Journey & Adventure

Today is just like any another day, except it’s my birthday. Birthdays are one of those events I don’t typically put a lot of thought into. I don’t expect grand celebrations or lavish gifts since I would rather celebrate anything I feel like throughout the year and not reserve my celebrations to just one day. Birthdays are inevitable events and there’s nothing you can do about them to stop them from coming. Am I concerned about growing older? Of course, but only because there are so many things I want to do and see and not enough time or resources to accomplish them all - at least not within my predetermined timeframe. I like semi-instant gratification and except to see immediate reward and its days like today that I am reminded that another year has passed and what have I accomplished since my last birthday? Well, within the last year, I’ve traveled to Roatan , Honduras ; Myrtle Beach , SC ; Bonaire, Netherland Antilles and Samana , Dominican Republic . I am thankful

There are a couple of ways to reduce the risk of being attacked by roaming hoards of hungry bloodsuckers. The first would be my preference and would solve a world of problems – simply stay out of the jungle. I hear National Geographic has already been there, so I’m pretty sure I could find a wonderful series of DVDs that would allow me to experience everything I would have otherwise encountered by going myself – minus the actual bloodsuckers, festering wounds and traumatic memories. I don’t suspect my husband would be overly keen on the idea of traveling half way around the world, only to sit in the comfort of our hotel room and watch the National Geographic series on Borneo (not even if it was in high definition), so my second choice is to purchase a pair of leech socks. Leech socks are the perfect fashion accessory to any piece of jungle attire. Made from ultra tough quick drying poly-something which apparently deters the burrowing effect of the leech, they are

O.K. I really need to stop educating myself on these damn Borneo leeches because I’m not finding much comfort in the facts. Anything I’ve read about them is not good. I have read all about what you shouldn’t do if one attaches itself to you. Did you know that if it’s attached to you, you shouldn’t proceed to squish it like a mosquito or spider? Because it will simply regurgitate its stomach contents into your wound and this will most likely cause infection and that infection will mostly likely lead to gangrene or fleshing eating disease. I may be exaggerating about the gangrene and fleshing eating, but just because there aren’t any published medical cases on such an affliction, doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen. Don’t even get me started on what could happen if one happens to crawl in an exposed airway. So now, not only do I have to worry about not squishing one, but I also have to worry about not screaming bloody murder when one attaches itself to me for fear that a

A s I start to plan my 2010 trip to Borneo , I need to keep reminding myself that it will be a once in a lifetime adventure. After all, I will be traveling to one of the most bio-diverse exotic places on the planet, visiting remote locations and viewing wildlife that others can only dream off. But as I begin to educate myself on the sites and wildlife of this wonderful place, I start to read about the “blood suckers of the jungle”. Not vampires, but leeches. Apparently these things are sensitive to heat and vibrations, so when you are trekking through the jungle, they will make their move and have be known to literally fling themselves in your direction looking for a meal. Ewww! Supposedly, there is no cause for concern. I am to take comfort in the fact that they will first inject me with a local anesthetic, so I won’t actually feel them sucking the life force from any exposed piece of flesh. It should be noted that I will however bleed profusely once they are fin

T oday has been a monumental day for me, as today is the day I finally got off my ass and mailed my picture book manuscript to a few book publishers. “ Tiny Island , Big Adventures” has been based upon the wild donkeys that roam free on the small Caribbean Island of Bonaire and my interpretation of their daily interactions with tourists. Most of the island’s donkey population are wild and are left to their own devices; however there are a select few that are brave enough to approach vehicles looking for some affection or a snack and may even pose long enough for photo opportunity. It was on my first visit to Bonaire that I encountered these donkeys and even when I am not there, they hold a special place in my memories. It’s actually a part of what draws me back to this island time and again. Well, in all honesty, it’s actually the donkeys, the fantastic scuba diving, warm weather, great food, friendly people and cold Brights beer… The book has been a work in pr

Well, I woke up this morning feeling miserable. Never mind the wrong side of the bed; I woke up in a different bedroom (at least it seemed that way). This feeling seems to be occurring a lot lately and I can’t seem to figure out why. Nonetheless, I am determined not to let it affect the rest of my day. I believe that if I can just struggle through my morning routine, I will be able to grab my coffee and regroup on my drive into work. Unfortunately the closer I got, the more my mood darkened. Perhaps it was simply foresight of things to come. The sun is beginning to shine, so as lunch time arrives and I decide to take a quick drive to help lighten my mood. As I step out the door, the wind is gusting and it is freezing – so much for Spring and the deceitful sunshine, but I muster on. As I’m getting into my car a huge gust of wind comes up out of no where and my car door goes flying – slamming right into the car door beside me. As I dislodge my car door, I proceed t

The weekday has begun as it typically does. Four-thirty a.m., I reach up to close the window above my bed. The crack of dawn hasn’t even cracked yet, it’s still dark, but the birds haven’t seemed to have picked up on that and are busy singing a freakin tune to whoever might be listening. “Stupid birds, spring is an overrated season”, I mumble to myself as I settle back into the pillow. Five-twenty a.m., alarm goes off. Fortunately, my husband’s swift movement has temporarily silenced the perky, caffeine-induced morning show hosts. The snooze button is a wonderful invention, although merely a band-aid solution intended to buy us ten more minutes before we have to drag our sorry butts out of bed. Actually, it’s only my sorry butt that requires dragging anywhere. My husband is a morning person (stupid man). It’s also a good thing he’s a morning person and has fearlessly taken on the task of getting my ass moving in the morning. Without him, I’d be unemployed.

Well, what a week it’s been! Our internal clocks have just begun to sync themselves into some sort of normalcy thanks to the time change brought on by daylight savings time and now we are presented with Friday the 13 th . For some, 13 is an unlucky number. Many believe the number 13 will bring them bad luck. If people truly believe this then 2009 is not their year and could send some scurrying for a highover the edge because 2009 will be extremely unlucky given that there are three Friday the 13 th this year. The first one was last month, then today and then the grand finale is in November. For three to occur in one year is highly unusual and apparently only happens every eleven years. Fear of Friday the 13 th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia and is one of the most common fears people have. Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13. Not to add any more fear mongering, myth or speculation to those that already fear this day, but have you

I seem to be experiencing some form of ADD today. I’m not sure what’s going on with my brain, but I cannot focus on any work projects for more than ten minutes at a time and all I can think about is food and travel. I would love nothing more than to start surfing the Internet for travel deals, but then my thoughts quickly turn to lunch. Even though I’ve brought my lunch, I would love nothing more than to dump it in the trash and run out for something yummy. It’s a good thing my co-workers bring their lunch and don’t tempt me into skipping out for some tastier treats because it wouldn’t take much to break my resolve. I’m weak in the ways of food. UGHH - now I can’t focus on work or travel plans. What is wrong with me? Perhaps I need a holiday – a little time to rejuvenate. Now, if I could only concentrate long enough to plan one. Yes, my priorities are messed up and my moral compass is off and I am well aware that I should be concentrating on earning a living so tha

Well today has started off as another one of those days I contemplate giving myself a self-imposed time out. Although time-outs are usually reserved for two year olds, I could really use one. I would have been better off staying in bed until I was able to play well with others and not have an overwhelming need to spew profanity at my poor unsuspecting family and co-workers. Having said that, we also need to understand that from time to time both family members and co-workers deserve an ass chewing for no apparent reason – it keeps them on their toes and sharpens their survival instincts. Today I am well aware that I am miserable. Actually I am beyond miserable and am wading into the waters of self-destruction and no amount of caffeine, chocolate or French fries with gravy will cure my mood. Well the fries with gravy might, but I will end up hating myself tomorrow, so I’m better left being miserable. Nothing short of a miracle will help me salvage this one. I’ve learned in

What exactly is the point of daylight savings time and why does it have to take effect on a Sunday? Why can’t it actually take place on a Friday afternoon? This would make much more sense – particularly given the fact that we have just rolled our clocks forward and have lost an hour of our weekend. While an hour isn’t much in the grand scheme of things, it’s colossal in terms of time lost in a weekend. I would gladly forgo one hour on a Friday afternoon, but having to do so on a Sunday is wrong. Apparently, the Monday following the commencement of daylight savings time is considered one of the most dangerous times for drivers. Supposedly, more traffic accidents occur on this day than any other, which studies say is most likely from our internal clocks being out of whack. Really?? What genius came to that conclusion?

Whether you are planning for an all-inclusive scuba diving vacation or a weekend camping trip, you can avoid a lot of disappointment and frustration by planning ahead and doing some research on your intended destination. There is no excuse for not arriving at your destination well informed as to what you can expect during your visit. You should be able to find out everything you need to know about your resort, the food, activities, beaches and there is a simple tool to help you with your destination education - it’s called the Internet. The first rule of travel should be - don’t assume that everything will be the same at your destination as it is back at home. There is nothing more frustrating for me than to overhear people complain about the differences from home. While on a recent holiday, I overheard a couple of statements that went something like “I didn’t know there would be so much poverty and garbage in the streets” or “we are scuba divers and there wasn’t any fish

Always keep your passport up-to-date and your toiletry kit stocked, as you never know when the opportunity for adventure will present itself and you don’t want to be caught short with a lack of deodorant. My lust for travel is limited only by the absence of a money tree in my backyard and my moral sense of responsibility to ensure that my car is not repossessed or my house isn’t foreclosed on and my son has an post-secondary education in his future. While I still contribute to an education fund for my son, it certainly isn’t worthy of funding a University education, so imagine my sense of relief that my child has realized he’s not academically motivated enough to attend medical school, but has instead opted for community college. Can you imagine the humiliation I would feel by having to explain to my son that he can’t go to medical school since we spent that money on our trip to Borneo ? Seriously, with a confession like that, I wouldn’t win any parent of the year awards. I w

My philosophy has always been – work to live, don’t live to work. I’ve always believed that there is something better out there for me and in order to achieve it, I would simply need to work hard, treat others fairly and ensure I didn’t sacrifice my morals along the way. Well...with my morals intact, now my days are typically spent daydreaming of winning the lottery, inheriting money or stumbling upon a bag full of cash on the side of the highway. Basically, I hope to get rich quick. In these days of economic uncertainty, making money seems to be increasingly problematic, but keeping it is even more difficult. Not because of the increasing job losses and stock market crashes, but as result of this economic doom and gloom, we need to seek out an escape from reality, if only for an "all-inclusive" week at a time. Money way be the root of all evil, but it is a necessary evil if we want to enjoy the finer things in life.