At long last. . .

Finally, an update. No, I haven't died; I've just been busy. I have been up to some fun and exciting things over the last few months though! I have lots of pictures to show and stories to tell about my adventures here in the T-dot!

Let's go back to Thanksgiving. Many of my friends in Toronto are away from their families, either because they are students or immigrants. Thanksgiving was a great time for us to get together and be thankful for friendship. Thanks, Jennelle, for hosting a fun group of people and organizing a fabulous potluck meal! You did a great job on your first turkey!


My friends and I continue to have a wonderful time salsa dancing. It's a great stress-reliever and lots of fun. It reminds me a lot of skating, with all the spins and lifts. I have learned so much since I arrived here; it's hard to believe. I went to the Canada Salsa Congress, which was a blast. We danced to a live 10-piece Latin band and took in some great performances. There were some amazing dancers there and I also realized how much I have yet to learn!


My friend Israel and I have really enjoyed dancing together and apparently we're getting good! We won a salsa contest this fall and the prize was tickets to see Willie Colon (a Puerto Rican salsa legend) in concert.


The concert was really cool, with tons of people pumped to see him and a beautiful location for the concert. It was held at a place called "The Docks" where there is a great view of the city along Lake Ontario.


I'm still really enjoying my new school and my class of 14 cuties! They keep me busy, but keep me smiling too! October, November and December have been extremely busy at work (hence the lack of blog posts) due to heavy curriculum content, two report cards, and a holiday concert. We've had a great fall together. The kids have made a lot of progress and I have learned a lot too! The holiday concert was last week and it was a huge success. The kids sang and danced and I accompanied them on the guitar. The parents were proud and the reactions to the show were extremely positive. All the hard work was worth it (thank goodness)!

I have enjoyed several visits with family this fall. My Mom came out during my week off in November to adventure and explore Toronto with me.


We were on a mission and tried to hit as many tourist sites as possible together: the Royal Ontario Museum, the Waterfront, the CN Tower, Kensington Market & The Ontario Science Center. We also went to see a taping of "The Hour" at CBC, which was very entertaining and interesting.


Mom was adventurous and tried a salsa lesson with me and some friends too!


My Dad also came to visit me this fall. . . twice! The first weekend he was here we went out to see "Dirty Dancing", the stage show. It was fabulous!


During his second visit we took in both the Vanier Cup and the Grey Cup. It has been so awesome to be in Toronto this year to take in all these exciting events and shows. The Grey Cup was a riot! Roughriders fans are crazy and the excitement was contagious! Plus, we sat in the 8th row and watched the Riders bring home the cup for the first time in two decades! What could be better?!

Riderville, the Rider headquarters, was hopping for a week prior to the big game. We got in on the celebration on the weekend and we got to see a few players too. . .

Kerry Joseph


Matt Dominguez


The fans were going nuts and chanting Rider cheers before parading into the Rogers Center for the game.


The Sask. Snowbirds made a surprise appearance before the game, flying over the CN Tower and downtown Toronto as the crowd went WILD!!


The Riders in action. . .


I was even on the JumboTron during the game! Don't believe me. . .?


Lenny Kravitz was electric at half-time!


Victory celebrations came in many forms. . .

The fans cheered. . .



The Riders shared the Cup with Rider Nation after their victory. . .


The CN Tower was even lit up in green and white after the game! :)


Well, it has been an interesting and exciting fall here in the T-dot! I feel very blessed. I am now comfortable in both my new job and my new home. I have made many great friends and have had some really fun experiences. I'm learning a lot and loving the experience!

Now for two weeks off work and a visit back home to recharge before the New Year. . .