How I Spent The Last Days of 2015

Happy New Year everyone! I really can’t believe how fast time has flown, and yet here we are in 2016!

For most people the new year is about fresh new starts, improving yourself and setting goals. If I’m completely honest with myself, I’ve always found the new year to be a bit depressing in contrast to the high and warm fuzzies I get around Christmas time. That’s not to say I hate New Years and sit around thinking sad thoughts! For some reason I just tend to reflect on things I didn’t get accomplished rather than focusing on the positive!

That being said, this year we did something a little different during the last days of 2015. For the holiday season my husband and I took off for Florida leaving behind the cold weather in Toronto. While I was sad to not be around for Christmas with my family, it was actually a bit of a relief to be free of any expectations we had for ourselves and we really and truly just relaxed!

The weather in Florida was PERFECTION. Like many places this year, it was unusually warm for the season. But no complaints from us…this was the first December I spent in a bathing suit and dresses! The gorgeous weather made it drastically more difficult to be in a gloomy mood 😉

How I Spent The Last Days of 2015

Taking full advantage of the beautiful weather, we spent as much time outdoors as possible.

If you’re ever in the Tampa area, Busch Gardens is a great family friendly place to check out if you’re into rides and love animals. From our experience, all the animals are well cared for; most of the trainers we’ve encountered have been there for years often raising the animals from birth and have a very special bond with each of them.

Hanging out at Clearwater beach is a MUST. It was particularly crowded at this time of year, but even still, this beach has a very casual, laid back vibe; food and bathroom facilities are close by and well maintained which is VERY important when spending the day at the beach!

Of course, since we were on vacation I was catching up on a lot of reading and just sitting by the pool. The condo we stay at has a private pool so it’s very convenient for us to just hang out or nap at the pool for a few hours. Since most of my time is spent on the computer (for both work and blogging), I tried as much as possible to unplug.

So, although I can be a bit of a downer come New Year’s Day, I have to admit that my last days of 2015 we’re pretty good!

I’ll end this post with reflecting back on a few things I’ve been particularly grateful for in 2015:

• YOU! I decided to launch ElaineLoves.com about a year ago and while I wish I had more time to dedicate to it, I want to thank each and every one of you for reading and stopping by.
• My work. While I’ve come to realize that a “dream job” isn’t realistic for everyone, I work with a team that’s dedicated and supportive which makes the work we do more meaningful. In today’s world, nothing is forever so I’m not sure how long this particular project will last, but I’m committed to seeing it through til the end!
• My friends, family and especially my husband. Without these people in my life to support me, share moments with and love, everything else would be meaningless. Although this aspect of life isn’t necessarily reflected publicly, I hope they all know how much I care for them.

I wish all of you a very happy new year and the best 2016 possible. It will be an amazing year for some of us and a not so great one for others, but I’m hoping we can all take a little time to cherish the beautiful and meaningful moments in between.

Happy 2016!!!