Cozumel, Mexico - Holiday!

What's up friends! I'm in Mexico all week so the blog will be on pause while I enjoy my sunshine, scuba and margaritas...

While I'm gone - here's some funny stuff on the Internets to keep you entertained...

• Used Yoga Mat ad on Craigslist
•  I'm Comic Sans, Asshole  - The font you hate stands up for itself
• Please accept this drawing of a Spider - hilarious.
• Passive Aggressive Notes - everybody's come across one of these, and it's awesome.
• Carnival Photos - In Brazil and other places...
• Take a look at this dreamy yacht... the  RM Elegant - it's the kind of place I want to work!
• Have you ever gone glamping? {Glamour + Camping} Looks pretty great here
• What I'll be eavesdropping on for six hours each way...
• Turns out, I'm a terrible wife

Have a great week - see you soon!

Ps. The resort I'm at has a camera that you can watch throughout the day.... a live shot of the pool. Creepy or great marketing tool? I feel like a creep when I look at it... but I can't stop!

Sad Sale: My Sweet Bike

Awesome, Retro-Style Cruiser Bike! This red Beachcomber cruiser bike includes whitewall tires, basket and a big seat! Perfect for cruising around in the summer, getting slurpees, library books and doing hipster things. Probably not that good for mountain trails or sweet tricks. Back breaks, no gears - like I said, classic! This bike is super rad and I'm sad to get rid of it... 

That's the actual Kijiji ad for my bike. Some stuff is easier to sell than others. I'll miss you friend! Ride on! 

I sold my bike to a super nice girl. She was wearing a glitter brooch and came with her bf to pick it up on valentines day. So Cute! Also, she fit it into a Nissan Altima - so... props to her for ingenuity.

 What would be hard for you to sell if you sold it all? Or what was the hardest thing you've had to sell?

 

Ps. We leave for Mexico tomorrow!! So excited, we'll chat when we get back.

It's a Jungle out there: Amazon Sales

Ha ha... see what I did there? My Amazon pun? I'm so funny. Anyways...


I looove to read, and I usually buy my books {Don't heckle me about the library and how free and awesome it is! I have too many fines, and I'm to embarrassed to go back!} But it seems useless to keep BOOKS in storage so I'm selling them. I was actually just going to put them in my garage sale pile - but got a burst of inspiration reading this blog post.

I'm selling books on Amazon now! I'm a legit bookstore! 

I'll let you know how that goes. I'm a bit skeptical to be honest.

I realized while I was listing these that I mostly have text books. WHO WOULD BUY Linguistics or Religious Studies textbooks at a garage sale? ha ha ha... good call Amazon.

Side Note: Most of the these textbooks are SUPER expensive on Amazon! {I haven't been a student in awhile now...} So I undercut the price like a capitalist ninja to get mine sold.

Lin-Sanity: Focus & Go Crazy!

Have you been watching the awesome classic underdog story of Jeremy Lin? He's a nerdy Harvard grad, exactly the same size as Juliano, taking the NBA by storm. He was undrafted, sleeping on his brother's couch and waiting for his chance to step up. And he did. He hit 109 points in first 4 starts (games as a starting player) best all times in NBA (Better than Michael Jordan - Lebron James). People love him!

Juliano: He made the Knicks win -That's the most impressive since the Knicks suck!

Haven't hear? Check him out here or here or here.

You don't need to be a basketball fan to love this - we all go through our lives talking about being the best we can be - but few of us actually Prepare, Stay Focused and Go Crazy with the things we want to accomplish.  Best part of this guy? He's smiling and clearly enjoying every second of it. 

Things learned from Lin-sanity:
Always be prepared - Do you daily work and prepare yourself so when your opportunity comes up - take advantage of it!
Stay Focused - Study hard so you are mentally focus on your task
Go Crazy - Be confident and believe you can achieve anything and once your time is up -  Explode

Lin was a sidelines guy - with the skills and drive to be the best. Sometimes you have to wait for your opportunity - but when it comes along, you'd better be ready.

Until then? I'm buying the T-shirt:

Top Photo Credit

Outer Space! Does the world seem big or small?

We saw the Northern Lights this weekend! It was Juliano's first time seeing them, and it's been years since I've seen them. They're stunning and transfixing and everything you think.

{Photo Source: I don't have the photography skills to take a picture of them!}

We were on our way out to the  Rothney Astronomical Observatory when we saw them.

The RAO is run by the University of Calgary, and hosts open houses about once a month. For $20 you get to listen to a presentation, look through their huge telescope, hold some space rocks and more.

The best part though? The local astronomical society members bring their personal telescopes and set them up for us to look through. They know so much about Space - and they're excited to tell you! It's so inspiring to watch people immersed in their passion. Here's some of what we got to see:

Does the world seem big or small to you? Sometimes when I read other travel blogs, or watch too much National Geographic the world seems SO HUGE and unsurmountable - I'll never see it all! 

Bonus: Have you seen The Scale of the Universe? So cool, give it a second to load....

Happy Family Day

Happy Family Day to my fellow Canadians! Today is a day off for us - so enjoy. I have no post, so here is a photo of me trying to enjoy some Love Swans in Brazil. Juliano does not like love swans, apparently. Even though they're awesome and romantic, Juliano.

Stop Being Complacent!

 
House Update: We dropped the list price by $7000 in an attempt to speed up the process.

Honest Moment: I've been feeling really complacent lately.


With no offers on the house and not much going on adventure-wise - it's been easy to lose sight of our goal a bit and get comfortable with our lives here again... it's a trap I don't want to get stuck in. So, to combat this: I want to move forward with things we need to do anyways! I know the house isn't sold, but packing up might send out some good intentions to ol' universe...

I got all of our boxes from a nearby wine store... we didn't drink all that booze. Unfortunately.

Cheers!

Money Update - Saving 101

Hey Friends. I hope you've been enjoying seeing us spend all of our money lately. What's that you say? Spend it on what? How about macbooks, video cameras, scuba lessons, sports games, trips to Banff, snowboarding, and more. We've already told you where we make our money, and our long term plans for our money, but how do we SAVE our money??

This part is simple, but not easy. Necessary, but not fun. Also, You've already seen my love of Starbucks here - so this is not just 'latte factor' tips. Because for me - lattes are a must have. Sorry BUDGET, you lose!

Tip #1: Know about the money you HAVE.
I think I've mentioned how much I love Mint.com. It's the best! I think money should be EASY and LESS COMPLICATED than it usually is, and Mint does that. It automatically syncs with your bank accounts, and all your smart-devices to keep you updated. Guys - It texts me when I spend too much on gas.

Tip #2: Learn About Money.
Ever notice that if you 'window-shop' enough you'll have a house full of stuff? Yep, what you soak in is often what you end up with. Visit money websites to help you keep up to date on the financial products available to you - and to get lots of great tips and advice. Here's some of my favorites, easy to read websites:
~ Get Rich Slowly
~ I will Teach You to be Rich : Amit is hilarious, and super smart. Follow him on twitter too.
~ LifeHacker:Money : Loads of tips+tricks to help you save money everyday.

Tip #3: Have Goals
Saving just for the point of saving is boooring and hard to stick to. Have some goals or rewards to help you move forward! We are saving to help us with our new adventure, and to have a stable retirement in the future. We are also working towards being debt-free. And trust - when we're there, a well deserved bottle of wine will be consumed.

Tip #4: Budget + Automate.
The future is here peeps - and that is automated banking. First, Budget your money. Start with the total amount you make, and fit in all of the expenses you have. That's the basics. Now look - is SAVING in there? No? Put it in. Make sure that you are budgeting for less than you make, and that you are including some frivolous spending. Starbucks is going to happen - don't let it screw up your entire budget. Here's more on that.

Next: Automate! Set up automatic transfers according to your budget. Your bank will auto-transfer that amount into your savings account or RSP on a regular interval (monthly/weekly). It's like you're saving money in your sleep! Here's more on that.

Tip #5: Review It - Business of Life Meetings.

Once you create and automate your budget with a friendly software, don't forget about it! Make monthly or bi-montly meetings with yourself or whomever you share your money with.

Your financial life (single or married) is a business. Having 'Business of Life' meetings together keeps us on the same page, and helps us track our goals and spending together. A quick monthly review of our budget keeps us on the same page - and keeps communication open.

We treat it professionally - sit down at the table, no distractions at a set time. One hour is usually enough to get everything done. It's a HUGE lifesaver for both our marriage, and for our financial life. We'll let you know how this continues as we begin our travels and our financial needs change and adjust to our surroundings.

Go Save your millions!

Books: Divergent and Fears

I just finished reading Divergent, by Veronica Roth. Did you know she wrote this at 21?! Crazy Kids. Anyways, I'm not a great book reviewer (far too biased) but I give this one two enthusiastic Dana-Thumbs-Up! I bought it as a 'beach read' for Mexico... but couldn't wait. That happens often.
You'll like this book if:

• You like to read
• You like YA Fiction
• You like dystopian/future-y fiction
• You liked the Hunger Games series

 But - the book touches on the idea that everyone has a unique list of personal fears. It got me thinking about mine. Read to get the spooks? Welcome to my fear landscape...

Stuck Under Ice

 Yep, I must have grown up in Canada if falling though ice is one of my biggest fears. Looking up at ice, and not being able to find the hole that you fell through?? Shudder.

Attacked by Birds

I hate birds. I hate their pecky little beaks and their beady eyes and their scratchy claws. Last year I saw a hawk swoop down and catch a sparrow - right in front of me. Traumatized. I also don't trust animals that eat their own kind. No loyalty to your own SPECIES? Heartless.

Falling

I don't think this one is very unusual... I'm also not sure if it's a fear - or Darwin's magic at work? Biology telling us not to do dumbass things. Either way, makes my palms all sweaty.

What are you afraid of?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Day of love....and lattes? Yep. Is this a day of cheese and superficial materialism? Yep, that too. Buuut... despite knowing that - a little part of my lady-heart loves it. Okay, a big part. Not for the gifts (we're not big gift-givers) but for the cheese!! Romance and glitter! ha ha...

This valentine's day I want a cupcake from Crave bakery, a glass of wine, a season of Friday Night Lights and quiet evening in with Juliano! 

We have been together for 9 years. Four years ago we jumped into the crazy adventure of being married, and now we have another amazing adventure planned together... Can't wait! 

I hope you all have lots of love today, wherever it comes from!

xoxo,

D & J

SPLURGE! Video Camera Edition

Juliano has by dying to make videos for awhile now. We wanted a video camera that would:

• Shoot in HD 
• Shoot sports/fast action videos
• Not need to be hand held (Helmet-mounted)
• Waterproof/resistant
• Easy to use/upload
• Be small/light
• Fairly indestructible for travel

We bought the Drift HD170 Stealth Camera to do the job!
Pros: All of the things above. Plus Juliano's happiness.
Cons: Hardly any... the mic isn't great - so voices have to be quite loud/clear to get heard. It only comes with a fish-eye lens, which is really cool for sports - and takes some getting used to for everything else.

There's a water proof case that you can buy as an accessory, but Juliano's MacGuyver-ing together a case for scuba diving. We'll post some videos here soon!

SPLURGE! Macbook Air

They finally arrived! Our little 11" twin babies! We're so excited, it's like Christmas day around here... Here's the scoop:

We had some problems that needed to be fixed:

• Our laptop was almost 5 years old, and dying a slow dinosaur death.
• We needed to be able to communicate to each other & home easily and simply
• I want to continue keeping up this blog - photo saving/editing/organizing required
• Juliano wants to create movies using his video camera - video editing required
• I wanted to promote synergy with music, communication, email/Internet use, photos & videos
• We needed laptops that fit in tiny spaces, and were light & portable

Solution: 11" MacBook Air for each of us! Yep, two of these sweet ladies are now part of our family. We bought them refurbished, so we saved some $$ while still getting awesome computers.

We're hoping that we will be able to:

• Communicate with each other and our home through facetime or skype
• Organize and share our pictures - update: we still have to use flikr to share them
• Create fun movies using Juliano's camera or even iPhone videos
• Share one iTunes account to enjoy music
• Communicate re: budgeting and money through Mint
• Loads more fun stuff and work stuff that want/need to do

Communication is a huge deal for us on this adventure - both to connect with our family and friends at home, and to stay in contact with each other as quickly and easily as possible. There may come a time when we're not in the same place at the same time - and we want to be prepared for that...

For now - We play around and Enjoy!

Update: Stupid Updates! I just deleted my entire itunes catalog while updating my iPhone to iOSX, in order to integrate with iCloud. Damn you technology. Damn you. Going to the Apple store today to see if I can fix it.

Update Update: Those guys at the Mac store fix everything. High Five!

Scuba: Complete!

We're Done! Well, not quite. We're not ready to be full underwater treasure hunters like Mel Fisher, but we are ready to go for our open water dives. Mexico and your amazing Cozumel reef - here we come!

Scuba was A LOT of fun! We had a great instructor, at a great Dive Shop. The learning process was fast, but the PADI system really preps you for being out in the water. Also, watching how passionate our instructor was about everything made me want to go diving in Lake Minnewanka.... which, brrr....

See you underwater!

Where do your feet take you?

 How do you document your travels? We've written a bit about our technology choices, but how about our artistic choices? We don't have a specific theme to be honest. Tom Robinson, a travel photographer takes pictures of his feet, along with his wife (and now baby!). Looks like their feet have taken them to some pretty amazing places...

  Source: All Pictures

Princess Bride Wine?!

"Mawage, that bwessed awangement. That dweam within a dweam!"

I used to work in a wedding invitation store and I swear that someone once used that in an invitation. Coolest people ever. Now two of my favorite things: the movie Princess Bride and wine drinking. What happens when someone decides to combine two already awesome things??? Princess Bride Wine. An explosion of awesome: As You Wish Chard! Inconceivable Cab!

I've never wanted to live in Texas more - The Princess Bride Quote-Along & Feast!! I want to go SO BAD!

Oh, Westley.

Cut the Bullshit

We try to strive everyday to cut the drama and bullshit out of our lives. I think there are 3 categories all of the people and events in our lives can fit into:

1. Bullshit - these are things that drag you down, or use up your energy in negative ways.

• Other People that are emotionally draining to you. These people can be friends or family, but they cause you more grief than good. They continually stir up problems for you.
• Outside Situations these are often necessary, and harder to control. Horrible commutes, filing insurance claims, getting speeding tickets. These activities just add to your stress load.
• Yourself. Yep, this is usually the hardest to accept - but sometimes YOU are the eye of your own hurricane creating the drama around you. Own up to it.

2. Average - these are 'bullshit neutral'. You do them because they are part of your day, but they don't add any enjoyment to it, or take any away. For many, your job falls here, or doing dishes or eating.

3. Awesome - These things make you HAPPIER. They are people that inspire you and lift you up, surroundings that you enjoy, activities that move you. Fun times and unicorns.


Most people have too much Average. Everything is mundane, and life rarely changes. This is usually fine.

LOTS of people have too much bullshit. When you continue to be surrounded by bullshit situations, dramatic people and reflect that in your own actions... you end up with this:

The elusive 'majority of awesome' isn't free or easy. It takes work to cut out the things you don't want in order to get a good balance, and a happier life.

We strive hard to keep the bullshit quotient in our lives low. We identify and minimize our interactions with the people/situations that cause us drama and headaches.We fill our time with positive activities that move us toward our identified goals.

Cheers to goals, charts and awesome things!

House Update

This is the first time we've ever sold a house. Have I mentioned that? We've bought two, but never sold.

It's really nerve wracking! We are SO GLAD that we have a great realtor, who's helping us with every step of the way. She helped us with the staging, organizes all of the showings, and I know she'll be a star when it comes to negotiations!

We've had about 8 showings in 2 weeks, and we have 2 more tonight. We have to leave the house {in perfect condition} for an hour or so every time this happens. So.. we go on a lot of coffee dates :) I'm really hoping that we sell this month!

Side Note: Some of the realtors who've shown the property give feedback to our realtor. It's usually nit-picky stuff like this:  

"It is unfortunate that they have used peel&stick tile lino and laminate flooring in the majority of the home. However the layout is one of a kind for sure and that huge bathroom is a definite bonus! I think despite it's "average" rating my client still has put it on her short list."

I most certainly DID NOT use peel & stick lino! It was there when we moved in! I wanted to change it! Ha ha ha.. I can't take it personally, but it's hard when someone criticizes your home - no matter how accurate they are.

Information Gathering...

I'm a nerd, a keener, a bookie. {Ha ha.. not that kind of bookie!}. So, when we decided to do something like... Go work on a Yacht, I needed to do my research. Juliano wins 'King of the Internet' title for research, but I've done lots too! Here's some of the places that we look for information about yachting, the lifestyle and how to get into the industry:

I bought this book! It was pretty fun to read actually, and offered lots of great tips and information.

I don't want to make any recommendations about this life/industry until I actually experience it, but here are some of the resources that we've found online:

Dockwalk is the most active website, with great forums that answer loads of questions. It also has job postings for information, blogs and articles about the yachting industry.

The Triton is an online magazine with great information, articles and seems to keep the pulse of the industry.

Floatplan is great if you want to try sailing/yachting as a holiday. You PAY to be on the boat as a part of the crew. Usually the itineraries are really interesting {Amazon River?! Cape Town?!} and the boats and crews are smaller and more adventurous.

There's two types of jobs that we're going to be looking for Day Work and Permanent Positions. Obviously, we've not done this yet - so we'll keep you posted on how it goes. These are just some websites that let us know what's out there!

Lastly, we've been investigating training schools to take our certification courses

We'll keep you posted on how we use all of the these resources and more to as we embark ~ but, we just wanted to let you know that we're looking around and educating ourselves about this industry before we even leave Calgary....

Cheers!

Ps. If you know any yachties keeping up personal/travel blogs- let me know! I'd love to find more online friends :)