a few big changes & a few summer days

"I'm a little drunk on you, and high on summertime"

Luke Bryan (Drunk on You)

The days are just flying by now, sitting here I realized how much has happened in the past couple months since my last blog update! Due to my lack of updating it goes with out saying that I have gotten "hooked" on a few different forms of social media in the past few months. With my up-coming move to Europe I wanted to decide which social media websites/apps I would like to keep regularly updated while away. Having kept a full blog of my time in New Jersey, I thought it would be nice to have all of my AuPair Blog's on the same website. So with that I have decided to simply just add one more account to my growing list of social media. twitter follow anyone? @kelceyarmstrong  - I am also going to be adding pictures to the blog in the next couple weeks, when I have more thing's to update about! :)

 In my last entry I wrote about embarking on a new adventure, and now that has turned into reality. Flights are booked, contracts and forms signed, suitcases ready to be filled and family not ready for me to leave just yet. In less than one month (25 days to be exact) but who's counting, I will be leaving on a flight to The Netherlands.I am rather excited about the flight, I do actually LOVE flying. I will have a layover in Iceland. How cool is that? That is one place I would never have thought of going. From there I will fly direct to Amsterdam, where I will meet the host family. I have taken a one year position with the most lovely family! Two busy boy's will keep me on my toes! I will live in a town called Voorburg in the South of Holland, close to all the major cities. With the great transportation in Europe everything is easily accessible! I can foresee a lot of travel in my year abroad.

Now that I am awaiting my departure date, I am in no way wishing my time in Nova Scotia away. We have been having some nice weather in the past few weeks and perfect beach days. Although the water is still very chilly! I have been enjoying my days free as I am no longer working since school is out for summer vacation. It is nice to have time to spend with family, and to enjoy being home in NS during the summer time. 

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

xx

Follow your dreams, they know the way...

"Dream it. Wish it. Do it."

"Never let your memories be greater than your dreams"

Embarking on any new adventure can be a scary thought. Moving 3000 miles from home, across the Atlantic Ocean, and into a country you've only been to once, can be even scarier! But those thing's never stop me. A few months ago I made the decision to move to another county to work as an Au Pair! Since I loved my first experience in the United States, I wanted to have a new adventure. It has been a long process, & a lot of waiting but a few days ago I finally got the email that I had been waiting for. After going through the process a few time's before and not being successful I was a little scared to open the email. I have been told my whole life to go with your "gut" feeling, so that's what I did. Reading though the email, I got a great feeling, full of excitement and happiness! Over the past two days, there have been some phone calls from a potential host family and lovely conversation with the host mom! It has been decided that we would both like to proceed with a match!

I could not be happier, and while I think this job has it's challenges, it will bring a new learning experience, a chance for growth, and hopefully a very successful year living abroad in Europe!     

                                                      

(the picture is a hint as to what European county I will be moving to)

summer is coming...

"Because it’s summer and the memories are just waiting to happen."

- unknown

The summer weather has finally started to arrive, and what a beautiful long weekend we had! The sun was shining everyday! My sister and I went for a coffee this morning, and took a drive down to the little beach in Chester! The water was still a little to cold for swimming, as it always is here in Nova Scotia. Had a nice morning in the sun with my lovely sister! :)

the simple beauty of nature

  The sun is shining and it's a beautiful day, it's nice to just soak in the beauty of nature sometimes!

I took a few photo's of the flower's blooming around our yard today!

The picture's can speak more then what I can write!

Enjoy! :)

A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love. - Max Muller

keep calm & carry on....

A few week's ago, I came across this saying that seemed to have been popping up on twitter, on bookmarks in store, and other social media related places! It caught my attention so I wanted to learn more about it. "Keep Calm & Carry On" It was once used as a propaganda posted used by the British Army during WW 2, to raise the moral of the British public in the event of an invasion. It was only a limited distribution, and it wasn't until 2000 when the poster was re-discovered and re-printed onto mugs, posters, clothing, etc that it became popular. But, only in Europe. It wasn't until 2011 when a company attempted to trademark the title "Keep Calm and Carry On Ltd." but was unsuccessful. In their continued attempts to trademark the name and they have turned to trying globally in Canada and the USA. I tried to look for some recent information out of curiosity but couldn't find anything. I did look at some websites that sell many items with the saying, mostly out of Europe! Being in Canada I haven't seen to many item's in store, but expect to in the next few months. As it usually is with certain media or music related content that if from the UK or Europe, it takes at least a year to really HIT North America!

I wanted to write about why I like this saying but I'm finding it hard to. Everyone may read that saying and have a different connection to it, or may repeat it in a completely different situation then another. Whether your having a bad day at work, in an argument with someone, had something said to you, whatever it may it, I like to think that "Keep Calm & Carry On" can be one of those saying's to get you through that hard day, or to cheer you up. In life thing's happen that are just out of your control. For me in those "there's nothing I can do" moments I like to this just keep calm, and carry on. When something is out of your control, and already happened/over, it's in the past, so all that is left to do is just carry on. It's a nice saying to take some time and think about how it may relate to your life, or to how you can make it a part of your life. Maybe you have little saying's that stick with you, and pop up from time to time. I think this is a great one!

Thanks for reading,

Kelcey

the beginning of something amazing....

Sitting here tonight I decided I needed to start writing again. Personally I don't think anyone read's these post, I kept my first blog when I was living in NJ as a away to keep my family updated at home. What I realized tonight is that I really like "blogging" and in the past 4 months since I moved home I took a little break from it. It sometimes get's to be to much when your so busy and doing new things. You just want to write about it all! So...I have started 2 new blogs. This one is just going to be random things for now, some pictures, stories or thing's that happen in my life, etc. Eventually it will get more entertaining...I promise! There is a new adventure on it's way, and I can't wait to share more of what that is. But even I don't know all of it, so for now, were all waiting together!

So as for me, the past 4 months being home have just flown by. I keep in touch with my friends from the states, and slowly they all are heading back to their homes all over the world. The day I got on that plane in NJ, it seems like your life is going back to "normal" when in reality life just keeps on going. Nothing really changed in my home town, the same people, a few new restaurants, but all in all it's the same small town it was when I left. Some days I like the small town charm, the knowing everyone, but then sometimes it honestly drives me crazy. There is nothing to do, but when you move from one of the biggest cities in the world to a village with the population of about 3000 people, it's more then just a shock to the system. It's having to adjust to a whole new world, a world that was once your normal. But...being home as been amazing. I have had the chance to re-connect with old friends, spent time with my awesome family, plan some thing's for the future, and have been working in a job that I never thought I would. Life has been good! :)

I hope that this blog becomes what I have in mind for it. I love going back and reading my old post's and seeing how much I have changed since I wrote them. It will be 3 years in June since I wrote my first post about being an Au Pair and going to NJ. I sometimes have to stop and ask myself if all that really happened. Sometimes it feels like a dream. Being able to go back and read how you felt in that moment or the little stories you have about your day in NY, or what restaurant you went to. It can bring back all those great memories I have and can bring a smile! I am so excited for the future, and can't wait to take you guys along with me...it won't be boring. That is one thing I know!

Thanks for reading!
Kelcey