We are moving across the country.  With open hearts, an open road, big dreams and the love to support them.  I’ll catch up once I catch my breath, the road between Vancouver and Toronto awaits.

We came, we saw,

we swam, we hiked,

we cooked fresh fish and ate pancakes in the sun

and I never wanted to leave.

Sometimes life is challenging,

and sometimes it offers itself to you with a coastline that stretches itself into the sun,

a hike that climbs over lakes and the ocean and reveals the world to you

and the quiet moments you want to put in a jam jar and seal up forever.

It was short and sweet.

Just right.

One night away on the island to walk, eat, drink, sleep, swim and remember who we are.

We ate spicy prawns, drank strong martinis, ate chocolate in bed and caught up with a friend of mine over fish and chips.

Sometimes life demands you to take some time off, feel the summer sun, the wind in your hair and your loved one’s palm pressed firmly into yours.  It’s important to listen to that request.

I used to think love was for lyrics and liars, but from the very beginning he proved me wrong and continues to do so.

Love is taking time, taking pleasure in everything and nothing, feeling your surroundings coming alive, warm arms blocking cold winds and sleeping soundly just because I know he’s lying beside me.

The long weekend and a trip across the water fueled my heart and my desire.

The day that summer arrived,

in full form,

arms stretching out and embracing us,

we embraced it back.

We took the day to the water,

and skidded across a perfect oily surface

laughing as our bodies jumped as the boat hit big waves.

We dipped ourselves into the Pacific Ocean,

cold and salty,

and vowed to do it again the next day.

With wet hair and salty smiles we bought fresh ingredients for dinner,

a barbeque feast with salty margaritas to accompany our salty smiles.

Making fresh grapefruit and lime margaritas

Raw vegetable crackers, jalapeno hummus and margarita appetizer

Perfect barbequed asparagus

Barbequed scallops and prawns with asparagus

There was no chapel for this wedding, but a beautiful garden that was worked over with love by the bride’s parents.

There were candles in jam jars, rose petals and white chairs, music in the air, blankets for the ladies, cold white wine and a bride and groom who held each others hands like old friends.

John’s sister got married this weekend and I feel lucky to have been a part of the festivities.

The family put so much work into holding this great event at their home and their hard work paid off.

I drank, ate, danced, admired John as best man looking sharp in his suit, helped prepare the midnight snack with the mother of the groom and fell asleep in my dress on the sofa.

It was a beautiful night.

Robyn is one hell of a woman.

She is gorgeous, smart as a whip, and the best friend you could ever wish for.

We met in our first year of university as aspiring young journalists.

I remember one of the first times we spoke, she was buying M&Ms in the cafeteria in the morning, dressed in vibrant colours, looking impeccable and holding herself tall.

She smiled and laughed with confidence as she spoke, and I thought the world better watch out for this one.

We hung out a bit in first year, but she spent a lot of time partying and socializing while I spent most of my time sewing in my room or wandering through the city trying to untangle the thoughts in my head.

But when I decided to leave for Paris she was one of my heartfelt goodbyes.  She was happy for me and her eyes lit up with talk of travel.

When the next summer rolled around and I was finishing up my time running after kids as an au pair in Paris, she came to spend a week with me.

Even though we’d spent little time together before this, we made a perfect team, walking for hours then picking up wine, salad ingredients and pastries that we would slowly enjoy on the tiny balcony of my building.

She brought matching pink striped shirts to make me laugh, made hilarious videos with me by the Eiffel tower and came home early with me when we attempted to party on the Champs Elysees but decided going back to bed would be more pleasant.

When she asked me to move in with her and another friend when I came back to school in September, I agreed.  It was one of the best choices I’ve ever made.

We spent two years together in that apartment.  Robyn quickly became my best friend, my confidante, my martini drinking partner and my shoulder to cry on.

The only thing we ever “fought” over was an ugly lamp at Value Village she wanted to bring home and I said “No way”.  Her taste was too good for the lamp anyways.

I knew then, and I know now, that our times together would and will be some of the best of my life.  The perfect mornings spent strolling through our neighborhood with coffees in hand to go buy fresh fruit and vegetables, the late night dance parties in her bedroom, our picnics in the park and our random outings to go drink martinis will always be great memories.

Luckily for me, she is still a part of my life.  She’s a plane ride away and we’ve had the chance to get together every once and a while to catch up.  She’s also one of the few people I’ll speak on the phone with for more than five minutes.

Today she is a blossoming, 24-year-old journalist with a big bright future ahead of her.  She remains a light in my life and has the arms I crave whenever I need a good hug.

Happy birthday my beautiful friend, thank you for being you.

Celebrating my 20th together

Celebrating my 21st together

Having fun by the Eiffel tower

Dancing the night away

Hosting a Christmas party at our apartment

Showing some love in France

I celebrated Canada Day this morning with a giant fruit salad drizzled in some patriotic maple syrup.

As I munched through my salad I thought about how it represented Canada.

It was filled with local strawberries, raspberries, exotic pineapple, papaya and coconut, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, and of course a generous drizzle of maple syrup.

Canada is a young, open-minded country that embraces different cultures but is also very proud of its own roots.

After years of traveling I’ve grown to appreciate this country more and more.

I feel strong, safe and powerful being a woman in this country.

I grew up with friends who all came from different backgrounds and race or religion never set up walls for us.  Instead we felt fortunate to share our cultures, our food and traditions.

I have just accepted another job with the production company I’ve been working for so it looks like my feet will be firmly planted on beautiful British Columbia ground for some time.

I’m embracing it whole heartedly, getting into the West Coast vibe by getting outside to jog along the water, buying local produce and eating lots of healthy, energizing food.

I am happy to be here, to have my love by my side, to have my career blossoming so early and to be celebrating Canada Day in the city I was born in.