Looking on the Bright Side...

Life is about perspective. Things are as sunny or as bleak as you perceive them to be, and I've decided to make a concerted effort to see the sunnier side of things.

As you all know, I've been on the road for the last two weeks. Honestly, I'm not an intrepid traveler. I like home. I like my routines. I'm a little better if I'm with someone, but for all these trips I've been alone. And it's been hard. I often find myself at loose ends or a little unsure of myself, neither of which are situations I like being in.

But I woke up this morning, on a sunny, bright morning in Liverpool, and decided to list all the good things about all this traveling - look on the bright side, so to speak.

• Shopping - I love to shop. There are shopping opportunities pretty much everywhere. And sales I don't get at home. I have bought so many new clothes. And I got a gorgeous pair of $100 wedge sandals for $30 the other day.
• New sights - any time you go to a new place, go to the visitor information centre or the front desk of your hotel, and ask where they recommend you go. Yesterday I spent an hour at Prim Point Lighthouse in Digby. I don't think it's a typical touristy destination, since no real development has been done, but it was beautiful in its stark emptiness.
• Best Western Liverpool - Okay, I've stayed in so many hotels now I could write a traveler's guide, and they weren't all great, but being able to stay in the Best Western Liverpool on someone else's dime - heaven.
• Local attractions - I already talked about finding wine at the Farmer's Market in Kentville; yesterday, driving to Liverpool, I came across a woman selling fresh strawberries from a roadside stand. I love these fresh, local finds. Some of them can be very hard on a dieter, as I am an admitted food nut, and can be easily tempted by baked goods, but I've been pretty good this week. And of course, things like jewelry and paintings are always worth a second look.
• Reinforcing good habits - Part of the stress of this journey has been trying to learn how to maintain these habits while placed under stress. Well, these trips have been a good indication that I can do it. Whether it means packing all my own food, or finding running routes through Yarmouth or Digby, or evaluating hotel fitness centres, I've stayed active and more or less on track with my eating. And I'm really proud of myself for that.

Now, I'm going to pack up so I can spend a little bit of time in Lunenburg and Mahone Bay before heading back to Truro (plus I'm stopping to get my new sneakers today!!), so I'll post my fun facts tonight.

Have a great Friday everyone!