Welcome back, my friends! So grateful to have you join in the adventure for another week!
How has your first week in 2026 unfolded for you? Any unexpected moment(s) of intrigue that grabbed your attention? I'm learning to suspend immediate judgement (unless life threatening, of course) on these moments as they are usually part of a larger story that has yet to reveal itself. I sincerely hope you're taking your time to live your best life - every day. The moment we are in is the only moment we truly have! 🙏
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| Beauty surrounds us; make time to experience |
My friend Emily, who I'll be visiting in Maldives, posted the following thoughtful and generous comments on Instagram recently that I'm humbled by. Her comments are a reminder of unexpected influence our actions can have on others. Every day offers an opportunity to express gratitude to the universe for the richness in my life. I'd encourage you to take time in each day to reflect on what you have and show your gratitude. I do my best every day to add as much positive energy to the universe as I can!
I'm sharing a couple links I received from my good friend Dave. Lots of interesting and engaging content about leading edge activities happening in the world today! It's like a sneak peek into what our future might be shortly. Hope your are intrigued enought to have a look!
- Rational Optimist Society
- Do you love innovation and entrepreneurship?
- Do you appreciate how far humanity has come… but know we still have so much further to go?
- Thoughts From the Frontline
- Follow John Mauldin as he uncovers the truth behind, and beyond, the financial headlines. This in-depth weekly dispatch helps you understand what's happening in the economy and navigate the markets with confidence.
Talking about credit cards...
An interesting twist unfolded in my pursuit of a credit card that only charges exchange rates on foreign transactions. Several weeks ago my application for a Canadian bank's non-transaction fee charging credit card (Bank of Nova Scotia) was summarily declined by automated credit adjudication software citing my credit rating (which, btw, is ok!). The universe decided to rectify the matter. The same bank recently made me a pre-approved offer which I accepted. I should have my new credit card prior to departing for Maldives. Perhaps there's a glitch in the system. Beware of the Matrix, my friends! All's well that ends well!
Let's get physical...
My efforts to meet the sit up (30)/push up (30)/plank (2 min) standards I mentioned in my last blog continue. I've mastered the sit ups, on my way with the push ups (18) and will hesitantly start the plank next week. My fragile ego can only manage so much disappointment with my physical state. I'm also stretching twice/day to increase my flexibility. The good news is I am experiencing early benefits from my efforts. Hooray! Kudos to everyone who already maintain a regular exercise regime. To those missing their regular exercise - please, please be wiser than me and be diligent about making time for regular exercise! It's all about you having greater capability to live your best life!
May the universe bring endless blessings and moments of magic 🦄 to you and your loved ones in the week ahead. 🙏
Travel Administration
I'm thinking it may be a good idea to revisit the topic of tides when visiting coastal regions for those of us who are unfamiliar with the sun and moon's impact (tides) on large bodies of water. I had a couple people on the beach this week ask about the tides and when they occur. They had the incorrect impression that low and high tides occur at the same time every day. It's good to know the tidal activity if you're planning beach activities! Check out the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to learn everything you need to know (and more) about tides. I use
Tideschart to confirm the timing of the low and high tides; low tide is best for sea glass hunting, you see!
Travel Update
I've completed my travel and accommodation for my first five nights in Nepal. I'm avoiding Kathmandu for the first four nights by staying in Nagarkot hill station. This location reputedly has the best views of the Himalayas - on a clear day. I'm also away from Kathmandu's chaos and polluted air; some people refer to these variables as the city's charm. I had an unusual compelling need to anchor this part of my travel. I'm working on my high level travel itinerary this week to ensure I have a better 'picture' in my head about the weeks and month ahead.
Travel Maps
No change to my travel map for the week; daily beach walk, out twice for my 10K/6 mi stroll, along with trips to the supermarket. Serene and peaceful life.
This Week
Barbados Travel Ideas
This
US News article identifying the best things to do in Barbados is one of the better summary to start your travel planning to this island paradise. This second source,
Next Stop Barbados, has even more ideas about things to do during your visit. Yes, you can keep yourself busy with a wide range of activities with everyone in mind!
Neighbours
Christopher, Maria and their daughters left for their double connection flights (Manchester/Copenhagen) to Sweden. Their family in Sweden gave them the heads up on the piles of snow to expect when they arrive. Prior to leaving, Maria arrived at my doorstep with two large bags of groceries and a tube of the most amazing La Roche-Posay sunblock they were gifting to me. The need for grocery shopping in my last two weeks has substantially disappeared. In all the food treasures I received like ready to bake mini croissants, yogurt, breakfast cereals and containers of fruit juices, the package of chicken weiners stands out. I will enjoy them in spite of working in a meat processing plant over a summer where I watched weiners being made. You were required to wear protective masks in the processing area given the number of chemicals being used in the manufacturing process. I'm blessed for the universe' continuing benevolence with all these groceries.
Rick, Cathy, Gus and Betsy from Atlanta, Georgia arrived on Thursday afternoon for a week long stay at Ocean Hollow. I'm blessed with having warm and friendly new neighbours. I'm sure my ability to produce a cork screw for their bottle of wine put our relationship on the right path. I also had the delight on Friday evening of spending a couple hours talking with them about my travels and eating their cheese and crackers. Yes, I did manage to share my weekly travel blog with Gus and Betsy. I'm also at risk of becoming a beach hawker as I actively promote local businesses. Watch out for my sales pitch in future conversations!
Sam and I also met Francesca and Hanna visiting from Isle of Man (off Ireland's coast) and Manchester respectively one evening while watching the sunset. We've had niceties with Greg and Ross, the newly arrived Canadian couple living in Bibian's Beach House.
Drama
It's a very, very slow week for blog content! My biggest news event was discovering this water leak during a longer walk on Wednesday. The great news is the leak was repaired when I revisited the location on my Saturday morning walk. You'll notice blue water pipes exposed on the ground leading to homes from the main road to residences making the water supply susceptible to disruption.
In general, we are reassured the water in Barbados is safe to drink. You may find this article on
Barbados water quality an interesting read if you have any concerns. BTW - I drink the tap water. I find the water tastes better if it is cold.
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| Roadside water leak |
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| Leak up close |
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| Getting bearings to report leak - which I failed to do! |
Flora & Fauna
As promised in last week's blog, I've included photos of flowers that are blooming in my yard. For those readers experiencing winter - I emphasize the presence of flowers and green plants in January! Imagine that!
Flora
Welcome to my two varieties of hibiscus! Apparently (according to Sam) the pink hibiscus is a far less common flower colour. I'm unsure what the type of flower follows the six hibiscus photos below. I hope you enjoy this natural beauty.
Fauna
The power line is a favourite temporary destination for a variety of birds. Interesting to watch the morning doves battle over space on a small section of the power line when there is so much room available. Parallels to human behaviour, n'est pas?
Sea Glass Hunt Update
Here's the sea glass I've collected over the past three weeks! I've also found a metal part used in plumbing, more tiles and shards of pottery. I'm likely to stop my collecting in the week ahead and simply enjoy walking on the beach. Trust me, this is easier said than done.
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Bracelet found washed up on shore
that is now on my wrist. |
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What are the chances of finding the letter 'D"
(complete with magnet) on the beach? |
Custom Sea Glass Jewelry
Joanne has been busy helping me with pendant ideas using sea glass and turtles.
Sunsets
The big news on the sunset front in the past week was three more sunsets with a 'green flash'! That's an unprecedented six green flashes in the past two weeks! What an amazing way to end 2025 and start 2026! I suspect this exciting news is enthralling! 😉
I've also started using the panorama feature on my camera phone in an attempt to capture the full sunset experience. The evening sky can be breathtakingly filled with colour after the sun has disappeared below the horizon. It's a challenge to find an easy way to capture/share this experience! Bear with me as I perfect my technique.
January 4
January 5
January 6
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| Ist panorama attempt! |
January 7
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| Another attempt |
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| Still learning! |
January 8
Sorry, no photos! I had a conflict!Hard to imagine any type of conflict in my current lifestyle, right?!
January 9
A breathtaking sunset!
January 10
Next Week
The last week in Barbados is upon us. I have several friends to connect with when I return to Mississauga so I'll be busy organizing my schedule for the week. More time walking the beach, zero time collecting sea glass! I also want to make progress on my push ups and how long I can hold the plank pose. I may book my flight from Maldives to Sri Lanka (February 26). The most challenging part of the week will be saying my goodbyes. My Bajan friends have been so gracious, kind and thoughtful. I've had the blessing of living my best life over the past two months!
For those moments when your curiosity beckons you to read more in my other blog posts:
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