A time to reflect

Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us... Hal Borland

Well today marks the last day of 2014 and for me it has been a very good year.  I decided at the beginning of 2014 that I was going to love my life and do some things on my bucket list and that is what I did. Some of the things I checked off my list have been:  Finish college with good grades, get a job in my field, do the ride to conquer cancer, run a marathon and travel.  

Traveling is what brought me to this blog and as well it has started to open my eyes to how life is away from Canada. I find it more relaxing and less stressful for myself but also the people seem to not be as stressed as we are in Canada yet they do not have even 1/4 of what we have.  

We have flat screen TVs, nice pictures and other things in our homes and eat any kind of food we want.  We can go to our local grocery store and even buy food from all over the world but here they have a very limited selection on what they can buy and it is not cheap.  Grabbing a meal on the go is a daily thing for most people in Canada, but here it doesn't happy very often.  For the most part a local makes around $450.00 a month which does not even cover the cost of living.  The houses they live in would be the size of a small one bedroom apartment back home at most and they have whole families living in their houses. Yes just like in Canada their are people with Money that live in bigger houses but I am talking about the average person.  

Another example for how much easier it is for us in Canada, I had some allergy issues and my medication was not helping so I went to the local drug store in Costa Rica to see how much it would cost for allergy pills and was told $3.00 US, I thought wow I will take a few boxes but before I could say anything he continue and said for one pill.  Do the math for a box of 24 it would cost you $72.00.  I am very glad that my allergies pills started working a few days later.

Above all the poverty that I have seen in the 6 days I have been in Central America, I have not come across anyone unhappy.  Everyone seems to be smiling  and going about their day without complaints. No one has been rude to me it has been the complete opposite, they have been very kind. I have heard some great stories from the locals who can speak English and the passion they have when they talk about their Country is amazing.  They are not in search for the better electronics, cars or houses they are happy with what they have.  I only hope that I can take a little of what they have shared with me back to Canada and make it part if my life.  I will not lie and say I will stop buying the things I want because I probably won't but I hope I am more aware of how I spend my money and what I buy with it.  

I hope that everyone takes a look back on this past year and takes the good out of what has happened in their lives and c reflects on that for the future instead of bringing the things they feel went wrong into 2015.  I'm not saying that you need to forget about anything you didn't like about 2014 but try to see a positive in it and learn from it.  If we come into a New year, not even a new year but a new day, with that happened in the past how can we live in the present or see how wonderful our future can be! 

I am not making any New Years resolutions this year, instead I am going to take each day as it comes and be thankful that I am able to do the things I enjoy because not everyone in this world is able to do so.  Even in a Country like Canada there are people who do not have the things I have and get to live the life I do, so as I end 2014 and begin 2015 I am going to be grateful for what I have and be thankful to be spending it with new people and also take a minute  to think of my friends and family back home. It's times like this when you are not just a car ride away from your family that you realize just how much they mean to you.  My family and I may not get along or see eye to eye to all the time but when it comes down to it they are there for me when I need them and I am very grateful to have them in my life.  

I hope everyone has a great New Years.  For those of you who are spending it alone remember you do have people who care about you even if if seems you are alone.  For those of you who have to work, I know it is not fun as I had to work last year on New Years Eve but try to make the best of it and be thankful that you are able to still be here for 2015.  For everyone going out be safe and be smart.  

feliz año Noticias,

Jessi