Merry Christmas from Belize

How could you not miss this?

The most common question I was ask before leaving for Belize was, how do you feel about being away for Christmas? My response was always "fine". I love Christmas at home, probably because my mom loves Christmas so much. Our house always looks amazing (my mom should be a florist), and Ottawa is normally a snow covered winter wonderland. Christmas for the past four years has meant the end of exams and a time to be home and relax, normally something not experienced since September. This year has not been the same kind of stressful and especially here in Belize life is much more relaxed so I don't think I needed the same dosage of coziness normally required: being home among the beauty of the decorations and curling up with Rosie watching Love Actually. Not to say I didn't miss all of those things, they were just not required, this year.

We all  must go through  that "first year away for Christmas" and for me it was this year. It seems an appropriate year in my life story to have that first and I have to say it was a great Christmas despite most of the people I love the most being so far away. Today I think might be harder, as I write this with all the business of preparations over, it's a bit sad that I missed it all home, but post Christmas depression is normal; normally put at bay by the venture out to the mall to get $3.00 off a TNA V-Neck at the Aritzia sale, followed by the annual awkward high school reunion where you tell the same story of what you are up to 1.5 million times, there are no Boxing Day sales here; today I will write, read, maybe go for a run. Lots of time to relax and lots of time to reflect.

        The living room from the Loft (look at the floors!)

We had been invited to a Christmas Eve party a few weeks ago by an American couple who live just outside of town , right on the water. I had heard their house was fantastic, and it did not disappoint. Both Anne Michelle and Eric are artists and it is evident in their home. Anne Michelle said she had design this house when she was in College and now 30 years later its become a reality. There was Belizean hardwood everywhere used in creative ways (wood tiles!), I was in awe of it all. It was a lovely group, most of whom I had met at one event or another, I am going to start calling it the PG ex-pats. Cocktail, hors d'oeuvres and great people, it was a great time.

Jan and Gary with their Sunglasses

To wake up to blaring sunshine on Christmas day was a first for me, as we sat down to eat our breakfast outside we immediately had to all go back in to get our sunglasses; imagine, sunglasses on Christmas, it's hard to think about even after it happened for a little Canuck like me. After opening presents, we planned out our day of cooking so that we could make everything in our tiny little kitchen and oven with one rack. I Jan made pecan pie, tourtiere, the ham, scallop potatoes and I made buns, cabbage, ceasar salad, and balsamic glazed onions. The neighbour had gotten an XBox Kinect, as we were over to check it out the boys got picked up by their Dad, leaving me to play Dance Central for an hour as Rachel went back out side to read. I had to stop only to get the bread in the oven on time. Jacob got an Xbox at home and I need the Kinect! Its awesome and there are fitness options on the Dance Central, I don't care if I look like an idiot in the play back. Everyone came over for pre-dinner drinks, Mark brought over homemade rum popo, and then we stuff ourselves on delicious food. It was a lovely meal, and we all slept soundly after the festivities.

Any holiday is what you make of it. My Canadian Thanksgivings in college are some of my favourite (Ask me sometime for the turkey story of 2009). Holidays require only two ingredients: Love and Good Food, (Booze helps too). As long as there is plenty of both it will be a good time.

Our Non-traditional Christmas Tree

Love to you and yours over the Holidays,

Mariel

Childhood Memories and Adult Realities

Some of the best travel advice I have ever read was written on an Anderson Cooper blog, and I am just paraphrasing here: “Everyone is proud of where they come from; everyone is nostalgic about their homes”. Here I am finding that true in many cases, many people say they prefer village life to life in town. When I first hear this, my internal reaction is “Are you crazy?”, but I feel the same way about anyone wanting to live in the suburbs. But then I got to thinking, how much of what we want in life is shaped by our childhoods?

When people ask me where I am from I feel torn. I lived in downtown Toronto till I was ten and then in Ottawa, so where am I from? I like to think both Ottawa and Toronto. So much of me was shaped by my childhood in Cabbagetown, and exploring the city so young. The neighbourhood was filled with interesting people from all walks of life. I was exposed to so much so young, in the nest possible way, when we are young we are oblivious to the cultural prejudices and we are friends with whoever we like as a person. When you’re young you don’t know how much money someone has, or that it isn’t cool that your friend shares a room with her mom and two sisters in the projects. None of that matters, and I think that being exposed to that at a young age (along with having amazing parents not placing prejudice in my small little brain) has really made me more open as an adult to different types of people and the challenges that face everyone.

As I get older I realise more and more of what was really going on in my childhood, and how I didn’t care about any of it, all I wanted to do was to play with my friends. There are limits to this way of upbringing and my parents began to realize that despite their efforts the challenges faced on an inner city school can sometimes be too great. Most of our core little group moved on to other schools, private or in a different neighbourhood and I moved to Ottawa.

winter coats and city streets, the definitions of my childhood 

As Jacob likes to describe it, “Ottawa is the definition of middle class”, it’s like living in a nice suburb without actually living in a suburb. It was a great place to spend my teenage years allowed me the opportunity to row at an amazing club (which I will always consider one of my homes), make great friends and live in a very beautiful city. 

How much of that has shaped how I want to live my adult life. If anyone ever asks me where I want to live, I always say in the city. I don’t drive (although I will learn) and I never want to be dependent on my car for groceries, booze, pharmacy, or a coffee shop. I love to walk places; it’s my preferred way to get around. There was no therapy better than taking a sunny fall stroll down Beacon Street to Coolidge Corner, or walking down Newbury with a big coffee (ok Venti Americano, or Large Iced Dunks for the warmer days) in my hand just to people watch.

Do I need the city life because of my life spent on the subway and throwing pennies into the fountain at the Eaton Center? Or is it just me, who I am that makes me want that? Of course it’s a bit of both.  That brings me back to the Belizeans, who want a simple life in the village, living under a thatch roof, their children playing in a safe place. There may be electricity there may not, there may be running water there may not, there may be a toilet there may not, but it doesn’t matter. It’s how they spent their childhood and they must have had a fantastic childhood, and that’s what matters.  Although it may be to foreign to me to really comprehend the appeal I am sure they would think my way of life was too crazy and loud.

What are your favourite childhood memories and how do those shape your adult decisions? Do you want to live in a place like where you grew up, or the total opposite?

Happy Children in Graham Creek

As long as we are safe, healthy and surrounded by loving people the rest is just gravy.

Happy Memories and Bright Futures

Mariel