Spontaneous Vacation

38 Days 

Booked a spontaneous vacation with two of my good friends, Mandy and Kim. I'm counting down the days until I get to lie on the beach and just relax :) 

People criticize me for going on vacation so often... It keeps me sane. If I could, I would get up and leave for much longer, trust me.

Here is where we're going to be staying in Varadero, Cuba!

MEMORIES VARADERO BEACH RESORT

Your secret is safe with me...

This is probably going to be the most honest I have been in a long time, but I feel like I need to be. It's part of the process, and for those that are out there reading this that are facing the same challenges as me - read and learn.

I started this month on such a good foot. I received a phone call from the owner of my fitness studio saying that all my hard work in November/December paid off and that I won the Little Black Dress Contest. I had successfully lost 10.5lbs in a month, about 15 inches off my whole body and was at my lowest weight since probably high school. I was thrilled. Not only do I never win anything, it was so enlightening to see that every minute I put in at the gym was showing results.

Then, I don't know what happened. Slowly, I just gave into temptation, and I began feeding my body food that I wouldn't normally eat. I would snack because I was bored, and come home feeling hungry and eat until I went to bed feeling full. As soon as people would go to bed, I would raid the cupboards and find something to eat... Often, I would have two snacks because salty food always tasted better after being complemented with sweet (and vice-versa). I felt like if I ate and no one saw me doing it, I wouldn't be guilty. I was only fooling myself. Secret eating is nothing to be proud of, and I realize that this has been my downfall from the beginning. I have no problem getting the exercise done, it's the nutrition part that I have always struggled with. Even at that, I would like to think that I know what kind of healthy choices to make, but for some reason, come nightfall I always get super hungry and that's when I make all the bad choices and essentially sabotage my body.

All this to say, the 10lbs that I lost in November/December are back. I gained each one of them back in January. When I stepped on the scale yesterday I almost burst into tears, but I used it more as a lesson to myself. I was so MAD that I let myself just waste away like that. Was anything that I ate worth it? Not one bit. They say that nothing tastes as good as skinny feels, and I firmly believe that; but then, why did I let myself ruin my past success?

I wish I had an answer.

I gave myself a challenge to be at my goal weight for my birthday. As I look at the calendar, I realize that it's virtually impossible to lose about 45lbs in 60 days.

I think my problem is that I am concentrating on awarding myself once I cross the finish line and I am forgetting that if I focus on achieving small goals, I'll eventually attain the big goal.

THE PLAN:

February 7: -2lbs

February 14: -3lbs

February 21: no weigh in (FLORIDA!!!)

February 28: -5lbs (two weeks of work, since I won't be weighing myself on the 21st)

March 6: -2lbs

March 13: -2lbs

March 20: -2lbs

March 27: -2lbs

April 3: -5lbs (Birthday present to myself! I will push myself even more this week because I will want to make my last weigh-in before my birthday count)

Total: ~23lbs

-- With that in mind, I should be in the 170's... Let's do it!

Another thing that I am going to start doing, and I have to give credit to Melissa for this, is start a food/fitness journal. I use MyFitnessPal on a frequent basis and I also have a dry-erase board on my wall that I keep track of everything, but I think that if I start actually taking the time to write my feelings down it'll sway me away from temptation. Instead of hitting the fridge or the pantry, I'll take out my notebook and write how I am feeling down. I think this will be therapeutic and help me quite a bit. I feel like I am entering my own version of a rehab centre... receiving healing treatment for my addiction with food. At the end of the day, I have let myself become an emotional eater that does her damage in secret.

... I'm reading back on everything that I wrote and I'm getting upset that I let myself do this again I'm tired of making promises to myself and not following through with it.

Okay, enough sulking. Time to do this.

my favourite song will tell you more than my mouth ever will.

It's 1:18am and my alarm is going off in 4.75hrs for work.

I don't know what's wrong with me... there's something about the night time and sleeping that brings out this whole other side of me.

i used to be the type of person who would fall asleep as soon as my head would hit the pillow
Lately, it takes everything for me to put my mind to rest and fall asleep. I stare at the ceiling and think...and think some more.
If someone were to ask me what's wrong, I wouldn't know what to tell them. But there is... I just haven't figured it out completely

TWO ZERO ONE TWO

Goals and resolutions for 2012:

1) Finally achieve my goal weight of ~150lbs (Lose 35-40lbs) by my Birthday (April 3) OR by the summer at the latest

PART ONE:

I'm really serious about this. I have had this in mind for the last two years, and I haven't been really strict about achieving it. Now that I have gotten into the mindset that I can actually do it, nothing can stop me now.

How I plan to do it:

- Going to the gym at least three times/week (35 minutes elliptical training + weights) in addition to any classes I take

- Fitness classes

• Zumba at school Monday & Wednesday
• Spinning classes at the gym Wednesday & Friday
• Boot-camp, Zumba and Yoga classes at Cielo whenever I can

- Tracking my meals and food intake by using My Fitness Pal

- Dry Erase Board in my room. I put this up in November and it has really helped me keep track of the exercise I am doing every day, my weigh in dates, goals and milestones.

- When it gets warmer, I am going to start running again. I have never particularly enjoyed running on the treadmill, so I think I will make the best progress once Spring comes.

- Keeping myself motivated through others. One of my friend's is also overweight and she told me the other night that she is ready for a "lifestyle change". Well, we'll change our lives together.

I'm also a huge (no pun intended...) fan of the Biggest Loser, and watching the show really motivates me.

PART TWO:

Reward myself for my accomplishments

... Can you tell that this is important to me?

2) Graduate from University

Wow... this is a scary thought. The "real" world is approaching so fast. It's crazy to think that one year from now I will have graduated and have my bachelor's degree.

3) Read 20 books: Five out of the twenty must be read using my Kobo Reader

So, I didn't do as well as I would have hoped last year with this type of goal, but I'm going to give it another shot...

4) Go on three vacations

- Orlando, Florida (February 2012)

- ______________ (Summer 2012)

- ______________ (????)

I would really like to go back to NYC, so maybe I'll make that happen this year.

5) Become a runner

This is an interesting goal because I have never particularly enjoyed running but I always imagine myself doing it. I know that makes little sense, but it's true. There is something about going for a jog that is just liberating and it really clears my mind.

Here are my running goals for the year:

- Participate in the CIBC Run for the Cure; 5km (October 2012) Goal: <30 mins

- Run the Oasis Half Marathon; 21km (September 23 2012) Goal: Finish Strong

- Run 365km through out the year... One for every day.

6) Clean, organize and redecorate my room

For most people their bedroom is a place of relaxation... almost like a sanctuary. For me, recently, it's become a place to sleep. I have things EVERYWHERE and it's so unorganized. I always tell myself that I am going to clean it but I never get around to it because "better" things get in the way. I really need to sort through everything and give away what I can and throw away what I can't. Once all that is done, I want to print out a bunch of pictures and recreate my space.

7) Continue to "give back"

Over this last year, I have really found my passion for charity work. I have always enjoyed organizing events and giving back to the community, but I feel like last year, especially with CASA Cares, this passion has strengthened.

The plan:

- Donate blood at least five times

In 2011, I overcame my fear of blood tests. On a random afternoon I decided to give my first donation and although I was terrified I did it. I was so happy that I did once I found out that I have an O- blood type and I am universal blood donor. I gave three donations in 2011.

- Donate at least $15000 to the Montreal Children's Hospital (CASA Cares Fashion Show: March 2012)

- Encourage friends who are participating in charity events by giving them a donation

- Become involved somehow with the Canadian Obesity Foundation

- Donate my hair to the CanDonate Hair Program that provides children (under 16 years old) with cancer a wig

8) Go on my first first date

I'd rather not discuss this one... I always joke about dying alone, breeding cats, getting a creaky rocking chair and a shot gun for my porch, but at the end of the day, this whole "romance" topic upsets me. I'm turning 23 this year...

9) Hand-write a letter to myself and open it a year from now

*Credit to Melissa and Jenia for this idea*

I think it would be pretty cool to see how I change this year. I have a feeling that 2012 will bring tons of amazing things, and it'll be fun to look back on what I was thinking about on the first day of the year.

10) Be happy.

I know this is a pretty ridiculous goal to have. What does it even mean to be happy? We spend a good portion of our lives pursuing this feeling. So many people are driven to "live life to its fullest" and have "no regrets", but at the end of the day, do we?

This year - as much as I adore helping others and being generous - I really want to focus on myself a little more. Often, I put aside my feelings and needs to satisfy those of other people. I'm not saying this a bad thing, nor do I intend on stopping that completely because it's part of who I am, but I am tired of giving to those that don't necessarily deserve that extra treatment. Winning the "the person with the biggest heart" award at my work Christmas party in 2011 was an amazing feeling, and no one can take that away from me. I am who I am.

I want to be able to be surrounded by people that love me just as much as I do them. Friendships aren't one sided. To me, my friends are my family.

As much as I love to care, in certain situations I have to stop. I've learned over the last couple of months that I'm not a miracle-worker, nor a fairy godmother. I can't wave a magic wand and heal people's problems. I can listen. I can give advice. I can't fix the un-fixable. I have to remember that.

I love taking pictures. People that I go out with are often annoyed that I am always capturing the moments that we're sharing, others just smile for the camera and enjoy it. I won't change that about myself, and I plan to continue taking pictures through out the year. It makes me happy.

I want to avoid unnecessary drama, and try and live a zen life. I don't want to become careless but carefree, there's a difference. Negativity won't get you anywhere, and complaining will only make you sink. Open up your eyes, the world is a beautiful place.

I want to look back on 2012 and say to myself "Yep, I did it right."

Happy New Year to everyone who took the time to read this. May 2012 bring you lots of health and happiness!

Bye 2011

Here are the goals that I gave myself for 2011 (ELEVEN GOALS FOR 2011):

Let's see how I did...

1) Continue to live a healthy lifestyle and hopefully reach my goal weight by the beginning of summer. If that's the case, I have about 50lbs to lose. I'm feeling fat just thinking about it haha!

ACCOMPLISHED. Technically failed, but I consider myself successful.
This is a tough one...
The beginning of 2011 was horrible. After completing a 6-week detox program and losing 18lbs, I completely lost myself. I picked up my old habits, and gained back all 18lbs and an additional 7lbs. I was basically back at where I started. I'm not going to create any excuses for the sabotage that I caused to my body, but I have definitely restarted on a better path. As I have blogged before, I now know that you can't expect to change your life through dieting; it just doesn't happen that way. The first thing you have to do is get your mind into gear, and then the body will follow. It's not hard to get up and go to the gym a couple of times a week, that's the easy part. What's difficult is to resist temptation, keep a positive mindset and a controlled plan to achieve your goals. Before I went to Greece I decided to drop all that additional weight I had gained in the six months after my detox program. Before my trip, I lost 15lbs, bringing me down to 205lbs. Coming home, I struggled a little bit to get readjusted to my non-traveler lifestyle and gained about 5lbs. Then it hit me. My life changed from there. Since September, I have lost 26lbs and I am now at my lowest weight since probably the beginning of high school: 189.6lbs. GOOD BYE TWO HUNDREDS!!! I can't wait to see what 2012 brings for me.

2) SCHOOLschoolSCHOOLschool: Put some "B+"s and "A"s on my transcript & Make the switch into BComm (Finance major)

1/2 FAIL.
I am still in BAdmin, but I am taking Finance courses and not setting myself back towards finishing my degree. My grades have definitely improved over the last year and so has my overall outlook on school. Now that I have joined CASA Cares, you would think I would have a lot less time to concentrate on academics since I am constantly organizing events, and I do... BUT, I have found a new love for University and it drives me to do well. I want to leave JMSB feeling proud for what I have accomplished over the years, not only with the letter grades on my transcript but through the lives that I have changed and the people that I have met. I think that's important.

3) Participate in the 'Run for the Cure' (Oct 2, 2011); Run the 5km in under 30mins

ACCOMPLISHED.
This event was definitely one of the highlights of my year. When I first blogged about participating in this charity event, I thought I would be running alone. Little did I know, I got my best friend on board and the entire CASA Cares team. Together, we raised $4519 for the foundation!!! I ran the race on October 2nd, and crossed the finish line at 36mins. I know it's not the 30 minutes that I had originally hoped for but I'll take it. The fact that I got to experience this day with so many amazing people, and raise that much money for a cause I care about is enough for me.

4)Go on a road trip somewhere in the U.S. to see a concert. (I'm sure Mel, Jenia and Jenn would be up for it...Am I right,ladies?)

ACCOMPLISHED.
On June 2nd, I took a mini road-trip to Burlington, Vermont with Melissa, Alex and Chloe to see Jimmy Eat World. Honestly, it was probably one of the best concerts that I have ever been to. There is something about this band's music that pulls at my heart-strings. They are my favorite band. There is just something about their music that puts me in a happy place whether I am relaxing, doing homework or driving.

5) Be spontaneous and book a vacation

ACCOMPLISHED.
Going to Orlando, Florida for Spring Break 2012. Gonna become a wizard with two best friends, and visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios!

6) Save more money! I make approximately $220/week, where is all my money going?!

1/2 ACCOMPLISHED.
I'm really good at saving money and budgeting... but I am even better at spending it on vacations and excursions.

7) Read at least 20 books. (I read 15 books last year) One of the books has to be written in Greek. Also, read newspapers/magazines more often to keep up with what's going on in the (business)world.

FAIL.
I only read 12 books this year
I bought a Greek book while I was in Greece but I haven't read it yet
I have definitely been reading more about current events. Thanks to Twitter, I get the daily Gazette headlines

8) Learn how to play Konstantine on the piano (Thanks for the awesome gift, Mel <3 )

FAIL.

I actually completely forgot about this goal... Wow.

9) Tell people how I feel. Whether it be when I'm upset by something, or to tell them that I love them. I tend to bottle-up my emotions...It's time to pop the cork on this bottle. Remember to smile big, and mean it.

ACCOMPLISHED.

Although I still have a long way to go, I feel like I have definitely been a lot more open about my feelings. It's never been easy for me to just talk about what's going on in my life, and I still often need people to make the first move and ask me how I am before I tell them. I remember having many heart-to-hearts with the girls while in Greece, and I have become increasingly open about my weight-loss journey. Baby steps. I still consider myself a bit of a mystery, and to a certain extent I think I'll always keep that way... I am always there to offer my opinion and be the listener in a group of friends, but I've never been the type to openly seek help. There's definitely a select couple of people that I turn to though whenever I need to talk. This year, I definitely smiled and I meant every smile. That's one thing I never held back. When I was unhappy, I didn't put on a mask. I really appreciate the moments that made me smile this year, and I have the friends I got closer to this year to thank for that.

10) Spend a day being a tourist in my own city; Visit a museum, go for dinner at a restaurant I've never been to, stay in a hotel, do things I haven't done before

ACCOMPLISHED.

Although I didn't necessarily feel like a tourist, here are some things that I did this year in Montreal that I've never done before:

- Ice skate at the Quays in the Old Port

- Try some authentic Chinese food at a restaurant that I can't pronounce

- Participate in the Run for the Cure

- See the Lion King on Broadway

- Stay at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel for Halloween

- Get a free bottle of champagne at 737 for my 22nd Birthday

- Go to a club and see a celebrity perform live (Karl Wolf at the JMSB End of Semester Party)

- Parallel park my car perfectly on Ste-Catherine street on a busy afternoon

11) ________ (blank) Let's see what I'll fill this blank with at the end of the year. ACCOMPLISHED.

One word...Greece. <3

FINAL SCORE: Accomplished 8/11

Back From The Dead

Wow, the last time I wrote a blog post, I was in Greece! Not only did I not write about my wonderful times in Santorini but I haven't been keeping you posted on life at all. Shame on me.

I'm not going to go into the nitty-gritty of things, but I will try and summarize what I have been up to lately.
This semester has seriously flown by, and to think that I have less than a month of school left before the Christmas holidays is both exciting and terrifying. I have so much to do in that little time, but I can't wait to be off for three weeks and to just enjoy myself a little.

My life has consisted of four aspects: School, Work, Getting Healthy and Social Life (although minimal).

School has been pretty good! My grades are definitely a lot better than they have been over the last couple of semesters so I am definitely proud of that. What has really made the difference this semester is that I am part of CASA Cares. These people have become amazing friends, and together we are doing something that I love: organizing events for charity. I love going out of my way to give back to the community, so to be part of an association that has a sole purpose to do just that is beyond exciting for me. We have had tons of successful events! Our biggest success so far this semester was participating in the Run for the Cure. We raised $4519 for the cause :) This month we have the Comedy Show, Band Night and Auditions for Concordia's Next Top Model. Tons of planning, and volunteering ahead but I've been loving every minute of it.

Work is work. Some days I just want to hand in my resignation and other days I have so much fun with my Maxi Crew that I can't imagine myself finding another job. It's a weird feeling. It gets overwhelming at times, especially now that I work as a cashier/supervisor/financial technician/human resources administrator (aka slave). I have learned every possible thing that I can possible know as a part-time employee, and although it can get stressful at times, I seize any opportunity to learn more. In addition, I also organize events for our social club too. I have raised almost $250 by organizing activities, and inflating the prices ever so slightly to make a profit. The money that I get from these events will help us buy Christmas presents for the employees at our Christmas party.

Getting healthy has really been a priority for me lately. Ever since I came back from Greece, I have been extra vigilant with my weight loss and I have created concrete goals for myself. I'm just going to mention right now that I am not ashamed to tell you how much I weigh, because I am hoping that someone out there will read this post and get inspired from it too. What people don't realize is that weight is a number, but the way you feel is what should drive you to become a better version of you. Anyway, all this to say, I started my "new" weight loss journey back from Greece at 210lbs. Since then, I have dropped down to 196lbs (HEY ONEderland, nice to see you again!)
My goals:
1) Get under 200lbs (DONE Achieved November 1st)
2) 175lbs by January 3rd 2012 (Start the New Year on the right path)
3) 150lbs by April 3rd 2012 (My 23rd Birthday)
*I realize that those are pretty ambitious goals, but I am striving to get close to them. I don't think I'll hit the 150lb mark, but if I am hovering around 150-160lbs, I think I'll be happy with that. What most of you don't know, I probably weighed that much in the 6th or 7th grade. Mhmm...

I'm really feeling good about myself lately, there is just something about hard work that makes me smile. When I leave the gym and I am drenched from sweating or making myself a healthy creative meal, I feel amazing. When I look at myself in the mirror and realize that my "skinny" jeans are are not so skinny and becoming baggy, that is such a big motivator. I want to feel good and unleash this skinny girl inside me. I feel like over the years I have been trapped in my own insecurities... time to feel free.
I've already started compiling goals that I want to achieve in 2012, I can't wait to share them with you!

Although my social life is basically non-existent, I definitely make a point to see my friends and spend time with the family. I really enjoy getting together with James, Jess and Alannah for tea at Jessica's house. We sit for a couple hours and just catch up on life, and laugh A LOT.
I would never pass up a good time with my best friend, Melissa either. She always manages to put me in an amazing mood when I see her. There's something about spending time with your close friends like Mel, Selina or Kate to put you right back on track.
Then there's those special moments with people that you don't see as often as you would like... Jenia is one of those people. We all have a friend that just brings tons of positive care-free energy. She is exactly one of those people. I can always be myself around her, and let my goofiness show.
We have to remember, no matter how busy life can get, we always have to make time for the people that we love.

That's pretty much it for now, I'll try to write more often... promise.

MYKONOS

So the adventure continued and on we went to Mykonos and what an adventure it was.
We knew that we had an early morning ahead of us because we had booked a 7:30am ferry, so we could take advantage of our stay in Mykonos, but we had no idea how early we actually had to be awake.
The alarm on Mel's iPhone woke us up at 4:15am in Athens, and we headed- in the dark- to catch the train at 5:15am. It was so FUN dragging a 50lb suitcase in the dark down a sketchy alley in Athens...good times. Anyway, so we boarded the ferry had no where to sit, so we sat in a cafe for 5 hours, and arrived in Mykonos at 1:30pm. We had arranged to get a lift from the port to the hotel, and after some searching, we realized that they weren't there to get us. I made a quick phone call and three minutes later the nicest man, Andreas, came to get us.
It was once we arrived to the hotel that we realized that we were in for some of the best days of our trip.
The hotel was situated on top of a hill, so we had the most spectacular view from our hotel room. The rooms were perfect too! Our shower, I kid you not, could have fit the four of us in it at once. Besides the amazing rooms and daily breakfasts in the dining room (YUMMY Yogurt & Honey), we quickly became very comfortable with the hotel staff who was constantly there to help us with anything we needed. They were all so friendly, we were all so sad to leave on our last day.

Here are some highlights from the trip

DAY ONE
- Afternoon at the beach (Agios Stefanos). There was sand whipping us in every direction. I was covered in it by the end of the afternoon. Definitely a treat to get it all out of my hair
- Late lunch at an Irish Pub
- Appaloosa's for nachos and drinks at night after exploring some of the shops

DAY TWO
- Paraga Beach (sipping Mythos beer by the ocean)
- Shopping in town for souvenirs
- First Greek Baklava from a local bakery

DAY THREE
- Paradise Beach
- Oven baked pizza & ice cream for lunch at the beach
- 'Verdana' for drinks (Peach daiquiri) for the sunset. We had the opportunity to take tons of pictures of the sunset and the famous five windmills
- Walking around and shopping in Little Venice
- Gyro and fries for dinner at Jimmy's
- Clubbing at 'Down Under' bar; sticky finger shots, tequila, good looking Aussie doorman, dancing, funny pictures and laughing

Random Memories:
- Sitting in the room talking
- Catching up on the Internet (Hooray for free-wifi)
- Amazing hotel staff (If anyone plans on travelling to Mykonos anytime soon, go to Rhenia Bungalows. HIGHLY recommended by the four of us!)
- Their pets! PUPPIES <3 and turtles in the garden
- The walk up the hill to get to the hotel; gotta exercise those glutes haha
- Topless Italian women at the beaches...quite the sight.
- The view of the city from the hotel
- All the hilarious gay men (James, this made Mel and I really miss you!)
- Getting free shots in every restaurant/bar we went to! (Dear Montreal, this never happens back home. Just saying...)
- People thinking that we're Australian ("Oh, you're Canadian! That makes sense, Canadian's read on the beach!" ...Which is all we did.)

As always, here are some pictures for you to look at!
Hope Montreal isn't missing us too much
Love,
Agnes

Kefallonia

After spending the last 8 days (August 9- August 17) in Kefallonia, a small village that my Giagia (grandmother) grew up in. I won't write about each day just yet but here are the highlights from our vacation to Monopolata, Kefallonia and its surrounding villages.

Beaches that we visited:
- Xi
- Petani
- Makris Gialos
- Skala
Skala was by far my favorite beach (and I think the girls would agree with me when I say that). Unlike the other beaches that we visited, this one was covered in little rocks. Even the sand was composed of small rocks. We spent hours enjoying the sunshine and scavenging the shore for the "pretty ones" to bring back with us.

Kefallonia Bus Tour: On Saturday we spent the whole day touring Kefallonia by bus. We saw:
- Myrtos Beach
- Assos
- Fiskardo (small town that is known as a tourist attraction for celebrities)
- Agia Efimia
- Melisani Lake
- Drogorati Caves
- Agiou Gerassimo Monastery
- Robola Winery
Best part of the day: Taking a boat ride through the Melisani Lake (bluest water ever!) and exploring the caves at Drogorati. We had to climb over 200 stairs to see this sight, but it was definitely worth it.

Things we will remember:
-LAUGHING. It was a daily ritual but happened most when we were exhausted and ready for bed
- Experiencing Panagias holiday at church with Melissa and Giagia
- Reading a lot at night and just relaxing
- The view from the house of the city especially during the full moon
- Evangelia's hugs and her big blue eyes in her glasses
- Chocolate icecream and Robola wine
- Washing our clothes in the bathtub
Food we ate:
- Gyros from the village restaurant (delicious and very affordable)
- Mousaka from Oasis restaurant in Lixouri
- Homemade meals. Both my Giagia and Thia Evangelia are excellent cooks so on the nights that they made us food, we were very thankful
- Homemade meals (part 2): We shopping in Lixouri and bought a week's worth of food and took care of ourselves on most night. We made three meals/day and took turns cleaning up too. Best roommates ever? I think so.

Things we didn't like so much:
- The taxi drivers that my grandmother relied on/ taxis in general
- The winding roads (The girls took turns feeling nauseous and taking Gravol)
- My grandmother's wakeup calls (WAKEUP, turns on light. OR grabbing my hand). Let's just put it this way, we were always on time, and she was convinced that we were always going to be late.
- The lack of things to do. You can't get anywhere by foot, so everything that we did was during the day, leaving us with very little to do at night. It was alright though, we spent tons of time reading.

People that we met:
My grandmother would introduce me to every single person that we saw. At first, it was nice to see how proud she was to introduce me to her friends and family, but by the end of the week, I couldn't remember anyone's names because I had met so many people. That being said, the VIP award goes to Lambros who took us on a roadtrip on Sunday to Makris Gialos and Skala. Not only that, he also gave us a ride to Lixouri yesterday when the bus didn't show up. He was just overall so pleasant to be around! We actually spent over an hour with him last night just talking around our kitchen table. We laughed a lot! He probably thinks that we're a little "coo-coo bananas" (to quote Selina), but that's alright.

Things that we will miss:
- My Giagia: She was just too good to us!
- Thia Evangelia & Dionysis; They are actually so adorable
- The quietness of the beaches (Mykonos and Santorini are touristic hotspots so we're expecting CROWDS)
- The friendliness, love and generosity of family

Words the girls learned:
- Loulouthia = Flowers (Selina's favorite word)
- Kali mera = Good morning/Good day
- Efharisto= Thank You
- Para kalo= You're welcome/Please
- Karpouzi= Watermelon
- Oréo= Nice
- Ne= Yes
- Oxi= No
...Among MANY others! They're awesome.

Books we read this week:
- One Day by David Nicholls (Kate)
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Selina; Agnes is reading it now)
- My Name is Memory by Anne Brashares (Melissa)
- Withering Tights by Louise Rennison (Melissa)
- Blink by Malcolm Gladwell (Halfway done; Melissa)
- The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (Remaining half; Agnes)
- Something Blue by Emily Giffen (Agnes)
- Looking for Alaska by John Green (Agnes; Selina is reading it now)

I am not going to post a lot of pictures, but I wanted to give you a taste of Kefallonia and some of our adventures










I'm upset that this leg of the trip is over... It was so nice to really experience the culture (it wasn't so foreign for me, but the girls have never really been introduced to this kind of thing). I'm going to miss the family I met.
At the same time, I am so excited to see Mykonos and Santorini. My alarm is going off at 4:15am, so we can get ready for our 7:30am ferry. Mykonos, these Montreal girls are coming!

Good night my loves,

S'agapo (I love you)
Agnes xoxo

Hello from Athens

Yiasou! "Hello" in Greek

So, I'm actually writing this blog from Athens! As promised, I said that I would keep in touch as often as I could so here is my first post after my first day of travel.

After a morning of rushing and last minute packing, we departed on a nine hour flight this afternoon from Montreal at 4:20pm. Although I was quite discouraged by the length of time we were about to spend on the plane, I have to admit that it went really fast. Besides the overcooked yet raw pasta for supper, and the fact that I didn't sleep AT ALL on the plane, everything went super well.

We landed in Athens at about 9:10am, got our passports stamped and made our way to the baggage claim. After picking up our luggage (that did make its way to Greece, we were a little worried), we made our way to the exit. There my uncle Elias was waiting for us with a sign "KATSOUROS". It was like a scene out of a movie really. As some of you know, I have never met the family that I am staying with, so it has been quite the experience getting to know people that I have heard of but never met.
There, we proceeded to wait for Vangelis to pick us up, since he is a taxi driver. We all think that Montreal drivers are insane, well, he was driving 160km/hr down the highway... Yeah, it was a joy ride.

We then arrived at Elias and Georgia's house in Athens, where we will be spending our night in Athens. They welcomed us right away with open arms, tons of filakia (kisses) and FOOD. For lunch we had pork chops, rice, greek salad, spanakopita, tsaziki and cheese. We were stuffed. I just want to take a moment and say how DIFFERENT the spanakopita here is from the one at home... Oh God. HEAVEN IN MY MOUTH.

I'm not going to lie, this whole day has been stressful for me. Although I am able to speak Greek and read the language, it has been tough to adjust to ONLY speaking Greek and being the translator for the girls. My relatives don't speak English and the girls don't speak Greek. It's quite the culture shock for them but I have to admit that they have been working hard at picking up some key phrases thanks to Kate's phrase book. (Mel, how do you say Thank You again?)

After having lunch, my cousin Christos and his girlfriend Dimitra along with their friend Nickos, took us around Athens to see the Acropolis. Because it was so hot, we did a lot of the sight seeing by car but we took the time to stop at Dionysis cafe to have an iced coffee and lots of water with the Acropolis and Parthenon in the background.
Afterwards, we spent hours sitting on the living room floor planning our trip to Kefalonia since we are leaving tomorrow and there is a lot to do and know before departing. I'm going to get to see my Giagia (Grandmother) tomorrow, and I am pretty excited about that.

We ended the night with a light supper, Greek salad (all of the ingredients come from Vangelis garden), bread and the neighbours blaring Greek music. The weather was beautiful so we took advantage of it and enjoyed the night on the balcony. I was telling the girls how I feel so spoiled. Everyone has been super nice and helpful, not to mention that we haven't spent any money yet because everyone has been so generous.
So far, our first day has been a big success. I have been awake for the last 32 hours, and I am not even that tired. The girls are currently knocked out (it's 10:37pm here), and our alarms are set for our 6:30am wakeup tomorrow. The adventure continues!

Random funny moments of the day: The last hour of our flight, we were so deliriously tired that everything was funny & Selina getting gum on her jeans and washing the stain out with oil and then scrubbing them in the tub.

Here are some pictures from today:

View of the Acropolis and Parthenon from the Cafe

The girls and I sitting in front of the Acropolis and Parthenon enjoying our coffees

Christos & Dimitra! AMAZING couple and genuine people. We had so much fun with them

The Parthenon! They are doing some construction on it right now

FREDDOCCINO! Coffee and chocolate blended drink :) Delicious on a hot day

Two Words.

A magician waves his wand and says "Abra Kadabra" before pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

A couple says "I do" at the alter to proclaim their love and become husband and wife.

A person responds "You're welcome" after hearing "Thank You."

A girl says "Call me", after having her first date with a boy.

A sign reads "Watch out" when faced with danger.

A friend gets "Carpe Diem" tattooed on his side, reminding himself to seize the day.

A social activist proclaimed "I believe," while seeking equality among people

A daughter wishes to hear "I'm sorry", but knows that she never will.

Tuesday Breakfast

What I'm dealing with...

Dad complains that I am making too much noise in the kitchen while making breakfast. "Why does it have to be such a process?", he says.

I continue to make my breakfast which consists of:

Egg Whites (1/2 cup) 60 calories
Grape Tomatoes (small; 7) 4 calories
La Vache Qui Rit Cheese 22.5 calories
Whole Wheat English Muffin (1/2) 65 calories
Double Fruit 4 Citrus Marmalade (Light; 1 tbsp) 20 calories
Source Vanilla Yogurt (1/2 cup) 43.75 calories
Clementine 35 calories
TOTAL 250.25 calories
Water 650ml

I devour everything. It was delicious, and healthy.

He gets up from the couch, and finishes a bag of chips.
It's 10:08am
Just saying...

What have you done today to make you feel proud?

Remember when you were a kid? You were young, innocent, afro-haired (or was that just me?) and bursting with creativity and curiosity. You were carefree, and the simplest things made you happy. When I was in kindergarten, my elementary school was having a craft fair during the holidays. One afternoon, my teacher took the class down the hall to the gymnasium where the fair was being held, and gave us some time to browse through the many trinkets for a Christmas present for our parents. I seized the opportunity to buy my Mom something pretty. Spending my 50cents that I was given for my lunchtime snack, I bought my Mom a pink (albeit quite tacky) necklace. I was so happy with my purchase, and was anxious to give it to her on Christmas morning. I remember the feeling I got that day when she opened up the package and saw what I had bought for her. I was proud to have made her smile, and even happier when she offered to wear the jewellery all day.
17 years later… Just a couple of days ago, my Mom was cleaning out a drawer in her room, and she came across a box of old souvenir-style jewellery. The pink-beaded necklace that I had bought her at the age of five was amongst the collection. When she showed it to me, she had a sparkle in her eyes, and I was brought back to the moment when I gave it to her. I remember feeling genuine happiness on that day. I was proud that I made my Mommy happy, and that I had bought her something special. Why is it so hard nowadays to experience the joy we did as children?

As I grew older, I never really knew what it felt like to be proud of my accomplishments. Despite the fact that I consider myself an optimistic and driven person, I am often quite hard on myself. I try my hardest to keep a positive outlook on life and embrace what I have been given, but sometimes life’s twists and turns get in the way and I am thrown off course. Then one day, you just have to wake up and say “This is it. I’m done with the excuses. Let’s do this.”

I’ve always been a fan of the reality show “The Biggest Loser” but it was only lately, while I was sweating-it-out on the elliptical, that I took the time to listen to the lyrics of the song ‘Proud’ by Heather Small. The song thrills, excites and inspires me. So many of the themes contained within the lyrics- overcoming fears, grabbing freedom, believing in possibility – resonate with the deepest parts of me to this day. I also think it’s a timely reminder to do something significant every day. I mean it, every day. This might seem like a daunting task because we all have routines that we follow on a daily basis, but I want you to take some time out of your day to do something to give you that proud sensation. The same feeling I got 17 years ago when I gave my Mom that necklace.
Lately, for me, I am incredibly proud with my change in diet and incorporating exercise in my everyday routine. I have been fighting to lose weight for the longest time. I have tried fad-diets and detox regimes, and nothing has ever worked permanently. I am the poster-child for “yo-yo” weight loss, and I can honestly say that I was ashamed to admit it. Then one day, I made a decision to change. Change is good. I’m not on a diet, I’m altering my lifestyle. When people ask me what’s my secret, you know what I answer them? “Nothing. The secret comes from within you. Eat well, exercise, sleep and smile.” For once in my life, I am proud of myself. Things can only get better from here. I may have lost the battle here and there, but I have won the war.

Whether it be from helping an elder cross the street, having a successful day at work, getting a good grade on an exam, seeing the numbers drop on a scale, or making a loved-one smile, be proud of what you have accomplished, and the journey it took to achieve what you set your mind to. So what if you have one bad integrity day? Don’t tell yourself you’ll do it again and just succumb. Make the next day better. Commit to something and follow through. That will raise your integrity and self-esteem and the feeling that it brings will make you want to continue on that path. Be proud of yourself; you’re all you’ve got.

“I'm on my way
Can't stop me now
And you can do the same”
--Heather Small, Proud

Taking a break...

I'm taking a break from studying because I just came across a couple of Tweets from Biggest Loser contestants that really got me thinking.
They mentioned in their comments that they have gained weight ever since the finale. It made me realize that everyone goes through a slump sometimes and we just have to remember to get back on our feet and keep going.

Since summer school started, I haven't been paying much attention to ME.
I wanted to lose a bunch of weight before my trip to Greece, and instead of doing so, I gained some more.
My last day of school is today, and tomorrow I am going to get back on the bandwagon. According to my calculation, I have about 7 more weigh-ins before I get on that plane.
Logically speaking, that means I can lose about 15lbs before I leave. Realistically speaking, I want to lose more.

I have 46 days to really concentrate on me. Do things that I like to do, and things that I have been meaning to get done but just haven't had the time.
I hate saying that: "not having enough time." There is always time... But I often find myself not prioritizing my time right. The time I spend watching a favorite TV show can be spent outside running. The time I spend on Facebook can be spent cleaning my room.

The other night, I dreamed that I was chosen to go on the Biggest Loser (how awesome would that be?). I know this would never happen; first because it's an American show and second because I am not big enough to be on it. Yes I am unhealthy, but there are other people out there that are far worse off than I am. Why is it that, they are able to overcome their weight loss issues and I can't? In addition to the physical changes that I need to make, there are lots of psychological adjustments that need to happen as well.

Let's see what the next 46 days has in store for me...

P.S. Send me good vibes on my exams today. Freedom awaits.

Health Shock

You know that you've been eating badly, and not moving enough lately when in one week you lose 7.6 lbs!

No diets, no detox concoctions, no cheating. Just me and doing the right thing.

I spent the whole week writing everything I ate down and keeping track of the calories. At first, it was tedious and annoying to constantly have to refer back to my Excel spread sheet, tabulating how many calories I ate for something as insignificant as an apple, but I got used to it and it became a routine for me. I would stay within the 1375 calories that I allowed myself for the day, and I would often be under that amount too. It's not a good thing to not be at 100% everyday, but at least I haven't gone over either. I even got to indulge in a frozen yogurt at Yeh! this week, which proves that you can treat yourself but still keep a healthy mindset. I have also been keeping track of my water intake, making sure that I am drinking at least 8 glasses (2 litres) of water per day. Being a water-holic, this is easy, and I am averaging about 2.5-3L everyday.

In addition to counting calories, I have been exercising. My gym membership has expired and I don't have the money lately to invest in a new membership. So, I have been finding ways to still get the exercise that I need without spending the money. I have Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred DVD, and man does that give you a work out! Also, I have been going for runs every day. With the help of www.mapmyrun.com, I have been able to keep track of my daily workouts and the distance that goes along with each one. It's tough, but I know that it'll get easier.

I also just want to mention that this season of the Biggest Loser is coming to an end with one episode left before the finale. I've mentioned it so many times, but this show is so inspiring. It's amazing to see the transformations that these contestants go through, not just physically but mentally as well.
Here is a picture of my favorite contestant this season! I can't get over how amazing she looks. Wow.

Persevere.

As I was getting undressed to get into the shower, I took a moment to stop and look at myself in the mirror. Standing their in my undergarments, I thought of the times where I would avoid looking at myself and the feeling of disappointment and failure would flow through me.
Today I had a different feeling though.
It was like looking at an unfinished sculpture or piece of pottery. A work of art that hasn't been completely molded into a final product of extravagance. I've always been hard on myself about my weight loss, because I would see results and then life would take me for a spin, and I would gain back my accomplishments.

I'm going to Greece in less than 3 months, and I want to feel better in my skin while I'm there. Don't get me wrong, I don't have anyone to impress, but at the back of my mind I just want to feel good. You know what I mean?

I've calculated, that if I lose at least 2lbs (the "healthy" amount) per week, I can be down 26lbs by the time I go on vacation. That's just a benchmark... I won't accept less but I am expecting to lose more. I weighed myself last week, and my first weigh in is in two days.
I know that I've had many beginnings, and given myself so many "second-chances", but I guess that's just the type of person that I am. I don't want to be that "Yo-Yo diet" girl. I want to be healthy and happy.

I've also started counting my calories to stay on track. It's actually quite amusing to see if I am able to stay within my caloric intake for the day, and I have been doing really well. It makes it that much more real when the numbers are staring you right in the face.

I still haven't renewed my gym membership, but I have been doing Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred DVD, and now I'm starting to run. After a talk with Selina last night, I realized that I can do it. Me, the overweight bootyliscious girl can run. It was quite tough today, I'm not gonna lie. I found myself stopping to catch my breath quite often but I pulled through: 4.15km in 40 minutes. I know that it's not a fantastic statistic, but I'm proud of it. I know that it's going to get better as I keep training, so I'm not letting it bring me down. I plan on running the 5km in October in 30 minutes, and I am really excited about that.

All this to say that I am keeping my head high, and I'm not giving up.

Smile on a Rainy Day

Last summer, I came across this video from 'So You Think You Can Dance', and I have to admit that it's probably one of my favorite routines EVER on the show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLtSfYX8tJk&feature=related

And then this morning, I saw on the Ellen Show that Ellen had redone this routine. I had no idea! This is amazing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvGg1PNKtx0

Facebook Status from a CEGEP Teacher

Once of my favorite CEGEP teachers, John Faithful Hamer, had this as his Facebook status today. I love it, and it really speaks the truth...

"We're reading through the Harry Potter series with Tristan & Indie, and, for some strange reason, Dolores Umbridge gets to me, really gets to me, despite the fact that I've encountered plenty of nasty characters in books and movies. I'm repulsed by her character, thoroughly repulsed--but why? Perhaps it's because, unlike the fantastical Lord Voldemort, she's someone you're likely to meet in the real world."

I hear you good with 'em soft lips, yeah you know word of mouth.

Goals for March

"Why choose to fail if success is an option?" --Jillian Michaels

I consider myself to be an ambitious person, who loves to work towards new goals. For this month, I have a couple of things in mind that I would like to do.

1) Get off the Internet. I'm not saying that I am going to disappear and avoid the Internet (Facebook especially), but I am spending way too much time on the computer. I haven't picked up a good book in quite some time, and I hate it. Before, when I took the train every morning, I would read all the time. In a semester, I would get through about 5 books, and this semester (with 6 weeks left), I haven't finished one. So, by the end of the month, I want to have at least two books read.

2) Exercise. Try and get in as much exercise as I can. I would like to say that I want to get in at least 30 minutes of exercise everyday, but I don't know if this will be possible. Let's see what happens, and what results this will bring towards my weight loss.

3) Speaking of weight loss, the summer is coming fast. Last year, I told Tamara that I would be shopping for a bikini for the summer- so much for that idea. That being said, I am determined to be looking much different in time for my (POSSIBLE) trip to Greece. For this month, I am giving myself a goal of 12lbs (3lbs/week). I can do it.

4) STUDYstudySTUDY. I'm not working hard enough. The semester is slowly coming to an end, with finals around the corner. Instead of cramming at the last minute, I think I am going to start studying every week as if I have a final exam coming up. That way, when finals do come around, I'll feel less stressed.

5) Give blood again. Hopefully my iron count will be okay this time around. I am going to make sure to eat a steak, and get a good night sleep the day before Melissa and I give this a try again. I was so upset that I couldn't give blood last time, hopefully this time will have a different result.

Facebook Status

I'm going to make this Facebook status a reality for March.
Starting...Now.

I've been slacking with my health quite a bit lately, and it upsets me. Tomorrow is a new beginning with new goals... Let's see how hard I can push myself & how awesome I'll look by my birthday.