Blogging Slacker...and some Puppy Pics

Wow! Great way to attract new readers....not blogging. Oops. Hey, I've been busy. After Panama I got a brutal cold upon our return. Then it got a little better, I went to the gym, and the next day I had a brand new cold that was even worse than the first! So I got nowhere with my resume, job hunting, or workouts. But I did lose 8 lbs from it all and so far it has stayed off. I went back to the gym last week and have been trying to gain my stamina back. It's so frustrating how much strength I lost from being sick for so long!

Anyway, a few shots of Chase, Kailey & Willow that I took on one of the only snowy days we've had this winter. This is Canada I live in right??? Oh well, the sooner spring gets here the better. After Panama I think I've developed a new appreciation for summer.

PANAMA!!!

Well, I've been back for almost two weeks so I figure it's time to post about my trip! I caught the nastiest cold ever as soon as we returned and I think it means next time we go to Panama we should just stay there!


This trip was amazing! Now, I don't really have a point of reference given that I haven't travelled much....but we just had the best time and we're already planning our next trip there. Not only is it this beautiful, tropical place; it's absolutely fascinating to boot. The country is undergoing an amazing transformation. They are recovering from the dictatorship of Noriega and have implemented political and economic changes that have resulted in a rather liberal democracy and a period of booming growth that is serving to better the lives of all Panamanians. In a time when most of the world is suffering a horrible recession, Panama's economy grew by an astounding 10% last year and they raised their minimum wage by $50/month. Pretty damn impressive, no?


We hired a Canadian expat one day to take us on a day trip that included a boat tour on the Canal, lunch on the Amador Causeway, and walking around Casco Viejo (Old Panama City). He was super knowledgeable about the history of Panama and entertained us with anecdotes about the area's development and tales of the infamous pirate Captain Henry Morgan (yep, not just a character to sell rum - who knew?).


I could go on and on about Panama....though I don't expect many readers want a history lesson! But if you're interested, then definitely check out the links above. All I can say is if you're a somewhat adventurous traveller then you must go! It's hot, beautiful, rich in culture and history, has amazing food, and friendly people. What more could you want?


All the below photographs are my own. If you wish to use them for whatever reason, please be so kind as to at least link them back here to my blog.

 

The Sheraton Bijao Beach Resort - loved it!

Me on our balcony - super-happy and tanned.

This helped with the "super-happy" part.

I loved the Pacific - nice and warm with no scary crap swimming around.

Panama's beaches are streaked with black volcanic sand, and it is HOT. You've been warned.

 Canal boat trip.

Passing one of these ships on the water is a little unsettling.

Capuchin monkey!

Driving along the Amador Causeway in Panama City - lots of cool shops and restaurants.

Best. Shrimp. Ever. Panamanian food is SO good!

Panama City Skyline.

In Casco Viejo:

The Golden Altar.

My awesome husband!

The economy may be improving, but there are definitely terrible slums as well...

I loved the mountains!

Okay, a lot of pictures I know! But I had a lot of trouble choosing favourites. So there it is - took us a year-and-a-half to get around to it but we finally went on our honeymoon and it was perfect! We're definitely going back, because one week was not enough time to see everything we wanted to. But for now we're eagerly waiting to see what new experiences may be in store for us....

~Michelle

Back from Panama!

So our long-overdue honeymoon was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! What an incredible country it is!

I plan to write a full post about it, but for now here is my favourite photo from the trip. I definitely feel like a rockstar for getting this shot!

Now I'm on Day 1 of post-vacay detox and focusing on nutrition and fitness. And that whole "I need to find a job" thing....

~Michelle

Reality Check

So the holiday season has come to an end...*sigh* I always find this time of year extremely depressing, and this year it is compounded by the fact that the end of the festive season also brings an end to my excuse for delaying my job search. I simply don't feel ready to return to the real world yet, but it's time to at least start. January 2nd also brings an end to my justification for eating everything in sight, such as these:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies -

find the recipe at Big Flavours From a Tiny Kitchen

So tomorrow I will be overhauling my resume while sipping smoothies. I'm going back on my Zero Sugar plan and will be hitting the gym. I'm exhausted already....*yawn*

I already miss my holiday playlist and the warmth and merriment of the holidays....not that my holidays were all that merry anyway. But that's not the point. Now there isn't much to focus on except waiting for summer to return and working on some serious self-improvement projects. I trust this will become fun once I get going, but right now it's a matter of utilizing brute force against myself, which does not equal a good time in my opinion. I'm calling the fitness and nutrition regimen Project Baby - to constantly remind me of why I am doing this and why I never want to slack off or cheat.

In the meantime, I bid adieu to the holiday tunes until next season. I'm hopeful that next year I will have plenty to celebrate!

(Notice that I'm photographing inanimate objects AGAIN? I really need to practice on some human subjects...)

~Michelle

Festive Photos

I am quickly learning that my best shots are of inanimate objects......I suspect that Macro Photography may turn out to be my forte! At this point, the photos I take of people completely suck....there's just no other way to say it. At the top of my wish list is the Nikon 50mm/1.8 AF D lens, which will certainly help me to get the portraits of people I really want, but a huge part of it will be practice and improving my technique. Although I'm not particularly happy with my kit lens, I certainly can't blame it for my portrait fails!

Regardless, here is a shot that just makes me feel happy and festive every time I look at it.

 And the runner-up for my fave shot of the day:

~Michelle