Piper Edwards

Well my dear, if it were not for you and our study nights with Greg, this blog would be non-existent. It's true, don't shake your head, every shred of sanity that this blog has saved me, was because of that joke that I'm such a trouble maker, keeping a blog would be really cool and funny because you wouldn't be able to wait to see what new adventure or ridiculous event I would be writing about :p

I mean, this blog is no where near as successful as anyone would ever imagine, you would think, blog of living and teaching in China!? Money bags, but no, it's cause it's me, Murphy's law lol 

Well, regardless, it was never about game and fortune or even people reading it, I just, I know that I may not have anything much to leave behind to people when I'm gone but at least this is something, I could never, gone or present, be able to describe how amazingly thankful I am for all the things friends like you have done for me in my life.

This is far from making you famous or infamous but hopefully it means something to you that I think of you all the time <3

Peace bro,

Carm

First friends from dalian.

To my new friends whom we sadly were parted with. 

Safe travels, we will not be far, jinshitan is a short train ride away, if you ever need anything, please do not hesitate to message me csbono@lakeheadu.ca

If you would ever like to visit and checkout where are, feel free, I have spare bedroom and have been told i am a great cook :p 

I'll never forget my first real journey with you in a completely new avenue of my life. Narita, Japan is small but with you folks it was more than enough for an evening :) 

I'm sure I will see you on future travels :)

Ciao,

-CB

Thank you maple leaf

Thank you maple leaf for everything. This avenue of life I have embarked on will be something I am sure I will never forget. A lot of people tried to stop me from going but your assurance and honesty with my arrangements have assured me that this would be something worth venturing. For two years, I am yours.

I look forward to the future and the knowledge you will have engrained into me. I will forever recommend maple leaf as a viable avenue for my friends who are looking for a steady and well situated position :)

Gratefully, 

-CB

Japan Airlines

Thank you JAL for the wonderful and ever so entertaining flight that will begin my countless adventures around the globe. 

Your airline food was awesome and I was able to wath awesome movies. People said economy flight would not be a great avenue to travel with, ppfffttttt you proved everything, everyone said, incorrect. I look forward to future travels with you. 

That video games between passengers is one feature I absolutely love and will always look forward to :)

Gratefully,

CB

Thanks Sheila!

Thank you so much Shelia for allowing me to interview you for our music blog, the youth anthem reviewer. I am hoping that we can do justice for your establishment in Thunder Bay. You hVe provided me with opportunities to see wonderful music and take my awesome friends out for wonderful outings. I will certainly be by to visit again once I have life in order, till then.

Cheers,

-CB

To brother and sister, master packers

Thank you so much for teaching me your skills on packing as it has helped me fit ten days roughly of life into one backpack :) army backpack I might add, best for travelling it seems like, going to be investing in travel clothing as well which is very army esque lol :p

Love, your big bro 

-carm

Courtnay Skipper

Hey gorgeous,

This trip would not be what it is if you were not around. Thank you so much, I have been here for awhile but wow! I could not ask for a better experience and company to keep :)

I look forward to what the future has in store, 

Wine. Dinner. Pijou. Adventure. Laughter. Heart. Stories.

Sincerely,

Your "Boo" lol

-CB

MR. FRITZ

My friend, 

Your are sitting next to me as I write this, you won't see it for some time. I just wanted to thank you for letting me tag along, for showing me the ropes on this first adventure and for having my back every step of the way, when I was worried and unsure, there were people to note for coming me down, well two, you were one of them. I know we are not exactly a chip off the same block, but the fact that you have steel city blood coursing through veins make me feel that much tighter with you brother.

I look forward to more adventures with you if you wouldn't mind :p 

All the best this year my friend, never forget to stay in touch!

-MR. BONO

Phil lynett

Thanks Phil, you put on a great show that my buddies and I randomly stumbled upon at the Hard Rock Cafe in Niagara Falls. You were our first live interview for the youth anthem reviewer and that is a big step for our music blog. Your kindness and cooperation keeps me believing that this is something and that it is going somewhere. Good luck on the EP this winter and hopefully you get your break soon enough!

Cheers!

Carm

Robyn Dell'Unto

Thanks Robyn for being our first Official Artist Spotlight on The Youth Anthem Reviewer. Your support of musicians in the local music scenes around southern Ontario are hopefully noted and practiced. By other musicians. 

The scene would not be what it is without people like you. Thanks for also being an amazingly talented musician :) love your music, and always looking forward to more.

If I ever had the opportunity, I'd take you out for dinner for sure! Then maybe hit up a nice local show.

Thanks for your help, hope the rest of your time as a musician is continually as enjoyable as I can tell it is for you now.

Ciao for now bella,

Carm

Jack, Jesse, Kenya, and of course. SCOTT!

You folks are the best.

Hands down. You came all the way to butt-hole-nowhere Dunnville to come say ttyl! I missed you folks a lot and now I miss you even more. You don't know how amazing that was of a weekend for me.

Like I told you all again and again, life is never the same between dunnville and tbay. No one back home is anywhere near the level of excitement we can reach in a night up North. I know though, and you made me see it, university and the lifestyle is a privilege, it's something we earned and continue to earn, but most of all, it is something that you feel when you are with the people who encourage and influence you to never stop living and make every moment count. I never really understood and realized those feelings and influences that people could have on others, but now I do. 

Thank you for life in everything I find myself doing :) 

Cheers!

Carm.

Alain boisvert

Hey bro. 

I owe you more than you  ever be able to comprehend, I kinda already told you this but it has been awhile. A lot of things and developments have occurred between then and now. Hopefully in this state, you will always remember and never forget or underestimate how much I think of you as a brother. 

Distance is a bugger, and life is cruel sometimes but there has always been an ability for me to come home from wherever and try to meet up with ya. Miss ya a ton man, proud of everything that has happened for ya this year. 

You sound well, probably better than most people who didn't even go through the things you did. That alone my friend, makes you twice as strong if not infinitely stronger than anyone I know. No one knows pain and heartache the way you do. No one knows happiness and pride the way I know you do. I remember no matter how silly a cause seemed to others, no matter the ridicule, of you believed in it, you represented it well. Remember the growing up gotti phase, goth phase, our anarchy phase? okay for sake of you I won't get into the embarassing stuff too much :p 

I still remember for fun you and Adam used to throw punches at me to toughen me up and then thank god Cody Abbott came to our elementary school lol omg! You know what I'll never forget among most things though, is when someone would tease me or come at me, and right there behind me, I had you. Adam and Travis were good friends but you were my guardian bro, you were my big brother when I needed a saviour. Girl troubles? What troubles, there are plenty more of then, right? Ya man, you certainly taught me a lot of what I wouldn't have learned for a lot longer but in as you did. 

Anyways enough of the mushy stuff, I was just trying to say thank you for opening up my mind and bringing me out of Plato's allegorical cave brother.

Ciao for now!

Carmelo Bono

Nicole

Nicole!

Thank you so much for getting back in touch! It was great seeing you this summer and I doubt you will ever see this but I'll write it anyways cause that's just how I do :p 

Not only did I get to see an old friend but I got to make a much more new ones! It was awesome seeing you, wish you had better taste in guys lol uhhh I mean, your boy is nice, seems like a very social guy. Not a fan, sorry love. 

It's just like, rule one, someone gets you a drink or two, maybe three in his case, the least you can do is talk to him :p w.e though, I probs won't see him again lol if I do, well, homep filly he is nicer :p

The night you came out to the bar with Chris and I though, OMG! So funny! Certainly one of the better nights spent at home for the summer lol

I'm going to miss you and I wish I was able to meet your children, I'm sure if they are your children, they are going to be quite wonderful :)

Ciao for now amigo!

CB

Gabs.

Hey Gabby,

Met you for the first time last weekend. Didn't think I'd be talking to you after the fact but I did. It has been a long summer, a really long and very frustrating summer. You will never understand how much fun I had hanging with ya :) no pun intended #sunday-notso-funday lol 

You have a great smile and the potential to make it to where you want to be at any point, I can tell. You are very strong, sensitive to the feelings of others and very aware of what is going on around you. 

I don't know if I'll see you when I return from China, but in the event that I do. Well, I don't see why it would be a bad thing :)

Ciao for now bella,

Carmelo Salvatore Joseph Bono 

Ps. My name is more Italian than yours, but not half as beautiful :) 

Krystyn from Port Colborne Tim Hortons

Thanks krystyn, my morning started off slowly and slowly started moving downhill, I got to Tim Hortons, got my favorite kind of coffee and then briefly met this gorgeous girl who was extremely pleasant. Her cute smile and continued conversation made my day, I went to do some work on a lawn mower and been a slow day since, I wish I could get my timmies from you everyday Krystyn.

Shut up! She was not being nice because she had to or because it is Tim Hortons policy! She totally thought I was cute! Relax! It's Okay. All you local boys drooling for her,  you have a lot more time than I. I'm moving to china soon, and according to a friend of mine who knows her, she would think I'm not bf material. Damn. But hey, that's life, just cause they don't find you bf material, doesn't mean you can be friends with a girl you hold in high regard. What is it they say? 

Surround yourself by the people you want to be like or is it the one, cute and nice girls have friends...ya i totally think it's the later, because then you say every group of friends has a friend who is just a gong show. Some social psychological math and theorizing, maybe she has. Friend who may think in fb material :p again...going to china, kinda just going off on tangents. 

Sorry Krystyn, just wanted to say thank you. It's funny that you will never see this yet you actually made a difference in my day like you wouldn't believe and next time I'm in port, which is never :( I know where I'm going for my coffee :)

Ciao bella.

Carmelo Bono

P.s. C gnomelo bono is my fb name...in the off chance that you do see this :) xo

Sister

Miss I'm dead to the social media networks  :p 

I guess you will just never see this now that you are off the grid, guess I can tell people how smelly and weird looking you are and there is nothing you can do about it cause you won't even see this lol

You got the letter though I'm sure, if not, we nees to have a family meeting regarding black holes and teleportation warps that may be occurring throughout the house. 

I miss ya and will miss ya even more when I'm overseas knowing that you are going to be missing your favourite brother :p 

Hope this year goes well for you. It's a big year, I think you are done this year right? What's next? I can't wait to find out! So proud if you kiddo! 

Just wanted to thank you though and give you a totally unprivate and extremely public thanks for all the times you listened to me complain about life and stupid little trivial things in life that matter not. I always looked forward to telling you stories and experiences I had because you always seem to appreciate them and I like hearing your stories because it makes me feel like I am actually there to see you grow up more and more each day, this way to when you finally snap and decide "tap tap tap" ill know how to psyche you out lol 

And only drink molson!

Cheers and beers!

CB

Brother

Hey goon!

Hope everything is going well. Hope you enjoyed your bday present :) I'm sorry I won't be around as much to see ya and be there to hang out now that we are all adults. 

I just want to thank you for all your help while we were growing up, all the small things buddy, and thanks for pegging my thumb with an epipen. That was much needed :p kinda not kidding, it made for a good story! Just wish it gave me super powers :p could you imagine, "one man, one thumb, all the power in the world!" 

You are in the forces and killin it I'm sure, I'm proud of you. I just hope you never lose who you are and that you always do what it is you want. I'll never forget how cool it was when I first walked into your room and saw the beginning of what I know will be a sick place for you to call home. V for vendetta posters, rise against, and fight club. You are onto something and I just don't want you to lose sight if what it is that is important to you, so much out there for us my friend. 

I'll never forget the time we spent in montreal. Was a good time, or the time vik and I took you to Moe's lol they served ya! So funny!

Make sure you let those gorgeous Carlton girls your older brother is an experienced overseas teacher, then have them add me up to Facebook, lemme know which one you like though so I can talk you up :p the others....dibs lol just kidding, kinda :p just wait till I visit you in Ottawa lol

Cheers!

Older and only bro.

Mom and dad.

Thanks mom and dad, the most important thanks to give. Without any you, there would be no I. 

You been there to physically and mentally support me even when you didn't completely agree. Things were hard at times, I feel bad that I need to leave but I'm at the point in my life where I promise I'll make you proud :) more so than you are now at least :p

I love you both. I appreciate you bringing me all over and showing me a fragment of what else there is in the world. 

I don't think you will ever see this but if you do it would not be because you found it, and whoever showed you, I hope you give them heck! Just kidding, I'm just writing this fully aware that you won't get this for a long while if that :p think of it as like a time capsule :)

I can't wait to see you folks when I return from china. I know you are nervous but I assure that this will be the best thing for me and my future but most importantly, our family. 

Make sure mom gets her birthday present please dad and that toninand Matt got their bday presents. I can't do much but I try to do what I can to put smiles on your faces :)

I love you both so much, hope you are keeping well and don't feel sorry for yourself ma! So what no one is around, take advantage of it and do things! Change up the house, work outside, start a garden, hit the gym :) I love you and just hope you never forget that. Regardless of what has happened and been said in the past.

Much love,

The son...the older one