Traveling to Sanity -- Balanced Living with...

A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety. ~Aesop, Fables

I love to travel. On every trip, leisurely mealtimes compare to the thrill of walking along the Seine or kite flying at Wat Arun in Bangkok. In Grenoble, France I sipped homemade wine and sampled brie, mimolette, and rocamadour with friends, Marie and Magali. In Halifax, I met my online friend, Susanna, at Timothee's for coffee and croissants while her son drove his toy trucks on the table.

Even locally, dining with friends and family brings me a peaceful spirit and helps to balance out the ruckus of everyday life. Whether it's dining out or preparing a seven-course meal as my friend Carol recently did to celebrate the anniversary of poet Robert Burn's birthday, food and fellowship mesh together silencing my worries and uplifting my spirit.

I can't eat away the depression that plagues my family's history; I've tried that and only ended up at a dangerous weight. Nor can I allow it to eat away at me. But the simple act of creating with food and then sharing it with others is restive, restorative. Unfortunately, this entertainment can be expensive.

With the help of BOCA either through their products or the money from their contest, I would set aside the time and funds to regularly refresh my mental health through cuisine and camaraderie. Embracing the challenge of life with four children, we would find rock-steady respite amid the chaos that is Life.