Creating arte was not my profession yet. Let's just say, ten years ago, I was a different person.

A trip was booked to Buffalo, NY to visit Niagara Falls. It was meant to be a weekend extension of my business trip in NYC. But, we did not get to see the Falls, after a series of failed attempts to salvage the situation.

It had been raining the week before the supposed trip. NY state was flooded. We fought the Friday traffic to arrive at the LaGuardia airport, witnessing people running in rain, trekking in water, on the streets covered in puddles. After a long line at the check-in counter, we were only told that the original flight had been cancelled due to the storm. Our only choice was to be put on a plane going to Philadelphia that leaves in half an hour. We obliged. We check in our luggage, we went through security, we arrived at the gate, and we found out that the plane to Philadelphia had departed, ahead of time. We then were pointed to the next gate, where we were put on a wait-list. When we inquired about our checked luggage, the reply was "we'll know where it is when we get there".

After sitting uneasily for half an hour, a voice told us that we needed to cancel the trip. Calls were made to cancel the flight, the lodging and the tour. We then proceeded to the JFK airport, waited in line for a flight back to LA. By the time we arrived back home, it was deep into the night. The next morning, we woke up to a typical sunny day in LA.

A lot can happen to a person in ten years, especially for someone like moi. We've travelled to many amazing places in the world, waterfalls or not. Niagara Falls has been brushed to the corner of our mind, until we had an opportunity to visit Toronto, Canada lately.

This time, I'm (supposedly) ten-years wiser, more at peace with myself, and, most importantly, surrounded by family, family that's gotten more meaning to me over the years. The toughest part was to walk through the misty (more like rainy) stretch on the Canada side. We all survived it, soaked head-to-toe, with child-like grins to the sides of our faces. When I turned around, a big rainbow greeted me arching in front of the Rainbow Bridge.

Thank you, my partner-in-crime, for orchestrating the trip. Thank you, sista, for insisting on bringing me here. And thank you, papa and mama, for being such a good sport playing along. Life is complete on this account.