Jingle Bell Chocolate Tour

My mom was looking through a magazine she got at the New Hampshire liquor store of all places last year around this time and came across an ad for the Jingle Bell Chocolate Tour. However it was the last weekend it was being offered and it was sold out. So going on this tour was a year in the making.

Once we finally figured out where it was and how we order tickets we asked my friend Sara and her mom if we could possibly make a weekend out of it and stay at their house in New Hampshire. They of course said yes. Sara's mom's friend Donna also came and my best friend Julia and her mom came along with us as well.

We had tickets for the 2pm tour in Jackson, Nh so we left Wolfeboro about 12:15pm to head up there. After an hour and 20 minute ride we arrived at Nestlenook Estate and Resort.

Once we were there and parked we got to walk through the estate which was exactly what you would think a cute little winter resort would look like. You could go ice skating, sleigh rides around the property or just enjoy your stay there. We went over to check in for our tour 

which was inside an enclosed gazebo 

that had a sleigh inside for photo ops as well as a lovely fire going. We got our tickets and of course our jingle bells to wear on our tour, and our first chocolate which was chocolate covered coconut, took some photos in the sleigh

  and headed outside to get some hot chocolate which was delicious! Then we headed over to wait for our sleigh.

We got on and got settled under our horse blankets and met Issac our tour guide who was very nice!

  Then we were off on our way to the first stop The Inn at Jackson! Where two lovely little girls greeted us with some yummy white chocolate cranberry almond candies.

Then we were off to our next stop. We slid up to Backcountry Bakery & Cafe where a nice woman came out ready to give us our treats.

 She approached up with a huge tray of brownies. We learned that they were double chocolate espresso brownies. 

I love brownies so I had to take a bite. They were good but the espresso flavor was too over powering for me, which did not stop me from eating the whole thing later that night. 

We said our thanks you and started on over to The Wentworth Inn.

Where again we were greeted by a lovely lady bringing us chocolate chip cranberry cookies dipped in chocolate. Oh how I love chocolate!!

 I saved that for when I got home after dinner. Even though I am not a fan of cranberries it was quite tasty!

After our fellow riders were saved from Mikey and Butch the horses on the sleigh behind us we were off again and pulled up to J-Town Deli where there was a large basket coming towards us with all these little white bundles. We couldn't wait to see what this was going to be.

We were pleasantly surprised to find that they were homemade nonpareils. I tried one right away and they were pretty good. I saved the rest for later.

I was most excited for our next stop because we had past it on the way out and because of it's name The Snowflake Inn. I love all things related to snowflakes! They also had their porch all decorated for Christmas with Santa and all.

Then another tray was approaching us and when she came to our sleigh all I heard was Kahlua balls and I was sold!

The great thing is that they had another option for those that didn't want the alcohol ones. They were white chocolate dipped pretzel sticks. Some of us got one of each but I only got the Kahlua ball which I ended up having enough trouble eating cause I kept dropping it haha. But it was still worth having to pick it up three times.

The last stop was probably my favorite chocolate while on the sleigh. We pulled up to Flossie's General Store and emporium. 

We were greeted by a very homely looking man with a basket. 

It took some coaxing to find out exactly what kind of truffles they were. But he finally told us they were Chocolate Truffles which turned out to be amazing!

Then it was time to head back to Nestlenook Estates. We got off our sleigh and then had a little photo shoot with our horses Fred and Pete.

Then we toured the grounds after we all got some more hot chocolate to warm us up after having those blankets on and now being totally exposed. It really was a beautiful place to be.

If you are interested in going on this tour (which I highly recommend) next weekend is already sold out but they do have openings for December 22nd so get them while you can! Call 1-800-866-3334 otherwise your tour will be a year in the making as well cause you will have to wait til 2013.

Foodie Penpal Reveal!

So I know this is a tad late but I wanted to share my November Foodie Penpals Package. My package came from Marla all the way from Milwaukee! I opened the package and she had written a lovely note and I started to read it. I got as far as her telling me that she sent me some Root beer that is locally made in Milwaukee. I stopped reading and had to find it. Now mind you it was my husband that was overly excited about this. I have mention that Foodie Penpals package opening has now become a family event. I was able to find the root beer which Marla had so nicely wrapped in newspaper and in a plastic bag. Which ended up being a good idea because some of the root beer leaked through the bottle top. I am not a fan of root beer but I tried it none the less but my husband was in his glory!

I then came across the beer chips which again my husband was thrilled with. I also am not a fan of beer but again tried them and they were very subtlety flavored. My husband enjoyed his snack for the night of Root beer and beer flavored chips.

I kept digging and found chocolate covered raisins which are one of my favorites! I was thrilled but knew better then to dig into them. I saved them for a snack at work later in the week.

I then came across these and was quite sure what to think.

Just from reading it I was a little weary thinking that it wasn't actual chewing gum but something else. However it is in fact chewing gum and is an acquired taste but not too bad.

Next up was cheddar popcorn. The flavoring was pretty good and again became something my husband enjoyed snacking on only because he beat me to it after we had opened it.

I then pulled out something called Halvah.

I had no idea what this was so I of course turned it over and started to read the label. I was a little turned off by the fact that 1/2 the bar was a serving and it 330 calories. Meaning that I either had to eat this as a pre-workout fuel and make sure I just take a bite otherwise it would basically be a meal or take micro bites over the course of several weeks.

Then I found a bunch of little ginger candies at the bottom. If any of you have read my previous foodie penpal posts you might have read the one that I got dried ginger and that I really didn't like it manly because ginger is generally spicy and that is not me.

I however like to try everything thinking it might be different so I tried these but they just aren't for me.

This was next. At first I thought it was some kind of chocolate and then I realized it was instant coffee or cappuccino. Since I don't drink coffee I gave it to my grandmother who absolutely loved it! So I guess that was a nice surprise for her and helped share the foodie penpal experience.

The last food object I found has got to be my favorite.

Cinnamon Cookie Spread!!! It is delicious! I have to make sure I eat it in small batches cause it isn't exactly good for you but who can help themselves? I might just have to find out if I can get this around here!

Marla was also nice enough to send me some food related magazine from Milwaukee.

It was fun to able to learn a little more about the food & dining experiences in milwaukee in relation to what we have in Worcester/surrounding areas.

All in all this was a package that was well shared and forced me to try new things. I would to say special thanks to Marla for putting this together for me!! Also thanks to Lindsay over at The Lean Green Bean for organizing this program and keeping us all linked every month!

Now for the fun part...to learn how to sign up for yourself for next month!

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal! 
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month. 
-Foodie Penplas is open to US & Canadian residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We've determined things might get too slow and backed up if we're trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. 

If you’re interested in participating for November, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions. 

You must submit your information by January 4th as pairings will be emailed on November 5th!

*If you're from somewhere besides the US, Canada or Europe and want to participate, send me an email and I'll see if we get enough interest this month!

25 Days Of A Slimmer Christmas Challenge!

The idea behind this is to get you more aware of what you are eating and how much you are being physically active. I know some people don't want to deprive themselves of a certain food but the idea behind this is figure out some alternatives so that you have variety in your diet. Give it a shot you never know what you might discover. So I figured what better time to really focus on staying on track than at the holidays?

Each day you will have something new that you need to follow whether it be a food restriction, adding more exercise, making healthy substitutions etc. 

I thought of this because I need a jump start to get me back on track and get me through the upcoming holiday season. Then I thought why not include my friends and family and make it a fun challenge with prizes and all! 

So here are the guidelines:

 Challenge will begin at 12am on December 1^st and end at 11:59pm on December 25^th (Christmas day).

 There will be three prizes awarded:

1^st – Most points earned

2^nd – Most weight lost

3^rd – Most creative

I am not telling you which prizes are for what that you'll just have to wait to find out. 

Here are the three prizes: 
- $50 Spa Gift Card
- Rest and Relaxation Gift Basket 
(made especially to the winners likes) 
-A one year subscription to The Food Network Magazine. 

So hope those are incentive enough for you!

For the entire challenge you must complete these two things - this is the base and it grows from here.

• Must do at least 30 minutes of physical activity 4 times a week (physical activity could be anything. If you are currently not physically active start small)
• Make a restriction to one unhealthy food that you really like or find that you have been over indulging in daily. Meaning you cut back on the amount or you cut it out of your diet completely for the 25 days.

Here are the daily requirements some of them continue from that day until the challenge ends so please read carefully:

December 1^st – Drink 6-8 glasses of water for the remainder of the challenge

December 2^nd – Eat a healthy breakfast

December 3^rd – Vegetarian day! Every meal must be vegetarian (get creative trying new proteins)

December 4^th – No fast food for the remainder of the challenge

December 5^th – Eat only 100% whole wheat (ie. Pasta, bread, rice, crackers, etc)

December 6^th – No snacking on things like chips, Doritos, pretzels, etc.

December 7^th – Take a walk either after lunch or after dinner.

December 8^th – Plan and prepare all your meals for the following day

December 9^th – Add 15 minutes to your physical activity

December 10^th - No candy for the remainder of the challenge

December 11^th – Eat 5 servings of fruits or vegetables

December 12^th – No peanut butter for the remainder of the challenge

December 13^th - Limit your caffeine intake

December 14^th - No Chocolate for the remainder of the challenge

December 15^th – Eat fruit with breakfast as well as 1 snack

December 16^th – Get a friend or family member to exercise with you that is not part of the challenge

December 17^th – No ice cream for the remainder of the challenge

December 18^th – Replace your dessert with a piece of fruit or yogurt

December 19^th – Complete one random act of kindness (The more creative the better)

December 20^th – No take out for the remainder of the challenge

December 21^st – 1 alcoholic beverage allowed (If you do not drink alcohol then limit another beverage that you might be over indulging in this time of year)

December 22^nd – Try a new exercise/class or do something that isn't part of your general routine.

December 23^rd – Eat fish (If you are vegetarian or vegan: Try a new protein or one you don’t eat as often)

December 24^th – Try a new vegetable

December 25^th – Use weights or resistance in your physical activity

Here is how you will earn points throughout the challenge:

-If you complete each of the individual daily requirements you will earn 1 point for each one you do .

-For all the cumulative requirements you will earn an additional point for each day that you continue to follow that requirement.

-If you complete the required 4 times a week of at least 30 minutes of physical activity you will receive 1 point for each week. (week will be from Saturday to Friday).

-Since the 25^th is on a Tuesday you will receive 1 point for every day you are physically active for at least 30 minutes from December 22^nd – 25^th.

-You will earn 2 points per week for your personal restriction. (Same rule applies for this as for exercise) 1 point for each day you do this from December 22nd - 25th.

-You will also earn 1 point for each additional day that you add in at least 30 minutes of physical activity above the required 4 times a week. 

Here is how to make sure I know about creativity:

I will be providing you with a log. When you complete each day be sure to add as much detail as possible about what you ate, what your physical activity was, something that helped you accomplish that days tasks. The more you give me and the more creative you are the better!

For weight loss:

This will be on your honor. If you would like to be in this part of the challenge be sure when you email me that you include your starting weight and then at the end you will resubmit with your ending weight.

Now let the fun begin!!

If you would like to participate please email alysadventures@gmail.com with your name (include twitter and blog if applicable) as well as what unhealthy food you are making restrictions too and what the restrictions are. If you would like be part of the weight loss challenge please include your starting weight.

 I need to receive your email by November 30^th at 10pm or you will not be eligible for the prizes.

Once I receive your email I will be emailing you a confirmation that I received your entry and I will also attach an excel log for the challenge. If you do not receive a confirmation email within 24 hours then please resend your email.
Please use the log each day as you will need to send it back to me when the challenge is over to be eligible for the prizes. Remember, be as creative as you can. See if you can come up with new workouts, try new recipes, etc.

End of challenge:

Between December 26^th until December 30^th please submit your log. Also include notes of things you liked, didn't like etc. If you are part of the weight loss challenge also include your ending weight. I will send out a reminder to submit your log so you don’t miss out as this is a very busy time of year!

I will announce the winners the beginning of January.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Happy Challenge!

October Foodie Penpal Reveal!

Well it's that time again to reveal what I got from my Foodie Penpal this month! I am sorry this is a bit late but things have been crazy and to be honest lately the idea of sitting in front of a computer to write something hasn't been appealing at all. But I knew I had to because this months foodie penpal package was AMAZING!! My foodie penpal this month was Ashley from Vermont and she put together a great package of Vermont goodies!

I have to start with the first thing I opened right up!

These forbidden love triple chocolate chip are to die for! They were soft, chewy and just plain yummy!! I am really glad that I can't get these here because I would be eating them constantly!

One of the other really cute things that Ashley included was her & her families favorite buttermilk pancake mix as well as some really Vermont maple syrup!

It could not have been more perfect because a few week before my husband and I had been at the Eastern States Expostion Big E and as we were going through the Vermont house he said that he had never had really Vermont maple syrup before. And since Ashley sent us some he got to try it cause let's face it real maple syrup is not something you can explain you have experience it!

I decided I was going to use the pancake mix to make chocolate chip banana pancakes. Adding a slight drizzle of the maple syrup was just amazing! It was a delicious breakfast.

I has mentioned to Ashley that although I have a HUGE sweet tooth I am also trying to keep my diet on the healthier side. I know chocolate chip banana pancakes are not even close to healthy but hey you have to splurge a little now and then. Any way she really listened and she sent me this.

Which is great because not only is it milk chocolate but it is organic and only 100 calories! So it satisfied my sweet tooth but didn't pack on the pounds.

I also like to have little sweet things that I can take with me as a snack and Ashley sent me these.

Despite the fact that these contain nuts which are something I usually really don't like they were actually pretty good. I especially enjoyed the caramel one. The granola one was interesting it was tasty just more a textural thing for me.

And like any good meal or in this case foodie penpal package you have to cleanse your palette as well as refresh your breath so these were just the right touch.

They might be all natural but they are tasty and refreshing indeed. All in all this was an amazing foodie penpal package. Thank you so much Ashley and of course to Lindsay over at the Lean Green Bean for putting this program together for all of us!

Now, after reading that don’t you want a penpal of your own?! Here are the details!

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal! 
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month. 
-Foodie Penplas is open to US & Canadian residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. 

If you’re interested in participating for September, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions.

You must submit your information by November 4th as pairings will be emailed on November 5th!
*If you’re from somewhere besides the US, Canada or Europe and want to participate, send me an email and I’ll see if we get enough interest this month!

Cider House 5K!

So when I discovered this race I read all the info and it clear stated that this is considered a trail race. I was fine with that. I actually sent my registration in while I was on vacation by snail mail. I know who does that, but it was easier to pay for the stamp than for fee to be able to do it online. I was excited because that meant I also got to go to the apple fest at Wachusett Mountain which I had never been to before.

On Saturday I went to the mountain to pick up my race packet.

I was so excited because I got bib number 1!! I have never had that happen before and I am so excited that it did. Not that I came in number 1 or anything but still. I also got a free ticket for myself as well three 50% off tickets for others to Apple Fest. My favorite thing was that the t-shirt they gave out is long-sleeve. I have almost no long-sleeve shirts so that was a great surprise.

So this morning (Sunday) I got up and got ready to go. When we arrived there were lots of people there but there was still plenty of parking so that was nice. I had planned to wear just my LIVESTRONG shirt but it was quite chilly this morning and I ended up having to wear my jacket. I really should have prepared a little more and worn a long-sleeve shirt under my t-shirt, oh well. I met a very nice women while waiting to start who was telling me all about the Tufts 10K for Women. I think I might have to try that next year everyone who has every told me anything about it have loved it.

We all lined up at the start which was behind the #2 sign for the parking rows. We all took off and headed out of the parking lot. That was the easy part, we briefly went up Mountain Road but then we right back on trail this was the beginning of mountain hell. It started up the mountain and...just...kept...going. There was no running for me during this time. So I took advantage and stopped to take some scenic pictures.

This was all before the rail climb began. I tried to get a picture of the trail but it just didn't work. The remainder of the up mountain was wet, covered in leaves, huge rocks, mud and huge tree roots. There were many spots where the rocks and tree roots were just like stairs. I think when I saw it was a trail race this isn't exactly what I had in mind. This was the only time that I have seriously thought about giving up, turning around and going back the way I came. We hadn't even gotten to mile one when we started this lovely terrain. But I didn't give up and I just kept reminding myself that what goes up must eventually come down, I just had no idea how long it would take.

Finally we reached the "top" and it started to go down mountain. We hit our first water stop which in my opinion was a joke. They were literally handing out little Dixie cups (like the ones you have in your bathroom for brushing your teeth) that were half full. It was one gulp! I'm sorry but after a climb like that I need more water than that I guess that is what I get for not bringing my own.

I quite enjoyed the down mountain. I was able to run most of it even being on the trail with rocks, leaves, mud and tree roots. The down mountain was a little over a mile so that was nice to know that I was almost done. As we got closer I could hear everyone yelling for people as they crossed the finish line. I decided for the moment I heard that I was going to run until I was done. Running the last little bit was a little difficult because it was packed mulch which was very loose and bouncy but I still ran.

Then of course I crossed the finish line at 51:43 which is probably my slowest 5k however considering the terrain and the fact that at one point I was at a 30 minute/mile pace that wasn't that bad.

Then I was done and got to have my cider and doughnut! I was happy to be done I really don't think I have ever felt that exhausted after a 5k. I will definitely consider doing it again next year, it was extremely challenging but in a good way! And the view from up there was amazing with all the changing leaf colors!

Then we got to go enjoy Apple Fest which was fun and something new to try! All in all it was a good morning!

LIVESTRONG in Montreal

I don't even know where to begin. I guess from the beginning, I have gotten more than I could ever ask for from The Lance Armstrong Foundation's LIVESTRONG programs. I have had the pleasure of going through their LIVESTRONG at the YMCA program as well as their Cancer Transitions: Moving Beyond Treatment program. I decided that because I had gotten so much out of their programs that I needed to let them know just how much they had done for me. My original plan was to email them but for the life of me I couldn't find an email address so I decided what better way then to really get my point across then to write an old fashioned thank you letter I even included a before and after picture of myself as I had lost 75lbs due to their programs.

Once the letter was received I got an email from their Community Program Manager Jordan Parks telling me how excited they were to receive my letter and that although they get feedback from people through surveys they are all anonymous so they never get to talk to them. They even sent me a package full of amazing LIVESTRONG stuff...

A little while later I got another email from Jordan asking me if I would be their guest at an event in Montreal where they would be officially announcing the Cancer Transitions program. They wanted me to speak at the event and share my story with the audience. I was thrilled on so many levels. I had never been to Montreal, I was going to get to share my story and be able to tell everyone about this fantastic program all at the same time. I was a little nervous because I would be going by myself but I knew it would be fine and be worth it.

So on August 28th, 2012 I flew from Boston to Montreal. It really was a few first for me, my first time in Montreal, my first time taking a cab from the airport (I know shocking), my first time some where that English isn't the primary language and my first time speaking in front of that many people. After riding in the cab for what seemed like eternity we arrived in front of a beautiful hotel.

The Hotel Intercontinental was amazing! It even has a little shopping/dining area withing the hotel which I thought was amazing! After checking in I went and wandered around for a little bit and of course got some lunch. The proved to be some what difficult not really being able to read french despite all the years I took it middle school and high school. Around 3pm Jordan and I met to go over what would be happening that night. The funny thing is that while walking to The Westin Hotel where the event would be held we ran into other people from LIVESTRONG and all of them knew me by name, I was very flattered but also surprised.  Once there I got to go see the space and we did a little run down of how things were going to go. That was when I learned that not only was I speaking but it was going to be in front of 300+ people, Doug Ulman the CEO of LIVESTRONG was going to introducing me and Lance Armstrong was going to be there. Let me tell you if I wasn't nervous before I certainly was after that. We worked everything out for the night and decided to meet back at the Westin at 6:30pm.

I went back to my room and vegged out a little before getting ready and heading over there. I also got to meet Ivy who co-wrote the Cancer Transtions program so that was fun too. Once there we got our tickets and got to just mingle around.

I felt a little out of place cause I didn't really know anyone but at least the food was good and everyone that I did meet happened to be really nice! Then I got to go into the "green room" where I met Doug Ulman so we could talk about what he was going to say when he introduced me so he wouldn't give away too much. Then I met some of the panelists that were going to be on stage. Sarah Cook was one of them who was a pediatric cancer survivor but now she is also big advocate for other pediatric cancer patients and survivors. I also met Gwen Andrews Nacos who is the director and founder of Cedars Cansupport. Both of these ladies were amazing and made me feel right at home! I got to have my picture taken too...

L to R: Jordan, Ivy, Sarah and I (photo provided by asbed.com)

It was great to meet so many people affected by cancer and doing such amazing things with it. I of course also got to meet Lance Armstrong which I have to admit I was thrilled about. I think what he has done (with lots of help from LAF and LIVESTRONG supporters) for cancer survivors is absolutely amazing!

(photo provided by asbed.com)

Then came show time. I have to be honest that I hadn't really prepared a speech so to speak I a really had was bullets of things I wanted to talk about. It is is much easier to share your story cause you know it! Had I written a speech I would have been more than happy to include it. If by some chance there ever happens to be video of it that pops up I will be sure to post it. As I sat waiting I listened to everyone speak. Then Doug took the stage

and started to talk about me at which point I am almost certain I must have turned scarlet red. As I got up to go on stage you have to know the only thought going through my head was, 'Don't trip.' Luckily I did not trip. As I took the podium I was all of a sudden really calm and so I began to speak.

(photo provided by asbed.com)

When I finished Doug gave me a hug and I went back to my seat. And no in case you were all wondering I did not trip coming off the stage either. They invited Cary, Sarah, Lance, Princess Dina and Gwen all up to take their seats on the stage.

The great thing about this panel is all the questions came from the audience. It was a fantastic experience!

After it was the complete opposite than what it was earlier in the night. Everyone knew who I was! I was trying to make my way back to the green room because that's where I thought I was supposed to be. But I kept getting stopped by people. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced. The people stopping me were telling me their story and sharing how hearing about me had inspired them and how much they were looking forward to Cancer Transitions. I love that I was able to help some many that in itself was so rewarding! I did finally make it back to the green room where I got to meet Sarah's family who were great as well as a number of other people. Jordan did finally find me and asked if I would join all the LIVESTRONG people back at the hotel. I of course said yes.

After changing I headed down to their hospitality room and was greeted warmly by everyone there. It was fantastic to be able to sit with so many people. I got to talk to all the people who worked at LIVESTRONG and  hear more about what they do and things they are working on. One of the girls Rebekkah had just gone back Austin for a day and then she flew to Montreal for the week and was then flying to Peru (I think I might have gotten that wrong) all to help spread LIVESTRONG all over the world.

It's funny because I know for myself when I think about everyone that works for The Lance Armstrong Foundation you hold them in a higher regard almost celebrity status. It was great to be able to spend this more personal time with them including Lance. It makes you remember that they are all just people too. Doug told me a great story about his daughter learning to swim and hearing about others stories was just so much fun. I ended up going to bed around 2:30 am that night and it was well worth it!

The next day I got some time to explore Montreal. I was able to find what I considered to be "Downtown" Montreal which really just meant I found all the shopping,

four story mall with 4 separate equally large wings

A beautiful Cathedral Church

A fantastic stone sculpture in the park.

This trip to Monteal is one that I will not soon forget. I am so happy that I was able to help so many people touched by cancer as well as help support a program that I truely believe should automatically be part of every cancer patients treatment. As soon as you are done you go right into Cancer Transitions: Moving Beyond Treatment!

I also can't thank everyone enough at The Lance Armstrong Foundation for everything that they do, for having such fantastic programs through LIVESTRONG and of course for not only giving me this opportunity but also making me feel right at home the whole time!