10 days til Christmas? Oh my!

Well, apparently I have been quite lax at updating my blog over the past four months.
In a nutshell, this is what I have been getting up to...

Early in October, I discovered a fantastic climbing gym over the bridge on the Quebec side and I have gotten back into my addiction. It started with a twice a week thing, then it quickly became a thrice a week thing, and now I seem to find myself there at least 4 times a week. One thing is for sure, I am getting better at climbing!

In November there were a couple of stand-out moments during the time that my sister was in town: on Remembrance Day, we caught the Canucks vs Senators game here in town and the Canucks had a big win that night. Additionally, the next day, we decided to rent a car and drive to Montreal for the day. In our true fashion, we had just left Ottawa behind and saw the signs for Montreal and Quebec City so I turned to Y and said "want to pass Montreal and just go to Quebec City instead?", and so we did. It was a long day of driving but definitely fun times. Stopped in to Trois-Rivieres and wandered around town to take some photos and grab some lunch. Then we made it in to Quebec City for sunset and some strolling around Vieux Quebec, an absolute beauty!

I am now just finishing up my co-op term with Agriculture Canada and I have accepted an additional term within the same division but with a different supervisor. This next term I will be focusing on writing reports based more on social analyses than economic ones and I will attempt to explain various consumer trends based on behaviour. One of the benefits of this posting is that I will also be able to incorporate my photography which is a fantastic opportunity to have some of my writing and my photography published together.

In just a few days I will be on a plane once again but this time en route to the West Coast for some family and friends time.

Happy holidays to all!

Off on a new adventure...

A new adventure awaits as once again I am bound for the capital of "Eh's".

This time is different though as I am relocating there for a few months this time around with a short-contract through uni. Am I excited? Yes. Am I nervous? You betcha.
Looking at my duffel bags I feel like I have over-packed but then I remember that I am heading to weather bordering 40+ that will be -40 by the time my contract ends; so with a span like that who can blame me for having 2 duffel bags?

So off to Ottawa I go. I will be sure to keep you all up to date with my adventuring in our nation's capital and whatever fun I get up to with all of our fine folks out there. It's guaranteed that bilingualism will be present so be sure to brush up on your francais kids because this French gal is coming back in action!

Bises!

Don't forget to pack your sunscreen!

My latest adventure took me to the capital of our fine country with a quick one-day jaunt to Montreal for a visit to rue Ste Catherine where we caught the Canadiens' game at "3 Brasseurs" then walked along le Vieux Port and were somehow mistaken as artists at an art gallery.

Some must-do's while you are in Ottawa:
1) check out the Museum of Civilization (free on Thursdays); be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to check it out (if you're doing it all, around 3 hours).
2) check out "Pizz-za-za" in Gatineau-Hull for some amazing pizza and salads.
3) "Stella" in Byward Market is your place to get some of the best food and drinks in Ottawa.
4) If you love coffee and supporting a local business, then "Bridgehead" is a good choice.
5) Check out Parc Gatineau (about a 45min drive northwest of Ottawa). There are amazing lakes and trails throughout the area.
6) "Wild Oat" in the Glebe has amazing vegetarian fare. Their scones are to die for; as is their "Wild One" sandwich.
7) Favorite clothing stores to check out are the indie stores along Dalhousie.
8) The Manx had a very tasty steak on their menu at a crazy amazing price of $16!
9) If you like to bike, a ride along the canal to Dows Lake then onwards to the Lochs is a must.

My trip was great. So many fun things that we got up to; great time spent with wonderful friends; and a great overview of what my life might look like starting this fall. The one thing that I still have mixed feelings about is the 30C weather that felt like 42C! That is easier to deal with when you're on vacation but working in an office? There would need to be some strategic planning to get from point A to point B in the heat.