Trips

We had several more trips with Honda. In 1995, we went to Nassau, Bahamas & Montego Bay, Jamaica in 1996. We also visited Vancouver in 2004 and Toronto and Quebec City several times. Honda always made the trips very enjoyable. They would arrange for great night time entertainment, too. My favourite was when we were in Vancouver, and Burton Cummings, from the group The Guess Who, was our entertainment for the evening.

I think that once you have travelled, you get the bug. I know I sure did! I loved to research the history behind the places we would visit, and I especially enjoyed mingling with the locals. This is an education you can’t get in school. I will list some of the places we went to over the years and try to write something about what stands out in my memory about these trips. 

May 2000

I went with my daughter to visit my sister Jean & brother Hector in Florida. We stayed with Hector and spent some time with Jean and her children. Hector was a very good host and showed us around the area where he lived, along with some of the houses he was working at. He did tile work, mostly bathrooms, and he was very good at it. The weather could have been better. It had turned cold and rainy. My daughter was really upset because her main focus was to get a tan. She didn’t want to go back home without having a bit of a tan because when you are young, that is what most people look at when you return from a sunny destination. They don’t ask you about the place; they ask you why you don’t have a tan! So we decided to go to a tanning salon and then laughed about that.

Aug 2001 -Wildwood, New Jersey - Trip with David’s dad

This was a family trip, and Dad came with us. We rented a condo just a short distance from the beach and the boardwalk. It was one of the hottest summer weeks when we were there. The temperature went up in the 100s or 40+ Celsius, and that was without the humidity. It also had the longest beach width that I had ever been to. What I mean by that is that to get to the water, you would have to walk at least 500 yards at some points. It made it very difficult, especially on these hot days. The sand would get so hot that you had to wear shoes, and we would bring a folding chair so Dad could take breaks. He was also turning 84 that week. It was like we were walking in the desert. Once we learnt the effort it took to get to the water, we planned to stay there much longer. It wasn’t a trip you wanted to do to just go for a quick swim. The condo complex also had a swimming pool, which we all enjoyed. We had a great time and made some beautiful memories.

2002

I returned to visit Hector in Florida but this time with my sister.  Once again Hector was a great host.       

2003 Holguin, Cuba.  Hotel Playa Costa Verde Breezes.

I took this trip with my 3 sisters. We met a very nice gentleman who was a professor at the University of Havana. It was a rainy day, and we spent hours with him talking about the history and life in Cuba. It was interesting to hear his perspective.

My favourite part was riding a bike to the local school, medical clinic and meeting some local farmers. I brought some gifts for the schools, the hotel employees, and the locals.

The farmer’s home was small, and they only had the bare necessities.  I gave them simple household items, like plastic ziplock bags, and they were thrilled. The woman even took me into her house to show me around. She was so very proud and thankful for what I had given her. It was an amazing experience for me, but to my sisters, it reminded them of when we lived in New Brunswick and had very little. We all see these experiences differently, giving me even more incentive to help needy people.

2004-12 Wyndam Maya Hotel in Mayan Riviera, Mexico.

David’s dad had been in and out of the hospital for months, and the opportunity arose for us to go to Mexico with our neighbours. We hesitated because we didn’t want to leave Dad alone, but then my daughter said she would visit him and ensure he was okay. It would only be for a week, and we needed the break. Along with my neighbour, I had organized to get some unused soccer uniforms donated from Concordia University and the Soccer Association.  I then contacted someone from the hotel to arrange a meeting with a local school. We gave them at least 100 uniforms along with socks. They were so happy and even organized a soccer game in our honour.  Nothing is more special than seeing a child’s smile when they receive a surprise gift.

Unfortunately, Dad took a turn for the worse, and Carol had a lot to deal with during this time. She did an amazing job, but it did leave us with a bit of guilt. Dad passed peacefully on December 27th, 2004.

He was such an amazing man. He always made me feel good about myself. He would encourage me in everything I did. The children always looked up to him. He made sure they knew he loved them very much. My side of the family loved him, too. He used to enjoy visiting the Laurentiens for our annual Corn Roast. We had a great time together. He is certainly missed!

2005 May - Cruise Royal Caribbean with my daughter.

This was our 1st time on a cruise, and we enjoyed every moment. We left Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and cruised to George Town, Grand Cayman Island, and Ocho Rios, Jamaica. When we ported in George Town, we decided to do a little shopping and then headed to the 7-mile beach. It was a really hot day, and finding any shade on the beach was very hard. My daughter spent time tanning, and I spent most of my time in the ocean. We spent many days and nights at sea and enjoyed the days in the sun and the evenings dancing.

When we ported in Ocho Rios, we decided to take an excursion to Dunn's River Falls. Dunn’s River Falls is an astounding flowing falls that extends across more than 183 meters or 960 feet and is one of the most well-loved travel destinations on the island and a ‘must-do’ bucket list item. At times, it was challenging climbing the falls. It was an extremely hot day, and we were happy we chose this excursion because we were in the water most of the day.

When we got back to the ship, we got changed, went to Margaritaville, and did some shopping. Margaritaville is right off the boardwalk from where the ship docks. We had a nice, cool drink, and then we decided to go to the small beach, and then we were surrounded by Jamaican men trying to sell us whatever they had. One was carving Elephants, the other was selling jewellery, and there was one with Cannabis. They were right in your face; I did not do well with that!  I had been to Jamaica before and had never had an experience like this. I told them to back off and leave us alone, and they did.

2005-11 London, England & Ireland  

My daughter was studying at Concordia University to become an educator, and they had an exchange program in London, England. She applied for it and was chosen to go. She would be there for 6 months and be in the classroom part of the week and also teaching a pre-kindergarten class to get experience. All of her travel expenses and apartment were paid for by the University. She also had a lot of time off, so she travelled a lot in Europe.

After she had been there for over a month, I visited her and stayed with her for 3 weeks. We had a great time together. She had made many friends, but having me there was extra special. We visited a lot of London and surrounding areas like Bath & Stonehenge. We also took a trip to Dublin & Galway in Ireland. Being in the same place where my ancestors were from was amazing. 

It was hard leaving her, but at least I knew she would return home in a couple of months. The experience that she gained from being there was a true gift. She graduated from Concordia and became an excellent teacher (educator).

2006-2 Cayo Coco, Cuba – Krystal Laguna Villas & Resort   

Any trip is what you make of it!  We did the best we could to enjoy it, despite the rain. We were going on this vacation for relaxation.  We got to do a lot of that.  The game room was good for rainy or cold days. It had a pool table, ping-pong tables, dartboards, and shuffleboards, which no one seemed to know how to play.  The entertainment staff could use lessons on entertaining people, especially when bad weather is upon them.  Most people just sat in the lobby, drinking, but we tried them all along with drinking.

2006-3 Munich, Germany  - Kelly Clarkson

2006 was a real year for travelling. I had so many great trips and made so many beautiful memories. In March of 2006, my daughter won a trip to Munich, Germany, to see the singer Kelly Clarkson on tour. Kelly was a new artist who had won American Idol the previous year. To my surprise, my daughter asked me to join her. I was sure she would ask one of her friends, and I was so honoured and touched that she asked me. She had won two airline tickets, the hotel for 5 nights, and the concert tickets to see Kelly. We were also supposed to meet her backstage, but something went wrong. After the concert, when the meet and greet was going to happen, I spoke to someone and explained what had happened, and we managed to get to meet her. She was just as thrilled as us because most of the people she met were German, and when we spoke English to her, she was so excited. She hugged me tightly and told me that I reminded her of her mother and that she really missed her. It was a special moment for both of us. It was also my 47th Birthday, and it became my longest Birthday. Germany is 5 hours before us, so I started celebrating earlier than usual. The group we were with wanted to try to get me drunk and bought me drinks, but they were the ones who got drunk and sick.

We also did a lot of touring on our own.  We went to Dachau, and that was a very touching experience. What these people had to endure during the holocaust was gut-wrenching.

2006-7 New Brunswick & Gaspe

This was a last-minute trip. I had recently been in the hospital for 3 weeks and nearly died from a Portal Vein Thrombosis, a blood clot in the portal vein near your spleen and liver. I was told that this is very rare. One in a Million, again! I was at the Hospital and it took them nearly a week to figure out what the problem was. My abdomen was so swollen, and I looked like I was 9 months pregnant because my spleen was so enlarged and nearly burst. Luckily, they did a CAT scan, saw the clot, and rushed me to the Jewish General Hospital. At that point, they put me on blood thinners and closely watched me. My liver was partially damaged, and my spleen had shrunk to the size of an grape. They said the spleen would eventually shrink to the size of a pea, which would no longer serve any purpose. The liver would rejuvenate and function as it should.  I was there for 2 weeks, and I was extremely weak. To this day, I cannot figure out why I got a clot or thrombosis in the first place. When I was able to leave the hospital, it took me a few weeks to finally get some muscle mass back, and that is when we decided to make the trip to NB.

My mother had also been having health issues, and I knew it would probably be one of her last trips. Her kidneys were slowly failing, and she would probably have to start dialysis shortly. The trip to New Brunswick and Gaspé was amazing. My sister  decided to join us, and we took off driving, not knowing how long we would be. We first headed to Campbellton to visit some relatives, and we had to also visit our deceased relatives. The one outing we always did when we would go to New Brunswick was visiting the graves. My mother always made a point of going and wanted this tradition passed on. After our time in Campbellton, we headed to the Quebec side. We visited where my grandparents, were from. Port Daniel and Shigiwake were very small towns. I guess my grandparents moved to New Brunswick because they had more opportunities there.

I think one of the highlights of our trip was when we found the road where my grandfather Fitzgerald grew up.

It was hard to believe that they named the road after the people who settled there over one hundred years ago.  

2008-06 Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic - Breezes Hotel

It had been a few years since I had my thrombosis, and we had not travelled much because I had developed pain daily all over my body. After many tests and doctor appointments, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. I will write about this later because it changed my life in many ways.

My sister decided to join us on this trip and we had many laughs.

I became quite sick one night while on this trip. At first, I thought I had food poisoning, but I think it was one of the medications I had been taking. I was weening myself off of it, and I think I tried to do it too quickly and had bad side effects. I was determined to not let this ruin my vacation, so I got up in the morning and headed to the beach. If I was going to be sick, I might as well enjoy the sound of the ocean. As the day went on, I felt better, and we enjoyed the time we had left there.

2008-10 New Hampshire, U.S.A.

David and I took a trip to North Conway, New Hampshire.  We visited several different walking trails and waterfalls. It is a beautiful place for anyone who loves photography. I would love to return with that in mind. We also drove up to the top of Mount Washington. What a view! It was also very cold and windy at the top of the mountain, but still an amazing experience.

2010-12 Varadero, Cuba. Melia Las Antillas.

Once again, I was very ambitious. David and I wanted to take another trip to Cuba. Still, I couldn’t just relax, so I got some donations to purchase some school supplies and got permission from the Soccer Association to donate the leftover uniforms.  The Soccer Association would always purchase extra sizes, just in case, but that would leave us with all kinds of extras that would not be used. What better way to have them used than to donate them to children from other countries?  I contacted the manager at the hotel where we would be staying, and she arranged a visit to her children’s school.

It was always an adventure travelling with donations. I contacted the airline, Air Canada, and got authorization for extra luggage; otherwise, it would have cost us a fortune. We had our regular luggage and 2 big duffle bags on wheels. Getting these bags from one area to the next was a real challenge. We had many laughs trying to go up and down stairs with them.

Once we arrived at the hotel and got settled in, I contacted my contact, and then we met to discuss when we would be visiting the school. Her husband even drove us, along with her two boys.

We were greeted by the Principal and educators. Then, we could go into the classroom to see the children while a lesson was being given. I think it was a real distraction for the children, so we did not stay long. The school supplies were put aside for when they would be needed.

When it was time for recess, the older boys came out dressed in the soccer uniforms we had given them. They were all so very proud to be wearing them. I talked to several of them and then took some pictures. The joy on their faces was worth all the work involved!

We also decided to take a bus tour to Havana, Cuba. Havana is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial centre. It was around a 2 ½ hour drive, and it was raining pretty hard at times. They don't drive like we do, so it was a long drive. The weather cleared up at times so that we could walk around and visit the different shopping areas. There were a lot of beggars, and it was best to ignore them; otherwise, they would not leave you alone.

Che Guevara wall monument. He was a major figure of the Cuban Revolution. Old Lady broke me down, and I gave her some coins.

Trips with my Mom and sisters.

I didn’t travel much with my Mom & sisters until the children were old enough to be alone. We would sometimes take off for the weekend on a two-hour trip to places like Mont-Tremblant, Mont-Gabriel, Quebec City, Chute de Montmorency, etc. We always had a good time, rain or shine and had many laughs. Sometimes I went with only one and other times we were all together. In 2001, we took a trip to visit my sister in New Brunswick. Her husband had died about 8 months before our visit, and I think she was happy to have the company. She was blaming herself for his suicide. It was sad that she felt that way, but I heard it was not uncommon. I will write more about this later.

In 2003, we decided to visit her again in New Brunswick. This time, it was with my Mom. We visited some relatives, and of course, we also went to the graveyards. We decided to go to a show at the local arena. The entertainer was an Acadian singer named “Cayouche”. His songs were mainly about the Acadian life. The Acadian language is a mixture of French, English, and some words they only use. My sister and I would look at each other, laughing because we didn’t have a clue what he was saying most of the time. My Mom thought he was amazing and even came on the dance floor with me because she wanted a closer look at him. To her surprise, he was not a good-looking man. His hair was long, and he had a beard, a moustache, and a large mole on his cheek near his eye. I whispered in her ear, “Isn’t he handsome!” she just shook her head and laughed. We had a great time dancing and laughing. I think the locals thought we were drunk, but we only had water all evening. That was one thing about when we got together; we didn’t need alcohol to have fun.

In 2003, my sisters and I got together to organize and make keepsakes for my mother’s surprise 74th birthday party. We went to Chateau Mont Gabriel, about a two-hour drive in the Laurentians. The room was very dark, so we called the reception desk for more lamps. The man thought we were crazy, but once I explained that we were doing some crafts for a party, he seemed to understand and brought us more lamps. We spent the weekend working on putting together a great party.