree. No cell phones, laptops or video game consoles. Interactive items made to keep kids active and engaged!

Despite the lack of Christmas spirit that I've experienced the last couple of years, it has been a good few weeks. In the days following my trip, I cleaned out my room and parted ways with many items that I no longer have a use for and donated them to local charities. I finished some last minute Christmas shopping for my closest family and friends and put up a few decorations around the house. I long ago decided that I will no longer be sending cards out to every acquaintance I've met since grade school; not only is it a waste of time but its a waste of paper and the cards only get thrown out after they are read anyway! Although I told everyone there was nothing I needed or wanted for Christmas, my father still insisted on getting me something and threatened to pick it out himself if I didn't tell him what I wanted! Truthfully, there really wasn't anything I needed or wanted! The only thing I came up with was a new pair of skates. I often said I would like to take up my childhood passion again so a few days before Christmas, my father and I found ourselves at the local Canadian Tire store where I picked out a new pair of skates. I even had the opportunity to try them out on Saturday and get back on the ice after many years. I was a bit rusty on blades but I did manage to skate without holding onto the boards and didn't fall once. Now that I have no excuses, I will skating a lot more. Adult skating takes place at the local rink on Wednesdays and Fridays so that is where I will be on those afternoons!

Christmas Eve turned out quite well. I went about my usual daily tasks consisting of checking emails, walking a couple of miles at the track and doing my usual daily chores. The only difference with that day from any other day was I made sure to complete my daily tasks a little earlier than usual so I could relax and spend the rest of the day with family and friends. Turkey dinner was held at a friend's house this year. The dinner was absolutely delicious but what made it so special was the fact that there were young children there and watching them open their presents and squealing with delight at their new toys was so much fun! Toward the end of the night, caffeine withdrawal symptoms started to kick in with the coffee drinkers, me included. We came up with an excuse to persuade dad to take us for a drive so we could get coffee. We disguised the coffee run with a plea to drive to Glace Bay to see the house that was on the news earlier because it had Christmas lights all over it that blinked and "danced" to a soundtrack that was accessed on the radio dial in the car. This seemed to intrigue dad and we piled in the car in search of that house and grabbed our coffees along the way at the only gas station that we could find that was still open.

Christmas Day also went well except for the very disgusting weather that saw Cape Breton drenched in rain. I awoke, got ready and drove to dad's where I had a hearty breakfast before we exchanged gifts. The rest of the day was spent visiting and exchanging gifts with other close friends and family members followed by an evening in front of the TV watching an old family favorite, "A Christmas Story".

So, all in all, it's been a good holiday season so far. Hopefully New Years Eve will be good too!

Best wishes to all my readers and followers in 2015. May it be the best one yet :)