Random Thoughts: Foggy Night

 

As depicted in the photo above - taken about two hours ago - it is quite a foggy night in Toronto. Very appropriate as my mind is a little foggy right now while I wind down to some good old classical piano tunes...

Seems like life seems to be a constant chase. We as humans, I feel, are never satisfied. We constantly want to better ourselves and simply just want more. I guess it's not a bad thing 'cause without this "want" I guess we would stay at a stand still and there wouldn't be any advances. Everyone has dreams, goals in life that they want to accomplish. Some even have bucket lists created as a way to ensure they live a "fulfilled" life. What ever happened to the notion of "carpe diem" - seize the day - or the recent "YOLO" as popularized by Canadian rapper Drake.

Everyone is too busy in their day to day lives - with work, school, family, et cetera - to appreciate the simple things. I myself am guilty of this. As aforementioned, I'm feeling a little foggy tonight. As many of those in my age group - having just entered the work force not so long ago - I continue to strive to find a "career" for myself. I found a full-time job and started three days after my last university exam. Many say I'm lucky but now looking back I wish I didn't start working right away. I wish I had given myself some time to sit back and reflect on my life a little and figure out exactly what I wanted instead of jumping into a job - a "career" - right away that now, even to this day, I wonder if its what I want to do. 

Unfortunately, we don't all have time machines and can't re-write the past. We can only look forward and learn from out mistakes. (Very cliche, I know!) Easier said than done - trust me, I know! One can only try to look forward to the future and think of the good that it has in store rather than dwell on the bad of the past and/or present. There is always going to be roadblocks along the journey of life but there is always something that will make you smile along the way. Be it a squirrel or a butterfly - I don't know - the little things! I guess what I'm trying to say - and trying to remind myself - is that there will always be things bringing you down. Don't let it make you lose sight of the good ahead - the light at the end of the tunnel (for goodness sake!) - and enjoy the little things along the way. Neil Pasricha wrote a series of books celebrating and calling out the little things in life. Some examples include snowfall on Christmas Eve, high-fiving a baby or popping bubble wrap.

We should all learn to embrace the little things in life and not let the brief negative moments bring us down.

Sorry if this post was a little all over the place. When I write, I try not to edit my thoughts (just for spelling and maybe grammar) so its pretty much me "unedited."

CARPE DIEM =)

-Karennn

Mini Review: Blue Mountain & Scandinave Spa

Spent a good six days in Collingwood, Ontario at Blue Mountain Resort with great friends. Spent a majority of it on the slopes undoubtedly and luckily with plenty of fresh powder.

I bought my self a snowboard last year to force myself to learn how to snowboard after spending all that money. This was my second season with my own board and probably my fourth year going to Blue. After last season, I managed to get a hang of the toe edge and was pretty comfortable with my heel edge.

This year, my goal was to learn to put them together and carve! For the majority of the beginning of the season I deemed myself to be neither "regular" nor "goofy" but rather "retarded" as I couldn't manage to figure out which style I was more comfortable with. As my good friend J calls it, "an identity crisis." After many falls and much frustration I'm proud to say I am regular! Carving is a pain in the butt to learn - literally! I almost raged quit SO many times. My boyfriend - so very patiently - was trying to teach me but I think it's one of those things where you kind of have to figure it out yourself. On Day 2 of our six day vacay, I fell (but of course I did) probably my millionth time since strapping on to a board for the first time - on my wrist pretty badly.

I just sat there - waiting for the pain in my wrist to go away on a plateau area of Happy Valley. You can bet I was ready to rage quit. As I sat there, there were two boarders in front of me - one learning and one teaching. I sat there for probably a good five to ten minutes. My boyfriend kept asking me I was okay but I just sat there staring at these two people in front of me frustrated. Not sure what got into me but after those ten minutes, I got up with a whole new attitude and miraculously began to carve! I still can't explain what went through my head or how it happened - it just did.

Snowboarding is a very fun winter sport but like all sports it can be quite strenuous. After four days straight of boarding, my body needed a good spa day and/or massage. Since hearing about the Scandinave Spa @ Blue Mountain about two years ago I've been dying to go try out their hot baths. I convinced my friend J to come with to see what all the raving was about.


We had a 2-for-1 deal with our season passes at Blue Mountain for the Scandinave Baths so we took advantage of that on Day 5 of our trip. Apparently the proper way to go abouts these "baths" is to spend 15-20 minutes in a "Hot" environment - either in a hot tub at a temperature of about 40 degrees Celsius or the sauna or steam room. You are then to spend 15-20 minutes in a "Cold" environment - either in a pool at about 15 degrees Celsius or quickly roll in the snow! To finish it off, another 15-20 minutes in a relaxing area where you can read magazines and/or papers. You are to repeat this cycle - some people spend two to three hours doing these "baths".

The baths are located outside and lit in a very calming manner. At night, it offers a great view of Blue Mountain all lit up for night skiing. There are "quiet please" signs everywhere and very soothing music playing in the background. The temperature on the day we went was well below -10 degrees Celsius so needless to say we didn't follow the step-by-step. We spent most of the time in the "Hot Baths," tried out the sauna and chilled out in the relaxing area reading magazines.  One of the hot tubs even had a mini waterfall where you could stand under and get a pretty awesome shoulder and upper back massage. The jets in the pools offered great massages on your lower back also. It was definitely a very relaxing experience!

It is definitely a must try for the experience.  Not sure if I would be willing to fork out that type of money and driving two-hours from Toronto if I wasn't already conveniently there boarding to do it again. I prefer the more economical and easier alternative of a hot bubble bath with some LUSH bath products =) It would be a nice getaway spa date for two - for an anniversary or even Valentine's Day - for some rest and relaxation as I would of definitely fallen asleep in that hot pool if it wasn't for the fear of drowning. Those interested can check out their website here. They also have locations by other ski resorts in Whistler, British Columbia and Tremblant, Quebec - great way to unwind and relieve those aching muscles after a long day of boarding and/or skiing, that's for sure! 

Any suggestions for spa/massage destinations? Feel free to leave comments below!

As always, Read. Comment. Share. Follow. <3


-Karennn

Heart-to-Heart: First Love

I was going through my old journal entires and came across this. I wrote this a while back, September 4th, 2010 at 2:49pm to be exact. I think I was doing one of those post-a-day thing where you post a post a day according to a list of things someone had laid out for you to follow. For example, Day 1 was "Introductions" so you basically had to introduce yourself to your followers. Not sure what day "First Love" was but I decided to share with you what I wrote. We all will at one point go through a relationship at least once in our lives that made a mark. One way or another, it will be something you don't ever forget - even years after you've moved on and found happiness in another relationship. Some will be lucky to have their first love be their and also last. Most will probably not have this sort of luck (may be a good or bad thing) but I think your first love will always be the most genuine and innocent kind of love.

First Love

Before I can tell you about my first love, I have to be able to define what love means to me. Over hundreds of years philosophers and psychologists have tried to define the true meaning of love and its difference from lust or infatuation. Love is definitely something that can’t be explained but has to be experienced. Even then those that do experience love may be mistaking it for lust or infatuation. The closest definition to love that I can agree to at least is:

“Love is giving someone the power to break your heart, but trusting them not to.”

Even with this definition it doesn’t fully encompass all the experiences you go through when you’re in love. So, it’ll just have to do…

To me my first “true love,” someone whom I poured my heart out to and was able to see a future with, is someone I sadly don’t talk to anymore. I don’t want to get into too many details ‘cause that would reveal his identity. I know I’m supposed to but my blog my rules =) He was someone I never thought I’d connect with. We came from “two different worlds” (not the rich and poor, nothing like that. As I said not too much detail.) and it just never occurred to be or crossed my mind that it would ever happen. I don’t remember how or when we clicked exactly but it did happen. I remember falling for him and telling my girls about it. They thought I was a little crazy ‘cause well he was one of those go-get-‘em kind of guys' that seemed too busy to have a girlfriend or even date.

Well time went on we started talking in class more and I found ways to talk to him more, try to get him to notice me aside from his busy day-to-day life. Over time I guess he did notice and began our little “love story.” I guess I was the girl that was on the bleachers, now thinking of T.Swift’s single. I never fell for someone so fast. Once our relationship began, I felt my life unraveling itself. I felt a connection so strong that I never felt before with past boyfriends. He was someone I saw my future with, someone I could imagine having kids with…

I guess its true when people say happiness is short lived because after about two or so months things began to change. Maybe it was me, maybe it was him - whatever the case may be things started going downhill. I began to lose feelings for someone I cared so much for. Little things that added up that probably shouldn’t have matter but somehow did. Life is weird like that… I broke his heart and it hurt me so much too. I know he doesn’t think he mattered enough to me but clearly he did and still does. I remember our kisses even years later now when I’m in another relationship. I still look back sometimes and wonder, “What if?”

I remember our very last kiss and him asking me if I still felt anything for him. I couldn’t help but cry. I knew I still cared for him but for some reason all I was able to do was cry. I just cried and cried. Deep down maybe I did feel something but for some reason I couldn’t find the courage to tell him. I still wonder why I didn’t. Maybe the little things added up and overpowered the feelings? I was young and naive, we don’t think straight at that time in life. I’ll never know now…

It’s been a couple years now and we have both matured in our own ways. We haven’t spoken since that day I told him there wouldn’t be a chance of us getting back together, the day I broke his heart again. He may hate me or simply just doesn’t care.

He’ll never know he was my first love…

We all will at one point go through a relationship at least once in our lives that made a mark. One way or another, it will be something you don't ever forget - even years after you've moved on and found happiness in another relationship. Some will be lucky to have their first love be their and also last. Most will probably not have this sort of luck (may be a good or bad thing) but I think your first love will always be the most genuine and innocent kind of love. 

Do you still remember your first love? Share your stories if you care, I'd love to read them! (I'm a sap at heart =P)
As always, Read. Comment. Share. Follow. <3

-Karennn