Our trip to Oahu, Hawaii June 11-18, 2014

Back again from another vacation. This year, we decided to go to Oahu, Hawaii since the price of the tickets are cheap! I am very surprised the flight tickets, with car rental /w insurance costs just over $700 pp through Priceline. Accommodation was tricky since we did not want to stay in such a touristy area part of Hawaii. Most package deals include hotels in Waikiki. We opted out for package deals and went for a vacation rental on the east side of the island (30min drive from Honolulu International Airport) through Aloha Beachfront Rentals from VRBO. City of Kailua is the place to be only because it is so much more laid back here and less busy. The beach was literally steps out to Lanikai Beach (deemed one of the world's top beaches). The sand was powdery and the water was so clear!  This is awesome...literally steps out to the beach^^

I have documented all my day-to-day itinerary of what we could fit into 8 days in Oahu, Hawaii through the link below:

VISIT HERE for MORE PHOTOS
http://hawaii-dury-chris-2014.tumblr.com/

We did not feel it was necessary to travel to the other islands and stayed in Oahu. We went all out and upgraded to a Mustang Convertible (I was hesitant at first since it may attract too much attention). But in the end, I agreed and loved it, only because it did attract too much attention where theft and robberies should be avoided.

backyard sunset

To sum up our trip in simple words is difficult. Hawaii is magnificent in many ways despite the tourist traps and many tourists. All you need is to have an open adventurous mind and do what the locals enjoy. That is, to try local foods, play with water sports,explore hiking trails,and soak in the hot sun. 

Haiku Stairs hike

Things I will deeply miss:

- Snorkeling and seeing all the amazing fishes and sea life under water
- Picture-perfect beaches (many of them which made it impossible for us to visit them all in 8 days)
- The fooooood (omg garlic shrimp is the bomb here)
- Our comfy and rustic vacation rental (you made us comfy and happy for nights that we needed to recover for a new day, the backyard view with sunrises and sunset will be missed).
- Hot sun, but windy breeze on the east
- North Shore
- All the unique and different floral/fauna covering the island (it's as if we stepped back into time)
- Mustang convertible, you sweeet, sweet thang...cruising in you was amazing.

We could only wish for our stay to be longer. Hawaii will forever be in our memories and our love stays with you.  Mahalo!

Livin' the Cottage Life up in Tobermory, Ontario.

From the dates October 3-6, I have booked the days off went away up north of Toronto with my boyfriend and the rest of the Tang family. All I can say is that the trip was memorable, relaxing and well worth the money to stay at a luxurious cottage known as Big Tub Cottage. It will be the first of many cottage trips to come in the future. The weather was nippy and perfect just in time for the fall leaves to change colour.

Every time when me and Chris want to get away from the busy city of Toronto but do not have much time, we usually head up to Tobermory. It not only gives you sense of being out of the country, but the hikes and scenery around Bruce peninsula offer stunning views of Georgian Bay. We usually go during the summer and spring months, but this time we went for a more cozy adventure having to hang out and enjoy cottaging at its finest. Mornings were filled with freshly home-made breakfasts made by us gathering around the dining table, afternoons are filled with local adventures or hiking, and during evenings we spend dinner time having wine and home cooked food.

Even though the weather was a bit down and we did not make it to the Flower Pot Islands or Fathom Five Parks (weather permitted), we took in a lot for 4 days in a relaxed manner. Awesome idea to go with a family and well worth it. I feel so REFRESHED!

Posing in front of the cottage we stayed at. It was so beautiful.

So many rooms and the theme was Nautical! Many rooms, washrooms (4 to be exact) and outdoor decks. Well suited to a family who loves lots of room and tasteful decoration.

Hong Kong to Japan 2013

It's been a while since I posted up some of my travels here.
First off, I enjoyed the best that 2013 has offered me in the earlier months. I visited Hong Kong and travelled to Japan. All I can say is that, it was memorable and my dream of finally going to Japan came true. It was all worth while and memories were made to last a lifetime.

Here are a few awesome pics from the 9 days we spent in Japan!

We went during a wonderful time. The Cherry Blossom season :)

Amongst the locals during Cherry Blossom (Hanami) season picnicking by Osaka Castle.

An awesome Street Market from Ueno station!

Posing with the Nara Park deer. One of many roaming around freely.

Being in the awesome Akihabara (Electric Town) at night. So many lights and Arcades, people etc.

MORE PHOTOS are posted on my Flickr account here.
You can view all the glory that is Japan for 9 days!! Not enough time I would say. Hope you enjoy them!

Things I remember from visiting  Japan:
- Golden Pavilion,
- Silver Pavilion
- Lots of temples and castles
- Beautiful gardens, Nara park and deers
- staying in traditional ryokan in Kyoto
- A Bath house experience
- good foods, awesome toilets, everything is so effin compact organized and neat
- Busy city, drunk bicyclist crashing into a wall -_-
- Tokyo airbnb cockroach apartment,
- JR pass and rails were awesome, Tokyo metro system.
- too many great experiences here..wish I could stay longer.

Things to look forward in a few months

Looking forward, not backwards

After my contract ends, I look forward to many things to come. It will be another new route and I hope to achieve more the next steps in my career path. I've met great and wonderful people whom will forever be remembered and will keep in touch!

Questions that I ponder about are always hopeful and positive (we all should be!):
- Find a job you actually find challenging and enjoy doing it!
- A good balance of personal time, work time and FUN time.
- Meet more interesting people!
- Find my creative niche. What it is I really want to do and go full force
- Training and personal development (I am so much older now, but there is always room to grow on a personal and academic way.
- Develop my brand, my look and style, what is a Dury (haha)

The FUN things in the next few months:
- Going to New York again but with my sweet boyfriend :)
- Some upcoming and exciting freelance projects! Yes I did work on some Disney products, but I hope to get my hands on Game of Thrones maps.
- Learning more stuff, decide what it is that I need to focus more on in the development of my career. Web design and development? or head towards more of the gaming industry and be an artist.
- Get my first MAC desktop or laptop! I can save enough for this if i budget!
- The Xmas holidays, family gathering, and fooooooood. MMMmmm Home cooked food is best!
- My bf's sista's Wedding in March 2013, It will be amazing since I will be a bridesmaid again. Me and bf and family are going on a trip again! Hong Kong, China, possibly Japan? We shall see! (by that time, I would have accumulated enough savings to go)


I'm so grateful for the people whom I have met in my life and what I have so far in life. I hope to become more better at what I do and become an inspiration some day.

Ottawa and Montreal Trip with my sister~

August 4 - August 6 2012

Day 1 Toronto to Ottawa
Day 2 Ottawa to Montreal
Day 3 Montreal to Toronto

Day 1 
We took the Via Rail from the Union station downtown Toronto. Took almost 5 hours until the arrival to Ottawa Ontario. Once we arrived to the station we immediately head straight to our hotel to check-in at Arc Hotel. It is a very nice hotel within walking distance to Parliament Hill!

First day we were so glad to be able to check in at 1pm which was when we arrived by bus. The hotel is clean and very modern. The pillows were so soft and the sheets were soooo soft. Just perfect.
After an hour of settling in our bags and taking a mini break.

We head out to explore Ottawa! Not much here, but I mainly went to see Parliament Hill, The Royal Canadian Mint, The National Gallery (only lobby and outside), street exploring and the market.
What I can easily say about Parliament Hill is that it is very beautiful and very Gothic inspired. Lot's of history and story can be told at each corner of a room.

We checked out the Royal Canadian Mint and did a small tour. There wasn't production during the weekend so it wasn't as much as I would want it to be. It was still interesting to hear about how coins are made from around the world. There were sheets of gold and silver worth millions in there ready to be made into coins! Pretty neat stuff and should at least visit once to learn about it. Royal Canadian Mint produces the most purest of silver out of the entire world.

$700,000 gold bar!!! security guards around and its chained!

Parliament Hill light show MoSaika

At night we were able to catch an awesome 45 minute light show by MoSaika. It's a beautifully choreographed lightshow displaying the history of Canada. Learn more about MoSaika here.

Day 2 and 3- Montreal

Took the bus back to Viarail and off to Montreal! Montreal...everything here is French. Which is pretty foreign to me. As I walk through the stations and the streets..all the advertisements are in French. Once we reached the station in Montreal the trip took about less than 2 hours. Upon arrival, we immediately took the bus to our hotel, Nelligan located in the heart of old Montreal.

The metro system is great here. It is much more fast and easier to follow. There are obviously more ways to get to one place since there are about 5 different subway lines.

Highlights on this stay in Montreal were; old Montreal street shopping and exploration, the Notre Dame, Au Pied Des Cochon (duck fat restaurant), desserts (Juliette & Chocolates), people watching, chilling at Hotel Nelligan. It did end up pouring on this Sunday but we were so close to our hotel we kept on taking our breaks there. Besides it is a beautiful hotel and so relaxing (5 out of 5 for me). It was an overall great experience here in Old Montreal. There were so many little boutiques and restaurants to go to. The cobble stone streets make this old town a very charming place to visit. It very much reminds me of Europe but of course not as great ;)

Old Montreal Streets

Hotel Nelligan

Notre Dame

On the next morning of Day 3 we explored what's left for exploring in Montreal and head out back to Viarail roughly at 3pm. I would definitely explore more of Old Montreal and try out some more desserts, go to lounges, seek out different foods, and shopping.

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The Royal Caribbean-Majesty of the Seas Trip July 2nd to 6th.

It was a wonderful trip and I would definitely go again but most likely on a newer, much bigger boat! I would rate this place accordingly:
Service: 4/5

Room cleanliness: 4/5
Food: 4/5

Fun level: 2.5/5
Pool Deck: 3/5
Ease of going in/out of cruise: 3.5/5
Islands: of course 5/5

Overall Beauty and First time Experience: 4/5

I really enjoyed every part of going on this cruise. It was a 4 night/ 5 day trip cruise at cost of just under 400 bucks (added flights round trip lowest price guaranteed at also just 380 something. It was very last minute and considering that it needed to be planned for 6 people, we all made the schedule perfectly.

Every one has to experience being on a cruise at least once in their lives. It is just like being in the movie titanic. Everything is just elegant, grandoise, and all very new. A big hotel in the seas I would definitely call it.
There is a floor for entertainment like watching live shows. Casino rooms, different restaurants and areas to shop! For the most part the vacation was spent offboard the ship on the islands, and we would come back to the cruiseship near end of day to shower, have nice dinners, sleep comfortably (with sooo cold and comforatble air conditioning) and start a new day over again.

I enjoy their breakfasts. Unlike most other people opting for the quick grab and go breakfast buffets, we enjoy ours ordering and sitting together to wait for our food. It is nice to be part of the wonderful experience using services like these. Days usually start early, getting ready and packing for the big day out in the ports of arrival.

**Each day before getting off and back on the cruise ship, everyone needs to be beeped out (with our cards) and beeped back on the ship before a certain time of day. This one card we carry is important and is used for billing anything on board from towel rentals to drinks, shopping, food and more. It is also a key card to our rooms. So we always made sure we had it on us. A mandatory alarm/drill (once) is done to ensure safety of all people on board.

Here is our itinerary:

Start at Port of Miami

Nassau, Bahamas
Cayo Coco Bay
Key West Florida
Miami last day 

Every night is sit-in dinner at 6:30 pm, while the 3rd night is Formal dinner night where everyone gets dressed and have a very nice dinner, take pictures and see everyone about dressed beautifully and enjoying the evening. All the dinners were yummy, except for that one sea bass fish I ordered which tasted a bit dry (not used to non-asian prepared fish dishes). All of us would set-up times to meet in the main lobby before the day begins and for meeting at dinner times. It was a well-relaxed and rounded vacation with many opportunities to enjoy, sit-back and take in the wonderful scenery on and off the cruise.

Evening nights would be spent outside on the pool deck chilling on the lounge chairs, drinking fancy island cocktails, staring at the moon while at the cruise sails at sea. The breeze was relaxing at night and most definitely cooler than the daytime.

Evenings are always fun and filled with lots of excitement because everyone is back from their day on a new island each day and have smiles on their faces. Some people appear burned from the hot sweltering sun or not being careful from wearing sunblock. Almost as red as roast pigs! :D Always I would keep in mind to reapply sunblock.


Here is how my trip went as I remember it:

Day 1: 

arrival at MIA, took taxi to Port of Miami, had late lunch near port
lobby arrival onto cruiseship, first time in lobby, got to our state rooms, exploring ship

dinner at 6:30pm, chilled on pool deck, set sail leaving port, drinks, luggage arrival to rooms,dinner at 6:30pm, Chris and I got stateroom 4511, everybody else was paired up but we were all on the same level but further away from eachother. Luckily our hall was nice and quiet.

Day 2:

arrival early morning to Nassau, Bahamas.
early buffet breakfast, packed and out of cruisehip.
got off and looked for tour person to take us around Nassau,
We got a tour of historical landmarks in Nassau, some beers while in the car and to walk around with.
Toured a famous resort/hotel that Micheal Jackson used to always go to.
Ended at the beach known as Cabbage Beach. It was so nice and relaxing.
Evening at around 5pm go back on cruise ship get ready for dinner, meet up at 6:30 for casual dinner.
set sail to Cayo Coco Bay. Chilled on pool deck late at night and enjoyed a Mango raspberry vodka drink. Soo strong and yummy ;)

Day 3: arrival at CocoCay in morning.
got off island, rented snorkel vest and fins.
Walked off far away from the packed beach to a much less crowded beach area (which was sooo nice).
Lounged around alll day :D and swam in the super clear waters and walked around the silky smooth sands. Me and Chris headed out to snorkel there first and decided to go to the Snorkel Dive waters where we snorkeled for 1-2 hours and saw many fishes, corals. I got stung by coral by accidentally grabbing hold of one, same with chris too. But the tingle went away after 3 hours :P. Damn that was close! Had late lunch at 1pm ourselves after not being able to meet up on time with family. Food was soo yummmmyy. BBQ ribs and other meats, veggies, pastas salads, fresh lemonade. Seagulls are everywhere, I got shat on my shoulder. Guy next to me said it was good luck, but I was disgusted by warm wet bird poo on my left shoulder. LOL.
Evening was Formal night so we all dressed up for dinner, took pictures after and had fun. Watched a live entertainment juggling act show with everyone. Later in evening I had late night munchies so went to diner room to have 2 slices of Sorrento's Pizzaaaa. MMmm and a Blue Lagoon fancy alcoholic beveridge :)

Day 4: Arrival at Key West in morning

walked along port all day, exploration of town by foot and it was a sweltering hot day so we walked into shoppes along our routes. Did some shopping! Had Cheap beers and have it while walking in streets. Awesome or what? I got a beautiful feathered conch and large starfish as souvenir. :) Tried Key West famous Key Lime Pie at Key West Key Lime Pie Shoppe. It was so tasty! we got back to our ship in time to get ready for dinner. Last casual dinner. Explored more of ship with Chris alone, had a fancy drink and enjoyed a live comedy show! Last night on cruiseship :(

Day 5: Arrival at Miami sea port in morning, leave to Toronto

Had Wing's friend pick us up and help tour around Miami,
IT was a short day but just enough to explore a bit of SouthBeach.
We all met up at Nikki Beach (a very rich, beautiful lounge outdoors with patio). Did walk along beach, got reallyyy hot, so we decided to walk on the boardwalk instead. Sightseeing by foot, walked all the way to 20th street. Day ended by taking taxi back to Airport to board.
If I had time, I would definitely come back :)

Next time I would definitely have a week-long cruise on a much bigger ship with more activities. But overall it was extravagant and I would do it all over again.

Carribean Cruise July 2012

So this year has been great so far. But what makes it even better is that I am finally going on a vacation! With a start of a new job and with the start of a new beginning for everyone I am close to, this is a great way to celebrate. Yay! Well my last trip was in last November 2011 to London England to Scotland (and yes it was memorable). What makes this trip different/interesting is that it will be more relaxing and the destinations are tropical yet touristy which is out of the ordinary of what I would like to see.

Well here is my Caribbean cruise itinerary:
It is a 4 night 5 day vacation valued at 349 pp minus flight (flight an extra 393pp
Miami - Florida
Nassau - Bahamas
Cococay - Bahamas
Key West - Florida

Pretty good I'd say ;) Now only if I had the time to tone up for more of a sexy bikini body. But I guess what I have will do. Cruises in my opinion is suppose to be more relaxing and less stressful than having to plan what to do and see. On a cruise, there are lots of activities and stuff available. Food is easily accessible, thus this is why people say you would proabably gain some weight on a cruise (all the tasty foods!).

What I'm looking forward to:
Is basically everything but the flights/wait time, check-in times (the usual) but thats how all vacations are like.
I am so excited about snorkeling and exploring the islands in greater detail. It should be a wonderful experience and a relaxing at its best. It is a nice step down from having to have to plan a lot and hiking (not that I mind it).

When I think of large cruiseships, I think of the movie Titanic!(minus the sinking and tragedy of it all) It is a massive entertainment spot in one largeee boat with lots of people and things to see ;)

I'm going to sit back and just take it all in.~

More travels coming soon...

For the year 2012
Things that I am looking forward to:
- being able to freelance and its stable income this year
- Learn stuff, be of use, make more money!
- with that in mind, more time to explore, do stuff I enjoy, be outdoors more.
- My brothers' getting married!
- My bf's sister is graduating and attending her ceremony
- Possibility of going to New Zealand
- Saving up for the big trip to Asia, next year. I will finally get to see Japan!

Wonderful Great Britain!

My trip to London, England, Scotland was amazing! I have never been to such a charming and friendly place. I bought a vacation package for about $1100 after taxes per person. This package includes a 8 day vacation return trip tickets going into London and leaving out of Glasgow, with stays at Bed and Breakfasts and a car rental (with no insurance--yikes! It was an added $800 on top of all that). This is the Off-season too.
Throughout the 8 days, we stayed in London, Stirling (North of Glasgow), Edinburgh, Isle of Skye (just lovely!) and Glasgow.

Days 1,2 in London
Upon arrival to Gatwick London Airport from a very short 6 hr. plane ride, we touched ground at around 8 am in the morning. It feels great having to land in a totally foreign place. For me and Chris, this was going to be a new and different adventure. Our previous trips involved being more outdoors, so this was a great change and fun experience for the both of us to explore a different city away from Toronto. We picked up our luggage and looked for the Hertz car rental booth. By the time we were done with that, it was about 12 noon and we plugged into our Navi System (they call GPS's,  Navi) the address to our first Bed and Breakfast, which was conveniently a few minutes walk to the Rails at Winchmore Hill Station--which instantly connects to the London Underground tubes (they call their subways, tubes :D haha!). We were greeted kindly by a very hospitable and elderly couple that is so full of English tradition in their blood. Their home was filled with all sorts of things that screamed English, from their patterned wallpapers to their picture frames and all sorts of trinkets sitting on tables. It was very foreign to us since we are Asian and their home decor was very traditional to their heritage, but I loved it all! The room was just elegantly decorated and very warm-welcoming. Their en-suite washroom was tiny but just perfect (it was disguised in the room as a big wardrobe). One thing we shouldnt' do is walk around barefoot or with socks, we wear our shoes in their homes (eventually we took them off once we settled to our beds for a rest). One thing that Chris will not forget and will forever hate is driving through London (it was terrible and scary for both of us).

We got out after settling our stuff into the room and walked to Winchmore Hill station. Sooo close to our home, it was literally 3 minutes walk. After receiving some great tips from our Hosts about getting around London with 2 for 1 coupons and using a Traveller's Card (off season cards are cheap!), we didn't have a hard time budgeting ourselves.
Things we saw in London:
London Eye, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, River Thames, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, Monument Tower, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Oxford Street, Picadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Soho, Chinatown, more streets that we walked around and stumbled upon (every thing is walk-able once you reach the core of London).

Memorable times in London:
What I find most memorable about London was hopping around to pubs on our first night and getting to know some of the locals. Two great pubs that we hit up that night and enjoyed the most was "The Opera House" and "The Lord of the Moon." Since dark fall hits just before 4pm, the locals start filling up the pubs on every street. The night life is great here to do pub hopping since one great bar is not far from another and the beers on tap are so tasty (especially the Guinness). We got to know two friendly locals at The Opera House that lives in the area and are creative business people (since he was carrying around a framed canvas). It was nice to just ask for a seat and get to know Londoners. They are fun to talk to and very kind.

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at the 18 Station Rd. Bed and Breakfast. The elderly couple was so kind and welcoming to us and their breakfast was so great (fresh bread included). It was one of those memorable stays with great hosts whom you will never forget. So caring and loving to each other and telling us stories and giving us some knowledge about their heritage.

Exploring the city by foot. We reached all the greatest spots in London by foot and didn't have to use the tube as much as we thought we should. This was great since it can get pretty busy underground.

Day 3, Stirling:
After spending two days in London, we started our journey towards Stirling (which was the only Bed and Breakfast I could find near Glasgow) bright and early in the morning at about 5 am. On the way, we explored a bit of Peak District town. The drive in total was about 7-8 hrs and it was crucial to take breaks in between. This stay was our mid-point stopover/rest towards Isle of Skye. This place is "Pannell Farm" and it is a charming farm home with okay hosts accompanied by an awesome pet dog and a cute and playful kitten. We arrived at about 3pm and it was rainy with wind! Brrrr, Off-Season that's for sure. It was a terrible and windy and rainy night, and we encouraged ourselves to get out and do some exploring. We eventually hit up a local pub since there was not much we can do in this weather and after trying to get into Glasgow--it was a fail since it was so dark and stormy out and hard to navigate to the city. That night was the least interesting night of our trip.

Day 4,5 arrival to Isle of Skye
Off to Isle of Skye! We worked our way up towards our place of interest. After passing the Skye Bridge, we drove our way more north towards our next Bed and Breakfast which was located a bit further up the Cuillin Hills. All I can say is that the drive to Isle of Skye was so Scenic. It was bright and sunny for the most part and you can see the endless rolling hills in the vast distance. The scenery is no where to be found except here. The Scottish Highlands is a magical place filled with wonder and unimaginable views. If you like endless green grasslands, this place is magical during peak season.

The Bed and Breakfast was not listed in our itinerary, so we booked it by email and paid extra for the stay. Foxwood Bed and Breakfast in Isle of Skye is a lovely home located off the Central-West coast of the island. The hostess lady lives there with her black n white cat :)

Things we saw during our stay:
Eilean Donan Castle, Fairy Glen, Fairy Pools (entrance), Talisker Distillery, Neist point (view only), Cuith Raing, many magnificent views of the island itself.

 For the most part, there was alot of wind and rain but we managed to explore most of Fairy Glen since it was the most accessible point of interest on the island. We tried out Haggis for the first time in Uig. It has a lot of flavor and is yummy! It does taste like Pate. The Fairy Pools hike was blocked off by a big rushing river so we could  not cross it which was very unfortunate for us. The views of the Cuillin Mountains were stellar where the Fairy Pools hike starts.

 Room of Ceol-Na-Mara Bed and Breakfast. Quaint.

Breakfast at Ceol-Na-Mara :)))

Our next Bed and Breakfast was at the Ceol-Na-Mara home. The Ceol Na Mara home is a very welcoming place and the room was comfortable :). Again, I really love their breakfasts. If you don't like fried eggs, don't even bother trying to live here and become British ;P.

Day 6 Isle of Skye to Edinburgh
We woke up early at around 8am to explore the rest of the island and head out to Edinburgh at late noon to our next Bed and Breakfast in Edinburgh (Sea Breezes - which was not that great). The days are much shorter in Britain, it gets dark at 4pm and the sun rises at 8am. We did feel upset that the weather was a bit harsh but the Island is a very beautiful place to be during high seasons. We checked out Urquhart Castle by the Loch Ness. We got to Edinburgh at about 7:30pm that day.

Day 7 A full day in Edinburgh
Our morning at Sea Breezes was not so great. Since I did not see the hostess the night of arrival and my breakfast was not filling. There were no sausages or ham, just an egg and two slices of toast with sides of coissants and rolls. Not much! But their home was very pretty and I love their breakfast table set up with the pretty china and views of the lake.

Our day started out great, taking the bus into downtown Edinburgh. (at a cost of 1.25 pounds per person) Our first stop was to Edinburgh Castle.

Afterwards we head out for a late lunch at the clam shell where we had the tastiest deep fried burger and sausage with chips (sooo yummy). There was a strike going on as well, but we got around the streets normally. We checked out Giles Cathedral too. The cathedral had such stunning architecture.

Our last night, we went to a local pub to have dinner and hang out with some locals. According to Chris, this night was the best night he has ever had during our trip.

Day 8 Leave to Toronto from Glasgow :(((

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip and will definitely come back to see more of Scotland during the warmer seasons. 
Things I enjoy and find most memorable on our trip?
- The awesome old-fashioned keys and locks
- CASTLES! I luvvv castles
- Yummmy Breakfastsss
- The cute Sheeps roaming everywhere on the Isle of Skye
- Isle of Skye itself is great!
- The Pubss! and their tasty beeeers and yummy Fish and Chips with Mushy Peas
- People here are awesome and so kind
-  Architecture is very nice
I heart Britain :)

London, Scotland, Wales here I come!

After exploring New York. I am  truly grateful to see how beautiful the city is. It is a busy city but it is full of life and many people living there come from all areas of life. New York is a city full of culture and considered to be an 'urban jungle' filled with new sites and sounds.

My next journey will be to England! I will be exploring London, Scotland and Wales. This place is full of wonder and filled with history. One of the great things I'm looking forward to is exploring the city of London, visiting castles and great monuments; as well as getting a taste of country living up north in Scotland. It will be a wonderful trip filled with great memories and will inspire me as a designer.

First Time Visit to New York City! Lots of Love!

So this is my first time going to New York. It is a very beautiful and busy city that is full of life :) Now I can see why people are telling me that I am missing out and need to go see the city for myself. So I decided to go and see New York with my sister (who has been there at least 3 times for work and leisure). Having been let go of my job (again...), I find the time and taking advantage of travelling. This travel is a change from my previous adventures out in nature. At first, I was thinking going why go to a city as a travel destination? It did not appeal to me much since I myself live in Toronto. But, New York is a totally new space to me. It is a city full of bustling streets, a lot of lights, lots of noises, sights and of course shopping!

Here is my experience travelling to New York City with my sister :)

Day 1- Arrival in New York at 11am
Arrival to New York City by Megabus (Yes I took it, the painful 12 hours on the bus! My tolerance will not be better later in life). Can't go wrong with it being $50 for one way.
Subway to "W hotel" on Lexington and got a room. rm.#1511.
We were suppose to check in at a later time 3pm but the nice lady at the reception gave us a room early to rest and settle in for a bit. What a nice lady!! I guess it was because we told her we were on a 12 hour bus ride and it was crrraazzyy.
- We walked to the Rockefeller Center and just took in the scenery. I can't help but look up into the high sky scrapers.
- Tried Magnolia Bakery which was made popular by the "Sex in the City" show. I had the Lemon cupcake and my sister had the Red Velvet. Both were heavenly!
- We went to the Nintendo Store
- Walked around Times Square. This place is amazing! Soo many people, bright lights, cars, everything.
- After that we tired ourselves out to a Japanese bookstore that had a cute mini Jap Cafe. The bookstore is called Kunikunya Book Store. This place is a huge store filled with books, magazines, gifts from Japan. I am in love <3. We went upstairs to get a break and bought ourselves a sandwich and tea. (Jasmine greentea and a delish sandwich).

- We walked to Madison Square Park
- Explored Washington Square Park- this park is like a painting.(so many people enjoying the park and the sunny weather)
- After that we subwayed to Soho.

Soho is a richest part of New York. Some rooms as small as 300 sq ft would cost thousands to rent. It is ridiculously expensive to even live here in this part of the city. There are cobblestone streets and nice boutiques everywhere.This is where I checked out...
- The Kid Robot Store- It is very cool...but it is like the Magic Pony store we have in Toronto. This place is filled with Vinly toys,books and clothing.
- I also walked into a discount store to buy a pair of $25 dark brown combat boots that I am in love with at the moment.
- After we went to NY Chinatown and had some Dim Sum and bought some bakery at a local asian shop. This Chinatown is much more bigger and busier. There are a lot of restaurants and shops.
- Went to NY Little Italy to check out the popular Ferrara Desserts where we bought a truffle cake and a mini chocolate mousse cake. Desserts here are realllyyy yummmy!
- Head back to our Hotel to rest up for the night

Day 2
- Purchase bus tour Grayline to explore the city from a tourist perspective :P
- Arrive to MOMA. Saw a lot of famous paintings and was very excited to finally see my favorite painting "Starry Night" and "Waterlilies." Famous paintings are always better to see in person. It was truly inspiring and beautiful.

- Had Pizza for lunch (I got the basil tomato pizza and sister got the veggie pizza) at Sbarro.
- Checked out Central Park
- Dinner at a popular japanese restaurant Izakaya. The little bites of food are so tasty and it is probably better than the Guu here in Toronto. I just crave this kind of food anytime of day. We had the Miso Grilled Eggplant, Root chips with dip, Skewers, Deep Fried tuna Onigiri with radish with a glass of  Fuji Apple Sake on the rocks ;). Sooo gooood.

- Grand Central Station at night
- Times Square at night
- Shop at Forever 21. This store is freakin hugeee.
- Very late dinner at "The Counter" (had the counter burger and it was delicious)
Head back to hotel

Day 3
Had Breakfast
-Grand Central Station during busy day
-Empire State Building (Top of the building where the views of the city is absolutely amazing)

- World Trade Center and Freedom Tower
- Wall St.
- Occupy Wall St. Protesters
- American Museum of Natural History
- Bus tour to Harlem
- Dinner at Italian Restaurant (Proscuitto Pizza, Eggplant Cannoli and sparking water)
- Ferrara Desserts (shared truffle cake with Cafe Latte)
- Checked out the Uniqlo Store with some shopping, this is the Grand Opening of their first Flagship store in New York. Uniqlo is Japanese based. The materials are soft and they are affordable.
Back to hotel

Day 4
Checked out of our hotel and left our bags for pick-up later in the evening
Breakfast- Turkey Panini at Rockefeller (So tasty)
- Rockefeller Center
- Shopping at the Big Lego Store
- Magnolia Bakery (i had the Orange Cupcake with chocolate milk, sister had the Pumpkin Pecan)

- Back to Japanese Bookstore for their tea and sandwich

- Muji Store at New York Times building. This place is very nice. I consider it an expensive Ikea from Japan.

- Uniqlo Store once more!
- went back to W hotel lounge to rest and pick up our bags. Taxi to our Megabus stop
- Dinner at Astro Sushi and Bar. This is the best tasting sushi I ever had. I wished I tried the ones in California but I was sick then -_-.

Leave to Toronto.

There is so little time to do everything. But I had a great taste of what New York is like. There are lots of places to see and things to try out. Definitely a place to go to again. :)