From the Darkness of Winter...

That time of year is upon us again! Yes, it's the solstice! The beginning of winter but the return of longer days at the same time! Of course, this all coincides with Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Festivus, etc. so there's a reason to be happy and festive for just about everyone.

For me, this year is going to be a little different from the past ones. For the first time in...well...ever...I'm unemployed at Christmas time! Don't worry BG fans, I'm not saying that I'm not wrestling anymore, but rather my "day job" has come to an end. It may be a surprise to some, though hopefully not too much of a surprise, that 99.9% of wrestlers at BG have different day jobs and careers! Granted wrestling full-time for a stable salary would be amazing it's not actually possible for most of us. We have bills, rents, mortgages and all kinds of other things to pay for all the time.

That being said,one can always dream of that possibility :P

On the plus side, I have a niece who I'm going to spend lots of time with over the holidays and a family who I'll get to visit and enjoy without having to worry about rushing back to work after a day or two.  As my best friend always tells me, I seem to be an eternal optimist and always believe that things always end up working out just fine in the end. For now, I'm just going to enjoy the break from the routine and maybe get a few more matches in before the end of the year ;)

So to all of you, my dear readers, have safe, fun and happy holidays! All the best to you and may all your dreams come true in the New Year! :)

Guess Again!

I've been a cheeky little monkey of late on apps! As a gay man, of course, I have a couple of apps on my phone that I use to connect with my local community. Of course, we're talking about apps like Grindr, Scruff, Hornet, etc. Needless to say, I don't need to inform you guys about what these apps are for ;) Unfortunately, there are no such sure-fire apps taht exist for us in the wrestling community. Though it is possible to write some lengthy profile to describe one's passion for wrestling with other guys, there are quicker and easier ways to achieve the same result. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. If you've kept up with this blog, you know I'm not one to be short on them! In the app-centered, smartphone-world of today though, instant recognition leads to more attention and better results when seeking something specific...

Now, anyone who know BG and the world of gay wrestling knows that there are a few "Meccas" that exist. One can spot the BG ring in Pembroke from any angle and know without a doubt, where they are looking at. That's a given. I decided to toy around with this idea recently on these apps. Last time I was at BG HQ, I snapped a few quick selfies in the ring while awaiting my match with Chace LaChance. I figured it'd be interesting to see if anyone could spot the locale I was in and put it all together. So I posted my seflie as my new profile pic on these apps with an accompanying tag line "If you recognize exactly where I am, you're ten steps ahead of everyone else!" The responses have been entertaining to say the least!

A good number of guys ignore the text of course, they haplessly write me generic messages or share their unsolicited dick/ass pics. There are those, however, who venture a guess or two about where I am. Now of course since the pic is cropped in a bit, most of what the guys see in thumbnails isn't the full head-to-toe Monaco! Somehow though, I've gotten such guesses as "ballet studio", "your bedroom", "some sort of figurine museum", "yoga studio" and so on... Some guys manage to actually use their eyes and see the ring ropes and venture the guess of "boxing ring" or "boxing/muay thai gym" or something of the like.

Only a handful of men get it right and spot the BG ring in a flash and launch into their passion about wrestling. Those lucky few get a much more animated response from me (in general, I do still have my likes and dislikes after all!) and have managed to spot something I used to only dream about way back before I started at BG: a real, live, BG East wrestler who is willing to chat about what he does ;)

Tag Me In!

Winter is well under way here in Montreal! It's only November and it's pretty chilly! Then again, it seems that all of North America is under the grip of yet another "arctic blast" which is becoming the new norm for us in the winter. With winter comes the cold, flu and other nasty bugs. I was recently ill with a pretty bad case of food poisoning myself (3 days in hospital, lots of nasty symptoms but it finally ended). On the plus side, here in Canada, all my doctors and hospital stay which would set my American friends into a very bad financial spot cost nothing here! Advantages of being in a country with public healthcare...

Being sick and having to deal with entire teams of doctors got me thinking about teams in general and specifically tag teams! Yes tag teams in wrestling are always a huge thing. Why simply watch 2 wrestlers go at it when you could be watching 4? Or 6! Or 8! Tag matches allow wrestling fans to see multiple different pairings of wrestlers within the same match. I've always seen it as multiple one-on-one micro-matches bundled up into one big match.

All this got me thinking about what kind of tag team I could be in one day. Who would make a great partner? Who would I want to take on? Naturally, some names came to mind...

 

An easy choice for me would be my sexy friend Damien Rush. This guy is a stud-supreme in my eyes. The moment we met and had our match at BG, there was an instant kind of chemistry and connection I felt right away. This guy is as muscled as he is sweet (on the outside of the ring at least) and would be a killer companion to take on other foes. He's definitely my number one choice on the list of guys I'd tag with any time!

 

Another very good choice would be my bud "The Mastodon" Morgan Cruise! Also a hairy stud, I could see us taking on some twinky tag team and showing them who's boss. Our combined power and skills would make most little jobber teams fall apart and be easy pickings for the 1-2-3 (with both of us flexing big double bicep poses over them).

 

I've also had a suggested partner from a fan that wasn't on my short list but also sounds like a fun and sexy guy: Darius. Though we've talked on many occasions about having a match, we still have yet to meet. I've recently read that he's got himself a tag partner though, another sexy stud named "Frank". Perhaps they'd make good opponents for me and Damien or Morgan :)

So what do you think my dear readers? Who would YOU see me as a tag team with? Could it even be you? Who would I match up against? Let me know here, on twitter or by e-mail! You never know, could make it a reality some day ;)

Fall Fever!

It's been a busy few months my dear readers! I've had quite a busy schedule running around for work and play! Indeed, since my last post on my buddies' favorite drinks, the seasons have changed drastically here in Montreal. A fairly mild summer has given way to a much cooler fall. Regardless of the weather, there's been a lot going on in the world of Monaco...starting a little while back in the late summer.

Just after labor day, I made a little venture down to the states to visit the dastardly duo of Morgan Cruise and Damien Rush (why these sweethearts put up with my constant visits is nothing short of a miracle). After a few days of chilling with them and having lots of fun (and drinks), I made a quick stopover at BG HQ for a little match with...Chace Lachance! Now guys, let me tell you. He has quite the body. He's essentially an anatomy textbook of muscles that looks like any pose he takes is camera-worthy. As much as I'd like to tantalize you with details about the match, I'll keep my cards close to my chest for now. The only thing I'll say is that it took place in the infamous "wrestle shack" and that Kid Vicious thought the ending was very hot ;)

After my quick little Boston venture, I journeyed home for a few days so that I could...become an uncle! Yes, I am not an only child! My sister gave birth to my new niece! Both are well and super happy. Now I can officially make my opponents say "uncle" in a submission and make it actually mean something!

Nearly 24 hours after she was born, I was already bound for the west coast to return the visit of my friend Sean in San Francisco/Sacramento. You'll remember Sean from my post from last year when he came to see me in Montreal. He was a most gracious host and fun wrestling buddy on the west side of the continent. We rumbled often and sometimes invited others over for a little bit of round robin wrestling. Though unfortunately some of the matches lined up cancelled at the last minute, those that did show up had a great time! 

After that, it was back to my hometown and business as usual here. It's been a few weeks of catching up on things that were pushed aside by my travels and, needless to say, I couldn't forget about my readers! So hopefully this catches you up on why the blog was somewhat silent of late. Rest assured, I have some more posts to make in the near future so keep an eye out for the next one which should be up shortly ;)

Hey Good Looking! Can I Buy You A Drink?

Summertime is in full swing here in Montreal! The city is full of stuff to see and do. Numerous festivals and tourists have taken over the city and people here are doing one of their favorite things to do in the summer: drink! If you've ever been to Montreal you'd know that we like our evenings to be nice and liquored up when we go out. Not that we're drunks, we just really enjoy our alcohol...sometimes a lot :P My recent adventures south-of-the-border got me thinking about my BG brethren and the numerous times we've shared a glass, bottle or pitcher of something. So I figured I'd compile a list of my BG boys' favorite drinks to enjoy during nights out on the town.

Keep in mind, if ever you spot us out and about, this drinking guide to the BG boyz may be a good way to get yourself noticed :)

If you're trying to get the attention of my buddy, trainer and masseur (yes he just got his certification) Alain LeClair, you're a bit out of luck. Unfortunately, he has a fair deal of stomach issues that mean he has a lot of trouble dealing with alcohol. Your best chance with him is to get him a nice tall glass of water and complement him on his nearly 18 inch biceps ;)

 

 

If slimmer fare and six pack abs are your kind of thing, look no further than Skip Vance. Though he may be smaller than most guys who'd approach him, he can drink with t

he best of them! You'll need to whip out your best Patron to satisfy his taste-buds!

If a compact, muscle-bound hunk is your idea of a good time, Morgan Cruise is happy to oblige. Beware though! This little brute like his drinks surprisingly sweet! A nice Piña Colada or a flute of Champagne will get this beast on your side. You just may avoid a beat-down that way ;) But do you want to? :P

In the no-fuss category, newcomer Ty Alexander is easily satisfied with "whatever's cheap"! Beer will do the trick but if you happen to catch him poolside, he's more than happy to indulge in a nice margarita. Then again who wouldn't? Plus, you'd be poolside with Ty Alexander! Speedos with that drink?

If you want your guy tough as nails with a lot of attitude, the elusive Hawk Rodman is your match. Give him a nice solid vodka and, if he's feeling particularly festive, add a splash of orange juice in there for good measure. try to keep up with him at your own peril as this guy can hold his drinks well!

Sticking in the tough-slim-guy category, Ethan Axel Andrews will be more than happy to share a nice beer with you. He prefers new and different craft beers though, so try and get him something original instead of your every-day corner-store cases of 24! 

 

Sebastian Rios enjoys his  Malibu rum mixed with cranberry juice. Granted, not sure how much he can take before losing his senses...he is a small guy and, when replying to my question, described Malibu as being a Canadian rum. Perhaps, he was sipping some while writing because Malibu isn't remotely Canadian...lol

 

If all-that-and-a-bag-of-chips kind of guys grab your attention, Damien Rush is definitely your man! This gorgeous piece of man also has complex tastes. Though partial to Piña Coladas, he also enjoys his long island iced teas and something called "scorebook bowls" which I've googled and can't figure out for the life of me...there's your conversation starter gentlemen!

 

 

And finally, when it comes to me, I'm very versatile with my drink selections :) Though a nice blond beer will be a standard drink, I'm just as happy with mixed drinks containing rum or vodka. If it's summer, a nice pitcher of sangria is ideal. In winter, cuddle up with a glass of Port!

On that note, happy drinking games to you all! And may the odds be ever in your favor ;) Cheers!

Silver Lining

It's summer and the season of traveling for most of us. Just look at the meeting sites online and you'll see a peppering of profiles saying "going to [city X] from [then] til [that other day]" all across your screen. Of course, given the sparse nature of the wrestling community, we all put the message out there and see just how many matches we can try to squeeze into that allotted period of time.

Some time ago, I ended up going to New York City for a quick weekend. There were a handful of guys that I had intended to meet up with on this trip and so I tried to plan ahead as best I could. Side note: if you weren't one of the guys in my plans this time, don't worry, I'll get to you eventually! There are only so many hours in the day and I try and get around to everyone in time.

That being said, my trip to NYC, unlike my recent trip to Natick, was a bit of a crazy mess that didn't quite go anything as planned. The theme of the weekend was "I know I said this time and this day, but yeah, it's actually going to be this other time and this other day." Match after match was pushed back, modified or simply cancelled due to unforeseen events.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not mad at all about this. I know that this is the kind of thing that happens. We all have lives and none of us sit around our homes waiting for the next instant message inviting us to a match with some handsome stud. We all try to live up to our commitments and, sometimes, the world gets in the way. I've had this happen countless times on other journeys out of my home town and I try to stay upbeat about it.

Still, I soldiered on and tried to make the best of this hectic mess of a vacation. I am, if anything, a resourceful optimist. Sure enough, that optimism ended up paying off for me. Once my first plans fall apart I become very much of the attitude "whoever manages to confirm something to me right now will get the match."

On my final night in the city, I managed to secure a match with the normally-elusive Big Boy from BG East and other online-wrestling video fame! I had seen his pics and matches online for a long, long time. I was not disappointed when this big guy showed up at my hotel and gave me a good smackdown worthy of being filmed for BG even with some strong allergies impeding him from being at full strength! Gear, muscles, sweat, trash talk and cockiness were the name of the game! Big Boy is itching for a rematch and even willing to come out of "retirement" to take me on at BG East if the fans can drum up some support ;)

The New York trip was challenging in all of its crazy scheduling mishaps, yes...however, I ended up having crazy and fun matches in my short time there. Even if they didn't go exactly as planned, I enjoyed every minute!

But before I go....what do we think? Big Boy vs Ben Monaco? Thoughts? Suggestions? What would you want to see in that match? :P

Machines!

Morgan Cruise, hot as always!

At some point, when you're walking into the non-fetish area of a gay club in Boston handcuffed, wearing pro-wrestling gear and accompanied by Damien in a leather kilt on a quest to find a latex-clad Morgan in a bathroom...you just know it's already going to be a night to remember!

But let's rewind, shall we?

This past weekend (if you're following me on Twitter @BenMonacoBGE you caught some tidbits of it) I managed to slip away south of the border to visit two friends of mine who are dear to my heart: Morgan Cruise and Damien Rush. I don't travel very often for wrestling-related visits. It does happen from time to time and work and budget permitting, it'll happen more often in the future. Sometimes I cast a wide net and try and meet up with as many wrestling brethren as possible, other times I make isolated visits to a specific person or persons. This trip was the latter. 

The last time I went down to see these guys, they showed me a great time. This time they managed to out-do themselves in terms of making this trip a weekend to remember! After catching up on what had been going on in all of our lives, the guys took me out for my first ever tennis experience (yes, sometimes there are other sports that we like to participate in). Damien proved to be a great and patient teacher to this noob who had never walked onto a tennis court in his whole life. But the Saturday-Night-Main-Event was quite a fun one!

Damien Rush in various states :)

The guys took me down to a bar called Machine in Boston (not too far from Fenway). The only other clubbing/bar adventure I had had in Boston before was a trip to Paradise with a bevvy of BG wrestlers during one of my shoots there. On this night though, Machine was hosting a party called Sin-O-Matic which had a strict dress-code of fetish gear only. Not having thought of bringing such things with me, Damien and Morgan were happy to lend me some attire.

I was dressed (or rather undressed) in black speedos, boots and wristbands along with my trusty shades for an extra flair to my look. Morgan was sporting a skin-tight black latex top, matching gloves and a very chic pair of pants and shoes to contrast his upper half. Damien was a sight for sore eyes in his leather kilt, black boots and...not much else other than his glasses and a pair of handcuffs he was toting around for potential extra mischief.

Now back to that first sentence! Damien and I dropped off our street-clothes at coat-check and somehow managed to misplace our Morgan who had wandered off to the restrooms. Our only problem was that we had no idea which one he had gone to. After asking a few people, we were under the impression he had ventured to the upstairs bathroom in the "normal" part of the bar thus leading to the situation above...and this

was before we even had our first drinks.

The night was a blast! Drinks and dancing with my two more-than-awesome hosts. Handcuffed and released multiple times by Damien throughout the night...liplocks with him on the dance-floor too that made many a lady jealous :P After some random street pics with passersby at the end of the night, we headed home and Morgan and I threw down til the early hours of the morning.

Nature guide, Mr. Rush!

The next day was far more restful with Mr. Rush taking me on a little nature hike in the Audubon trails. We chilled in the company of our friends the bunnies, the chipmunks and the turtles! More food and drinks later, we went out for supper and more wrestling til the sun came up! 

The final day, Damien had some school work to attend to (yes, brains AND brawn!) so I was left in the company of Mr. Cruise for the rest of the day. We chatted and wrestled on and off for the major part of the day. We cuddled up for a nap before I sadly made my way back to Boston proper for my bus ride home to Montreal.

All in all, an exciting yet restful weekend that was long overdue! These guys truly are great friends
and I'm looking forward to have them come up here for some Canadian hospitality :)

Balls Out :P

Summertime is finally upon us! Yeah I know it's not quite summer yet, but after the long-ass winter we had up here, anything above freezing I'm throwing into the summer category! With summer in the city, Montreal really lights up and becomes a kick-ass place to visit and have a good time. No surprise that I tend to get a fair deal of visitors from abroad who come up for a rumble and  to enjoy some of my city's great sights and things to do.

One of the sure-fire ways to know it's summer here is the arrival of the balls! No, not those balls, but rather the pink balls that hang over Montreal's Gay Village in the summer. You see, the main street (Saint-Catherine) shuts down and becomes pedestrian-only from mid May to early September. Since my birthday is on May 10th, I tend to think of it as a belated birthday present from the city ;) Once the street closes, all the restaurants on the main street build terrasses (or patios to the rest of the world) on which you can dine, have a drink or just enjoy the sun. People come out in great numbers every single day and enjoy the art, street music and general good cheer that abounds in the neighborhood.

Rumor has it that the newly-elected mayor thinks that the whole thing is such a success that he plans on expanding the street closure to stretch clear across the downtown area of Montreal. Furthermore, he may even intend to make it a permanent closure year-round giving Montreal one of the largest (if not the largest) pedestrian-only zones in the world! But we'll see if that passes city council in the future...

For the time being, the hot young men of Montreal are going around with less and less clothes on which no one will ever complain about ;)

On another note, I've officially passed the 20 match mark on my countdown....or rather count-up of matches for the year! So far, I've had a great deal of very hot matches and many memorable visitors who have spiced up my day-to-day life! For you curious folks, here's a few of the highlights in terms of matches I've had:

1. Rumble with a Greek guy in a house he was taking care of for a couple away on vacation. Really fun as it was a big house in a rich part of town!
2. Tag team match with Kid Vicious against two local jobbers who we took down with great ease!
3. 2-on-1 match with same jobbers who trapped me and beat me
4. Multiple rumbles with a hot Brazilian dancer living in NYC
5. Match with a guy who drove up from New York state and whooped me despite a big size difference

Hope that tantalizes your imaginations! If you want more details, you guys know how to reach me ;) On that note, hope your summers are off to a good start! I'm gonna go admire my balls...lol :P

Mat Virgins

One of my first matches...

Good day to you my dear readers! It's been a little while since I last posted. Been a bit busy with my day-to-day things (work, family, friends) but still managed to take some time for matches here and there.

With my match total for the year about to break into the 20s, I've realized just how lucky I am to have a wealth of opponents who live in and around Montreal. Secondly, I'm noticing how lucky I am to live alone and have enough space to move stuff around to be able to throw-down in my own living room. Both these factors result in my getting a lion's share of matches with relative ease.

A lot of guys I've been meeting with and talking to don't have that kind of luxury. Either they don't have the space or simply haven't had the opportunity to meet the right guys to have matches with. I've initiated my fair share of new guys in the past few years that I've been at this. It wasn't all that long ago that I was the new kid on the block and in need of a friendly guy to teach me the ropes. In fact, just in case you've all forgotten, I've only been on the mats myself for about 3 years now! I'm still a newbie in my own eyes sometimes when I'm faced with highly skilled opponents.

To that point, it is a very crucial thing to have good mentors on the mats when you start wrestling for the first time. I recently met up with a new guy here in Montreal who had a less-than-stellar experience in his first encounter. He literally felt like he was fighting for his life as his more skilled opponent went a bit too hard on him. This young, fairly muscled guy told me he couldn't even walk without extreme pain for a few days after his match. Needless to say, it took him a while to get back on the mats again...Luckily, this time it was with me.

What my place allows :P

Remember this when you have the chance to face off with rookies: be nice. They are as you once were. They're putting themselves in a vulnerable position, exploring something new and unknown to them. They need patience, understanding and a lot of teaching. Take it easy, show them some moves and let them have a go and applying them. I know it's time consuming at first and that you're just hot for an intense match right now, but believe me when I say it'll be better to hit the mats with a guy who knows what he's doing.

Wait...What time is it?

Hey dear Monacans! Glad to see you're all still reading along about my musings and my adventures in the world of wrestling :) I notice the other day it's been a bit over a year since I've started this blog! Wow how time has flown right by! Speaking of time, this whole "spring forward" thing is throwing me off a bit...sleep schedule has been a bit off and it seems odd to even think of the word "spring" in any context given it's still snowing here in Montreal and still quite cold.

Still, the year marches forward and it seems that the spring will be ripe with lots of matches! I've got a peppering of visitors coming my way in the next few months. I've been getting some private comments lately too about how my match total for 2014 is on the rise! Though most are statements of awe and a bit of jealousy, I know they are all well intentioned. Hopefully seeing the number rise is going to motivate YOU my dear readers to get out and wrestle some more! Remember, it's good for your body as well as...other things :P

Speaking of which, I know that my last entry may have some of you thinking "Is the match total for 2014 also the number of times Ben has had...intimate relations...with people this year?"

Well the answer is no. Remember, I do also enjoy wrestling for sport! Some of my matches are with friends who simply like to get down and hit the mats for a good workout rather than as a pretense to something else. That being said, those friends are aware that I may be a little bit more happy on the mats than some of their less homoerotic-wrestling-minded friends.

On that note my dear readers, I leave you for tonight. I would have posted some new pics right now, but it's late and I look like a zombie in all of my attempts right now at taking anything *sigh*. I promise I'll put up some new pics in the next post ;)

Wrestlesexual

What's up my dear Monacans? It's been a bit of a busy month for me since my last entry. Many little things going on, work, gym...I've been a little busy beaver as I'm sure most people have been trapped in this "polar vortex" thing that the weather channels like to remind us we've been in. But don't even get me started on that...With Valentine's Day come and gone, I've been asked recently about why I'm still single.

Now don't get me wrong, I spent a lovely Valentine's day with a handsome young wrestler who, unfortunately, doesn't quite live next door. It was a lovely and magical time I won't soon forget. But when it comes to relationships in the long term, there is that specific difficulty that I (and I imagine a lot of you) deal with: I need to date a wrestler. 

It's something I've come to realize that I need in my life. I need someone for who the thought of throwing down after a long day at work is just as appealing as cuddles and sex. You know, the simple strip down and throw on a singlet or Speedo and have a quick match before supper and/or bed. It's actually a tricky thing when you think about it. For most guys who don't wrestle, sex is sex and wrestling is wrestling. Period. But for a lot of us who indulge in the more erotic nature of the sport, wrestling is sex. The interaction between two guys sweating it out on the mats is enough to make us burst in ecstasy. This makes it difficult for a guy like me to settle for a man who is just into "normal" gay sex. That also seems like an odd concept to me. 

It seems that the gays have also hetero-normalized our sexual interactions to fit in with the straight-worldview. In heterosexual sex, there is a penetrator and a penetratee. Likewise, this has helped define what is to be considered normal in the gay community. For sex, you need a top and a bottom. That's that. At least, that's what the world would like to think. The concept of trying to normalize sex in this was is as simplistic and wrong as saying that you're only heterosexual is you have sex with a woman in the missionary position 100% of the time. Any other position, any other way, you're lobbed into some category of weird perversions that scare or confuse the average Joe. It's not to say that I don't enjoy "gay-normal" sex from time to time, but it's not my favorite style of sexual interaction. Give me a mat, a hot wrestling counterpart, some gear, some sweat and a little release at the end of it all and I'm a happy camper.

All this to say that I will remain single until I find my handsome, sexy wrestler boyfriend who gets my heart pumping as hard and as fast as my muscles on the mat ;)

Starting off the New Year!

Hello my dear readers and happy 2014! I hope you all had a very festive end of the year and beginning of the next! I've had my fair share of parties, outings, dinners, dance clubs (and getting my ass grabbed in said dance clubs) in the past few weeks let me tell you!

Thinking of how I should start off my blogging endeavors for the year, I thought I would do what most people end up doing...resolutions! Now I know it sounds tacky and sort of over-done by this point. I mean, most people make these unrealistic goals like "win the lottery" or "get rich with fantastic new idea" kind of resolution. So I suppose in my case, I'm not going to do anything too crazy or too over the top.

First off, the obvious one, more wrestling! I know this seems like an easy one, but yes, it's something I always aspire to do more of when each new year starts. In fact, to keep track of my progress on this matter, I'm going to try and attempt to do what I should have done a while back: I'm going to keep track of how many matches I have in a year! I'm often asked the question and have to think long and hard to estimate the quantity, but not this year! This year, I'll actually do it and keep track of it on the blog for all of you to see!

Secondly, keep working on my physique! I want to add muscle, lose fat, and just basically look good overall :) I know, I know readers...here again some of you will say "You're just fine the way you are!" but I think we should all strive for self-improvement in the long-run even if we think we've reached our goal. After all, having a goal keeps us going and gives us drive in our lives.

Finally, I want to travel more. A lot more! I've always been a traveler my whole life. I've been to lots of countries and crazy cities. I want this year to be filled with as many travels as I can afford to do! I also want to spend more time in places that are accessible and close to home! I need to go to NYC more often as well as Boston! Even, I'll begrudgingly admit, Toronto could be a nice weekend getaway once in a while (note to my non-Canadian readers: Montreal and Toronto are big rival cities)

So there you have it! Keep an eye on the counter on the page that will display my number of matches and help me raise the total if you can ;) Happy 2014 everyone!