A Mighty Fine 2012
Another wonderful year is coming to a close. And I thought what better way to review it than sharing it with you. 2012 marks a very curious year for myself. I guess you can say there were changes- mentally and physically. I'm uncertain, but I believe these twelve glorious months made me more mature in instances. Was it for good or bad? Probably both. But one thing I am certain of is everything that happened to me this year- combined- turned out to be gratifying and opened my eyes to new ideas in the world.
My word of the year is "adventurous". And adventurous I was. There were great twists and turns in my life and I rarely knew what the next few days would look like. Where would I travel to next? How could I escape from reality? Should I upgrade my appearance? How could I become a better me? There were so many questions answered in the past months that made me realize how lucky I am to be ME. Although I can't create any more memories in 2012, I am excited to look back on what made me "adventurous" this year!
A Magical (and hot) Christmas & New Year
My year started off unlike any other way I have experienced prior to 2012. For the first time, Christmas and New Years were spent in hot locations. Christmas day, my mom, sister (Nikki), and I flew all the way to Orlando for:
Universal
We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel where we ended up getting a complimentary upgrade to a large suite which was almost three times the size of our original standard hotel room. Amenities included an enormous swimming pool made to look like a beach with a huge water slide, several jacuzzis, and underwater speakers. Many a time I jammed out to AC/DC and Aerosmith while making silly faces underwater with Nikki. We visited both parks and rode Spiderman 4D, Hulk rollercoaster, Jaws where I bumped into my frosh leader and his family (what a coincidence!), etc. Harry Potter World is a must see with a couple of rides, Butterbeer, a trip to Olivander's Wand Shop, and character appearances.
Disney
We visited Disneyworld for a day in Hollywood Studios. This is the park with all of the "big kid" rides like Tower of Terror and Rock 'n' Rollercoaster (partial to both). From open to close, we were moving around non-stop getting as much as we could into our day. We rode (Toy Story was great!), ate, took pictures with silly characters, watched the final American Idol sing off, and took a couple of sketching lessons. Overall it was a fun day! Our last day was spent shopping around in Disneytown where we picked up classic souvenirs: Minnie Mouse ears. That night, we drove to Miami to meet with my mom's side of the family at Roy's, a Hawaiian-influenced restaurant. Yum! It was great to see them before they also headed off to their next destination like us...
Cruising
New Year's Day, the three of us boarded the NCL Star for a seven night Eastern Carribbean cruise! What an excellent way to start 2012. Highlights included ziplining and petting iguanas in Roatan, tubing in Belize, and winning the trophy as Dancing with the Stars champ (my claim to fame on the boat). I met some great people I keep in touch with to this day as well. NCL is always a fun time. I just wish I was on the boat much longer.
May
Cuba
Four friends at an all inclusive in Santa Maya Coco. This was a recipe for fun and it never disappointed. It was a great time to bond and get to know each other more while soaking up the rays in Cuba. There were several others who we met and it made our stay that much better. We disco'd, swam in the bright blue and green beach, wine and dined, kissed dolphins, and have lasting memories.
June
Going Short
What better way to start the summer than to chop off a lot of hair. I went from tresses below the shoulder to them being cut short at around my chin. It was a daredevil move, but I was thrilled with the result. My only issue was not being able to put it up in a ponytail for a while...but no matter! A refreshing haircut for a refreshing adventure ahead.
Dad's Wedding
It was a tough event to go through. Not the actual day, but leading up to it. But I am pleased to tell you I have 100% happiness for my dad and his new wife who are expecting in March! Crossing my fingers its a baby half-brother! Congratulations dad, and I wish you an incredible journey with this new milestone.
Summer
Sicily
Not being able to get a solid job in my hometown, I went abroad as an Au Pair in Sicily. I lived with a family of six in Zafferana, Catania (mother, father, 13 year old girl,15 year old boy, a cat and dog). My job was to help develop the children's English skills in return for room, board, stipend, and living as a local. The family brought me everywhere they went and I ventured all over the Sicilian island including the smaller island, Marettimo, where their summer home resides. I met their large family, ate incredible food, and picked up quite a bit of Italian. The goodbye was very difficult for me and the kids because we became so close to each other, but we still keep in touch.
Rome
It was time to head north after three months as a Sicilian. For one week on my own terms, I wandered the streets and ancient ruins by day, and slept in a hostel by night. I became friends with my roommate from Australia and a fellow traveller from Israel as well as a few other locals who made my stay much more adventurous than I ever imagined. One took me on his scooter to tour the ancient sites at 2am, the perfect time to visit the Pantheon, Colosseum and Piazza Navona. And I can't forget to mention some locations which I have never thought to visit before. I also had the pleasure of meeting the kids' cousin again who happens to be a Carabinieri in the city. This trip was magical and I was sad to see my entire summer flash by.This side-trip made me realize and wonder what it would be like to travel most of the world this way.
Tourguide in Toronto
I met a lovely boy from Germany who was on exchange at UofT. We travelled to the zoo together and had a wonderful day hanging out. Two months later, we met again to skate at Harbourfront which was a new experience for both of us. Of course he asked me to coach him and make him a better skater, which I did! It was unfortunate we couldn't see each other more, but I know we will meet again one day.
Other Mentionable Events
1D
I got to experience what every teenage girl dreams of: seeing One Direction live. Although, I only knew their singles, it was fun to listen to while sitting down circled by extreme fans (note: it created a sound bubble which saved my hearing!) . I rolled my eyes at the screaming girls only to realize I was one of them a few years back when I had a Jonas Brother obsession (guilty). I also felt sorry for the fathers who were there.
Modern Family
Finally I found a new show that would make me laugh just as much as Reba, Seinfeld, or Friends. I can't single out one character for the best lines because they are all so well thought out by the writers.
Couchsurfing
In the summer, I found Couchsurfers, a very helpful site connecting me to other travellers from around the world. It has helped me create a few friendships (Toronto and elsewhere) I would never have if I didn't come across the site. Never using it's main purpose of "surfing" via a local's free hospitality, I will surely do it at the next location I wander to.
Pierced ear
I got my conch pierced near the end of the semester. I walked by New World and said what the heck, got it done, and I have no regrets. Adventurous, right?
Muay Thai
I decided it was time to try something new for measure in terms of workout and fitness. I found this style of kickboxing and went to a trial class with Nikki. It turned out to be a lot of fun and am looking forward to more classes in the New Year! Punching things are much more fun than I thought.
Nerded Out
I was invited to a friend's house for a very exciting gathering. Let me call it the nerdiest gathering I have ever been to in my life. I played board games I never heard of before. And I came to the realization I was in my own episode of the Big Bang while watching board and video games going on simultaneously until 2am (I can confirm I was the sole female at the gathering along with six males). A thoroughly enjoyable night, surprisingly!
Ringing in 2013
Tonight my plan is to attend a CS New Year party to meet even more people who share travelling as a passion. I know all my adventurous days this year will flood back into my mind as the countdown to midnight begins...2012 has taken me a step forward to make me into the person I'm supposed to be. I look forward to next year and all I can say is, BRING IT ON, 2013!
What did you think your word of the year was? Was your 2012 similar to mine? Tell me about your fond memories.
I wish you a happy and healthy 2013 to pursue many endeavours to come!
...Nonsensical Jade...
