Traveling

I have always been a person who wanted to travel the world because it's what truly makes me happy. Growing up, we were very lucky to be able to travel to some amazing places starting at a very young age. Here is a short list of some of the places I've travelled:
- Wales
- China
- Europe (3 times in a row!) [Rome, Sicily, Florence, Venice, Budapest, but still so much more to cover!]
- Bermuda
- Costa Rica (I volunteered for a week and loved it!)
- Turks & Caicos
- Various parts of the United States, including Ohio, Chicago, New York, Michigan, Boston, Vermont, Utah, Florida, to name a few
- Various parts of Canada, including Nova Scotia, Calgary, Vancouver, Alberta,    
There are more but I can't think at the moment. My top 3 travel destinations I've visited so far are Florence, Costa Rica and Budapest. Florence, because there are so many beautiful buildings (my favourite being the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore or The Duomo which is the main church in the center of Florence). Costa Rica, because I felt as much as I got to enjoy myself site seeing and meeting friends, I was also able to help out by volunteering. We cleaned beaches, taught children English, painted a school and we brought gifts to an orphanage. My third and final place is Budapest because it's where I was born. It took me 22 years to be able to go back and explore but it was worth the wait. It was my most recent trip and I went with my sister, so it was extra special. Wow, the buildings were incredible. I really loved the Hungarian parliament building and the Szechenyi chain bridge. I was able to do many things. We did a boat tour on the Danube River which really gives you a great view of both Buda and Pest. We also took a  bus tour through all of Buda and Pest. Another favourite was the Szechenyi thermal baths. So relaxing!
     I hope to travel to many more places once Jack is older so that he can experience his own adventures. Having Jack at a very young age, and dealing with all of the health problems that came along with it, I really haven't had the opportunity to do much traveling.
       I am very lucky that my parents were able to help me, both with Jack and financially, so I was able to travel to a couple places in Europe this past April for two weeks with my sister. It was surreal. I really missed being able to just get up and go travel. Having a child and traveling is one thing, but when you're stuck on a dialysis machine two days a week for three hours at a time, it makes it a lot more difficult. I also find it makes you appreciate it more once you are able to travel. If I don't get the chance for a while to travel again, I know in the future I will. I will conquer a lot of places I've dreamed of going. There is so much to see and do in this world and I feel we are very fortunate to be able travel.  Here are some pictures of where I have been lucky enough to travel and I'll end this topic with a quote
“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller." This is the Hungarian parliament building and the Szechenyi thermal baths on the last day of our trip! This is in Florence at the Ponte Vecchio. It's a medieval stone closed spandrel segmental arch bridge over the Arno river. There are shops built along it as well. The Duomo is so beautiful close up, all the work to create such a gorgeous cathedral! In Venice and the only way to travel is by boat! Also know for the gorgeous churches such as this one " Santa Maria Della Salute" which is located on the lagoon. These are taken in Costa Rica. One is painting a school and the other with a young boy who I taught English too. These are taken in Rome on two different occasions. Most recent photos are with my birth mother and brother, also the one with my sister at the Vatican! The one in front of the Trevie Fountain was about five years ago! Time flies. This is while snorkeling in the Turks and Ciacos. This is at the heart of Time Square in New York City with my father! These is at Lake Louise back when I did an exchange

Being Adopted

      I think being adopted comes with a lot of emotions. I was adopted at a very young age from Budapest because my parents were very young and  were not ready to have a child. I am lucky to have been able to be a part of an open adoption where I am still to this day able to have contact with my birth parents and brother.
        Sometimes I think about what life would be like if I hadn't been adopted. It's always a "what if" kind of thought. What if I hadn't been adopted? What if I hadn't had to deal with my health problems?with all the problems I have had with my pregnancy, kidney dialysis and needing a transplant, I don't know if that all could've been done in Europe. I am very lucky to have been adopted and to be able to have access to the Canadian health care system.
       My father is a dentist and my mother was a nurse for about twenty five years until my father opened up his own practice. My sister was adopted from China. She didn't get the opportunity to have an open adoption and sometimes (even if she doesn't say it out loud) I think it's hard on her. It may just be me, but I also find I don't have a very close family bond with my adoptive parents but with my birth family, it feels a bit more natural to be close with them. We grew up in very fortunate circumstances, having everything a child could want, travelling on family vacations, participating and being encouraged to try every sport, and extra curricular, etc. but sometimes it feels as though our family bond is a bit forced.
         My sister and I are only two years apart which is great for the most part haha. We get along very well... I've always been the older sister who stands up for her no matter what. We have been through thick and thin and I know that will never change.
       My mother and I have never really been that close. I always craved that mother-daughter bond where you could tell your mother anything no matter what , and she would support you.  That's not the kind of mother I grew up with. I grew up not always seeing eye to eye with her, on a lot of different things. Don't get me wrong, we had our times once in a while where we were close, but it never lasted long.  My father has always been the quiet type. He works a lot but he also works very hard to have given us the life we have so I try and appreciate that as often as possible. He will stand his ground when he really has to, but other then that I find he keeps to himself often in a family sense.
        I have my days when I wish I hadn't been adopted and was able to see the other life I would have lived if I was still with my birth parents. At the same time, I'm very glad to have this life I have now with my son Jack.
I'll leave this post with the topic of adoption and how I feel with a quote;
 "One of the hardest things about being adopted is that the pain can sometimes last forever..."

ABOUT ME!

November 18,2015

I'm going to start my blog off with a quote I feel really represents me!

"You never know how strong you are..
until being strong is the only choice you have."

     My name is Kinga Casson and I'm a twenty two year old mother who has had a kidney transplant. Life for me has been far from easy but the one and only reason now I keep on going is my son Jack. Jack is two and a half and a ball full of energy I tell you!
    We live on Manitoulin Island which has a population of 13,000 people. Over the next little while I'm going to slowly start blogging my life away from the beginning.. I hope you enjoy and would love any feedback or topic ideas you'd like me to write about!

This is a picture of Jack and I.