I’ve done a bunch over the last month that I want to tell you about. I’ve traveled home to BC by myself for the first time since pretty much having kids, attended my 20th high school reunion, celebrated Mother’s Day,  our 14th wedding anniversary downtown Toronto and today is my daughter’s 10th birthday!! It’s been a busy month of May!

In the meantime… I have some unfinished business! I announced the winner of the $150 Canadian Tire Gift Card giveaway on Twitter but forgot to post it here. DUH!

So officially, I’d like that thank “Habs Fan Pete” for being persistent and patient! He was the winner of the prize sponsored by Canadian Tire Travel Insurance.

Habs Fan Pete winner of the $150 Canadian Tire gift card, sponsored by Canadian Tire Travel Insurance

Let me know what you buy with it!!

Prizes have been taking 4-6 weeks following the announcement of the winners.

Check this video out! It’s about Grouse Mountain which is in North Vancouver, British Columbia. I lived at the base of this mountain for a few years as a child and I was married 14 years ago at the top! Needless to say… this place holds many special memories for me!

Enjoy…..

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Tom Brokaw did a piece just prior to the opening ceremonies at the 2010 Vancouver winter Olympic games. I was glued to CTV so I missed the NBC airing of it. This morning the video on YouTube, had roughly around 22,000 views and now, just before midnight of that same day… it’s almost at 53,000. I know I’ve watched it several times… crying each and every time! It’s favourited in my iPhone, so now when I need a ego-boost about this marvelous nation I live in… I can thank an American for making me feel so patriotic!! Thanks Tom.

If you haven’t seen it. YOU MUST WATCH!! Enjoy, grab that kleenex box just in case…

Last medal count was 8 (4 Gold; 3 Silver; 1 Bronze)

This crazy Canuck is proud to call this place HOME! Here’s a photo with my Dad and one of the torch bearers. She’s a good customer at his restaurant in White Rock, BC so she had to let him see it up close and personal.

my dad and the torch

1. United States ~ I’ve been to almost every State, with the exception of Alaska (which is odd since I worked for an Alaskan cruise line for 4 summers as a teen), Vermont & Maine. My favourite was Hawaii followed closely by South Carolina (Charleston in particular) and one day I’d like to see the beaches along the Gulf Coast.

2. Mexico ~ I don’t really remember Mexico, I was really young. I do recall the locals had a thing for my little sister who had white blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

3. Japan ~ I lived in Kanazawa for a year after high school on an exchange program. While there I visited Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe.

4. France ~ My hubby and I backpacked through parts of Europe when our oldest was around 7 months old. He was a perfect traveler. We stayed a few days in Paris in a place a step up from a hostel on Ponte Neuf. It was incredible to walk this beautiful city.

5. Switzerland ~ While we were backpacking we made a stop off for a week at a friend’s place in Lucerne. They were proud to show off Zurich and a little village near the Swiss/Italian border. The Alps (& the Matterhorn) were exquisite.

6. Italy ~ While Lucerne was our “base” we took a train to Venice and Florence and back again in just a few days. We spent a night in each city and took in as much history as we could. We joke to our son (who is now 11) that he slept through some of the most famous museums in the world. Note to self: do not eat – while seated backwards – on the Italian speed train! blech…

7. England ~ OK, so I haven’t actually touched UK soil… I was trapped inside the airport in London while on the way and back from location #8.

8. South Africa ~ I took 5 teens from our church on a Mission’s trip in the summer of 2008. We spent 3 weeks touring and working throughout KwaZulu Natal.

Places I’d like to visit:

9. Egypt ~ The history and archeology intrigue me, my momma raised me right.
10. Israel ~ Biblical history… need I say more!
11. Greece ~ Same reason as #9 & 10 and it’s only increased since my parents took a cruise throug the Mediterranean a few years ago.
12. Ireland ~ My sister went on a Mission’s trip while she was still in high school and after seeing “Leap Year” I want to experience those lush, green, rolling hills myself!
13. Norway ~ It’s a part of my family heritage on my Dad’s side (he’s half Ukrainian and half Norwegian). The closest I’ve come to experiencing anything Norwegian is on the Ship my parents took my husband and I on a cruise around Hawaii for our 10th anniversary back in 2006.
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I talked about the injury and the whole ordeal with the travel insurance here. I left the hospital with a bill that said ZERO. The insurance company I had purchased my travel insurance through had spoken directly with the hospitals administration while I was seeing the Doctor in the ER and it was dealt with.

Or so I thought…

After I threatened to call the RCMP on this man… which was after he threatened to ruin my credit for not paying this outstanding bill… I shouted more than I probably should have but still!!  I kept asking him for proof of what he was telling me. I kept telling him that I left the hospital with a bill that said, “PAID”! He said this was an additional bill and that bills sometimes get lost in the mail.  It seemed fishy to me. He wanted my credit card number so that we could settle this over the phone so he wouldn’t have to ruin my good credit score. I think I probably threatened to call the police again somewhere in here… so needless to say, I hung up on him and called my travel insurance company.

Apparently Doctors in the US sometimes bill separately from the hospitals but of course I don’t have proof of this because I never received a bill, neither did my travel insurance company. Now I have been trying to dig up the name of the hospital in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee so I can find out if this collection agency is telling the truth… that I have an outstanding bill somewhere out there, hanging over my perfect credit rating.  Can a collection agency in the US ruin the credit of a Canadian?!

I am still very thankful I purchased travel insurance but I really would have wished I would have read the small print while at the hospital. Which is ironic as I was in there for an eye injury!

I’ll keep you posted on this.

Anyway… like I mentioned in the previous post, my hubby loves to go winter camping. Crazy — I know!! He’s just told me that he’s already booked his yurts for February 2010. A Yurt… a step up from Igloo, both of which my hubby has indeed slept in! Here’s the proof:

Winter Camping, February 2007

The boys returned safe and sound on Sunday evening from their rugged – “I am man hear me roar” – winter camping trip. Well… it wasn’t as rugged as years gone by but they had just as much fun. I am glad that my 8 year old, Q, was able to experience it with his dad.

They traded in their igloo making gear for a heated Yurt and the weather wasn’t a blizzard with freezing rain. That was last year! This year they had beautiful hiking weather and a wood stove to keep them warm at night. They were able to take up their favourite game, Settler’s of Catan, to play as a Yurt is more like a canvas cabin! The two younger boys (mine and a friend’s 11 year old son) watched movies on the portable DVD player. Yah, so not so rugged….

I know Q is looking forward to going again next year. He loves winter and loves being outside, he would have been fine and would have loved it if they did have to stay in an igloo! I can’t wait until my hubby can take all three boys — and our only princess as well!! I think I’ll stay at a spa that weekend….

Just in case you didn’t believe me about the igloo thing….

I – AM – CANADIAN!!

Australia
If you’re thinking big and thinking of going south, then look no further than down under.  Australia, both its cities and beaches, offer an experience like no other.  You can surf and visit the Great Barrier Reefs.  There’s little worry about environmental health concerns, just reasons to enjoy a wonderful vacation in Australia.  In the cities, you’ll encounter some of the world’s safest and most cosmopolitan areas including an opportunity to visit the world-renowned Sydney Opera House.

Switzerland
Two words: Swiss Alps.  Switzerland is one of the world’s most beautiful countries, it’s also a nature lovers dream.  I should now… I’ve been there. My hubby and I backpacked through Switzerland with our first child when he was only 7 months old!  From hiking to skiing or relaxing at a lake, Switzerland is nature at its purest.  After a day camped in the Swiss Alps, you can return to a country who is equally known for spas and chalets that reinvigorate. Switzerland is also the world’s safest country and most of its cities carry the distinction of being among the safest in the world as well.

Beaches of Florida
Florida’s one of the most affordable vacations you can take.  Throw in the fact that your travel insurance for luggage and other reasons will be cheap.  Whether you’re visiting Fort Myers Beach, Key West, Miami, Clearwater or Daytona, Florida’s beaches give you the tropical pleasure without the expensive plane ticket prices (you could even drive!) or crime associated with the tropics.  Florida’s beach areas have low crime and good seasonal hotel rates.

Amsterdam
Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, is one of the most affordable European trips.  The city is also one of the safest in Europe. Amsterdam’s museums including the Anne Frank and Van Gogh museums deliver experiences not to be missed.  Amsterdam is also a safe trip with little to no reports of pickpockets.  Stay in a bed and breakfast outside or inside the city, either way you’ll be served one of the cheapest travel insurance destinations. It’s also an English-friendly country so if you need help, you can get it with just a few words.

London
London is perhaps the best traditional visit on this list. Most of the tourist spots carry low crime rates. London is a site to see even if you don’t enter a museum.  From Big Ben, to the redesigned Globe Theatre, London is  a pleasure to behold. For these reasons, it’s one of the cheapest travel insurance destinations.

Napa Valley
Most people forget about the wineries of California when planning a vacation.  Yet this wine rich environment boasts will give you a buzz without costing too many bucks. You’ll save for sure on travel insurance with Napa Valley.  It’s a safe spot for tourists and the tastiest non-food vacation you’ll experience.

Luxembourg City
The little city-state lodged between Belgium, France and Germany boasts the best of so many worlds.  It’s infused with the culture of all three of those regions.  You’ll taste the finest of French cuisine melded with the joviality only found in Germany.  Did I mention it’s consistently rated as one of the world’s safest cities?! That makes it one of the ideal insurance destinations.  Because of the variety of languages, the city possesses a lot of people who know English as a second language, making it very English friendly.

Have you been to any of these places? Do you have any other destinations to add to my list of inexpensive and safe??

This week has been a little crazy though, my parents flew in from Romania on Tuesday and every day since has been a whirlwind of activity. They were in Romania for a long-time family friend’s wedding and for over a week leading up to that… they were traveling, by train, through Poland and Ukraine. What an awesome trip they had! So I thought today I’d share with you some of their travels.

I could post all the pictures from the castles they went into and all the beautiful scenery they drove by but I’ll dedicate this post to one particular event. The day they visited “Haven for Children” an orphanage run by a couple in their 30’s (he a Romanian and she a Bulgarian by birth) with 8 children of their own.  He runs a maintenance landscaping business in Glendale, Arizona – travelling back and forth.  From this business he supports the orphanage along with whatever other private assistance comes in, a little comes in from select groups but not a single dime from government agencies.

The following is written by my Dad.

“They presently have 45 children between the ages of 6 and 18 (school age).  The orphanage sits on several acres of land allowing them to plant fruit trees, have a garden, a grass area, a soccer field and beyond a field that could accommodate a few cows (which they don’t have yet).  While we were there they were in the last pour of concrete for footings of a future basketball court.

Sergius (who runs the orphanage) said you either provide sports activities for them to release their energy in a healthy way or pay the price of them taking it out on their own housing facility.

The children gathered as we came into the assembly area, all interested in who we were.  It wasn’t long before they were sitting across from us singing in both english and their native language – beautiful songs.  One wanted to show us how he could walk on his hands and that he did across the room turn and cross back without hesitation or losing his balance.  He is one of 6 children from one family that had been taken into the orphanage recently after being found abandoned in a field.  When found, they were undernourished and eating grass and drinking the milk from a lactating dog.  That’s right – a dog!  They are all of small stature for their age.  It is hoped that with proper food and loving care they will develop well.

Out back is a shed of about 8 feet by 6 feet that was hastily assembled earlier in the spring to temporarily house 8 teenagers who had been living on the streets.  They stayed in the shed until the last addition was completed and able to house them.  It is the hope some will go onto secondary education which is rare for orphans.

There was an old lady there as well.  Her property is 4 lots away and a week ago her house burned down, her nephew, who was living with her beat her up, blaming her for the fire.  She spent 4 days sleeping outside before someone found her.  With no place to go this Orphanage brought her in.  She just sits and watches the children with little expression on her face.

Volunteers – they welcome volunteers.  They can house and feed them but without pay.  Presently they have a young lady from France.

I have seen several orphanages in Romania since first visiting in 1992 and view this one as one of the best run ones.” ~ Dwayne & Sharon

Tomorrow my parents will leave here and head to their home in British Columbia, but they leave behind many wonderful stories of hope and love and inspire us to do more.  We are making plans to go to Romania next summer on a humanitarian aid trip. I can’t wait to post about that trip!