The travels and travails of one finding her history, roots and some adventure!

Beginning in 2010 a whole lot of planning, thinking, worring and dreaming will start.
A Pilgrimage to where her father was born, lived and worked will be investigated.
Some items from a personal "bucket list" will be crossed off.
A journey of some thousands of kilometers will begin.
It will truly be an epic journey of a lifetime.
It is through family that I am blessed to have this opportunity.
It is through family that I will discover many new things.

And so it begins.....

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

The Final Day, for a year anyway

Well, the day has finally arrived.
I can't believe it.

Tomorrow is the last day of the count down to my leave of absence.
I still can't believe I'll walk out of the hallowed halls of St. Michael's Hospital for a whole year off.
Wow.
I know it's not going to hit me really because the first two weeks will be like a vacation that I usually took this time of year anyway.
It's after that that it will all start to really hit home.
Actually I will be nomadic for a while and home will be where ever I make it.
This is gonna be GREAT!

Last night I hosted a group of pals from my department at a local establishment for some libations and munchies after work. It was awesome. We had a blast.
On Thursday of last week there was a surprise party for me at work.
I still can't believe they pulled it off.
I work with guys you see and they are not really the party planning type.
They did recruit some help.
I was astounded and so surprised. I can't believe they did it for me.
So special!
I was so in the dark about it all.

I have many folks at work ramping up the anticipation being equally excited about my time away as I am which is so nice to see and hear. Everyone that knows or has found out about my plans are SO excited too and most say "it's the best thing you could do". Well, I know it'll be the best thing I could do for me and for my psyche. I really appreciate their support, especially TG, one of the clerical staff in the department, who, for the past couple of weeks has said "how many days?" every time she sees me. One of the dieticians, R, noticed I was walking down the hall in a very relaxed way yesterday. I replied with only, "Two days" that's all that was needed to be said! It's all fun!

My desk is cleaned out of essential stuff, my locker is cleared out of old stuff and my little corner for water bottles and coffee mugs in the lab is all tidied away.
Tomorrow I put my last set of scrubs in the vending machine, let the door close and walk away from olive drab pyjamas as work attire for a whole year. Yipeeeeee!

I wonder what I'll really feel like when I walk away?

Sad? Doubt it.
Happy? Yep, probably.
Tired? Maybe.
Jumpy? Perhaps because I want to get the next part of the adventure to begin.
Free? Absolutely!

As I write this 6 bags have been packed with various things in an order that shouldn't get too messed up and I think I'm done for the night. At least my body is, my brain keeps running on...

So, the final day is upon me. I think I might have a smile on my face for most of it.

:-)

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Whirling Dirvish

Really, I don't know what a "whirling dirvish" is.
I know what a tornado is.
I know what a dust devil is.
I know what a tasmanian devil is.
But
I don't know what a whirling dirvish is.
I know what one feels like though.
As the days wind down (5 working days left) and I begin to fit the final pieces together (a few accommodations have been booked) I find myself flying around the apartment or work or even on the subway thinking "oooh I could pack this stuff this way and it will all fit".

I picked up my Dahone Curve folding bike today from the coolest bike store in Toronto, the Urbane Cyclist on John street (no I didn't get any credit for mentioning it). They were so helpful and I have folded and packed in the car already my new red set of wheels. I have to give it a true test drive on the weekend and though the literature says it can fold down in 15 seconds it was a bit longer for me to do that right off the bat but really it could be done, with practice I think. I researched this little set of wheels (3 speeds no less) for a while and when I saw it, gave it a spin in the store I thought it was perfect. No long trail rides are planned with it but it will get me around a park nicely and give me a different perspective.

I'm still in my quest for the Koolatron cooler. That's proving to be a little more elusive but I will succeed!

What I noticed yesterday was that I'm going to miss many of my friends while I'm touring around.
I was at dinner with my friends D and R, who are expecting their first baby and we were looking at some of the baby stuff they have. Okay, the cutest was the pair of violet Converse high tops, how cool is THAT! Anyway, I realized I will miss being around when D has the baby, and she's having it at St. Mike's! Hmmmm
I'll miss our dinners and yak sessions. Hmmmm
I'll also miss the birth of my cousin H's baby. Another addition to the clan and I'll just have to check in on her new family when I roll through town again.

I know I'll miss my good pals and the yakking we do on the phone or when we're together but I have to remember that I'm on an adventure. A once in a lifetime adventure and we'll have so much to talk about when I return from which ever part I'm on. My friends are the best and I know they'll be travelling with me in spirit.
Oh yeah, and reading my blog everyday, seems it was a morning ritual for a few while I was in Europe.

The Man hasn't said much lately about the impending travels and I know that he will miss me too but I've got a whole year off and part of it will be spent with him on a longer time frame than the 48 hours we usually get together on a weekend. We may even drive each other crazy with all that togetherness. We'll just have to try it all out.

5 work days left.
Wow, I never thought I'd get this far, ever.
I never thought I'd have a year off.
I never thought I'd ever feel like I needed a year off.

Boy, do I ever.

I can't wait to get energized, enthused and enlightened about....life!

The Whirling Dirvish will come in for a landing soon I'm sure....sometime....in the future.... I hope....

What the heck is a whirling dirvish anyway????

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Getting Closer....

Okay folks, time's a-ticking here.
Only 12 working days to the completion of my paid time at St. Michael's Hospital before I start the WAAAHHOOOO journey.

On June 6, 2011 I began my 25th year at St. Michael's in Pulmonary Function. 24 years are done. History. Now it's on to new stuff.
Well, not quite yet. I have a few days left to complete before I can escape the confines of the 6th floor of 30 Bond street and begin a well deserved (at least I think so) break from the routine.

The Equinox is working out nicely and the packing lists have begun to be checked off (okay so there's only one bag packed already but I have my LIST of things that I'll need to take with me.
I have my plan in place and will take some serious time in the next couple of weeks to start to book some of it. For security reasons I'm not going to publish where I'm going to go, you'll just have to keep posted on this blog. Really though I might change my mind as I go, all dependant on weather and how I'm feeling about where I am.

So far on the bucket list for the trip...

  • Golfing in PEI over looking the Atlantic.
  • Scallop dinner in Digby, Nova Scotia
  • Seeing the Blue Nose II
  • The Lobster dinner at St. Andrew's church in PEI
  • Watching the sunrise over the beach in PEI and/or on the Cabot Trail
  • Going to a "kitchen concert" in Cape Breton
  • Visiting the Ben and Jerry's ice cream plant in Vermont

um.... I think that's all I can think of right now but I know there's more...

I know the time will fly and there is so much going on too. There are renovations at The Man's place to over see and some cosmetic work to finish up there. There are events, dinners and things to do in T.O before I head out and there's the cottage to tend to. 
All is keeping me busy (hence the lack of posts recently) and keeping my mind busy as I try to get it all straightened away.

It's all fun though, it's given me purpose to think of things that I might enjoy to do. Everyone I've spoken with is telling me what an amazing opportunity this is and I'm so looking forward to it. Work has been a great source of pride for me but now, I can see what it has done and is doing to me both physically and emotionally. I need a break. A "not just a vacation" break. I have come to the realization that I am not as energized towards my day to day life. I've done it so long that there is a routine that's engrained and that needs to change. I know I will come back from this year a different person and one that is going to look forward to the work ahead. Sure, I can hear some of you saying "right, she's not going to want to come back to work". Well, I know that has crossed my mind but for those that know me well know that I do like routine and I enjoy routine. Right now I need something to shake that up and make it fun to get up in the morning again.

I think my plans will do just that.