Merry Movember!

We are beyond excited to share with you what we have in store for the month of November, or shall we call it MOVEMBER!

Today marks the first day of November, which can mean a lot of things. A) Your cupboard is full of leftover Halloween candy (which definitely a great thing!). B) You can officially jump on the holiday season bandwagon and have it be 'acceptable'! And, last but not least, C) you will notice that the hair on the upper lips of many men start to grow longer and longer, creating some unique and creative looks. Yup, that's right, even though we will now proudly play our Christmas music and will gladly polish off the Halloween chocolates (there's something about eating mini chocolate bars that makes you feel less guilty for eating them!), what we're most excited about right now is how we are going to support a cause near and dear to our hearts, MOVEMBER!

Just what is Movember, you might ask. If you've never heard of it, here's a brief synopsis, taken directly from the official Movember site http://ca.movember.com/?home

On Movember 1st, guys register at Movember.com with a clean-shaven face. For the rest of the month, these selfless and generous men, known as Mo Bros, groom, trim and wax their way into the annals of fine moustachery. Supported by the women in their lives, Mo Sistas, Movember Mo Bros raise funds by seeking out sponsorship for their Mo-growing efforts. With their “Mo’s”, these men raise vital funds and awareness for men's health, specifically prostate cancer and male mental health initiatives. Mo Bros effectively become walking, talking billboards for the 30 days of November. Through their actions and words, they raise awareness by prompting private and public conversation around the often ignored issue of men’s health.

You may be wondering how two girls are going to participate in a moustache growing fundraiser....well do we have an answer for you! We are proud to designate ourselves as 'MO SISTAS', succinctly defined as 'a woman who loves a Mo,...a women who is committed to raising awareness of men's health issues and the much needed funds for men's health.' We are here to support, promote and bring attention to an incredibly important cause.

In the past couple of years, Movember has taken on a very personal meaning to our family. In January of 2011, our dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer. It was a huge shock - hearing the word 'cancer' is definitely a scary thing. We were beyond lucky that the doctors caught it early and that he was able to have successful surgery. It was also a blessing that we were both not working at the time and were able to spend valuable time being his little nurses! As a whole though, this health scare was definitely a life changing experience for us and our family. Seeing the man who has always been there to protect you, the rock of the family, Mr. Invinsible, in such a weak and fragile state just proved to us that life is so precious and unpredictable. We are so grateful that our dad is now fully recovered, happy and healthy, but know that so many others can't say the same.

It is for this very reason that we have decided to include Movember in our Drive to 25! No, we aren't growing moustaches, but we would love for you to support someone who is raising money for this important cause. Last year alone Movember initiatives around the world raised over $125 million!!! That's incredible and more awareness = a  bigger global movement = more money = better funding for men's health programs - how can you go wrong?!

If you don't know anyone participating to sponsor, why not sponsor our incredible brother?! This is his third year as a Mo Bro and we are expecting great things...follow this link http://ca.movember.com/donate/ and type in 'Matt MacFarlane' in the search field.

Personally, we are going to show our Mo Sista support by wearing our newly purchased 'moustache' necklaces!!! We will wear them proudly and do our part in drawing attention to this worthy campaign. To have a look at some of the stylish jewellery, check out the following site, supported by Movember Canada:
http://www.foxyoriginals.com/movember 

So there you have it. We hope you'll join our Movember campaign and become either a Mo Bro or a Mo Sista with us. We'd love to hear how and why you're getting involved!

Stay tuned for updates and pictures throughout the month!

Melissa's story...

By now you've read Laura's blog post (if not go read it! We decided separate posts were the way to go this time!) and are completely up to date on what's been going on in our lives these past few weeks. I must say they have been quite the adventure. I would liken it to that of a roller coaster, there have been highs and lows and times when I have felt like I'd been thrown upside down. But, this roller coaster ride has already taught me many lessons.

First of all, even though I am a self-admitted directionally challenged person and am useless when it comes to reading or deciphering maps, I did manage to take the right bus to and from work the first day! I did a mini 'hallelujah' dance in my mind that morning - at least I got off to a good start! I have not ventured off those two bus routes, and probably won't, but at least I can proudly say that I know enough to get myself to point A and point B (and that's saying a lot if you've ever traveled or driven with me...!)

Laura mentioned feeling guilty. That seems to be a common sentiment among us. I have struggled with feeling guilty too - how could I not? I got a job, got to move out and get an apartment, everything we'd both been wanting and striving for since we graduated. It's hard dealing with conflicting emotions; how do I feel happy for myself, while guilty for having it all happen? Laura wasn't being given this opportunity - why did I deserve it over her? This is a very real and honest emotion that I know we both grapple with. I'm not sure either of us will ever be able to rid ourselves of that dichotomous feeling, but learning to deal with and live with it is a necessary step. In time I'll realize why this was 'my' time, but at this point, it's hard not to ask, 'why me'?

I've also learned that I need to keep myself busy. I didn't really know what it was going to be like living alone or how I'd spend my time, as I'd always had Laura to do things with. Being alone for the first time was a big shock. The first few days coming home from work, I didn't know what to do. This must sound weird, but it was just a strange realization that I had no built-in person to talk to. Watching favourite TV shows and reading (Harry Potter - coming along nicely!) have become my main go-to past-times. But it's just not the same as having the confidante right there with me. I know it's going to take some time to adjust to this new reality, but for now it's still sinking in and I'm still figuring out this whole living alone and apart thing. I have my moments, but that's expected. (SIDE NOTE: Tim's couldn't have had a better time for their $1 cafe mocha special - these delicious warm drinks have become my new secret best friend when I need a little pick-me-up!) All in all, it's been and continues to be a challenge, but we have to both look at it as an adventure that was bound to happen.

I know there's so much information out there about twins and people are so fascinated by 'twin relationships', but I think there's a bit of a gap in hearing about stories of challenges twins face. Although every relationship is different, there must be a some sort of commonality among experiences of 'the separation' phase. Who knows, maybe there isn't. In any case, hopefully reading about our experience doesn't sound to sappy but gives you a unique glimpse into the emotional and personal dimensions of 'our' twin bond.

Anyways, enough said....I don't want this to get boring and all sentimental. I hope our stories haven't made it out to be a horrible experience, or one we are struggling to deal with. We're getting by just fine! Of course we'd rather be together, but that'll come. We don't know how long this whole living apart thing will last (fingers crossed Laura will get a job in Ottawa soon - I'm putting in a good word!) but either way, whether it's two weeks or two months, it's an ongoing learning experience. We've been all about adventure this past year with our 'Drive to 25', so how fitting  for a job opportunity to come along at this time. Everything happens for a reason right...let's make it count!

Living Apart...

Hey everyone!

This post is kind of long overdue... but we must admit that things have been very busy and new in our lives lately!

First things first - we have our next adventure to add to our 'List'... we are living separately. It has been one week now, well more like 10 days that we have been apart and it feels EXTREMELY strange. It is so hard to describe, but it's just a unique situation and no one can really know how it feels unless you're a twin. Of course, things are fine, we're surviving and getting through it. We obviously knew that one day this would happen and that we wouldn't always live together - we do both want to have our individual lives and families in the future!! But, this separation and move came so quickly that we didn't have a ton of time to prepare for it. Who knows, maybe that's a good thing!

Here's how it happened:

Melissa got a job in Ottawa working for Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Basically, after going through interviews and tests starting in February, she finally got an email at the end of September asking her if she was interested in a position. Of course, she couldn't turn it down! So, in the midst of a family wedding, visitors and a crazy, busy household for about a week, she had to finalize an apartment, pack and then, move to Ottawa. Since I work part-time retail, and didn't have a job in Ottawa, it didn't make sense to move there too. I didn't want to follow and just go without any sort of income just to be there as well. So, with that decision, we ended up having to separate. And now, we're over a week in.

That's how it happened and how do we both feel about it? Well, that's a toughy. It was a rough drive home from Ottawa for me... I stayed an extra 2 nights and left Tuesday - which was nice to spend the extra couple days together, just the two of us, helping to set up the apartment and make it a little more cozy/homey (and also be the designated cable/internet person!).  But, that drive home alone was just that, lonely and quite teary. But, I knew this was a huge step for the two of us and that we would both get through it. I was so happy for Melissa to be starting a new job, a career job, with the government - what a proud sister I was! Even prouder maybe, that she managed to get on the right bus and make it there on her first day!! But on top of that, I was upset and sad for Melissa, knowing that she would get home from work every night and be alone. You see, we both didn't really know what it was like to be alone - that's what we'll admit to be one of the best things about being a twin - we never had to be alone. Until now - and it was hard at first. I was guilty leaving her behind as I was leaving her alone somewhere new, yet I was going back to somewhere familiar. Anyways, the amazing thing about cell phones is that we can easily communicate throughout the day and text or call whenever we want. This makes the separation that much easier! And for all of those people who thought we'd never get cell phones - well we're happy we did and use them non-stop now! Obviously, I have my moments...Just the other night driving home from work in the evening I was thinking to myself, I wish Melissa would be there when I got home to watch our nightly tv shows with... but she wasn't. It's moments like those that make you appreciate more the time that you do spend, in person, with someone, although texting is great, their presence is irreplacable. But, that's life, that's separation and that's a lesson that we're both really learning right now! This was bound to happen at some point and I know I'm proud of us both!

So, this is the next item on our 'List'. Unfortunately though, it feels like we've somewhat hit a 'road block' on our Drive as we haven't written in so long. We're sorry about this! We will be posting really soon about this 'road block' and detailing our next steps... so stay tuned! We're getting back on track now and are ready!

We tried....

So yesterday was supposed to be an exciting day and we had planned on writing a fun blog this morning about it... but no such luck. We were scheduled to go on a HOT AIR BALLOON ride last night!!!! We were sure that since it was such a beautiful day, it wouldn't be cancelled. BUT, we got all the way to Kitchener and then called the special 'flight line' to hear that the winds were too strong and that the flight was cancelled. Booo!

This was extra frustrating because it's the second time that we've been all excited and ready for our HOT AIR BALLOON ride just to have it cancelled! We were all set in May while on vacation in B.C. to go and then with a major storm rolling in the next day, it was cancelled. Since we knew that we could reschedule in Ontario, we weren't too worried. However, it took a while to sort out our work schedules (shift work is so difficult for coordinating things!) to find the perfect time to go. And then, of course, when we finally did manage to have free time at the same time, it was cancelled again!! We are going to reschedule once again and are hoping that 'three times the charm'!! We think we're due!

So, needless to say, we do not have an exciting, fun, or adventurous blog to post today. This one is rather short and boring, but we thought we should let everyone know that we're trying! We will go on this balloon ride soon enough and can't wait to share it all with you, along with tons of pictures!

In other 'Drive to 25' news, we have had a huge crop of tomatoes lately, enjoying them in lots of sandwiches and tasty meals. It's so exciting to eat the food you've grown - such a great feeling! Our running is going along well too, we're not up to 10km yet but we'll be there soon! We're actually enjoying our runs and having fun with it! Who knew?! Harry Potter reading/movie watching is coming along as well - we've fallen in love with Harry, Ron and Hermione and are so so happy that we're reading this amazing series!

As for things that are coming up. You might be wondering how we're going to fill up our 'List'. We have a few things in mind and that are in the works, so we'll be updating you on those soon! Also, there is a BIG one coming up - it's pretty huge, so stay tuned!

We can't believe we've got just over 2 months to go... where has the time gone? Thanks for following along! :)

Time to Celebrate - we're half way there!

Although this post is a few days old, it's still beyond exciting!!!

WE HAVE RAISED OVER $2500 FOR OUR READING ROOM IN LAOS!!!!!!!

That means we're MORE THAN HALFWAY to our goal, $5000, the amount needed to build the Reading Room. We are soooooo happy and grateful to everyone who has supported, contributed, and helped us get to this point - YOU'RE ALL AMAZING! We wouldn't be this far without you - it's as simple as that.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

We have just over 2 months left to go - let's make this happen! It's a tall moutain to climb, but we still believe.

In the words of the Little Engine that Could : 'I think I can, I think I can, I think I can....'

Let's do this!!! Any donation you can make, big or small, will make such a difference. Please spread the word and pass along the message. Join our 'Drive to 25' and our Reading Room family. Donating is easy, visit our DONATE page to find out how to contribute.

Again, a major SHOUT OUT and THANK YOU to everyone for your support. We truly appreciate it!

Looking forward to celebrating more milestones soon....

Melissa and Laura



Time to Train!

We thought it was time to post an update on our running progress - we're pretty pleased with where we're at so far (although we know there's a long way to go!!!).

Let's start off by saying that today we logged our longest run... just about 5km!! Woo woo!! We felt pretty good, and we were lucky that the weather was finally a bit cooler!! Although we haven't stuck to a very rigid schedule (we need to get on that), we have already come a long way and made some 'good strides'!!

Even though this is only half of our 10km goal, this is a huge step and with continued determination, committment, and a more focused schedule, we will get there soon enough! We definitely don't want to push ourselves too hard physically though, so it's hard to put a time frame on our training. That being said, we've got our fingers crossed and are hoping that we'll be ready to register for a 10km run in Newcastle at the beginning of October.

WISH US LUCK! If you have any tips, suggestions or comments - let us know! We'd be happy to hear from you :)

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

Bottle Drive Blow-out!

As the last long weekend of the summer approaches (how is this possible?!), we want to remind everyone that we're still collecting bottles!!!! Please let us know if you have any bottles (wine or beer) or beer cans lying around and we will be happy to swing by and pick them up, either now or after the weekend!

We're hoping that you're all looking to clear out your garages as summer winds down, school starts back up again and routine sets in for the fall. We were so pleased and thankful to all who donated earlier in the summer and we've got our fingers crossed for another big turnout! If possible, please pass along the message to anyone you think could help - every bottle counts, right?!

Thanks so much for your continued support!

Melissa and Laura
thedriveto25@hotmail.com