What does thanksgiving mean to you?

What does Thanksgiving mean to you? Is it getting together with family and friends? Feasting until you are so full you can't move? Is it pilgrims and pumpkin pie? Is it football and fall?

To me, Thanksgiving is the changing of the leaves; crimson, orange and gold. It's a run in the woods with the smell of pine needles and the sound of crunching leaves under foot. It's fresh cool sheets that mom took off the clothes line. It's apples that are hand picked from the MacIntosh apple orchard. It's the anticipation of the night before with a turkey floating in the bath tub at mom and dad's house in Spencerville. More then all of this it's time spent with my family and friends. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I guess you could say I've always had a thing for the Burd :) So why is it that a holiday celebrating the harvest and the giving of thanks for a successful bounty of crops has come to be my favorite holiday? It is my favorite holiday because it is a "pure" holiday. It hasn't been consumed by consumerism, there isn't the stress of a full schedule or the pressure of the pursuit of the perfect gift. I think I love Thanksgiving for what it isn't. It isn't a holiday; spent rushing around, spending money or filled with unrealistic expectations. For me, Thanksgiving has always been spent relaxing and spending time with the ones that I love. It is a holiday with the sole purpose of taking a moment, living in the moment, being thankful and giving of yourself.

I'm sure that you're also wondering how a vegetarian can love such a carnivorously focused event? Although I'm a vegetarian I can still appreciate the delicious smell of turkey and stuffing roasting in the oven and the mouth watering aroma of my mom's pumpkin pie spiced with nutmeg (my personal favorite). My Aunt Elsie always made the lemon meringue pie because she could get the meringue just right (Char's favorite). Last year mom and dad came to my house in Burlington and Nick and I made Thanksgiving dinner for them. I made a Tofurkey. What can I say.....it was terrible! I'm glad Nick insisted on making a real turkey as well. Once again, Nick saved the day. I didn't eat it but I was glad our guests didn't have to endure that nasty Tofurkey. This year Nick and I celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving together with our three cats. We made dinner together; fish, salad, vegetables and a glass of wine. You can see it above and yes that is my new bike in the background. Dinner was delicious :) We sat with a candle at our cute little dining table and enjoyed our first Thanksgiving as a married couple, just the two of us. Make that the five of us ;) Pumpkin, Gizmo and Maggie were there too.

This Thanksgiving I am taking the time to formally reflect on what I am most thankful for. My "thankful for" list is too long to mention in full so I will give you the coles notes version. In short, this year I am thankful for; lifelong friends (you know who you are), new friends, new babies...and old babies :), a best friend who is also my new husband (glad to be rid of that old one...just kidding), tremendous opportunities, adventures in a new place, my health, my cats (the kiddies), continued learning and growth, the opportunity to create my own happiness and most of all for my family. Happy Thanksgiv'r! Love you xoxoxo.

Hooting with the Owls

So an Irish girl, a Greek girl and two Canadian girls walk in to a bar......

Last night I went out for a girls night with some new friends in Maastricht. I was really excited to go out for an evening and Nick has been teasing me for days about being a party animal. There is something magical about the bond between women and I've been missing my girlfriends. We are new friends but the conversation was fun and easy. Don't get me wrong, I love spending time with Nick and we talk about everything, but girls just GET it!

We got dressed up and met at my new Irish friend Mandy's house where we shared a glass of wine and got to know more about each other and what each of us is up to. Mandy's boyfriend Ben poured our drinks and quickly retreated to the bedroom. All of our significant others were very intrigued by our girls night and wondered what we were going to do. There was even the suggestion that we were going to have pillow fights. Oh boys! We decided that the details of our girls nights would remain top secret. When asked about the girls nights we have decided to say "It was awesome" and "Sorry, no details, girls code". Keep them guessing :)

We went out to a local cocktail bar and had Cosmos, very Sex in the City. We are all Xpat's and share the common bond of being in a new place. Conversation focused around our new challenges and adventures in Maastricht and then quickly turned to some high quality girl talk. I was home by 11:30pm, crazy I know, what can I say, I'm a real party animal! I arrived home feeling happy and excited for our next girls night which is already in the works. This morning when I woke up to teach my morning fitness class I was tired and Nick teased that "If I'm going to hoot with the owls I need to be able to soar with the eagles". He has all kinds of these wonderful sayings :) I'm sure you can sense that I say this dripping with sarcasm.

If you're in it for the money, you're in it for the wrong reason

Today I have spent the majority of my day trying to memorize choreography for a class I am teaching tonight. Being a good fitness instructor is so much more challenging then I ever thought. I am teaching 10-classes a week at this point and working really hard at it. Instructors are paid for the hour that they teach and if they are lucky a few extra hours for prep time. Today alone I put 6-hours into preparing for a pre-choreographed class. Memorizing someone else's class :( I like to teach my own stuff but this is a good learning experience. Right away, it's very clear, you can see that teaching isn't about the money. Personally, I am trying to develop myself as an instructor in order to be able to better equip my staff of instructors in Canada as well as to generate new ideas for classes that we aren't currently offering. I'm also interested to see how these businesses are set up for my long term goals of having my own therapeutic fitness and wellness centre. But what motivates other instructors to put in the long hours? As an instructor, after class, you usually have one or two people come up to say thank you or to let you know that they enjoyed the class. Is it the praise that we are after? There are so many other things that we can receive praise for. This can't be it. My supervisor at UM sport was a dancer and singer in her youth and loves the stage. She said that is how she came to be an instructor. So is it a craving for the lime light? But it's such a small stage. This can't be it either. Is it to make sure they get in their own workout? Lots of instructors teach to get that scheduled hour for their own fitness but all the effort to prepare doesn't end up saving you time. Personally, I think it has to be a combination of many things to get you started and keep you going. A passion for sharing a love of health and fitness is a big first priority. Secondly, a love of math. What you say??? Yes! fitness instructing is math because it is choreographed to music which is broken down into 8 counts and 32 count combinations. The best fitness instructors have musicality, rhythm and a brain for equations. I have never been great at math so one of my goals this year is to improve this in myself. Making sure my combinations are well planned and mathematically correct. Timing is everything "they" say and in a fitness class "they" are so right. You have to count your participants in on the last 8-count in order to move your group seamlessly into their next move. So this is my second goal, to improve my timing. I think the foundation has been laid and it's time to take my instructing to the next level. I'm working on my math and my timing! I'm definitely not in it for the money :) Did I mention how lucky I am to have the financial support, well support period, of my amazing husband. He's my biggest fan!

Fondue as the Swiss do

This weekend marked Nick's big three oh and our first trip together in Europe. We decided to make the journey to Switzerland to visit Nick's good friend Dan, his wife Beth and their beautiful baby girl Taylor. We caught a flight out of Brussels early on Friday morning and landed in Geneva an hour later. A shuttle service picked us up at our front door at 4:20am....ouch! Good news, they had Starbucks at the airport :) This quickly made up for the very early start. I haven't had a Starbuck's latte in two months. I LOVE STARBUCKS!

The travel was easy on Easy Jet and as we descended upon Geneva the snow capped mountains poked through the clouds. A truly breath taking view! I love the combination of both the mountains, water and beautiful trees. Beth and Dan live in Laussane where he works for the Nestle Research Institute and Beth teaches at an international school. Beth and Dan welcomed their baby girl in July. When we arrived we drove home with Dan to meet the new baby. We brought Klompen (wooden shoe slippers) for the whole family, Taylor too, and they really liked them. Dan took us into Lausanne for a walk on the waterfront of Lake Geneva where we explored the Olympique Musee which was very cool. Nick and Dan really enjoyed the greek inspired athlete statues. A little too much if you ask me ;) The architecture of Lausanne was not what I expected. I think I expected the city to look like a little mountain village with Saint Bernard's and gingerbread houses. It reminded me more of San Francisco with all the streets and buildings built into the hills. It was a mix of both modern and french inspired architecture. Similar to Quebec City. The lake was beautiful and we could just make out the swiss and french alps in the distance through the fog off of the lake. I enjoyed a coffee and the boys a beer at a small pub at the waterfront. The perfect way to spend a sun shiny day. There were Geckos and palm trees at the waterfront which was a big surprise to me. I had no idea it was warm enough for that. That evening Dan and Beth took us out for dinner to an authentic Swiss Chalet and we had fondue. My very first ever fondue! There was live music and it was wonderful to spend time with good friends in an authentically Swiss setting. Taylor, T-bone as I like to call her was the best baby ever. So cute, well behaved and what a sharp little dresser.

On Saturday they took us to to the village of Gruyere (the place where Gruyere cheese is made). The drive was beautiful. There were beautiful lake and mountain views and vineyards were built into the side of the hills. The cows in the fields all had giant cow bells hanging from their necks and the highway drove through tunnels carved into the mountains. We bought cheese and spent a relaxing evening with Beth, Dan and Taylor. We made dinner for Beth and Dan to thank them for putting us up for the weekend at "Hotel Moore". Our next adventure will be Amsterdam in two weeks and Paris at the end of November. We met a very nice older American man on the shuttle ride home who invited us for a visit at Christmas. He lives in a village about 10-min outside of Maastricht and teaches at the University as well. We are thinking we will go the Christmas markets in Germany for our December trip. I'm looking forward to the markets but Christmas away from home will be a challenge.

The only thing more exciting then a new baby is two babies :)

The babies are here! My best friend growing up and her wonderful husband Jordan announced the birth of their son William Charles Hughes on Sunday. I love the name William and it is a perfect fit for this gorgeous little man. Shannon has been one of my closest friends for the majority of my life. We have truly grown up together and I know she is going to be an amazing mother. Shannon is one of the strongest women I know so when I got the message she was going in to deliver I wasn't worried about her at all. I knew she would come through in style and the after photos definitely showed it. The whole family looked great! It's moments like this that I really feel the ocean between us. I would love to be there to give my friend a hug and to meet her new baby. My girlfriends have been wonderful about keeping me in the loop, thank you Erin and Meredith. I don't know what I would have done without my instant messenger, facebook and skype. They really have been my life lines especially in moments like these.

This morning I received another wonderful announcement. My beautiful friend Leah, one of my University girlfriends and her husband Steve had their baby yesterday. A gorgeous little girl, Briar Marie Gariepy, please send pictures! Leah has always been my happy-go-lucky, optimistic, caring, sensitive and fun loving friend. I can just imagine the fun that Leah and Briar are going to have together. I'm so proud of you and can't wait to meet Briar. Congratulations Ford Face! Love Harris Head! Thank you Cate for thinking of me and sending the message :)

I know it's strange but when I think of my friends I think of Shannon and I being sixteen and our adventures through life in the teenage years. I can still remember meeting Leah in our first year of University like it was yesterday. So much has changed but the friendships remain the same. Love you guys and love your new additions xoxoxo

One more very important message; remember ladies, in these formative early years you need to stay strong, these babies are Sens fans!

A good attitude goes a long way!

Every country and it's inhabitants have distinct characteristics, culture, personality and flare! Before making the trip to the Netherlands a friend loaned me a copy of the book "The Undutchables: an observation of the Netherlands, its culture and its inhabitants". Being of Dutch descent I felt I had an inside perspective of what to expect but the title got me excited for our adventure so I dove right in (Thank you Maureen and Stu!). While reading along I thought to myself how stereotypical it was and that just like people think Canadians; live in igloos, drink maple syrup and every other word they say is eh! I thought these stereotypes would be dispelled on my arrival. This book, in a very exact yet funny way discloses all the secrets about the Dutch and they are ALL true. In my short two months living in the Netherlands I have observed; people riding their bikes anywhere and everywhere, no one closing their curtains or blinds, being offered coffee and vlaai anywhere and everywhere as well as the direct manner in which they communicate . If you are interested in getting a really reliable inside look at the culture of the Netherlands I highly recommend it. So I'm sure at this point you're wondering about the title of today's blog. Well it falls in line with the description of the communication style and personality of Dutch people. I have been teaching a number of fitness classes here and as part of that experience I have had the opportunity to have instructor evaluations. I have come to realize that these evaluations are not structured in the Canadian style that I am familiar with - you know the feedback sandwich??? positive + constructive feedback + positive, this is how I like to give feedback to the people I work with. The Dutch are much more direct, specific and no nonsense in how they give constructive criticism. You really do need a thick skin to take it and to use it to improve. Although it is tough to hear sometimes, feedback like this is what makes you better. If you are mature enough to take it and use it this can make a good instructor a great instructor. I always ask for feedback from participants in my classes and it's lovely to get great feedback but you've got to be able to take the good with the bad. The poor reviews are the one's that give you the opportunity to grow. Nick always says "If you can't handle it, don't ask for it" and you know what, he's right. After this experience I plan to adopt a more direct style of management in certain instances. I think there is a lot to be said for guiding people to construct their own conclusions but this direct approach is very clear and concise and very effective in certain instances.

Since we've been here I've tried to be really open to every learning opportunity put in front of me. To treat every interaction as an opportunity to learn something about that person and myself. It is a real goal of mine to try not to take anything too personally, those who know me well know this is very difficult for me. I think that people around me have observed this effort because on numerous occasions people have made the comment that I have a great attitude about feedback and learning. I really do appreciate getting the feedback and suggestions on ways to improve. I want to be a great instructor and to empower and motivate as many people as I can. I recognize that there is always another way to do things. It doesn't mean one way is right and one is wrong. Sometimes different is good thing :) I have been told that most Dutch people don't take the feedback as well as I have. In fact I have been told that other instructors can get confrontational or defensive when told they need to change or adapt. I've been told by my supervisors that the Dutch are very proud people and apologizing or recognizing that there is a better way to do things then the current way that they are doing them is a sign of weakness. I've been told by other international visitors that the response they get when inquiring about why things are done in a specific way here as opposed to another way they are told "This is how it is in the Netherlands" with no additional reasoning. I hate to say that this is how all people are but I have run in to this on more then one occasion myself.

Today I taught a class at a new gym. The gym is called MAC social club. It's a little more commercial then I would like but there is a great opportunity to learn there. I implemented some of the suggestions from the other gyms I'm teaching at and really enjoyed how it improved my class. Even with the language barrier I was able to communicate with actions and a big smile. A number of participants came to see me after class to let me know how much they enjoyed it. A good attitude really does go a long way!

I have a new boyfriend, his name is Fred.

Tonight Nick and I went to look at a racing bike. It was pretty easy to find one for Nick as he is of average height but a bit more of a challenge for me. I am petite in Canada and in the Netherlands I am a little person. Dutch children come out of the womb larger then me! As a result, finding a used bike seemed like an impossible undertaking. So, with a limited budget and a miniature wife Nick has made it his mission to find me a bike :)

This past weekend I went for a 1hr 45min run in preparation for the half marathon and Nick came along on his new road bike to keep me company. On the run we had the opportunity to see some of the beautiful and extensive network of bike paths. From Maastricht we can bike to Belgium, to Germany and all the way across the Netherlands. After the run Nick came home and continued on the search for a bike for me. He stumbled across a website advertising all kinds of used bikes in a variety of sizes 44 and 46-cm and only 10-min from our house www.fredrompelberg.com. Nick did further investigation and found out that the man who owns the business, Fred Rompelberg, is a local legend. He holds the Guiness World Record for cycling at a speed of 268 km/hr. Nick made an appointment for us to go see the bikes tonight after work. When I rang the doorbell Tiny came to the door with a big smile, this is Fred's wife - a very tall, slim, and strong looking women, then Fred came to the door. He reminded me of Robert Redford for some reason. He is a 65-year old man with a zest for life like I've never seen and his wife was the sweetest lady. She repeatedly asked us if we wanted coffee and vlaai (amazing dutch desert). They adjusted the bike and made it a perfect fit for "my small but mighty frame" as Fred said. He proceeded to tell me to become one with the bike. I loved it! Nick and I had a wonderful time. Fred's wife took pictures of us with the bike and with Fred. They gave us; energy bars, signed water bottles, signed photos, magazines, and bags. Needless to say we bought a road bike and I have a new boyfriend, his name is Fred :) Did I mention I named my new bike Fred?? Kind of cute isn't he?