Travel! or Why Being a Hermit Actually Sounds Pretty Good

I like travel. No. I'm trying to make that true but what IS actually true is that I like the IDEA of travel. I like hearing about other people’s travel experiences and feeling envious of them for wanting to do that. Travel makes me anxious. The packing and the planning and not knowing what to expect…. Really not my jam. I try to compensate with lists. Packing lists, food lists, lists of possible activities, itineraries and backup itineraries, and then of course I need a list to keep track of all the lists. Flying makes me feel I should bring nothing and driving makes me feel like I should bring everything. Clearly, I take all the fun out of it. 

Once I am actually ON a trip, I often feel paralyzed with indecision about what to do there. I need to make it worthwhile to be out of my comfort zone. But how? 

So today, Owen, Ayla and I leave to a family reunion in a tiny town in the neighbouring (my hometown) province of Saskatchewan. It is a place where the sun is unyielding, the summer storms are fierce and majestic, and the mosquitoes laugh mockingly at your attempt at bug spray as they carry you away to their lair. I love my family and can't wait to see them, and once I am there I'm sure all will be well. It's the preparation that gets me. 

But… Cancelling is rarely an option with these things, so departure is D-3hrs and counting and I'd better get busy! 

Long Dog-Days of summer... What to do?

During the long dog-days of summer, it’s hard to figure out what to do with the kiddos. Mine are all in the pre-teen/teen stage of life, so mainly they can entertain themselves. The main issue is all the screen time! Left to their own devices (pun intended), they will sit glassy-eyed and still, staring at a screen most of the day. YouTube videos by the hour, all those ridiculous teen shows on TV, XBox and PS4 and DS and blah blah blah. 

So Dan and I laid down the law a few months ago and instituted “screen-free” time between the hours of 10am-3pm. Go DO something! There are parks and bike paths and friends to play with! But instead, most days, it is “Mom/Laura, what are we going to do today….” (read in a super whiney voice). I don’t want them to think I am there to constantly entertain them, but I also do want to find fun things to do around the city. 

Enter the BEST website for that purpose: It is called To Do Canada, and there are many major cities (including mine) on there to explore. It tells me what festivals are on, what activities are happening, or suggestions for family fun! It even has sections for adult fun, road trips, day trips, and so much more! It is perfect for me, because I am not good at planning events. I am totally on-board, if someone plans something, but I don’t like being the planner. This website is perfect!

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My Very First Post!

I've had an “online presence” for a long time. I frequently post on different forums, I have a Facebook account (although I've never been that into it), I have Instagram and Twitter… But they are more pics and short text comments. Not quite right for this long-winded girl. I've had a website for my class for years, including a blog about class activities, which no one ever reads except my students and the occasional parent.

This year, I had a student who absolutely cracked me up! He was an awesome kid, and everything that came out of his mouth was hilarious. “You should write these stories down!” people would say when I would tell my daily tales about this student, and other goings-on in my classroom. I should, I thought, but didn't.

Then at the end of the school year, at a “start the staff meeting game” I casually told a group of my colleagues that “I Blog”. They were suitably impressed and asked where they could locate such glorious writings, and I had to backpedal a bit. I mean, I don't have my own ACTUAL blog… Just the one on my website… And an online journal on a fitness site… But.. Um…

Why don't I have a Blog?!? was the question that kept popping into my head. So as soon as summer hit (and I slept for a solid week), I set out to fix that problem.

Ta Da!

You're welcome.