Feather Duster

So you know how sometimes life throws a few things at you at once, which makes you feel rather overwhelmed and buried?  Apparently that's been life the past few years!  I just randomly clicked on my Blog link, and was horrified to discover it's been 2 years since my last post.  My Flickr account is just as far behind...  I don't want to give up on these things, but other priorities have taken over.  So, once in a while, I'm sure I'll come and do the odd post, the odd photo upload, the odd oddity.

Since the last post, I've traveled a lot (see: Peru, Bolivia, India, Senegal, France, Italy), gained more experience points at my job, and said "I do" to my sweetheart.  It's hard to describe how a busy life and make time fly, but time has grown wings.   Planning a wedding, at the very least, took a chunk of my time.

So I'm not gone, this isn't forgotten... there are just lots of competing priorities.  More will come. Sometime.   Just need to find that feather duster and brush up my sharing skills.

New Gig

So I got back from my S.E. Asia trip and not 24 hours later was already on a flight out to Washington DC to start my new job... I'll be working from home for the most part, as the company is based in Toronto, but there will be a decent amount of travel to conferences, to the head office, and to meet with companies that we are looking at investing in.  I suspect I'll be racking up some airline points! horrah!

I'm still figuring out what the job is and how it all works, which I guess is the exciting part of a new job? The control freak in me is unhappy as I fee very out of control... but this is an amazing opportunity so I've just got to tuck my chin and get on with things.

The hard part is how I've continued to be MIA in terms of my friends and family.. I miss you all!! Once things settle in I'm hoping to return to 'normal' life and start seeing people again! In a perfect world I'll even start taking exercise classes or something! what the!?

Anyway, this post is to let people know I am alive and hunkered down.

hugs!

Forgot to post!

I have to admit, I forgot about posting here on my trip! I was so busy, and just sending notes home and backup my photos took what little free time I had.

Suffice to say, it's been a great trip. I can't imagine going away to such a different part of the world not being interesting. I am tired of rice and noodles, and of really really hot weather and being gross and sweaty! But I have loved seeing new cultures and ways of life and learning so much!

So here are some pics, and more may come!

Ho Chi Min, Vietnam

Phnom Phen, Cambodia

National Monument, phnom Phen

Royal Palace, Phnom Phen

Silk scarf factory

Angkor Wat!

Bamboo Train, Battambang 

Bangkok, Thailand 

Phuket, Thailand 

Hong Kong!

Next adventure...

It's 1:45 am and I'm at Vancouver airport, waiting for my flight... Which is delayed until 3;30 am... I'm a little tired, and am not looking forward to how tired I'm going to feel by the time I next sleep... But I digress...

So I realize it's been a while since my last post. There have been some pretty big changes my end. If memory serves, last time I posted I had just been laid off... That wasn't a fun time!! I was quite sick shortly after, so took a few weeks to recover. Then it was time to hunt... I sent out many email and letters and started to reconsider my particular career path... Wasn't sure exactly where to look/focus/hunt. But luck was on my side and a few opportunities knocked.

I ended up accepting two positions, one at a law firm and one doing due diligence contract work from home.  Man oh man, am I not cut out for working two jobs... Or at least not two that each actually wanted 3/4 time?? It's hard to describe, but suffice to say I pretty much fell off every map on the planet and was working most waking hours. Not fun, and certainly not sustainable. 

Well, trial by fire has ways of making you shine. I was offered a full time job by the second position- becoming and Investment Manager - so I gave notice to the firm... So now I'm back to one job and I think it's going to be great!!

Anyway, this brings me to why I'm at the airport at 'ungodly-o-clock'... Well I'm on my way to Southeast Asia to meet up with my kiwi friend Kathryn and do a tour of Cambodia and Thailand, and then spend some time with my half-brother in Hong Kong! I think it's going to be a very busy trip, and one that I'll need a vacation after haha!!

So, other than being extremely tired, life is looking up! Day by day, smiling and having fun...

I'm not sure how signal is going to work this trip, but will try post updates as I can. 

Now, how to kill time without sleeping?!

Photo update

The photos of the first week of my 3 week adventure in Africa are finally up on Flickr... the first week was South Africa, and so I've got a 'master' set of the entire trip, but you can see the South Africa ones here.

I'm motivated to get this trip up, so watch for Zambia, Zim and Botswana soon!  Then I'll try get the last 6 months up too!

Update:  Botswana is uploaded!! 

Plot twist!

Weeeellll..... 2014 has already started off with some big changes... unfortunately due to the economic conditions of the mineral exploration industry right now, my employers had to lay me off, along with a few other people. BOOM, wake up call!!

While I instantly jumped straight into self marketing and have been reactivating my network, a horrible chest cold and sinusitis has had me down for the count for some time. I think my body simply hasn't fully recovered from all the illness I suffered in 2013, and that combined with the shock of a lay off, well... I just needed time.

So now I'm back on the hunt, trying to find that illusive perfect job. I'm not sure where I'll end up, but it'll be an interesting hunt.

In other news, the week in Maui was absolutely wonderful, a great trip with the family. Playing on the beach with littles is so fun!!

Later in January Sean and I went to the Okanagan with the intention of picking up some wine and doing some skiing... only the former happened due to some car troubles, but that's ok, we'll save the skiing for another time!!

Another adventure was just this past long weekend in February, wherein Sean and I went to Edmonton to visit and meet with his friends and family! I can say I have my full 'Canadian Winter' card, having now experienced -26 (apparently it was -30 overnight...)... yikes that was cold!!  I'm definitely a West Coast girl!

So... that's a brief update from me... back to the drawing board, but you know me, there will be lots of adventures regardless!!!!

2013 ends, 2014 begins

I've got to say, the last 4 months of 2013 were rather unexpected, as I was sick for a good chunk of it... it started with the Salmonella post-Africa, then general lethargy, which turned into a combo attack of E.Coli, and Glandular Fever (Mono), which had me out for the count for all of November.. I only worked 3 hours a day all December, and even as I write this on January 2nd, I'm still low on energy... the final whammy on this fun time is the iron deficieny I seem to be battling through all this... ugh!

So I can understand why there was a common theme to all the lovely Christmas cards I got this year: may 2014 bring me good health!!   I am really hoping it does!!!

So, as someone who doesn't really make new years resolutions... I guess if I'm to have one, it's to stay healthy this year! With that will come more healthy cooking, exercise, and adventures... but definitely the focus will be health!

Speaking of adventures, my first one of the year begins tomorrow with a big family trip to Maui... Feels a bit funny taking vacation time already, especially with how much time I've just had off work (today is my first full day back at work since November 8th...), but I'm really looking forward to a change of pace, and the fact that I get to play on the beach with the little monsters!!

I've got quite a few fun weekend adventures ahead too: a wine/ski weekend in the Okanagan, a trip to Edmonton to meet Sean's family, and a ski weekend at Mount Baker... all should be great fun!!

So, I guess all this post is designed to do is say 'see ya' to the health lows of 2013 and 'bring it on' to the fun and health of 2014!!

Happy New Year indeed!!!