Trips

Random Lessons Learnt On A Holiday

Caribbean near Tulum

This is just a random post to jot down all that’s swirling in my mind.  If you’re looking for some deep inspiration, you may not find it here today… 🙂

So, we went to my husband’s hometown for our summer vacation last week.  In no particular order, here are 10 things I learnt while there.

1. A ‘kinda’ vacation is (almost) as good as a real vacation.

I call it a ‘kinda’ vacation because my husband worked a few days and I had to be online to fulfill a few commitments I’d made.  That didn’t make it any less of a vacation though!

2. I stress out a lot.

I had planned to continue posting verses on Facebook and Twitter on the weekdays, and also blog while I was there.  Unfortunately, our laptop charger refused to cooperate.  I was not happy.  It kinda got on my nerves that all my plans were in vain, and sadly my husband bore the brunt of it.

3. My husband is awesome!

He is really good at figuring out when I’m stressed.  He enters a problem-solving mode and rattles off simple solutions to my seemingly complex problems.  I’m glad at least one parent in the family has a good head on their shoulders!

4. I over-complicate things.

Yup!  I am someone who makes a mountain out of a molehill.  Nothing much to add there.  I’m learning as I go that things aren’t always as bad as I think they are.

5. Backups save the day.

My father-in-law installed power backup to keep us going during the power cuts.  And the very slow computer helped me keep my online commitments when my laptop didn’t cooperate.

6. Quiet time helps.

I usually miss out on my quiet time when we’re travelling.  But this time, I was determined not to.  I lugged my journals and Bibles along with me on the trip and spent some quality time with God every day.  And when we go to God, He does not disappoint!  Love Him for that! <3

7. Family time rocks!

Whether it is praying together at bedtime or spending a rainy day at the beach, I’m glad to be able to spend time with my husband and sons.  So blessed!

8. Baby goats are cute.

My mother-in-law raises goats.  And she continues to do so knowing the little ones eat up her roses.  The boys visited the goats several times during the day and had fun feeding them.

9. Things I love to do aren’t always a priority.

I love to blog and hope to do so for years to come.  But when I’m short of time, and I have to fulfill my commitments to family, friends and church, blogging falls by the wayside.  I have to learn to be okay with that.

10. The days are long but the years are short.

My husband and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary last week.  I can’t believe we’ve been married that long.  Living life one day at a time makes each day seem long, but the years are flying by.

Photo Credit: mdanys

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A Trip to the Zoo

Our friends had long been urging us to accompany them on a trip to the local zoo. After several months, we finally set the date and went to the zoo last Saturday. This is just a photo recap of our day at the zoo.

We started off fairly early in the day. After buying our tickets at the zoo, we boarded a rickety bus that would take us on a safari to see the animals in their natural habitat. First up, the herbivores. We saw antelopes, wild buffaloes, spotted deer and boars. Here’s a funny picture my husband captured.

Oh and I alerted everybody that there were wild buffaloes in a lake we were crossing by… Only to be informed said buffaloes were actually rocks! Major oops moment!

Next up, the bus took us to the bear habitat. We were pretty much taken by surprise when the bus screeched to a sudden halt. There was a black bear standing stock still right in front of our bus. It looked like it owned the place – well actually that may be true… We were the intruders, after all.

We waited a few minutes for the bear to pass and then headed over to see the lions. Our first sighting was this lioness snoozing by the wayside.

I was a bit disappointed to see the other lions – they didn’t quite fit the title “King of the Jungle”. I suppose seeing that they were not truly in a jungle, it was to be expected. We moved on to the tiger sanctuary and this time, I was not disappointed.

We were greeted with a HUGE tiger standing in our way. Seriously, it was much bigger than the lions! It had a regal air around it – even its stance was stately. What a majestic creature!

We saw some white tigers as well, but in my opinion, I liked the rich colors on the other tigers better. Ummm… And as we were heading out of the sanctuary, I pointed out a sheep lying on the road – only to be informed, it was another rock! {Insert sheepish grin} I wonder if it’s time for another eye checkup :).

Here is a family of humans taking a pit stop after the safari…

We then proceeded to the zoo where we saw a myriad of creatures. We saw sloth bears, elephants, emus, zebras, wild buffaloes, cheetahs, jackals, spotted dear, black bucks, hippopotamuses and various species of monkeys and birds. There were several art students milling around, and it was a treat to see their hastily drawn sketches of the animals.

I have never been a bird lover – in fact, I thought the owls were quite creepy. But I was pretty impressed by the white peafowl – I found their snowy white feathers quite mesmerizing. My husband’s personal favorite was the Great Pied Hornbill – a uniquely beautiful bird indeed!

It took us about 4 to 5 hours to circle the entire zoo. Although the adults were worn out by the time we headed out, the kids seemed to have boundless energy and weren’t so eager to get back home. Here is a picture of our boys at the zoo – the expression on their faces says it all.

It truly was a wonderful day at the zoo!

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