what happens in Vegas…

Whoa! Times goes by so fast. I guess it’s a good indication that I’ve been busy doing too many things to notice.  November just begun and the weather is changing. It’s not winter yet but you can definitely feel it coming! As much as I complain about living in a country that puts me through miserable conditions 3 months a year, I still kind of enjoy this period. Before the minus 30s, it’s actually not so bad. It does not mean that I don’t enjoy getting away for a few days…

In October, my best friend and I decided to go to Vegas for a weekend to celebrate our almost 15 years of friendship. We have done some traveling together and have had quite the adventures (trust me on that one!) but never actually out of the country. So this was well overdue.

I decided to go to Montreal the day before our trip to spend some time with my sister and mother. What a delight. I love them so much.

The next morning, we got up at 6am to make our way to the airport. After a very long wait at customs, we finally got on the plane and were very happy to see that we got the emergency aisle seats. Hurray for more leg room! The flight was smooth and soon we were out on Nevada soil and on our way to The Tropicana. Very decent hotel with nice rooms and great location (next to MGM and the main arteries of the Strip).  We spent most of our time at the pool, getting some rays from the hot desert sun. We walked the whole Strip all the way to the Fashion Show Mall where I had to buy some lingerie at Victoria’s Secret.  We also visited the Miracle Mile Shops where I got myself two beautiful pinup dresses from the Bettie Page store. On our way we met Jerry Springer and Betsey Johnson. The latter was such an honour! She is just fabulous and so friendly. I am so happy to have been lucky enough to be there at the right time.  At night, we would just visit the casinos and tempt our luck at the poker and blackjack machines. I’ve played the tables before but this time around I just didn’t feel it.  It was a great weekend.

Then we had to leave. And this is where the nightmare begins.  Because of my job, we get incredible deals on tickets but it also means that we fly standby. And flying standby means that sometimes you have to have a Plan B and even a Plan C.  And that’s exactly what happened on that day. Our flight to Montreal was full so we automatically get bumped off of it and have to find another flight home. We wanted to get on the Toronto one but it was oversold also (it’s Vegas, it’s not surprising!).  So our only option was to go through Calgary and then catch the redeye to Toronto and fly to Montreal from there.  The whole thing was very chaotic and stressful and didn’t necessarily bring out the best in both of us let’s just say… Our friendship was strongly tested. I will spare you the details just to avoid being too partial on my part. I finally got home about 28 hours after we started in Vegas.  It was hell. I will definitely think twice before I bring a friend on vacation with me again, trust me!

Aside from that, Halloween was a success. This was our first time living in an actual house and on a main floor, so we really enjoyed decorating the front porch and dressing up to give candy to the kids. It is so much fun! I wish Halloween happened more than once a year. It’s definitely my favourite holiday.

So there you go, your recap for the last month.  Let’s see what the Holiday Season will bring next!

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it’s getting hot in here.

As I mentioned in my previous post, this month marks our first year of marriage. Since we are still newlyweds, we allowed ourselves some serious celebration. We started it all off with the Queen of Rockabilly herself:  Wanda Jackson.

An intimate venue and a petite woman with such power in her. I couldn’t have asked for anything better to share with my partner.  We even got her to sign an 8×10 picture of her from the old days.  What a wonderful experience that was!

We spent the next night alone and had a delicious homemade dinner and some quality time. I love you buddy!

And just because we can and we get a little greedy, we decided to also go on a mini vacation to make the fun last just a bit longer. Direction: Jamaica.  We chose Hedo 3 after much research and reviews. We really wanted a place where we could just let loose and have fun without having to worry about anything. And honestly, there is no better place than Jamaica to leave all your worries behind.  Oh what a hot destination (and I don’t necessarily mean the weather)! If you have never heard of Hedonism you have to at least know right away that they are clothing optional resorts. The place is divided between the fully clothed pools and the nudist ones. Let me tell you that there was NOBODY on the fully clothed side! Most people who make the effort to go to such resorts are there to enjoy the perks of being naked. We didn’t know what to expect at first, but you are quickly introduced to the ‘anything goes’ policy. There are no rules at Hedo! You can even be in the pool and hottub all night if you wish! Just be aware that you are in prime time for all kinds of action.

I love the Jamaican attitude and especially the food. The weather was amazing and it was just divine to tan with no clothes on. Goodbye tan lines! (make sure you lotion up though or you’ll get an unpleasant surprise…) This was a very relaxing week  (5 days) even though I had some annoying back pain. Lying in the pool all day surely helps! The only flaws we found were the beach (they are very small and dirty in Jamaica unlike our beloved Mexico) and the food was a bit boring after the 3rd or 4th day. One very good perk was that compared to quieter resorts where the focus is mainly on day activities, Hedo has nightclubs and parties until the wee hours of the morning.

All in all, September was a month filled with love and good times.

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because i can.

I am back from Mexico. Already. It’s funny because I didn’t mind coming back home so much, but now being stuck in this ruthless winter cold, I wish I was somewhere else.

First off, you will read about lots of trips on this blog and the only reason, if you don’t already know, that I can afford those trips is that I am a flight attendant. I get reaaaaally good prices on tickets so that allows me to live the life I so dearly long for.

So, just because we can, the husband and I went to Cancun this weekend.  A 3 day trip that was very refreshing and relaxing. I think we sometimes underestimate the importance of down time in our lives. We really need to let go of everything and just chill when stress becomes overwhelming. I know I am lucky that I can do so by traveling as much as my heart desires. It is my passion and I intend to take full advantage of it.

We stayed at the Oasis Cancun because it was the cheapest resort we could find that still had decent services and one of the closest ones to the airport. It is an ok hotel but certainly not my kind of place. The pictures on the website are shot in angles that make it look much better than it actually is. I liked that in those photos there were trees on the property and also that it was not a sky rise. When I go on vacation I want to feel that I am in a special place, a piece of paradise….not in a building that reminds me of the city! Most resorts in Cancun are big hotel buildings. The Oasis is fairly smaller, but the grounds are fairly confusing. It has a pool that goes through the resort and various swim up bars. I found it to have too much concrete with not enough chairs for everybody to lounge by the pool comfortably. If you want to relax you have to go down to the beach and squeeze your towel in between other people. it is a busy beach situated right on the Caribbean Sea so you get to swim in some of the most beautiful waters in the world! I just couldn’t get over the turquoise colour. It is stunning. The weather was great although it was fairly cold when we first arrived, the next 2 days fully compensated for that.  It surely would be appreciated if there were parasols on that beach or even trees to sit under…That sun will burn you up in a matter of hours!

My opinion is, if you want to be on the beach and don’t care what or who’s around you and don’t mind cheap buffets, then Cancun is a good place for you. It has a downtown where you can shop and party till you drop.  It is populated with young adults (mostly under 25)  that go there to get smashed and quite honestly…to score.  You will be the spectator of all clichés good and bad.  It is loud and crowded. Maybe I am getting old, but personally, I prefer a quiet resort in the Mayan Riviera with a more “adult” theme. Nonetheless it was great to spend some time alone with the love of my life. After inane amounts of guacamole and serious sessions of suntanning, we made it back home safe and sound.

Now can someone tell me how to deal with this cold?

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