You know when a true friendship is formed right from the initial meeting ... in this case over food ... and you walk away knowing that you just met a great couple and you can't wait to laugh and hang out again ?!?! That is the feeling I got when I first met April and her husband Jason back in December while enjoying some sushi. Prior to meeting the Condon's, for a number of weeks Adam had been telling me that I was going to like April, that we have similar taste and humour but that our laughs were very different. While I tend to laugh a lot, when I really get going you don't really hear my laugh until I'm gasping for air while tears start to run down my face. Well, April has the perfect contagious laugh, its bouncy, animated, bubbly and joyous. Her spirit is lively and I've learned she knows everyone in this town.
Their 10 year old daughter Chloe is the perfect mix of her parents. She is quiet and reserved yet zingy and enthusiastic, especially with her creativity.
Here are April and Chloe's "5 Things to do/try/buy" suggestions.
April Condon
1. Travel. Just thinking about travel helps to improve my mental well-being. On Sunday we were stormed in, yet again, but instead of thinking about what was going on outside I was dreaming about the restaurants we would eat in and the rides we would go on at Walt Disney World in May. This is two months away and it still felt so good to dream about what it was going to be like to be there.
I love everything from short road trips to traveling halfway around the world. As a graphic designer instructor at Holland College I do some traveling with EF Tours. I get to travel with creative people and see artwork that we have studied in person. There is nothing like learning about new cities and artists while sharing that experience with other creative people. In one year from now we will be in Paris and Barcelona on another adventure.
2. Lynda.com. As a graphic design instructor it is very important that I keep up to date on industry related technology. Lynda.com allows me to do just that. I can find answers to problems quickly and share information with my students. It is also great for creative inspiration videos.
Last week I was at an event at the Culinary Institute and they passed around this little treat. Figs, bacon, and blue cheese. I would have never made this myself but sweet Jesus it was amazing. Never pass up the opportunity to taste something new to you.
4. Mazda 3. In 1999 my husband and I bought our first car together, a Toyota Tercel. We could only afford to have one extra feature added onto the base model and we choose the CD player instead of the AC because we would use the CD player everyday of the year. We are not car people. We looked at cars as just a means to get us from point A-to-B. That is until 15 years later when we got our second car together.
We did a lot of comparisons and test drives and finally settled on a Mazda 3. I felt like we were catapulted into the future. We now have heated seats, a video camera for reverse, navigation, Bluetooth sync for our phones and ipods, AC and a CD player. It makes driving fun again. I'm so excited that once the weather clears up we plan on taking some much anticipated road trips.
5. Paint. This is something that I have rediscovered in the last two years. I used to paint when I was a student and then when I was working as a graphic designer there was little call for me to paint anything for my clients. I didn't paint for over 10 years. I was going through some difficult personal issues and was looking for a creative outlet. I bought some new paints, brushes and canvases and went to work. I painted for three days and it felt amazing. No client input, no problems to solve, just paint. Time goes very quickly and I love how everything else just melts away. I also started going to some adult art classes in the evening. It's all about trying new mediums and carving out time for you and your own creativity.
Chloe Condon
1.Skating. Skating is all about play and there are no rules. You just skate and have fun with your friends and family.
2. Brain Games (the TV show). It teaches you fun facts about your brain through little games. I like doing the games at home and seeing the reactions of people on the show doing the same things I'm trying to do. It has taught me some cool tricks to show my friends.
3. Magic tricks/Illusions. Learning tricks is challenging and fun at the same time. I like to impress my friends with my new illusions and watch their reactions.
4. Sleepovers/slumber parties. It's a time when you get to talk to your friends and you get to play fun games. You get to stay up late and wake up and play some more with your friends the next day.
5. Whatever After book series. I love to read. This is one of my favourite fictional chapter book series. It takes a classic fairytale and transports a sister and a brother into the story. They mess up the story line and try to fix it again.
~ Thank you ladies for the suggestions. April your picks have me longing for road trips and tasty food. Oh and I can't forget the "Grub crawl" we are going on this summer. I'm also going to research some artistic classes in the area. I love the way you recommend "carving out time for your creativity".
And Chloe, you can practise your tricks on me anytime. The "Whatever" series reminds me of the "choose your own adventure" books I use to love reading at the library. Sleepovers are always a good time and I still like them as an adult !!!
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