Less Than A Week To Go!

You know how when you're planning for a vacation and you start thinking to yourself, "Next week at this time, I'll be ... "? I did that on Saturday night (actually Sunday morning) at 3:42AM as I lay in bed at a the Madison Manor Hotel, trying to sleep. The owner and my friend, Isabel Manore, had given me a gift certificate to spend one night at her Toronto hotel so I took advantage this past weekend, thinking it would be a nice way to spend my last full weekend in Toronto. The room was a delight ... Isabel's decorating skills are well known to me from all the time I've hung out at Casa Isabel in PV, so the Madison in Toronto was really no surprise, but sleep alluded me. All I kept thinking was, "At 3:42AM next Sunday, I will be on my way to the airport." By the way, the website for Casa Isabel and the Madison Manor Hotel is http://www.madisonavenuepub.com/.

Yesterday begins a week of dividing my life between Toronto and Vallarta. Separating everything -- clothing, linens, personal items, even friends -- into two separate piles. Those to "take with" and those to leave behind. :( I know from past experience that it can be very trying and extremely emotional. I am not looking forward to it. The transition from one country to another is never easy and I know the next couple of weeks will be difficult. Some people might think that because I am moving to "paradise", I should have no worries. Well I worry a lot and it is not as easy as it seems. But I will get through and hopefully the stress and strain of living in this big, bad city for the last four and half months will slip away quickly.

I will be out for dinner every single night this week which normally would make me giddier than a Goddess at a shoe sale (I am VERY domestically-challenged) but restaurant food can be fattening!!! OK, I know I can try to make smart food choices but the main culprits are the wine and desserts that my friends INSIST I enjoy. However I plan to spoil myself, especially on Wednesday night when my two best friends here in Toronto, Heidi and Rose, are taking me out to celebrate my birthday. Martinis and cavier at Pravka Vodka Bar and then dinner at Biagio, one of our local upscale Italian restaurants. Of course all this over-indulging means I will be returning to Vallarta five pounds heavier than when I left so I am making a public pronouncement that I will be working hard to whip this body back into shape once I get to PV! And I hope you, dear reader, will help and encourage me in my endeavour.