Summer 2012: Never a dull moment

This summer was filled with hellos, goodbyes, travel, excitement, nervousness, moving, tears, and a whole slew of other events/emotions. I apologize in advance for the lengthy post!

June

My studies at BLCU came to an end and I had to prepare to say goodbye to some great people. I studied with people from all over the world and made friendships that I hope can withstand distance and inconsistent communication. Final exams came and went and I found myself frantically packing my apartment. I purged most of my clothes and fit my belongings into two suitcases. I'm impressed I managed to stay within the weight restrictions.

I will miss these crazy ladies! 

July

I spent a few days in Fuzhou, Fujian where my dad lives, followed by two days in Hong Kong. I left Asia on July 5th. My time in Fuzhou was definitely a learning experience for me. I have three brothers and in recent years, I found out that I have a younger sister. She lives in China and I was able to spend a few days with her. I don't want to get into the nitty gritty details of it all, or rant too much about my emotional journey; it was a positive experience for me but left me with a lot of questions.

There's the pretty face I was missing

It was a bittersweet goodbye. There are so many things I love about Beijing, and China in general, and several things I won't miss at all. I was sad to leave and but ready to start the next adventure: Preparing for a Mediterranean vacation with Alex. The month of July was spent traveling to Fredericton, apartment hunting; catching up with friends and family; unpacking; packing, and dare I say, more packing!! The month flew by and I was able to spend some quality time with my family and friends. Oh, and I was able to secure an apartment for September, which alleviated that stress.

An awesome weekend with Kate

Did I mention that I got a SWEET deal on a road bike? I decided that biking is much easier on my joints and I am loving it. Now, I need to get some mileage on the old girl and improve my CV fitness. I am out of shape!

August

July flew by and August was here before I knew it. I took a last minute trip to Ontario with my brother, Chris. He was visiting during his summer leave and I decided to hop in the car and spend a few days with him in his neck of the woods. I played golf for the first time; 27 holes later, and I didn't throw my club at him. I deem that as a successful experience, although Chris says he won't take me again because I did better on a couple holes than him.. HA!

I was packed and ready to leave for Europe. My suitcase was well under the weight restriction (I was super impressed). I flew into Amsterdam and met up with my brother, Norris and his wife, Nina. Later that afternoon, Kevin and Aura arrived. The Lam Clan (minus Chris) was invading Amsterdam for five days! I loved Amsterdam in its entirety.

Finally, after 6 months of separation, I was headed to Barcelona to see Alex! Unfortunately, I managed to get sick while in Amsterdam which was super disappointing because I rarely get sick. I blame it on staying up for 40 hours in a attempted to shake the jet lag. There was no way that it could be the excitement I was experiencing... I could barely sleep the night before and I was at airport 2 hours early because there was NO way I was missing that flight.

I landed, jumped in a taxi and was met by Alex at the apartment - EEEK! So a roller coaster of emotions ran through me: excitement, nervousness, happiness, fear. You name it, I probably felt it. We spent five days in Barcelona, before the cruise left the port, and I found myself in disbelief; was Alex actually in the same room as me? Were we actually going to spend three weeks together? Six months apart will do that to a person. By the end of the three weeks, I convinced myself (I think?) that it wasn't a dream, and we did in fact spend some quality time together.

12 days of cruising the Mediterranean: stopping in France, Italy and Croatia, before making our way back to Spain. We were met by Alex's parents and had a great time on the ship, together. I don't think I've ever drank so much red wine in my life, but I wasn't complaining ;) The cruise ended, Alex went back to work and I flew back to NB. We are in the final stretch and just two months left to cross off the calendar.

September

We cruised right into September and it was time to move into the apartment. So, I hate moving. Most of my things were at my mom's and Alex had his property in a storage unit, which by the way still isn't empty. With the help of friends and family, most of our belongings have been moved in. In addition to our personal items, I also have a roommate to keep me company until Alex returns. I'm grateful for Courtney and her contribution to my life; I would be quite lonely in the massive apartment by myself. My apologies to our neighbours for the constant, delicious garlic and onion aromas that seep out of the apartment. Staples in our diet include garlic, onion, tomatoes, avocados and cheese (the cheese is mostly for Court ;))

Work, friends, and learning keeps me busy and out of trouble. I am enjoying being back and feeling a little settled. Don't get me wrong, I love traveling, but I also like being grounded for a little while. After what felt like was non-stop moving/thinking, I am finally starting to get back into a routine. I haven't figured out how to stay still, but at least I know I'm alive!

The summer came and went in a blink of and eye. It was full of amazing adventures, people and memories. Summer 2012, you are one for the books!