yet so much fun to go for Greatness! The rest of my weekend in San Francisco was about going for greatness – and having fun while doing it!

The most fun we had was on Saturday night, we had a”Gelebration” – yup, we didn’t really understand what that meant either. People were very creative with their costumes though – it probably helped that there was a contest with cash prizes. Here’s one of my favourites. I was thinking about it – what other product in network marketing could you not only dress up as, but take the actual product and packaging and make a beautiful costume? We really do have something quite beautiful and innovative.

As for me, I took advantage of the cast on my foot, and came up with a creative costume. Before and After FLX.  Even Randy appreciated the creativity.  I didn’t win the cash prize but certainly had a lot of fun! The party was full of great costumes, good music and lots of laughter.  Take a look at the full album at the end of the post for more costume photos.

Sunday morning we wrapped up the conference with two amazing sessions, first with Eric Worre and followed by Randy Gage.  The bottom line for me is that I truly realized that the journey to Greatness is not going to be easy, but that the reward is worth every challenge and sacrifice along the way.  The reason that most people never achieve Greatness is because the journey is hard.  And it is easier to stay comfortable and live in mediocrity.  Now that I know what Greatness looks like, it’s much harder to stay where I am.  It’s time to truly be free from the matrix. And it will take time and hard work, but I know that Dan and I will be free and we will have the chance to live a life we’ve dreamed of, all the while helping others to achieve Greatness themselves and working with incredible leaders from across the globe.

My San Francisco experience was wonderful.  One and a half days of being a tourist and 2 1/2 days of Rockstar training. I met so many incredible people and made so many new friends, not only in Agel, but by travelling alone I had the chance to make many connections.  I am grateful that I had the chance to take this trip, I have always wanted to go to San Francisco, but probably would not have gone for just a vacation.

Have a super day everyone and I’ve got a few more interesting posts planned for the rest of the week, so stay tuned! Here is the full album:

Agel Go Diamond

Cheers!

Friday was another great day here in San Francisco. The day started a bit gray, but soon the early morning fog burned off and it turned into a beautiful day. I still had the morning to be a tourist, so I spent some time in Union Square and then headed back down to the pier. There is so much to see down there, it was nice to just walk around a bit and enjoy the sun. I will admit that after a few days of walking with the cast, it was getting a bit more tiring.  The boot itself is comfortable, just fairly heavy (compared to a shoe).

This is such a cute statue of sea lions, right outside of the aquarium. For some reason, I chose not to visit the aquarium – I figured I would be spending the next few days inside so I might as well enjoy the sun. I wandered for a while and started to head towards Ghirardelli square.  As I got closer, I noticed an art gallery, The Martin Lawrence Galleries.  I snuck in to take a peek and was amazed. Shahala, the fine art consultant, told me all about the different artists they had on display – including Miro, Picasso, Dali and Erté.  I loved it! What an amazing gallery and such a great find.  After my visit, I was looking for a place for lunch, when I got a text from my business partner Julie, who invited me to join them back uptown.  San Francisco’s transportation system is so amazing, I found a bus stop and less than 1 min later a bus appeared. I paid $2 and believe it or not, this bus was going exactly where I needed to go.  I got across town in 22 min.  I am so impressed with the transportation here.  I could definitely live here.  It is such a wonderful city.  I may not leave my heart here, but certainly a part of it will stay.

Friday evening was the first night of our event, Go Diamond. For those of you who have read my about page, you’ll know that I have been in networking marketing for over 4 years, and with Agel Enterprises for almost a year. Over that period of time, I have attended close to a dozen large events and conventions all over Canada and the US.  Friday night was like nothing I have ever experienced before.  First, it was wonderful to connect with friends from all over the world including Australia, Ireland, Nigeria, Finland, Holland, Mexico, Panama and other parts of the US and Canada (among others).  I really love meeting and connecting with people globally.

What really touched me and changed my life were the stories that were shared by the most successful people in Agel. It is very difficult for me to put into words what went on that evening, but there were moments when I had tears in my eyes and other moments when I had chills. My business partners, Julie Mirr and Tim Berry, both told their stories – not just about business – but about their lives, where they came from, some of the challenges they faced and what their lives are now. It was so intimate and personal, I felt their emotion from the stage.  For me, the most powerful stories were shared by our two leaders, Eric Worre and Randy Gage.  I have heard them speak before, many times.  I have even heard Randy tell his story before (I have his generic audio program and his book, Why You’re Dumb, Sick and Broke).  Something was different about it tonight. Eric’s story, which was very heartbreaking at some moments, really shared with us what he went through in order to get where his is today – and why, after all of the setbacks and defeats, he chose to give it one more go with Agel. For both Eric and Randy, this is their last rodeo.  There are here to build a legacy. And Randy, as I said, I’ve heard him share his story before, yet this time we laughed more and even shared a few tears. My heart is full right now just thinking about it.

Many of you know about some of the ups and downs that I have been through this year. I realize it now (even more so) that this is just part of the journey.  And that it really is worth it.  That I have the chance to be truly free, that Dan and I can be parents to our children, and raise them ourselves (instead of paying others to do so).  I am proud to be a part of Agel and to work with such amazing people. There is a real sense of being a part of something amazing right now and I am so excited to see what 2010 has in store for us. Big things are happening this year, Agel’s 5th anniversary is around the corner and the electricity in the air is almost palpable.

San Francisco II

Here is the full album from Friday, just over a dozen photos. Tomorrow I will share my thoughts and ah-ha moments from the rest of the weekend.

Happy Family Day in Ontario!

I arrived in San Francisco early on Wednesday morning, 1:30 am local time (4:30 am EST).  Exhausted after two flights totaling almost 9 hours, I crawled into bed and tried to get some much needed rest. Jet lag got the best of me though and I woke up at 7 am local time. Which is perfect because I had a very full day ahead of me!

With my guidebook in hand and a smile on my face, I took off before 9 am for my day of exploring in San Francisco. First stop, the famous Trolley Car. I bought a day pass for the MUNI (transport system)for $13 dollars – absolutely worth it as it is valid on trolleys, streetcars and buses for the whole day. I headed directly to Fisherman’s Wharf.  I was blessed with perfect weather, it started off a bit cloudy, but the skies cleared and it was a sunny day. It ended with a bit of cloud rolling in and a light shower.  PERFECT!

I figured that a boat tour would be the best way to start the day. Red & White offers a deal that included the boat tour (1 hour) and the hop-on-hop-off bus for 48 hours so I decided that was my best option.  The boat tour followed the shoreline, out to Golden Gate Bridge and then back on the far side of Alcatraz.  We had an audio tour to listen to.  It was a bit chilly and windy, but nice and dry. I learned a lot on the boat tour and met some really interesting people, including a couple from LA – Wilson and Osmarys.  It was their first visit to San Fran as well. I convinced them to join me on the bus tour (they only had one day as well) and we ended up spending the whole day together. It was really amazing to meet such kind people, and we all got along really well, which made the day even more fun.

After the boat, we hopped on the bus for the first time.  We took the tour down to the Port of San Francisco and hopped off. We enjoyed the Farmer’s Market (end of Market Street), the port itself and the view of the Bay Bridge. It’s really neat how the traffic travels on two levels. After that we walked to then next bus stop about 30 min from where we were. Walking through the Financial District reminded me a bit of Toronto. One thing  we notice is how clean the city is.  It was busy, but people seemed to be smiling more that I’ve seen in Toronto. Perhaps because it’s been raining for a while and they were enjoying the sun.

We ended up right near the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art waiting for the bus.  We found out that Thursday night is half price from 6 – 9 pm.  Believe it or not, after my very full day, I made it to the museum for a short visit later that night.

We hopped back on the bus and had a really fun guide this time, Shannon from the UK.  She talked a lot but it was really interesting and funny.  We drove past Union Square (upscale shopping) and all the way to Chinatown.  We hopped off again and toured around. By now, the sun was shining and it was a stunning afternoon.  You can tell by the light in this photo. One of the things I love about this city is the architecture. It is full of variety and creativity, yet somehow, it all fits together. Not a moment went by when I didn’t notice a building with interesting architecture. It is very easy to fall in love with this city, I know I certainly did.

Once we travelled through Chinatown, we ended up on the Trolley car line, and hopped on.  We were fortunate to travel past Grace Church and decided to hop off and check it out.  What a fantastic decision.  It was absolutely stunning. I love Gothic churches and this has to be one of my absolute favourites. What a fantastic unexpected stop! This is what was most fun about our day, we didn’t have an concrete plans, so we just travelled around the city and explored what we wanted to.  San Francisco is small enough that you can do this.

After the church, we walked by a movie shoot – anyone seen the tv show Trauma? They were filming nearby. We hopped on the trolley again, and then on a bus to head down to Fisherman’s Wharf for dinner.  We ate at the restaurant above the wharf, with a beautiful view of the bay, as the light faded and the sun set. The food was amazing.  We shared a goat cheese appetizer and then I enjoyed a Dungeness crab cake sandwich with tomato and avocado.  Loved it!  After dinner, we were startled by the Bush Man – no details here but you have to experience it for a good laugh!  And we finally parted ways.  I had so much fun with Wilson and Osmarys – I certainly hope to have made new friends and I look forward to seeing them again on our next trip to California. I finished the evening by taking a streetcar (literally, a Street Car Named Desire, from Philly) to the SanFranMOMA.  By then, I was exhausted, and my foot was sore (the cast is actually very comfortable and supportive, it was my other foot), so I was only able to get through 3 floors.  I walked back to the hotel and within the hour, was back up to our room. I had such a wonderful day in the city.  I highly recommend it on places to see before you go. I would definitely return with Dan.  There is still so much to see and enjoy, especially all of the different food!

Here is a link to the full album if you’d like to see more photos.

San Francisco

Tonight is the first night of Go Diamond! and I really looking forward to connecting with my business partners and starting this intense weekend of training.

And hopefully, I’ll be able to catch some of the Olympics while I’m in the same time zone.

A bientot!

Not too long after our holiday travel fiasco (the story starts here), I am already getting back on a plane tomorrow! Using one of the vouchers we received from Delta, I’ll be flying to San Francisco from Buffalo tomorrow evening.

After my last experience I wasn’t really sure that I would even want to go on this trip at all.  Yet I have always been a fan of travel and it’s hard for me to resist when I have the opportunity to take a trip. I have never been to San Francisco and this time I decided to arrive early so that I would have at least one day to take in the city.  At one point in time, Dan & I were planning to take this trip as our honeymoon (with a few days of training at the end).  That just wasn’t in the cards though, mostly because we just came back from our trip to Mexico last month.

Ironically, the part I really enjoy is BEING in a new place. And spending time there.  Not so much the airport and airplane part of things. That’s why when I moved overseas to Switzerland, I tended to stay in one spot for a long period of time and explored what was nearby. I’m a lot like my parents in that way.  When they sold their home in Oakville to live in a 31 foot trailer and drive around North American, they tended to spend at least a week – if not a month or two in every destination.

Even though this trip is a short one, I still have my day to be a tourist.  Whatever I choose to do has to involve more watching and relaxing, as opposed to walking (due to the aircast) but I have a feeling that down at Fisherman’s Wharf there is a lot to see. I am excited to see the Golden Gate bridge for myself and to experience the incredible weather changes that San Fran has on a daily basis. I think I’m escaping just in time as we are expecting snow over the next few days.

My questions for you today: First, have you been to San Francisco? And if so, what not to be missed if I only have one day? Second, do you prefer to travel to lots of places or live in one place for a longer period of time?

Thanks for all of your comments and emails about the cast. I was offered some very encouraging stories.

See you in San Francisco!

As promised, in honour of Valentine’s Day next weekend, here is the first of the 3 part series on attracting your perfect mate, using my own personal example.  In my post about Switzerland, I mentioned how my first marriage had ended and I ended up living abroad for over 2 years. While I was away, I met lots of interesting men, but it is very hard to date when you are constantly changing jobs and doing seasonal work. I did try a long distance relationship, ironically with someone living in Canada, without much success. When I moved back to Ontario in Sept 2006, I was once again trying to hang on to a long distance relationship, although this time I was the one living in Canada. That didn’t work very well either.  I knew that I wanted to find my life partner though, so I didn’t give up hope.

The first time I watched The Secret was in Oct 2006.  This was before it became a world-wide movement.  It had a pretty big impact on me, and it was the beginning of a life transforming journey for me. One of the lessons I learned was about being specific about what it is that you want, just like picking from a catalogue.  This seemed like a very good idea to me. In March 2007, I was dealing with some personal challenges and needed to spend some time away, alone, in order to have the space I needed to find some clarity and direction. I packed up my very used car and drove to the Poconos, alone. In retrospect, maybe not the best idea I have ever had, but my parents had given me their timeshare for a week and I needed to be alone.  Ever had that feeling?

I brought along 9 books (all self-development, except 1) and my journal.  No laptop or cell phone, not even TV or movies.  I spent 5 days walking in nature, building fires, meeting complete strangers, reading and writing in my journal.  I took notes on the books I read and I made long lists of all of the things I wanted in my life.  Part of that list included what I was looking for in a partner.  What I did was take all of the things that had not worked in my previous relationships, and asked for the opposite.  I was fairly specific too, right down to “I want a partner who is between 5’10″ and 6’2″ tall, with dark hair and blue eyes”.  I filled 5 pages of my journal with my “order”.

When I came home from the trip, refreshed and renewed, I put the journal aside and rarely looked at it.  What I did do was occasionally I would imagine my dream house (yes, I know every single detail of what it looks like) with my partner and our kids.  I could never really see his face clearly, but he was tall, with dark hair and for some reason, always wearing a white shirt. I had read somewhere that time doesn’t really exist and that everything in our lives really happens at the same time, just on a different plane. So I used to imagine our life together, happening right now, just on a different plane. I had fun with it, and I didn’t really worry about it.

In November of 2007, I took the next step in order to bring my partner into my life …. Stay tuned for Part II!

Are you with your perfect partner? Do you have a wonderful love story to share?

There is one place in the world that completely captures my heart for it’s majestic beauty, clean, fresh air and rich culture – Switzerland. I was first caught in the trance of the mountains in 1998, when Lee-Anne and I backpacked around Europe for 9 weeks. The first time I rode up the mountain in the cog train, I almost lost my breath when we came out of the forest and saw the mountains. Les dents du midi – the teeth in the middle – is the name of the range that first caught my attention.  I ended up spending 12 days at a hostel in Gryon, that faced these mountains.  This image of the mountains was burned in my brain.

Six years later, my first marriage had ended, my contract with Hershey’s was coming to an end and I no longer had anything really keeping me here in Canada. My sister had already been living in the UK, in Cambridge, for a year.  With bleak and un-exciting job prospects on the horizon, I booked a one way ticket to the UK to visit my sister. I still remember looking for jobs in Europe on the internet, and also having a telephone interview with Village Camps in Switzerland, while on my lunch hour at Hershey! My plan was to visit my sister for 10 days and then book a flight home. The day before I left, I received a phone call from Switzerland.  Somehow, I had managed to land a job teaching French at their summer camp in Leysin.  Leysin is on the same mountain range as Gryon – and I would have a view of those beautiful mountains every since day. I must be very convincing because at that time, I had no French teaching experience, and besides being a TA in University, I also had no teaching experience.  I certainly had negotiation experience though and landed my dream job for that summer.

When I look back on how my Switzerland and overseas adventure began, it certainly involved taking some decent risks. I had a little money in savings, a one way ticket, an 8 week job and no plan.  It ended up turning into over a 2 year voyage, with 7 different jobs in 3 different countries and truly one of my experiences of a lifetime. As I continue to re-read The 4-Hour Workweek, I realize that I have already experienced a portion of what Ferriss is writing about.  And there is certain a part of me that would like to do it again, albeit with Dan and with more cash flow, so that I could spend more time doing the things I really loved in Switzerland, such as rock climbing, powder skiing, hiking and just relaxing in the mountain air.

To my friends in Switzerland, I hope you are having a beautiful winter and enjoying the fantastic on and off piste skiing. Perhaps I will revisit Switzerland in a future post.  Ah, who I am kidding, of course I will.  It’s something I think about every single day since I last visited for the summer of 2007.

What place has had the most profound effect on your life? I’d love to hear about it in the comments section.

Most of you have read the post about our challenges on the way to Guadalajara over the holidays. I have some very positive news to report. The outbound leg of our flight was with Delta Airlines.  This is where we had the most challenges. I documented everything and used their handy email system to send my complaint and compliment.  I found the system easy to use and well organized.  It makes it much easier as a consumer to send feedback to the company.  What is evident to me is that Delta Airlines does care about their customers and about keeping their customers, even the ones who are unhappy.

Shortly after I sent the message, I received a personal email from customer care.  I did have to provide more information (which I was able to get from American Airlines) in order for the investigation to be completed.  Less than 24 hours later, I had a response from Nancy Hall, Coordinator of Customer Care.  Here is an excerpt from the email:

“I am truly sorry for any inconvenience you were caused due to flight delay and the service you received from the gate agents.  Our goal is to provide timely information to our passengers as they are traveling…I recognize how upsetting it is when plans are disrupted due to our flight delay.  Feedback like you have provided will help us to improve our overall customer experience.  Be assured that I have shared your comments with our Airport Customer Service leadership team for internal follow up.

Additionally, as our customer, you are in the best position to point out areas that need attention.   Our goal is to provide consistent and accurate information to our passengers at all times.  I am truly sorry that in this instance you did not receive the service you expected and should have received.”

Finally, we were each given a $100 travel voucher for future travel with Delta. I have to say that I am quite please with this outcome and the efficiency of the reply. I mentioned it before and I will say it again, their Customer Service department is excellent. There is a very happy ending to this story too.

Next month, I am flying to San Francisco for a training event.  Turns out, there is a Delta flight that fits perfectly with my travel times.  I just booked the flight with an agent on the phone and only paid $84! I am so excited! Also, the agent on the phone, Gabby, is a fellow Canadian, based in Montreal.  Once again, excellent service and we ended up having a great chat about traveling, Costa Rica and the advantages of being able to speak more than one language.

So, a big thank-you to the customer service at Delta, both in Canada and the US.  I am willing to give you another chance to WOW me at the airport!  And I’ll be sure to let everyone know how that trip goes.

If you’ve got a WOW travel story, I’d love to hear about it. Enough complaining, let’s get to the good stuff!

I love to travel and until this past trip, I have generally had some very good luck when it comes to traveling to the US and internationally. The tips I’m sharing are based on my own personal experience and nothing more, so use at your own risk!  And I don’t have any children yet, so all of these recommendations are based on traveling as a adult.

• Book your ticket as early as possible. This can give you priority when it comes to seating choice or if a trip has been overbooked, you are less likely to be forced off the plane.
• For extra leg room without extra cost on most airlines, book the emergency exit or bulkhead seats (front of the plane). This can be done online the day before for a domestic flight (for some airlines) or at the airport when you check in.  It’s worth it even if you aren’t very tall.
• Weigh your luggage before leaving home, most airlines are very strict about the 50 lb per bag limit and will charge you for every extra lb you are carrying. The good news is that most airlines still do not weigh your carry-on bag, so you can put some of the heavier stuff in your carry-on.  If you are traveling with 2 people, it’s still important to have the weight equally distributed between the two bags.
• For those living near the US/Canadian border, we have had some excellent flights from Buffalo, NY to other locations in the US.  The flights are often half of the cost compared to flying out of Toronto and the airport is smaller, with more advanced security, so you can get through faster. The border is always a bit of a question mark, but there are 3 options to get across from Canada so you can usually make it across within 30 min. And parking is half the price of long-term parking in Toronto.
• Your carry-on is key – even in this climate, you are allowed one personal sized carry-on at the very least.  Items that are essential for me in my carry-on include:
  • an empty re-usable water bottle (this can be filled up on the plane for free by the flight attendants)
  • lots of snacks (nothing liquid or gel though)
  • change of clothing (at least underwear) and sometimes, a bathing suit when traveling to a warmer climate
  • any supplements taken on a daily basis – we bring 2 days of gel packs and put them in the clear baggie
  • a book (or a Kindle – see amazon.com) and a crossword/sudoku/word search magazine
  • any electronics such as a laptop, camera and phone
  • passport, wallet and ID – in a travel pouch depending on where you are going. Put photocopies in your luggage and one at home.
  • tylenol or advil

I hope this helps and if you’ve got any more suggestions – feel free to comment!

**Note as of Jan 6, 2010 – the rules have completely changed.  Sadly, we are no longer allowed to bring much of anything on board.  The rules keep changing but here is the latest from the National Post.

Didn’t think there was going to be a part III to this story, but sadly, there is. Yesterday, Sunday Jan 3rd, we were set to depart from Guadalajara (GDL) airport, back to Toronto.  Security in Mexico is more advance than in Toronto – believe it or not.  Before check-in, our luggage was opened and hand-searched.  Then, after checking in, we passed through security.  The usual rules for liquids & gels and laptops applied, although we did get to keep our shoes on. Then, before boarding the plane, we had yet another check point, where our carry-on bags were now hand-searched (they had already been x-rayed) and a pat-down (although not as invasive as in Toronto).

Our very full plane left from GDL a half-hour late, at 8:30 am.  We had booked through American Airlines, but were flying on Mexicana for this flight.  Nothing really interesting to report here except that we weren’t able to get emergency exit seating and Dan is 6’2″ tall.  Do the math. On arrival to the US, even though we were only in transit, we still had to go through customs, pick up our luggage and through security once again.  When we arrived in Chicago, we quickly went through customs and then waited for our bags.  Happily, mine did show up.  Unhappily for Dan, his did not. We waited and waited, and then realized we had to get going to make our connecting flight. As Chicago was not our final destination, there was nothing we could do about Dan’s luggage at this point.

We rushed to the next terminal for our flight from Chicago to Toronto and again waited in a fairly long security line-up. I had really had enough at this point and when my bag was pulled aside for a search (I had left a sip of water in my re-usable water bottle) – I broke down.  I was exhausted and so tired of being searched and patted-down and just treated like a threat to society.  Now, I do realize that everyone is treated this way, but that still doesn’t make it ok.

Our flight to Toronto was delayed.  At this point, we could only laugh! We enjoyed a sit-down lunch (a luxury we had not anticipated) and headed to the gate.  Dan and I did get emergency row seating this time, which was excellent. There was one more challenge though – due to the weather on the east coast, the plane did not have enough fuel to carry a full load of passengers and their bags (luckily Dan’s was not on the flight!!).  So, 8 people had to be removed from the flight, since there were no volunteers (next flight was Monday morning).  We were SO HAPPY to be on the flight, and felt pretty awful for those who had to stay behind.  We heard so many horror stories from many other passengers, one couple we met didn’t leave until Tuesday (they were scheduled to leave with us on Sunday with American Airlines).

It’s Monday afternoon here in Burlington, and I am very grateful to be home.  Dan’s luggage is still missing – they have yet to locate it.  The house is a mess, the cat needs some love and a shave, and we are both exhausted from our trip.  We learned a few great lessons though:

• Traveling over the holidays is a very bad idea
• Traveling through the US when you are not actually going to the US is a bad idea
• When flying to the US, fly from Buffalo so that your flight is domestic
• Unfortunately, this time, the terrorist did cause total chaos during the busiest travel period of the year – and even though it is out of our control – it is disturbing that one crazed person can cause so much havoc
• It’s a good idea to become rich as soon as possible, in order to travel first class or by private plane!

Next time I’ll share a few travel tips that might be of use for future trips.  For now, we are staying put.  Of course, until we go to San Francisco in February.

Julie

We ended up having a few amazing days in Mexico after all.  There were many challenges along the way but the most important thing was that we were able to spend almost 5 days together, as a new extended family, with much milder weather than anything we have currently in Canada.

Mexico – New Years

This album highlights a few of the wonderful moments we spent.  Our favorite lunch was in Jocotepec, the village where my parents live (30 min outside of Ajijic for those who know that area – it’s popular with ex-pats). We enjoyed pescado and camarones (fish and shrimp) dishes that were quite hot and very tasty.  La comida (lunch) is the largest meal of the day and can take several hours. We enjoyed this tradition, although it was challenging to really slow down and enjoy eating for over an hour. We are definitely not used to that here in Canada.

Roca Azul is the enclosed park where my parents live. It includes vacation homes, a trailer/RV park and a vast recreation area.  We had a chance to enjoy the many different facilities while we were there. It has the feel of a 1950s or 60s great resort – with tennis, volleyball, basketball, a soccer pitch, jungle gyms for the kids, a large manor house and 2 swimming pools.  We spent quite a bit of time in the smaller, warmer pool which had a lagoon-like feel to it.  We also tried beach volleyball and tennis. I am still not very good at tennis, and luckily, neither is Dan.

New Year’s Eve was a family evening for us, including traditional soupe à l’oignon and champagne. We added a Mexican twist this year and hung a pinata for us to whack! Imagine our surprise when after all of that whacking the pinata turned out to be EMPTY! Oh well, we still enjoyed the cocktails and celebrated the end of 2009 outside in the garden.

Our last full day together was New Year’s Day and we spent most of the day relaxing in the garden, reading, watching some of the movies we had received as gifts and taking it easy.  Wonderful! We awoke to a thunder storm early on Saturday morning and saw Nick and Sophie off to the airport in pouring rain.  Even though it was raining, we did have the chance to visit Chapala, a small little town near the water.  We walked along the malecon and hopped between rain drops.  The balance of our last day was spend inside.

It was a very special time for us as a family, and one that may not be easy to repeat in the near future. It is always difficult to be so far away from each other, but we all grew up as world travellers, so it was inevitable that we would go our separate ways as we grew older. Jérôme and Louise seem to have really adjusted to life in Mexico and are very happy. And that’s what is most important of all.

Julie