TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN • 5 comments • Even though we're nearly a year behind with posts (Tokyo! Kyoto! Osaka! Hong Kong! and around California...) we had to pull this together because it's something we've done every year. We can't wait to catch up and share all the fun stuff that's happening in 2016. Thanks so much for reading. The comments you've left (some of them saying you've been along for the ride with us since the beginning) make us happy! Over the last two years, we've been lending our photography skills to charities and non-profit organizations which is something we'd like to do more of. If you know someone that needs a hand, you know where to find us. You can click on the little squares and they'll take you to the blog post or somewhere else around the internet. We so very sincerely hope you have the greatest year.
two thousand and thirteen • 4 comments • Our favourite (documented) travel moments of 2013. Each photo is click-able if you'd like to reminisce with us! Happy 2014! Also: 2012, 2011, 2010, & 2009
two thousand and eleven • 10 comments • This year was a very welcomed change in pace from the last two - less moving, and fewer airplanes, trains, and buses. A recap of of 2011: The new year began in Times Square where we spent a layover to see what NYE in NYC was like. January in Montreal was significantly warmer than the Winnipeg winters we're used to, but we still tried to stay indoors for most of it because we're wimps. For my birthday, we went to Au Pied De Cochon and had an incredibly delicious meal. In February, we took a road trip to Quebec City for the Carnaval festivities, where we experienced tire d'érable, grabbed some poutine for lunch, and had amazing hearty dinners to warm us at night. We spent a lot of time in museums in March, tried some new restaurants, and spent too much time on the metro running errands. In April, we visited some vintage stores on Amherst and St. Catherine to try and put the last touches on our home. The Arctic Monkeys visited Montreal in May and I was thrilled to finally see them live. Sometimes, Alex and I still celebrate the anniversary of the day we started dating - we went to Liverpool House this year and I tried the lobster spaghetti that a lot of people here rave about. The warm weather in June had us outdoors more often - in Mont Royal Park, and kayaking on the Lachine. We didn't see the moon eclipse in Montreal, but I took a photo of it anyway. After living in Montreal for nearly a year, we finally visited Schwartz's and spent an afternoon having tea at Maitre de Chocolatier. On Canada day, we watched fireworks and ate french fries (from frite alors!) in Old Port. We also visited record stores, tested out our new tandem bike, and learned how to fix it, and we finally saw Paul McCartney live. July was fun. There aren't too many photos from August - the month full of bike rides. I'm happy we captured one evening on video: In September, we tried the infamous orange julep, went apple picking, and walked to the top of Mont Royal. We indulged in Halloween apples, in October, and saw a free Arcade Fire show, and Alex made a really sweet video for our 2 year wedding anniversary. Alex's birthday was in November and I baked my very first cake for him! Other highlights included a trip to the biodome and the big bang exhibit. We left for Paris in December and spent some time wandering around the city in the rain. Next we headed to Morocco and spent Christmas Eve in the Sahara Desert, under the stars. It was such an unbelievable experience and it will likely take us a little while to get all the photos and stories up here, but we'll get around to it all eventually. Happy 2012!!
two thousand and ten • 18 comments • A recap of 2010: We started January off in San Salvador where we hung out at La Gran Via daily until we left. In Managua, we had an interesting experience with a shady cabbie. We were in Granada for just enough time to grab some fish & chips and a smoothie. San Juan Del Sur was one of our favorite spots to visit where we spent the time napping in hammocks and zip-lining. Costa Rica was our next destination. While San Jose wasn't the most exciting spot, we found that Puerto Viejo had so much to offer. We "learned" to surf, met some sloths, and relaxed on the black sand beach. After a short stop in Panama City, Mina celebrated her birthday in Guayaquil and we made our way to the Galapagos Islands where we saw George the lonely tortoise, snorkeled, and had more beach days. In February, we spent Valentines day in Miami with heart bokehs, silly gifts, and grilled cheese sandwiches . We also visited New York City (where we met Will Forte!) for the very first time on our way to South Africa via Abu Dhabi. We got to see the beautiful city of Cape Town from the top of Table Mountain. We also saw a huge aquarium, hung out with some penguins, were introduced to some sweet children, and "swam" with great white sharks. Part of March was spent in Johannesburg and Kruger National Park where our 3 day safari turned into 5 days because we were having the time of our lives. In April, we were fortunate enough to see the Great Pyramids of Giza in Cairo and were attacked by zombies in Brussels. We got a cheap flight to Philadelphia, where we enjoyed controversial Philly Cheesesteaks. The beginning of the summer was spent in New York City watching and meeting hilarious people, seeing inspiring artwork, eating, and eating some more. After visiting Winnipeg to tie up loose ends, we made our way to Montréal where we spent a few weeks shopping for a new home. We were thrilled to find one after a few weeks and started the process of settling in. We bought our first real Christmas tree in November and, after a few too many Xmas parties, made plans to go to Spain for December, (after a brief stop in NYC) which is where we are at the moment! Even though we have a good feeling we won't be traveling nearly as much in 2011, we're so excited for the new year. Sharing our experiences with you guys has been fun. Here's to a new year full of love and happiness. + a 2009 recap
2009 • 1 comments • 2009 was an intense year. A recap: We started the year off with a trip to the ostentatious city of Dubai. After a brief stopover in Amsterdam, we landed in the United Arab Emirates. There we enjoyed desert safaris, skiing indoors, great food, and we got engaged! We also made our way to Luxor, Egypt to see ancient ruins and pharohs' tombs. Our winter was spent mainly hibernating from the cold - we began thinking of the wedding and planning our getaway. It was the 5 year anniversary of the day we started dating in May and we celebrated with sushi at Wasabi Sabi. In June, we started this blog as a way to document our travels. During the summer we started the process of selling our house ourselves. We still made time to explore our hometown (before we left for good) and for lots of evening bike rides. The arrival of fall brought 3 milestones: selling our house, starting our trip, and best of all, getting married in Los Angeles. We packed our storage unit and drove away from Winnipeg just before Hallowe'en. Chicago was the first stop on our voyage, and didn't disappoint. We continued on to Toronto where we got rid of our car and visited family. Mina had to have an unexpected surgery, which delayed our departure for a few weeks, but it gave us a chance to pick up some final supplies and equipment. As soon as she was feeling better we hopped on a plane to Mexico City. We tore ourselves away from Mexico City after a fulfilling week of sightseeing and amazing cuisine, and bused down to Oaxaca in time to catch Las Posadas celebrations. We made our way to Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. The trip took us through the cities of Tapachula, Guatemala City, Antigua, and Panajachel and required a few different modes of transport over a few days. We were relieved to finally relax and enjoy a nice Christmas together overlooking the lake. We ended the year off by climbing a volcano and then heading to San Salvador for New Years Eve. Happy New Year! We hope you have a wonderful 2010.
