New Day ~🍹 Thursday September 10th

Change is inevitable. Growth is optional...👀

I have already ventured out on my own to the grocery store. 

 Felt so good and I am looking forward to more sols driving. 

 Initially I was a little hesitant, but glad I decided to do it. 

Driving is driving no matter where you are. Happy 😁

Sniff has already gotten some toys.  Makes him

 feel more like home.  So far he's just sniff's them.  

Even with that. he's not used to the smell.  Today will go 

to Petsmart and stock him up with a few scratchers, and

 who knows maybe a condo so he can feel at home.  

What shall we do today?  Not sure but looking 

forward to it. Maybe another pina colada at our new 

favorite spot?  Maybe a mojito de parcha 🍹? 

Whatever the day holds, it will be good.

The best moments in life are those we fear as 

much as we desire them.  Out of all of my moments in life, 

the ones I have spent with you are my most favorite...

~Nadiya~

Wednesday ~

Life is about moments.
Don't wait for them, create them...

And so begins our day.  Coffee, sunrise and Sniff.

Perfect start of what will be a great day.

Sniff is most comfy wherever we are.  

Right now the breakfast table is his spot.

I have cleaned just about every spot I think Sniff
can get to, but sometimes he will surprise me and find a
 spot I didn't think of.  Keeps me busy.  Now Arvid and
 I will have some time to enjoy Puerto Rico.

The island is very picturesque, even the electrical wires
 all over it's landscape cannot take away the beauty it holds.

Below the locals hanging out by the beach, with their
 masks playing dominoes.  Life is simple and that gives
 us the most happiness, and always makes us grateful.

All roads lead us to the beautiful blue waters of the Caribbean.

No matter what is obstructing the landscape, the beauty is always there.

To all a great day.  Arvid, Sniff and I are having us some island time.

Some of the best moments in life are 
the ones you can't tell anyone about...

~Nadiya~

Tuesday September 8th ~

There's a sunrise and a sunset every 
single day, and they're absolutely free...

Sniff and I woke to this beautiful sunrise.  Of course

 Arvid sleeps through all the beauty of the mornings 🌞.

  Luckily we have the sun glow for anther few hours.

We have been letting Sniff out on the balcony at

 different times of the day.  So far he is OK with it.

Sniff is feeling better everyday.  Getting used more 

and more to his new surroundings.  Problem is by the 

time he gets used to it, it's time to leave, "c'est la vie"  

Sunsets from the balcony is also pretty amazing.
  The perfect time to enjoy the cool Caribbean breezes.

Our day begins and the sunrise is yet another
 reminder of how much we have to be grateful for.

Good morning from beautiful Puerto Rico🌴. 
Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up
 having more. If you concentrate on what you don't
 have, you will never, ever have enough 😍

Acknowledging the good that you already have in 
your life is the foundation for all abundance...

~Nadiya~

Monday September 7th ~ New Week Again ~

Life happens.  There is no point in being upset or

 down about things we can't control or change...

As the new week begins I wonder what it holds for us.

They say that every good thing that has happened in 

your life happened because something changed.

Island life is not bad at all.  Still getting used to it.

Life happens to all of us.  It's not what happens to us,

 but how we respond to what happens to us that really decides

 if we're going to be victims or if we're going to get and

 have everything we've ever dreamed about...

~Nadiya~

Sunday September 6th ~

Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of 

darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it 

were not balanced by sadness. It is far better to take things 

as they come along with patience and equanimity...

Arvid to me this morning, "I have been walking non-stop talking 

to the family.  Man this is a workout."  And so begins our Sunday.

Sniff has already found his cozy spot close to us.  Sniff 

has given me extra, extra work, but I am not complaining 

because we have him close to us.  I have to clean every 

spot I think/know he will climb onto, because he does.

Every so often even Sniff gets really hot.  He has learnt 

that the fan will help to cool him down even more.

Yesterday we had time to check out a few places close by. 

 Walking distance, but for now we will drive because it 

is just too HOT!  The  heat is really wearing us out, 

but I'm sure we will be getting used to it soon.

Sunday in Puerto Rico.  Most restaurants are closed today, 

but we are free to discover the beauty that lays ahead of us.

Happy Sunday all.  In Puerto Rico the skies are

 blue as can be.  Happiness is a direction, not a place.

It isn’t what you have or who you are or where you 

are or what you are doing that makes you happy 

or unhappy. It is what you think about it...

~Nadiya~

Hot Saturday ~

The thing with heat is, no matter how cold you 

are, no matter how much you need warmth, it 

always, eventually, becomes too much...

One of the best things about being here is Puerto Rico

 is that we get to see Nirvan, my sister, and Kimsy, our niece. 

 Yesterday we saw them.  It was the first time Arvid and I, 

Nirvana and Kimsy sat down to have a meal at a restaurant

 since the pandemic.  It was good to sit and be served.

Kimsy is just adorable.  All the "kids" are, and I love them all

 so much.  From the grand-kids to my nieces and nephews.  

I am truly fortunate to have them in my life.  They all 

make our lives better, brighter and happier.

Puerto Rico is HOT!  I am not used to this heat

 and just being out for a short time makes us exhausted.  

Sniff feels the same and he's not even out.

Sniff has found a spot all the way no top of the kitchen

 cabinets.  He seems to be happy and relaxed there. 

 Little by little he's getting there.  Makes me happy.

No matter where we stay I clean and disinfect everything 

from, dishes, linens, bathrooms, beds everything.  Have been 

doing that, and it's a lot of work.  Having Sniff here also makes

 it for more cleaning, but won't have it any other way.

Arvid and I have not done much scenic trips as of yet. 

 The island is "colorful" many of the places are fairly 

rundown.  My guess is that after hurricane Maria, not

 much has been done 😧.  At least not in the area we are,

 hopefully one day it will change.  What sure does not 

change are their beautiful beaches and that ocean.

The view we see as we drive up to the building we are staying in.

Wishing everyone a great day.  Island life runs at a different pace.

Not how long, but how well you have lived is the main thing...

~Nadiya~

Friday In Puerto Rico ~

Whoever always looks for greener grass on the

 other side will never be able to appreciate the green grass

 that was right under their feet the entire time...

Something we should always keep in mind.  The

 grass is not always greener on the other side of the road, 

country, planet... you get the picture.  That being said, 

another very warm day begins here.  Life here is different.

I saw this on a car.  Of course I had to take a picture.

  I thought it was funny so did Arvid.  Arvid already knows 

his way around Puerto Rico.  He has studied the map before

 we got here and everyday he's better and better.  I who grew

 up on the island am lost when it comes to directions.  

He's already found his papa John's pizza location. 

 Of course, very close to where we are staying.  We have

 been very busy.  So far have not had too much time to go 

to the beach.  Arvid thought that coming to PR would be

 "easier" because of the  COVID situation in Florida.

Wrong choice it seems.  Florida is easing off and

 compared to Puerto Rico, Florida is very "soft" in their

 restrictions.  In Puerto Rico before you enter any store,

 your temperature is taken.  Your hands are sprayed

 with hand sanitizer, and no mask means no entry.

Here everyone wears their masks at all times.  

I think it's the law.  As of now, restaurants are closed

 on Sundays.  According to my sister the governor

 may reopen that in the coming week.  Yay!

We were supposed to come to Puerto Rico, take it 

easy and just relax.  So far it has not been the case, but it's

 getting closer and closer to that.  One thing for sure, we do

 enjoy the time we spend on the balcony.  It makes up

 for all the crazy, all the heat , all the exhaustion.  

As usual, Sniff and I are awake enjoying the sunrise.

Sniff is still super cautious about everything, hopefully he

 will soon be less tense and able to relax.  Just like he did

 back home in Florida.  I think he misses his home.

Spend time thinking of what you want 

rather than what you don't want...

~Nadiya~

Home For Now ~

The first step towards getting somewhere is to

 decide you're not going to stay where you are...

Imagine seeing this everyday.  Have to say life has

 been good to us, and for that I am always grateful.

The views are beautiful and I know that we will enjoy our stay here.

We are now on island time and we are loving it. 

 The balcony will become one of our favorite spots.

I never imagined coming back to Puerto Rico.  

It was where I first encountered people with the 

biggest of hearts.  I know times are different,

 but kindness does not usually disappear.

From our now home to yours.  Happy day to all.

And once again a new chapter in our lives begin.  

Since none of us knows what the future holds, the idea

 of new beginnings can feel terrifying at times. However, if

 you focus on that which is optimistic and encouraging,

 starting afresh can be an exciting time.  Here is to another 

adventure in the lives of Nadiya, Arvid and Sniff.

Hoping today is the day Sniff finally gets to rest.
That would make this day the perfect day. 😍

It’s never too late to become who you want to be.

 I hope you live a life that you’re proud of, and

 if you find that you’re not, I hope you 

have the strength to start over...

~Nadiya~

Island Life PR September 2nd ~

Life takes you down many paths 

but my favorite ones lead to the beach...

It's is going to take us a few days to get everything

 straightened out and to be organized.  But now

 that we are on island time, who cares?  

We have all the time to take it easy and just go

 with the flow.  At least Arvid thinks this way, I'm 

still on my own time, and no matter where I am 🙈, 

I am always me.  I am not as Arvid would say, "the 

easiest person."  Too stubborn and I like it my way.  

Being on island time I will have to learn to be more

 patient.  I believe that one of my "worst" traits

 is my impatience.  I have to work on it.

Looking forward to walks on the beach.  I do

 love the beach, but for some reason we it was not

 a part of our lifestyle in Florida.  Hopefully here

 in Puerto Rico I will have more time to fully 

appreciate it and make the most of it.

Sniff is still having a difficult time adapting to his
 new home.  He has not had a good sleep since we arrived.
 He gets a few cat naps, but he's never relaxed. 

Always jumps at any kind of sound, and there
are lots of sounds.  Different from what he was used to.
 He will get there soon.  For now he finds it under the
 bed safest.  Sniff is not one to go under beds, but
 as of now he seems to be most comfy there.

B.E.A.C.H.: Best Escape Anyone Can Have.

An ocean breeze puts a mind at ease...

~Nadiya~

September 1st ~ Puerto Rico Times

New month.  New beginning.  New mindset. 
 New focus. New start.  New intentions.  New results..

Arvid, Sniff and I will be welcoming September in Puerto Rico.

A new adventure is about to begin for us and we are excited.

They say life begins at the end of your comfort zone,
 so find your comfort zone and demolish it.  Good morning
 and hello September.  Two of my favorite people are born
in September, and one lives right here in Puerto Rico.

Sniff has not found his "happy" spot as of yet 😭.
 He's scared of all the new noises😬.  He does
 not want to eat much, but maybe this is good. 
The vet said he could use losing some weight.

 It is HOT!  Very hot, Arvid and I have different
 ideas of how to get cooler, he does not like to have
 the A/C running.  says he aches with it. 

Well we have a problem, because there is no way
we can be in Puerto Rico and not have A/C.
 One thing that is good, the breeze on the
balcony makes it always a good day.

First day of a new month means that no matter 
where you've been, today you get to start again.  
Seize it.  Never allow waiting to become a habit...

~Nadiya~