2014

I sit here in disbelief that we have come to the close of another full year. The further I get from the regular routines of my high school and university days, the faster it all seems to go and the more unique my years seem to become.

Brave changes happened in this particular year.

I left my adopted family on the Disney Wonder to work on their newer ship, the Disney Fantasy. Sure, that might sound like a simple switch but it really wasn't. I knew my job responsibilities but was suddenly living in an alternate universe. I missed my friends and the closeness of my smaller ship, but I got into the swing of things and I'm thankful for the new friendships that formed and the confirmations I received there.

I went on my first solo road trip for my birthday. I may have already been travelling like it was my job (I've made that joke before) but I'd never ever planned an itinerary out on my own like that before. I was able to visit a handful of important friends from different parts of my life and it helped me reconcile pieces of my past. Quality time with good and longtime friends is the perfect cure. Getting to spend a few days each in Disney World, North Carolina, Nashville and New York in the process was unreal.

I made the bold move to give up my life at sea. You always know you've got to get back to a normal existence some day, it's just a question of when. Tis a strange transition to go from being in a different city or country every day for months on end to remaining completely still; to be reminded of who you used to be and merge it with the person you've become. I felt like I had lost a big part of myself. But I relished in free time with my family and friends. I relearned how to cook, remembered how to hold a paintbrush, and rediscovered a few settings on my camera. The period of stillness and personal projects was something I didn't know I needed.

I've enjoyed 2014, even if these few paragraphs fail to bring it justice. There have been many moments of doubt and yet many moments of pure joy. I look back with a heart full of gratitude for where I've been and the hearts I shared it all with. It's funny how much our plans change from the year's beginning to its end. I'm thankful that there's someone Else with bigger and better plans than mine, who helps turn even the seemingly worst events and failures into the stepping stones towards a beautiful life.

Here's to 2015 and all the twists and turns it has in store.

all that sparkle

Christmas is the most magical time of the year. I love having all the sisters home together and I love that everything is extra sparkly because of all of the lights.

We decided to take a nice walk to see said lights. Except that these lights are on our boats in the harbour. I can see all of them from my house but you can't beat the experience of seeing them up close, hearing water splash against the boats with everything a-glowing.

This marks our sixteenth year of having the entire harbour lit up like this. We have a special Boat Lighting Ceremony early in December where we sing carols, drink hot chocolate, and have an early visit from Santa for the kiddos. It's a wonderful event that brings families from all around to our cozy,  little place in the world.

christmas 2014

I always look forward to our annual Christmas gathering with my mom's side of the family.
At some point in the evening we usually take a few pictures by the tree. Here are a few of 'em!

#throwbackthursday

Does anyone remember back in the days of MSN messenger when group emails and those super long questionnaire surveys were ALL the rage? This was what we did before the existence of Instagram, Snapchat and Vine, dear children.

I remember getting so many from different people and even multiple ones from the same people but I never really bothered doing them myself. Ain't nobody got time for that! Err...apparently everyone else had time besides me, who deliberates far too long over the perfect answer and worries how someone could interpret it. I mean, how can you even pick your favourite song when choosing between top hits like, Hollaback Girl, Drop It Like It's Hot, and Beautiful Soul back in 2005?

But there was one evening that I finally sat down and spent ages hemming and hawing trying to fill one out. I triumphantly hit "send" only to have a big internet fail, which deleted the last hour of my life. I didn't try again. That was a life lesson right there, somewhere.

I have since come to believe that spending time thinking about and discovering what you like is not a waste of time at all and it's fun seeing how your interests change. Thinking about all of this came about because I was browsing through my neglected hotmail account and came across some old ones from Janessa and Sarah, smiling to myself reading their old answers and seeing how those answers have changed; feelings on tattoos, clothing styles, and favourite foods. I kinda wished I had given the list driven time capsule another shot!

In the spirit of Throwback Thursday, I decided to fill one out and share it here, with some minor additions and alterations. I figure in a decade or so, in a fit of nostalgia I'll come back and enjoy these delightful answers.

Click below to check out the survey.

getting in the spirit

...with some painting! Trying to work on a few homemade cards this year. I have made it my goal to send more notes and letters to friends. Christmas is one of the best (and last) chances to make good on it. Tell me yer addresses by's!