nova scotia bucket list

Ever since I saw the movie The Bucket List I have wanted to sit down and make one. It just seems like a good idea, a way to keep focussed on seeing and doing all the neat things you have piled into your mind but never actually get around to trying. I have an outline for a large bucket list floating in my head - things like visit Greece, learn to play the guitar, make a quilt by hand, and see Madonna in concert to name a few - but I have never actually written it out. Recently I decided it was time to get this bucket list more organized. When I sat down to process it I discovered it might make more sense to create a few lists - one for things I want to do in Nova Scotia when I am home on vacation, one for things I want to see and do while living in Manitoba, and a general world list for other travel and experiences. I thought my readers might enjoy seeing my Nova Scotia and Manitoba lists and hope that they might encourage you to get out and explore these two provinces more.

I thought making my Nova Scotia bucket list would be difficult. I lived in Nova Scotia for 27 years and was very lucky in that I travelled around and explored a lot of the typical Nova Scotia touristy things. I have visited most of the Nova Scotia touristy communities, I have been to neat places like The Ovens and The Cabot Trail, I have taken neat tours such as the Harbour Hopper, and I have done crazy adventures such as tidal bore rafting. After researching and reflecting on Nova Scotia things I realized I still have many things and places left to explore - the Nova Scotia opportunities are endless. I decided to restrict my first Nova Scotia bucket list to 25 items to make it more attainable.

1.  Theodore Tugboat - I have seen Theodore Tugboat sitting in Halifax Harbour many times. I spent years working downtown on the waterfront and routinely walked by him but I have never taken a ride. For information on taking a ride on Theodore Tugboat click here.

2.  Trout Point Lodge - This is a beautiful, rustic lodge located near Yarmouth that offers cooking classes as part of their charm. I have always wanted to go spend a couple nights here and take part in a cooking adventure. For more information on Trout Point Lodge click here.

3.  Isle Haute - This is an island out in the Bay of Fundy just off of Harbourville, which is a small fishing village on the north mountain in the Annapolis Valley. I grew up just minutes from Harbourville and have always admired Isle Haute out in the Bay my entire life. I want to hire a local fisherman to take me out to Isle Haute to explore. For more information on Isle Haute click here.

4.  Fortress of Louisbourg - I have been to Cape Breton but have never had the opportunity to go visit Louisbourg, one of the oldest fortresses in Canada. For more information on Fortress Louisbourg click here.

5.  Pumpkin Regatta - I want to see this unique event held in Windsor, which is home of the gigantic pumpkins. You hollow out a gigantic pumpkin and paddle across the lake while sitting inside the pumpkin. For more information on the Pumpkin Regatta click here.

6. Faerie Cottages - I first heard about these cottages last year. They are actually quite close to my family home in the Annapolis Valley but I have never taken a drive to see them. They were built in the 1930s by Charles MacDonald using concrete, which was quite experimental at the time. For more information on the Faerie Cottages click here.

7.  Cape Chignecto Park - I want to take a kayaking trip around Cape Chignecto Park which is located near Advocate Harbour. I want to do the fundy explorer kayaking trip to see the Three Sisters and then eat supper at the Wild Caraway Restaurant. For more information on the kayak trip click here. For more information on Wild Caraway Restaurant click here.

8.  Cape Sable Island - This is a small island near Barrington Passage, and is known as the lobster capital of Nova Scotia. Part of my father's side of the family was born and raised on Cape Sable Island and I want to go and explore this part of my family's roots. The island is home to many fishing boats and beautiful sandy beaches. For more information on Cape Sable Island click here.

9.  Wharf Rat Rally - My husband and I love a great ride on our motorcycle. I have always wanted to attend a motorcycle rally and I think the Wharf Rat Rally in Digby, which is the largest motorcycle rally in Atlantic Canada, would be a wonderful experience. For more information on the Wharf Rat Rally click here.

10. Ziplining at Martock - I have been skiing at Ski Martock a few times but I recently heard there is now ziplining and rope course located at Ski Martock. Sounds like a great time to me. For more information click here.

11.  Not Since Moses Run - Last year I ran my first 5k race. Now I want to run this unique Nova Scotia one. When the tide of the Bay of Fundy goes out the bottom of the ocean is exposed - beautiful red mud. This 5k race is on the red mud at low tide. It looks like an amazing, dirty, fun time. For more information click here.

12.  Farmers Golf - I first heard about this last summer. It is a golf course set up at Hennigar's Farm near Wolfville. It is a relaxed funny golf game that takes place within a farm. Fun and affordable and a neat way to explore a working farm. For more information click here.

13. U-Pick Flowers - I have been to many fruit and veggie u-picks in Nova Scotia but I have never been to a flower u-pick. I understand that Noggins Farm in the Annapolis Valley now operates a u-pick flowers where you walk amongst the flowers and create your own bouquet. Sounds pretty neat. For more information click here.

14.  Winery Tour - I have been to a few wineries in Nova Scotia but I have never been on a winery tour. Domaine de Grand Pre is my favourite winery in Nova Scotia and I intend to take a tour of the winery. For more information click here.

15.  Train Station - In Tatamagouche there is a train that has been converted into a restaurant and hotel. Sounds pretty neat to me. I want to check it out. For more information click here.

16.  Bluenose II - The Bluenose is the famous sailing ship on our dime. I have seen it a few times but have never had the opportunity to take a ride on it. It is currently undergoing a restoration project and public cruises are not available until 2013. Once they resume I plan to take a cruise. For more information click here.

17.  Halifax Seaport Farmers Market - I have been to many farmers markets but I have yet to explore the new Halifax Seaport Farmers Market. I have heard many great things about it and can't wait to see it for myself. For more information click here.

18.  George's Island - This is a small island located in the middle of Halifax Harbour. I have been to McNab's Island which is close by but have never had the opportunity to visit George's Island. It has been named a national historic site but is not currently open to the public. There are plans to open it up soon and I can't wait to explore it. For more information click here.

19.  Balancing Rock - This is a unique large rock that appears to be balancing upright. It is located near Digby. It looks like a really fun day trip and hike. I can't believe I have never been there. For more information on the balancing rock click here.

20.  The Dingle Tower - I have admired this tower from afar many times but I have never made the trip to see it up close and to enjoy the hiking trails around the tower. For more information on the Dingle Tower click here.

21.  Tour A Mine - I want to visit the Cape Breton Miners' Museum and take a mine tour. This tour is especially interesting because the tour guides are all actual miners. For more information click here.

22.  Seaside Shanty Restaurant - This is a small restaurant located in beautiful Chester Basin. According to a friend of mine it has the best seafood chowder and blueberry grunt. Sounds like a great day trip to me. For more information on Seaside Shanty click here.

23.  Economy Falls - I have many friends that have hiked to see the beautiful Economy Falls. I think it would be a wonderful hiking trip. For more information on the Economy Falls click here.

24.  Masstown Market - I have driven through Masstown but have never been to the Masstown Market. Multiple friends have told me I need to check it out. For more information click here.

25.  Mersey River Chalets - I have visited the Mersey River Chalets website many times and have often thought it would be a nice place to spend a relaxing weekend. I would love to spend a night in one of their tipis. For more information click here.

So there you have it - these are the types of things I will be doing on my upcoming Nova Scotia vacations. What is on your Nova Scotia bucket list?

heavy weight

You are far too smart to be the only thing standing in your way. ~ Jennifer J. Freeman

Since moving to Manitoba I have gained 30 pounds of fat. I'm not going to dance around the issue. I'm the perfect definition of a yo-yo emotional eater. I gain weight. I lose weight. I gain it back. I eat when I'm stressed. I eat when I'm lonely. I eat when I'm bored. I've been stressed and lonely and bored quite a bit since moving to Manitoba. I find myself continually on the roller coaster of weight gain and loss. It is probably the hardest struggle of my life. I am a very confident person for the most part. I was raised to believe that I am capable of doing anything I put my mind to, and for the most part I believe that fully. I've accomplished some great things in my life, things that have made me very proud of myself. My weight gain is not one of them.

When I first moved to Manitoba it was life changing. I quit my job. I moved away from family and friends. I bought a house for the first time. I started a new job. I had to make new friends. All these very large life changing things happened all at once. It was overwhelming and I used food to soothe and comfort me through the chaos. On the outside to a lot of people I cope quite well with drastic life changes. Many people would describe me as an upbeat and very social person. I'm the type to strike up a conversation with anyone, to make people laugh, to organize a get together or plan a group trip. I tend to make friends quickly. The real me is a bit shy, a bit intimidated, a bit of a house hermit, and I don't cope that well with stress and change. All these factors created the perfect storm for me to gain weight when I moved to Manitoba. I ate to deal with the changes and I saw my weight soar to an all time high. I then got engaged and my upcoming wedding in Nova Scotia was such a happy event and time in my life and it actually positively affected my weight and for a while there I dropped quite a few pounds as a result. Slowly it started to creep back up after the wedding as I settled back into regular Manitoba life. I then moved to a different area of Manitoba and changed my life completely yet again, and my weight continued to get higher. Here I am now finally coming down off the stress of my most recent move, reflecting on things and again I find myself preparing to get my weight under control. I finally feel like I'm ready to tackle this weight issue once and for all. I can't keep going through this roller coaster every time I move to a new community or hit a rough patch. It just isn't healthy. It is not who I want to be.

People that gain weight tend to come up with lots of excuses as to why they have gained weight, attempting to justify it to themselves and to others. I am no different. I blamed it on Manitoba. Somehow in my head I felt like my weight gain was Manitoba's fault. If I hadn't of moved to Manitoba I wouldn't have gained this weight. If I hadn't of moved to Manitoba I wouldn't feel lonely and stressed which causes me to eat. If I hadn't of moved to Manitoba I would be back in Nova Scotia where I was happy with my career. If I hadn't of moved to Manitoba I would be able to walk along the ocean and waterfront and I would be more active. They are all excuses and lies. Manitoba has nothing to do with my weight gain no matter how hard I try to justify it in my head. Most of my poor habits were already present long before I moved to Manitoba. Poor old Manitoba has taken a lot of crap from me over the last couple of years on this issue. Manitoba has heard my excuses, has seen my finger pointing, and yet she is still there to listen. The truth of the matter is I have gained weight because I eat too much crappy food and I don't exercise enough. Everyone has bad habits and coping mechanisms, mine is just visible to the whole world in the form of my weight gain. We all have excuses and problems and we all need to find ways to better deal with them. It is that simple. Mine have nothing to do with Manitoba no matter how hard I try to convince myself. It is time to stop hiding behind the excuses and actually do something to better myself for the long term. Manitoba, I promise to never use you as an excuse regarding my weight ever again. I'm sorry. I intend to make it up to you by losing 30 pounds here in Manitoba and keeping it off for good. I want to right my wrong and flip the negativity once and for all. I owe it to Manitoba, and to myself. I'm done with the excuses and hiding and shame. It is time to work towards change.

Have you ever moved across the country and used it as an excuse in your life? How did you overcome it?

no kidding

Every now and then I am reminded of how different my life is from my child-free friend's. And when I say different, I mean worlds apart. Like Mars and Pluto. ~ Jane Suter

My entire life I have known that I did not want to have children of my own. I just don't. Plain and simple, no more, no less. I just have never had the desire to have children. I don't hate kids or people that have children, I just want to be child-free. Thankfully I have a husband who shares this life goal and we plan to have many wonderful child-free years together. The older I get the more I realize I stick out from mainstream society regarding the desire to have children. Most of my friends have young children or are anxious to have children and I have experienced the gap it can create. I simply cannot relate to them about children and they cannot relate to me about permanent child-free living. I know it is not on purpose. I know our friendships are still strong and we share many wonderful events together, with and without their children. I know we respect each other's decision to have or not have children, but the reality is we are fundamentally different on a major life choice and desire. They are very busy raising their kids and I am busy finding ways to celebrate being child-free. Despite our differences we love each other and value each other's friendship, and I love that they love being parents. It is wonderful to see them so happy with their children but sometimes I wish I had more friends who were like me, who have made the decision to remain child-free. It would be great to have more people my age who are interested and able to have frequent adult vacations to exciting new places, spur of the moment road trips on weekends, and share split-second decisions to have a date night on a weekday evening. It would be great to have friends who can also sleep in and stay up super late, who can swear whenever the mood strikes without worrying about little ears, and who routinely eat things like cereal for supper just because they feel like it. Unfortunately most of these things are just not options for adults with young children because having children requires more planning, more "adult" behaviour, and more scheduling. Lots of times I feel like the teenager who never really grew up when compared to many of my friends with kids. The truth is I am still a responsible adult, my husband and I are still a "real family" despite there only being two of us, and we are good citizens, just child-free by choice. But that one small difference - child-free by choice - can greatly impact your life and set you apart from other adults, and sometimes you feel alienated.

Often when I meet new people my age who also don't have children I wonder if they are child-free by choice and if they plan to stay that way. I want to ask them if they are like me, if we share the same child-free life goal. I want to ask but I don't want to create a pro-child or anti-child discussion, so I usually keep my mouth shut. Most child-free by choice people remain quiet on the subject, simply letting people think they can't have children due to biological reasons or that they will have kids eventually, just not quite ready yet. They usually do this to avoid the immediate questions and strange looks. There can be a lot of judgement from parents who misinterpret you and your decision to not have kids. They think it means you hate children, which is simply not true for many child-free people. Most actually enjoy children, rather enjoy other people's children. This judgement can make you feel like a freak at times, but when you go home and the conversation plays through your mind again you know deep down you are following your heart and making a decision that is true to you. I imagine the same feeling goes through a mother or father's brain when they think about their kids, they most likely always knew they wanted children, and know that by having children they are following their heart too.

For quite some time I have always thought it would be nice to have a big social group made up entirely of child-free adults. A group where we can all get together and talk, to laugh, to socialize with other child-free people, a club for child-free adults. This club would not bash parents and their choices to have children, but instead celebrate a child-free lifestyle and all it entails with others who have made a similar choice. Parents have tons of these clubs available to them - mom groups, children play groups, single parent groups, PTA, etc so why not have a group specifically for adults who have decided to refrain from having children? It turns out this already exists. Recently I stumbled upon an article about No Kidding!, an international social club for child-free couples and singles. I was pleasantly surprised to see they had a Winnipeg chapter listed on their website. Wow! A group in Manitoba that I would completely fit with! How exciting! I fired off an email to the group to find out about activities and how often the club gets together, and how to become a member. Much to my disappointment I have not heard back. I am left wondering if No Kidding! Winnipeg Chapter is still in existence. So Manitoba friends - have you ever heard of No Kidding! Winnipeg Chapter? Do you know if it still exists? Do you have any updated contact information? This child-free Manitoba adult would love to have some more information, and perhaps make some new child-free friends in the process.