A trip to Thailand is going to have to wait, for at least a year. Siiiiiiiiiiiiiigh. I'm just not in a position, financially or in any way, to pack up and head out for a few months. Oh well. it WILL happen.
But in March or April Marlon and his lady are heading to Peru for a month or so, and I'm going to try and join them. I should be able to afford that, and with all of my friends living on the same block as me I'm sure my kitties will be well taken care of.
Then, in late May or so, I'm hoping to start exploring Canada more. I finally have my G1 and plan to take driving courses over the winter, so when I'm eligible to get my G2 in May I hope to have enough to buy a cheap van and then I want to head west, and also north. I went west only once ever, and honestly there isn't really anything to see in Saskatchewan or Manitoba. But Alberta is beautiful, although I only spent time in Edmonton. I'd like to see Banff if possible, but BC is where I really want to go. I crossed through the Rocky Mountains only once, about twelve years ago, and that was too long ago. I crossed over to Victoria BC for a weekend only, and that's the total of my BC experience. Fuck that. I want to get out there and see everything. Then I want to go north and explore the territories, I've heard nothing but good things.
From there, me and my van will try to explore the US eventually, but depending on how long the cross-Canada adventure takes, that one may have to wait til next year.
It's funny how, in my life, I can only really feel like I have things on track and my life is in order if I know where I plan to travel to next. Of all the things I could be addicted to, I think there's nothing better than seeing the world.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
The east coast was amazing. I didn't bring my computer with me though, which means my usual daily travel entries were not possible. Cry, cry. Hahaha.
The absolute best day of the trip though came after the absolute worst. After a few days enjoying Halifax hospitality, we headed north to Wolfville, where we'd heard it was beautiful and we'd find tons of places to camp on the beach. The town is only about 100km north of the city, so we figured it would take 3-4hours tops to hitch a ride up there.
Nooooooooooooooooo. The highway was really a local road, so all of the traffic was local Sunday traffic. We walked for about three hours before we found a spot outside of a truck stop that looked like our best bet for hitching, and spent two hours being peered at my drivers from their windows before finally deciding to walk again. We walked a total of 15km, which isn't that much in theory, but with giant travel packs on our backs, and steel-toed boots on our feet, with a giant dog in tow... it fucking sucked. It took us 8 hours to get from Marlons to the real highway (including stops and attempts to hitch along the way). When we finally got to Wolfville, we walked out into the dyke-land and it was so dark we literally could not see what was on the far side of the dykes. Like not even if it was water or just reeds. We decided to try to set up our tent in a field, but when creepy music-box music started loudly playing out of nowhere (literally, we were in a middle of a large FIELD, nothing close by that could play music), we decided to move on. I decided to put my emergency credit card to use and was going to treat us to a motel for the night. But two hours later and phone calls to 6 different places, the only places with vacancies wouldnt' take pets. Fucking hell. We finally found a decent spot to set up the tent and crashed out instantly.
The next day though we woke up to incredibly gorgeous weather, the locals were friendly, and we headed out along the dykes again to Grand Pre, to Evangeline Beach. It took three hours (and one little grumpy fit on my end) but we made it, and holy FUCK am I ever glad we did. It was heaven. We got there early enough to see the area before tide came in, and we spent the next sixteen hours or so with just us, a tent, a little fire, and the best view I've seen so far in Canada. I can't even describe it. But we got to watch the tides come in and go out on the Fundy Shore, which has some of the highest tides in the world. The dog was in heaven he spent hours digging in the sand and chasing sticks around. I wish we'd had more than one night there, but it was an amazing way to end the trip.
Well, that was the end of the trip in one way, but the travel home was another incredible experience. The way home was exciting, scary, cold, and definitely something I'll do again. Cheapest way to travel, and killer views, that's for damned sure :D
The absolute best day of the trip though came after the absolute worst. After a few days enjoying Halifax hospitality, we headed north to Wolfville, where we'd heard it was beautiful and we'd find tons of places to camp on the beach. The town is only about 100km north of the city, so we figured it would take 3-4hours tops to hitch a ride up there.
Nooooooooooooooooo. The highway was really a local road, so all of the traffic was local Sunday traffic. We walked for about three hours before we found a spot outside of a truck stop that looked like our best bet for hitching, and spent two hours being peered at my drivers from their windows before finally deciding to walk again. We walked a total of 15km, which isn't that much in theory, but with giant travel packs on our backs, and steel-toed boots on our feet, with a giant dog in tow... it fucking sucked. It took us 8 hours to get from Marlons to the real highway (including stops and attempts to hitch along the way). When we finally got to Wolfville, we walked out into the dyke-land and it was so dark we literally could not see what was on the far side of the dykes. Like not even if it was water or just reeds. We decided to try to set up our tent in a field, but when creepy music-box music started loudly playing out of nowhere (literally, we were in a middle of a large FIELD, nothing close by that could play music), we decided to move on. I decided to put my emergency credit card to use and was going to treat us to a motel for the night. But two hours later and phone calls to 6 different places, the only places with vacancies wouldnt' take pets. Fucking hell. We finally found a decent spot to set up the tent and crashed out instantly.
The next day though we woke up to incredibly gorgeous weather, the locals were friendly, and we headed out along the dykes again to Grand Pre, to Evangeline Beach. It took three hours (and one little grumpy fit on my end) but we made it, and holy FUCK am I ever glad we did. It was heaven. We got there early enough to see the area before tide came in, and we spent the next sixteen hours or so with just us, a tent, a little fire, and the best view I've seen so far in Canada. I can't even describe it. But we got to watch the tides come in and go out on the Fundy Shore, which has some of the highest tides in the world. The dog was in heaven he spent hours digging in the sand and chasing sticks around. I wish we'd had more than one night there, but it was an amazing way to end the trip.
Well, that was the end of the trip in one way, but the travel home was another incredible experience. The way home was exciting, scary, cold, and definitely something I'll do again. Cheapest way to travel, and killer views, that's for damned sure :D
Saturday, September 17, 2011
The east coast
What an incredible few days this has been.
We started out Sunday night, we got a ride out of Montreal to the highway and then we slept under the stars before hitting the road early Monday. Two rides later and we were about 20km outside of Moncton. It took for fucking EVER to get into Moncton in the morning, 3 hours to get picked up for the 15-minute drive into the city, with the sun beating down on us. I got a pretty intense sunburn and started feeling sick like when I had heat stroke a few months back, not fun at all. Arriving in Moncton was pretty anti-climactic, it's a pretty boring little town without much to see or do. The most exciting thing about the day was finding a shop with 2 for 99 cents hotdogs.
Halifax on the other hand is gorgeous. Our ride dropped us off at the waterfront so the first thing I saw was the incredible scenery. Except for yesterday the weather has been beautiful, the people are amazing, and there is always something to do. We're heading out shortly to go swim in a lake, and tomorrow we're packing up and heading about 100km out of the city to camp for a couple of nights on the Fundy Shore. I can't wait.
It would have been nice to have had a lot more time, since we're out here it would be nice to check out Cape Breton, and head over to Newfoundland. But a little taste of the east coast is better than not being here at all, and at least now I know how worth it it is to come out this way. It's cool as well because a ten-day trip will let my boy and I know if we can travel together, rather than taking a long trip together and realizing halfway through that we don't make good travel partners. And so far, it's great :D
We started out Sunday night, we got a ride out of Montreal to the highway and then we slept under the stars before hitting the road early Monday. Two rides later and we were about 20km outside of Moncton. It took for fucking EVER to get into Moncton in the morning, 3 hours to get picked up for the 15-minute drive into the city, with the sun beating down on us. I got a pretty intense sunburn and started feeling sick like when I had heat stroke a few months back, not fun at all. Arriving in Moncton was pretty anti-climactic, it's a pretty boring little town without much to see or do. The most exciting thing about the day was finding a shop with 2 for 99 cents hotdogs.
Halifax on the other hand is gorgeous. Our ride dropped us off at the waterfront so the first thing I saw was the incredible scenery. Except for yesterday the weather has been beautiful, the people are amazing, and there is always something to do. We're heading out shortly to go swim in a lake, and tomorrow we're packing up and heading about 100km out of the city to camp for a couple of nights on the Fundy Shore. I can't wait.
It would have been nice to have had a lot more time, since we're out here it would be nice to check out Cape Breton, and head over to Newfoundland. But a little taste of the east coast is better than not being here at all, and at least now I know how worth it it is to come out this way. It's cool as well because a ten-day trip will let my boy and I know if we can travel together, rather than taking a long trip together and realizing halfway through that we don't make good travel partners. And so far, it's great :D
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Goddamn it felt good to throw that pack onto my back this morning. It's funny, until about a year ago my 'travelling' had pretty much been limited to yearly trip to New York City, and a couple other american treks. No actual backpacking. But now, I feel so normal with that bag on my back, being somewhere unknown to me and being able to decide 'where to go next?'
This little trip will be a tease in some ways, because it will be so short. And it doesn't feel like really travelling to me- at least not yet- because i'm not crossing any borders and don't need my passport.
But this is the travelling i've been dying to do. Me, my pack, and my thumbs. Fuck yes. The fact that a cute boy is teaching me how to travel this way makes it even better.
This little trip will be a tease in some ways, because it will be so short. And it doesn't feel like really travelling to me- at least not yet- because i'm not crossing any borders and don't need my passport.
But this is the travelling i've been dying to do. Me, my pack, and my thumbs. Fuck yes. The fact that a cute boy is teaching me how to travel this way makes it even better.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Yet another change of plans...
So, Thailand is out. It's not even a thought in my mind right now. I had decided to say FUCK IT and just figure it out, but I do not have the money to run away right now to another part of the world right now, and honestly right now I don't particularly have the desire to be in a foreign place like that. Lately my life has been a complete rollercoaster of good and bad, and I want to be around people I love and people who love me more than I want to be alone in a country where I don't speak the language.
Thailand is definitely a place I want to go. I want to do everything there. And I will. Hopefully in about a year's time. Gives me time to save and plan.
In the meantime, I'm tackling North America. I'm heading out Sunday night for about ten days on the east coast of Canada, mostly in Halifax. I am so excited for this for so many reasons. I've never been to the east coast. It's been too long since I've taken off from here. I'm travelling with the new man in my life who I'm pretty crazy about. And, unlike my last few trips where money flowed pretty easily and I was able to fly/bus to most places I wanted to get to, this trip I will be relying on my thumbs, my ability to run and jump, and the kindness of strangers to get me by. And that last part is what makes me most excited. I find, when you don't have money, you get to see parts of places you would easily gloss over otherwise. And just heading out there and hopping or hitching to get where we're going will be so...freeing. And I need that right now.
From here, it would be nice to be able to afford to run away somewhere warm again like I did THREE times last winter, but I can't see it happening this year. But hopefully, over the winter I will learn to drive, and in the spring I'd love to buy a vehicle and roadtrip around North America. There are so many places in Canada and the US that I could never see myself making a trip to go to exclusively, but if I can just drive on into places like Tuscon or Houston for a night or two before heading out...ugh. That sounds like heaven.
Thailand is definitely a place I want to go. I want to do everything there. And I will. Hopefully in about a year's time. Gives me time to save and plan.
In the meantime, I'm tackling North America. I'm heading out Sunday night for about ten days on the east coast of Canada, mostly in Halifax. I am so excited for this for so many reasons. I've never been to the east coast. It's been too long since I've taken off from here. I'm travelling with the new man in my life who I'm pretty crazy about. And, unlike my last few trips where money flowed pretty easily and I was able to fly/bus to most places I wanted to get to, this trip I will be relying on my thumbs, my ability to run and jump, and the kindness of strangers to get me by. And that last part is what makes me most excited. I find, when you don't have money, you get to see parts of places you would easily gloss over otherwise. And just heading out there and hopping or hitching to get where we're going will be so...freeing. And I need that right now.
From here, it would be nice to be able to afford to run away somewhere warm again like I did THREE times last winter, but I can't see it happening this year. But hopefully, over the winter I will learn to drive, and in the spring I'd love to buy a vehicle and roadtrip around North America. There are so many places in Canada and the US that I could never see myself making a trip to go to exclusively, but if I can just drive on into places like Tuscon or Houston for a night or two before heading out...ugh. That sounds like heaven.
Monday, June 6, 2011
New plans
After everything that happened at home while I was away last, I haven't been too sure what my travel plans to be would become. Originally I'd planned on going to Thailand for about two months around November. But after last time, I didn't feel safe or confident in leaving my cats and home without me.
So since then, I've started thinking about places I can go for two weeks. I've been thinking of Morocco, especially since the cheapest way to get there is to fly to Paris first, so I'd get a few days in Paris then ten days in Morocco.
I've thought of heading down to Peru, to check out Machu Picchu. But if I head there, I need more than two weeks. So much to see, so much to do.
Yesterday I realized what was making this decision so hard: two weeks is like a vacation. I want another adventure. I just spent almost a week in Vegas, how could I go somewhere like Peru for only twice that time?
Today I decided FUCK IT. I have a trusted friend who I'm sure I could convince to take my cats for a month. And I want to go to Thailand. It's always been my dream, after Australia, and I just did that one. I'd decided against Thailand because I've figured I need at least two months, ideally three months there, because with everything else being so close, I'd want to go to Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia.... the list goes on.
But I can do Thailand for one month. Skip the other countries and just do the one I've been dying to see. So FUCK IT, I'm going. Just checked out prices and the flights are reasonable. Going to aim for November 1-30. As pretty much every flight stops in Hong Kong, I might try and delay my layover and spend a few days there as well, since I'll already be there.
Five months away.... oh well, it's not that long, and at least Ottawa/Montreal is pretty fucking awesome in the summertime!
So since then, I've started thinking about places I can go for two weeks. I've been thinking of Morocco, especially since the cheapest way to get there is to fly to Paris first, so I'd get a few days in Paris then ten days in Morocco.
I've thought of heading down to Peru, to check out Machu Picchu. But if I head there, I need more than two weeks. So much to see, so much to do.
Yesterday I realized what was making this decision so hard: two weeks is like a vacation. I want another adventure. I just spent almost a week in Vegas, how could I go somewhere like Peru for only twice that time?
Today I decided FUCK IT. I have a trusted friend who I'm sure I could convince to take my cats for a month. And I want to go to Thailand. It's always been my dream, after Australia, and I just did that one. I'd decided against Thailand because I've figured I need at least two months, ideally three months there, because with everything else being so close, I'd want to go to Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia.... the list goes on.
But I can do Thailand for one month. Skip the other countries and just do the one I've been dying to see. So FUCK IT, I'm going. Just checked out prices and the flights are reasonable. Going to aim for November 1-30. As pretty much every flight stops in Hong Kong, I might try and delay my layover and spend a few days there as well, since I'll already be there.
Five months away.... oh well, it's not that long, and at least Ottawa/Montreal is pretty fucking awesome in the summertime!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
I can't believe it's really over. I have to wake up in eight hours from now and head to the airport.
i've never, in my entire life, had something so hard to have to deal with when I get back. I am so happy that I found out what happened back home while I was here, cause if I hadn't found it out while I was here, it would all still be there on my walls and in my room for me to see when I get back. Since I'm lucky enough to have a group of such incredible friends, it's all been cleaned up and is gone, so I don't have to see it when I get home. But in some ways, that makes it weirder. That shit happened. And it's gone.
In so many ways, I've already moved passed it and have been able to focus on the amazing things I've done while here and not think about it. But now, i'm going back there in a few hours. And when I do, I have to realize that someone actually hates me enough to have done what they did to me. And I don't even know who did it. So I have to go back to a town where there is someone who actually HATES me. Not even dislikes. But actually hates, enough to go out and be as cruel to me as they were. I am a strong woman. And luckily I am, cause otherwise I wouldn't have been able to have the best time of my life while over here despite what happened. But even being as strong as I am, that doesn't make it easy to go back to that. And as much as I thank, from the bottom of my heart, all of my incredible friends who went to my house and cleaned the cruelty away, and took care of my cats, and did so many incredibly kind things for me that I don't know how I can ever thank them... that still doesn't erase the hurt that exists from what happened. I wish it could, so much. But now I have to go back, and have people ask me who I think did it. And there's a fucking witch hunt happening back there, a witch hunt that I've even taken part of from here, throwing friends of mine on the fire and accusing.
Now that the trip is ending, it's so hard to say to myself, 'It doesn't matter. You're living out one of your dreams. Enjoy it.'. Because now, that dream is over. Now I have to go back to a place where someone hates me enough t have done what they did. I want so much to be able to say it doesn't matter, but it DOES. I'm going home to find all of the money I'd saved to live on when i get back is gone. I'm going back to the realization that someone was in my fucking bedroom, and rooted through my personal belongings like they were nothing. To a place where someone hated me so much that they spraypainted the wall in my bedroom. My BEDROOM. The only place in the world that is totally mine.
I will get past this. I know that. But I hate, I hate so much, that I have to. All I did was take myself on a vacation I've dreamt of my whole life. Why is that something that could make someone do something so cruel to me?
Sorry. I'm a little drunk right now and just don't know how to move past this at the moment.
i've never, in my entire life, had something so hard to have to deal with when I get back. I am so happy that I found out what happened back home while I was here, cause if I hadn't found it out while I was here, it would all still be there on my walls and in my room for me to see when I get back. Since I'm lucky enough to have a group of such incredible friends, it's all been cleaned up and is gone, so I don't have to see it when I get home. But in some ways, that makes it weirder. That shit happened. And it's gone.
In so many ways, I've already moved passed it and have been able to focus on the amazing things I've done while here and not think about it. But now, i'm going back there in a few hours. And when I do, I have to realize that someone actually hates me enough to have done what they did to me. And I don't even know who did it. So I have to go back to a town where there is someone who actually HATES me. Not even dislikes. But actually hates, enough to go out and be as cruel to me as they were. I am a strong woman. And luckily I am, cause otherwise I wouldn't have been able to have the best time of my life while over here despite what happened. But even being as strong as I am, that doesn't make it easy to go back to that. And as much as I thank, from the bottom of my heart, all of my incredible friends who went to my house and cleaned the cruelty away, and took care of my cats, and did so many incredibly kind things for me that I don't know how I can ever thank them... that still doesn't erase the hurt that exists from what happened. I wish it could, so much. But now I have to go back, and have people ask me who I think did it. And there's a fucking witch hunt happening back there, a witch hunt that I've even taken part of from here, throwing friends of mine on the fire and accusing.
Now that the trip is ending, it's so hard to say to myself, 'It doesn't matter. You're living out one of your dreams. Enjoy it.'. Because now, that dream is over. Now I have to go back to a place where someone hates me enough t have done what they did. I want so much to be able to say it doesn't matter, but it DOES. I'm going home to find all of the money I'd saved to live on when i get back is gone. I'm going back to the realization that someone was in my fucking bedroom, and rooted through my personal belongings like they were nothing. To a place where someone hated me so much that they spraypainted the wall in my bedroom. My BEDROOM. The only place in the world that is totally mine.
I will get past this. I know that. But I hate, I hate so much, that I have to. All I did was take myself on a vacation I've dreamt of my whole life. Why is that something that could make someone do something so cruel to me?
Sorry. I'm a little drunk right now and just don't know how to move past this at the moment.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Back to where it all began...
Holy fuck is it ever hot in Melbourne. Totally unexpected but awesome surprise.
So today I caught what was my last domestic flight in this country, from Adelaide to Melbourne. Three days here, which will be mostly spent drunk/hungover, then back to Canada.
I can't believe all of the things I've done and seen (PANDAS!) in the last few weeks. And that it's only been WEEKS. I've done more exciting things in the past few weeks than I have in years. And I've seen so many things I'll likely never see again (PANDAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). And I've had the most terrible thing in my life happen to me, and I still have to go back and deal with that.
I don't know what will be happening or where I will be going from here. I don't know what things are going to bring, what life is going to throw at me, or where (or if) I'll be travelling to next.
All I know is I'm so happy I came here. The last time I threw everything into a bag and took off on my own was over a decade ago, when I took off to Alberta, and it was about damned time I did something like this again. I've made some mistakes (leaving a safe in my house, HA!), but I'll know how to do better next time. Next time... fuck I hate that it will likely have to be later than planned, but it's still going to happen.
So today I caught what was my last domestic flight in this country, from Adelaide to Melbourne. Three days here, which will be mostly spent drunk/hungover, then back to Canada.
I can't believe all of the things I've done and seen (PANDAS!) in the last few weeks. And that it's only been WEEKS. I've done more exciting things in the past few weeks than I have in years. And I've seen so many things I'll likely never see again (PANDAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). And I've had the most terrible thing in my life happen to me, and I still have to go back and deal with that.
I don't know what will be happening or where I will be going from here. I don't know what things are going to bring, what life is going to throw at me, or where (or if) I'll be travelling to next.
All I know is I'm so happy I came here. The last time I threw everything into a bag and took off on my own was over a decade ago, when I took off to Alberta, and it was about damned time I did something like this again. I've made some mistakes (leaving a safe in my house, HA!), but I'll know how to do better next time. Next time... fuck I hate that it will likely have to be later than planned, but it's still going to happen.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Today has erased any and all negativity from my head. It's barely past 10:30 in the morning and yet today has brought about the completion of a lifelong dream. I wish I could transport all of you here, to this moment.
Today I woke up at 3am, wrapped in a swag, in a clearing in the outback. I looked up at the sky and couldn't go back to sleep. There was so much light coming from the stars that I could actually make out the forms of the people sleeping around me. I couldn't close my eyes and shut this out, I lay there and just looked at the stars til everyone else got up at 5.
We then came to Kings Canyon just as the sun was rising. We trudged up the 400 or so steps to the top of the steep cliff, and all around me was the most stunning scenery I've ever seen.
If anyone plans to come to Australia, I highly recommend following my path. The Great Ocean Road was incredible. The whalesharks were a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The reef, Kuranda, everything was amazing.
But this. THIS. Nothing can top this. These three days are what I'll remember most. I know my memories of running off to the woods to cry my eyes out in private are going to fade, that was just last night and yet it's already meaningless to me.
Today has been the absolute highlight of this trip. We hiked to the top, and stood over the canyon, which gave us the most powerful echo I've ever experience when we yelled as a group. Then, in the middle of all this rock, was The Garden of Eden. That's actually what they call it and I can see why. It's this incredible, beautiful vegetation in the middle of this bright orange rock. And on one side, a cool, clear, beautiful pool of water. What an incredible feeling, to run off the rock and jump into the incredibly refreshing water. I could have stayed there all day.
Now we're on our way back to Alice Springs, to have a night of proper fucking PARTY TIME. It's amazing how well you can get to know people on a short trip like this, many of them feel like true friends already. Tonight will be a blast. I'm sure I will literally have to drag my hungover self to the train station tomorrow, but it will be worth it!
next stop: Adelaide.
Today I woke up at 3am, wrapped in a swag, in a clearing in the outback. I looked up at the sky and couldn't go back to sleep. There was so much light coming from the stars that I could actually make out the forms of the people sleeping around me. I couldn't close my eyes and shut this out, I lay there and just looked at the stars til everyone else got up at 5.
We then came to Kings Canyon just as the sun was rising. We trudged up the 400 or so steps to the top of the steep cliff, and all around me was the most stunning scenery I've ever seen.
If anyone plans to come to Australia, I highly recommend following my path. The Great Ocean Road was incredible. The whalesharks were a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The reef, Kuranda, everything was amazing.
But this. THIS. Nothing can top this. These three days are what I'll remember most. I know my memories of running off to the woods to cry my eyes out in private are going to fade, that was just last night and yet it's already meaningless to me.
Today has been the absolute highlight of this trip. We hiked to the top, and stood over the canyon, which gave us the most powerful echo I've ever experience when we yelled as a group. Then, in the middle of all this rock, was The Garden of Eden. That's actually what they call it and I can see why. It's this incredible, beautiful vegetation in the middle of this bright orange rock. And on one side, a cool, clear, beautiful pool of water. What an incredible feeling, to run off the rock and jump into the incredibly refreshing water. I could have stayed there all day.
Now we're on our way back to Alice Springs, to have a night of proper fucking PARTY TIME. It's amazing how well you can get to know people on a short trip like this, many of them feel like true friends already. Tonight will be a blast. I'm sure I will literally have to drag my hungover self to the train station tomorrow, but it will be worth it!
next stop: Adelaide.
`
This is now my second night sleeping in the outback. Today we went to Uluru and watched the sunrise.I don't know how to put it into words. What I did today is the biggest reason I cam here. It was phenomenal.
When I wake up tomorrow, I will be one week away from going home. It's funny as I write that word, 'home'. it feels even less true now than it did when I returned from Central America. It doesn't even feel like it's really my house anymore and definitely not a home. I wish I could go back and magically find my place the way I left it, with Ashley there to greet me with a smile and a beer.
Fuck. It's so hard to stop my thoughts from turning to what happened. Right now I am sitting beside a campfire in the middle of the Australian outback. There are so many stars above me that they're actually smudging the sky. I can't believe I'm here.
But then I think of what this trip has cost me. I'm not talking about money (even though that cost has more than doubled now), but the overall cost to me, and to my life. How, when I get back, everything is different. Based on the trip alone my life would have changed, but now I don't know what to expect. Is this going to change my desire to travel, and my confidence to leave home on my own? I really don't know. I mostly think not, and hope not. Mostly, but the other part of me wants to go back, pack my shit, and move somewhere that noone knows me and just be alone.
I know that part will go away. The fear, the disappointment, all of the negative will leave, eventually. And I hope, hope so much, that it's replaced by all of the positive again. What I'm doing now, this very moment, is something I've dreamt of my whole life. And your dreams dont' change, do they?
When I wake up tomorrow, I will be one week away from going home. It's funny as I write that word, 'home'. it feels even less true now than it did when I returned from Central America. It doesn't even feel like it's really my house anymore and definitely not a home. I wish I could go back and magically find my place the way I left it, with Ashley there to greet me with a smile and a beer.
Fuck. It's so hard to stop my thoughts from turning to what happened. Right now I am sitting beside a campfire in the middle of the Australian outback. There are so many stars above me that they're actually smudging the sky. I can't believe I'm here.
But then I think of what this trip has cost me. I'm not talking about money (even though that cost has more than doubled now), but the overall cost to me, and to my life. How, when I get back, everything is different. Based on the trip alone my life would have changed, but now I don't know what to expect. Is this going to change my desire to travel, and my confidence to leave home on my own? I really don't know. I mostly think not, and hope not. Mostly, but the other part of me wants to go back, pack my shit, and move somewhere that noone knows me and just be alone.
I know that part will go away. The fear, the disappointment, all of the negative will leave, eventually. And I hope, hope so much, that it's replaced by all of the positive again. What I'm doing now, this very moment, is something I've dreamt of my whole life. And your dreams dont' change, do they?
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Well here I am. I'm currently writing this by hand, from the top of Myer's Hill in Alice Springs. I'm in the fucking outback! I've dreamt of being here my entire life, and this is just a little taste of what I'll be seeing the next few days.
At the moment, sitting here, all of Alice Springs beneath me and the West MacDonnell mountains in the distance, I am actually feeling peaceful. Surprising because, I can quite honestly say without a doubt, that the last 24 hours have been the most terrible of my life. I have been trying very hard to remain positive, but for every positive minute I manage, I have about three minutes where I'm choking back tears. On top of everything that's already happened, today my netbook stopped working. Which means my main source of communication has been severed. Although, sitting up here right now, I'm thinking maybe that's okay. The next few days, in the Outback will be so incredible, who needs internet. I'll let my brain take a technology break.
Right now, sitting up here, I never want to go back. When Sarah, Robin and I climbed to the top of El Castillo at Xunantunich, and I stood there and looked at the world around me, I realized there was so much to see in this world and I needed to see more. Thats what I came here for. And right now, thats what I have. No matter what way I turn, all around me there are more mountains. I wish I could climb each and every one of them. I want to see everything.
The person who vandalized and robbed my bedroom is full of poison and hate. I haven't been very public with what the graffiti said, but it waspretty much the most cruel thing someone could say to me. And it's not going to stop hurting for a long time. But right now, I'm sitting on the top of a hill, on a bright red rock, in the middle of the outback. So you know what?
Life is good.
At the moment, sitting here, all of Alice Springs beneath me and the West MacDonnell mountains in the distance, I am actually feeling peaceful. Surprising because, I can quite honestly say without a doubt, that the last 24 hours have been the most terrible of my life. I have been trying very hard to remain positive, but for every positive minute I manage, I have about three minutes where I'm choking back tears. On top of everything that's already happened, today my netbook stopped working. Which means my main source of communication has been severed. Although, sitting up here right now, I'm thinking maybe that's okay. The next few days, in the Outback will be so incredible, who needs internet. I'll let my brain take a technology break.
Right now, sitting up here, I never want to go back. When Sarah, Robin and I climbed to the top of El Castillo at Xunantunich, and I stood there and looked at the world around me, I realized there was so much to see in this world and I needed to see more. Thats what I came here for. And right now, thats what I have. No matter what way I turn, all around me there are more mountains. I wish I could climb each and every one of them. I want to see everything.
The person who vandalized and robbed my bedroom is full of poison and hate. I haven't been very public with what the graffiti said, but it waspretty much the most cruel thing someone could say to me. And it's not going to stop hurting for a long time. But right now, I'm sitting on the top of a hill, on a bright red rock, in the middle of the outback. So you know what?
Life is good.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Right after my last post, I walked to a little cafe, sipped a coffee, and decided to reeeeeelax. So I'd have to wait two hours to get to the island. Who cares right? I could still spend a nice afternoon there.
Then I log onto my computer. And find out that someone broke into my room and spraypainted something awful above my bed. So I cried. And cried and cried and wanted nothign more than to get home to make sure whoever did that didn't come back and harm my kitties and do something worse.
Then I asked S&R to go to my place to check out my room, just in case. And they found my room pretty much trashed. And my safe, which was hidden under a mountain of stuff in my closet, is gone.
I've been robbed, and someone has done the meanest thing to me that I can ever imagine happening. All I want right now is to be home with Ashley and Alex and my kitties, and to snuggle them all and make this go away. Instead I'm in Brisbane. A city I already hated. And I can't get home. I want to change my flight, but have to wait til they open at 9am (11pm here) to see if I can. I was supposed to go to Alice Springs tomorrow. How can I enjoy anything now? I just want to be home, being so far away from everything I love is so awful at the moment.
Then I log onto my computer. And find out that someone broke into my room and spraypainted something awful above my bed. So I cried. And cried and cried and wanted nothign more than to get home to make sure whoever did that didn't come back and harm my kitties and do something worse.
Then I asked S&R to go to my place to check out my room, just in case. And they found my room pretty much trashed. And my safe, which was hidden under a mountain of stuff in my closet, is gone.
I've been robbed, and someone has done the meanest thing to me that I can ever imagine happening. All I want right now is to be home with Ashley and Alex and my kitties, and to snuggle them all and make this go away. Instead I'm in Brisbane. A city I already hated. And I can't get home. I want to change my flight, but have to wait til they open at 9am (11pm here) to see if I can. I was supposed to go to Alice Springs tomorrow. How can I enjoy anything now? I just want to be home, being so far away from everything I love is so awful at the moment.
Friday, April 8, 2011
I'm trying really hard to remain positive right now. Out of all of the options for what I could do today, I picked coming to Straddie because it was easy to get to and one of the only journeys less than two hours. Planned it all out online, checked all the schedules.
Get off the hour-long train into Cleveland, take the free bus over to the ferry and OH LOOK there goes the water taxi! Next one is in two hours! TWO HOURS! So it's 11:15 in the morning, the sun is out and it's a beautiful day, and my options are to either sit in this fucking parking lot for two hours and wait, which will then get me over to the island around 1:30, or just go back to Brisbane and get back there at 1. I can't believe this. I fucking hate Brisbane, there really has been nothing good that's happened in the week I've been here I can't wait to head to Alice Springs tomorrow.
Get off the hour-long train into Cleveland, take the free bus over to the ferry and OH LOOK there goes the water taxi! Next one is in two hours! TWO HOURS! So it's 11:15 in the morning, the sun is out and it's a beautiful day, and my options are to either sit in this fucking parking lot for two hours and wait, which will then get me over to the island around 1:30, or just go back to Brisbane and get back there at 1. I can't believe this. I fucking hate Brisbane, there really has been nothing good that's happened in the week I've been here I can't wait to head to Alice Springs tomorrow.
Currently on the train out to North Stradbroke Island (Straddie as it's called), and I can finally feel myself getting out of the funk I've admittedly been in the last few days.
When I got to Brisbane on Sunday, at first I loved it. But then I spent the first four days here waiting on some money to come to me, and my days were spent wasted/extremely hungover, and by Thursday I still had none of the cash, I was very bored of getting drunk, and I didn't feel particularly comfortable at the house I was staying. On top of all that, every time I'd think about doing something cheap, like a beach or a forest walk, the sky would break open and it wouldn't be possible.
Well I kinda got so into the swing of doing nothing it was even hard to push my lazy ass out of bed this morning, and in fact I slept through the first train I'd planned to take, which was up the Sunshine Coast to Noosa. Too bad, if I'd caught the 8am train I could have spent my day wandering around Noosa Park and checking out all of the wildlife there. When I realized this morning I'd slept in, I got all waaaah fuck this blah I'm just gonna sleep. Instead I then looked at my options: I could still go to Noosa, but taking a 3hour train from 11am-2pm wasn't very appealing. I could grab a train down the Gold Coast to Surfers Paradise, but it's an extreme tourist haven and the weather is still overcast so a place that just has a beach isn't great.
So I decided on North Stradbroke Island. I'll probably be getting there too late to join any snorkel tours for the day, but hopefully by the time I get there the sun will be out and I can lay on the gorgeous beaches (seriously, google image search that shit it's incredible), and hopefully see some dolphins and turtles. I'm too early in the year for whales unfortunately, but oh well!
This week has been interesting in a lot of ways though. Shown me how both bad planning (spending all my money), and things you can't control (weather), can have such an impact on not only what you do in the day but your overall feelings on everything. It's also made me think that six weeks may have been too long for my first solo trip. Even though I've made friends along the way, it's not the same. You can be independent all you'd like, but not having the opportunity to see someone who truly cares about you for such a long time period can be hard. Hopefully D actually gets his passport and does come to Thailand with me in November, that would RULE.
Grrrrrr the sky has broken, its raining now and I forgot my rain poncho back at the hostel. 30 minutes til I'm off this train, fingers crossed the sun comes back out!
When I got to Brisbane on Sunday, at first I loved it. But then I spent the first four days here waiting on some money to come to me, and my days were spent wasted/extremely hungover, and by Thursday I still had none of the cash, I was very bored of getting drunk, and I didn't feel particularly comfortable at the house I was staying. On top of all that, every time I'd think about doing something cheap, like a beach or a forest walk, the sky would break open and it wouldn't be possible.
Well I kinda got so into the swing of doing nothing it was even hard to push my lazy ass out of bed this morning, and in fact I slept through the first train I'd planned to take, which was up the Sunshine Coast to Noosa. Too bad, if I'd caught the 8am train I could have spent my day wandering around Noosa Park and checking out all of the wildlife there. When I realized this morning I'd slept in, I got all waaaah fuck this blah I'm just gonna sleep. Instead I then looked at my options: I could still go to Noosa, but taking a 3hour train from 11am-2pm wasn't very appealing. I could grab a train down the Gold Coast to Surfers Paradise, but it's an extreme tourist haven and the weather is still overcast so a place that just has a beach isn't great.
So I decided on North Stradbroke Island. I'll probably be getting there too late to join any snorkel tours for the day, but hopefully by the time I get there the sun will be out and I can lay on the gorgeous beaches (seriously, google image search that shit it's incredible), and hopefully see some dolphins and turtles. I'm too early in the year for whales unfortunately, but oh well!
This week has been interesting in a lot of ways though. Shown me how both bad planning (spending all my money), and things you can't control (weather), can have such an impact on not only what you do in the day but your overall feelings on everything. It's also made me think that six weeks may have been too long for my first solo trip. Even though I've made friends along the way, it's not the same. You can be independent all you'd like, but not having the opportunity to see someone who truly cares about you for such a long time period can be hard. Hopefully D actually gets his passport and does come to Thailand with me in November, that would RULE.
Grrrrrr the sky has broken, its raining now and I forgot my rain poncho back at the hostel. 30 minutes til I'm off this train, fingers crossed the sun comes back out!
No matter how independent you are, sometimes it can be really hard to be alone. It's Friday night, and I'm on my own tonight. Staying in a hostel, and right now I'd love to grab a burger and a beer. But as it's Friday night, every place is packed, and I'm tired and not really up for flying solo in a packed place. It's weird. I'm on my own so much. I've been independent and have taken care of myself, 'just me', for over fifteen years now. But since I don't feel up to making conversation with strangers in a pub tonight, and since I'd feel like an idiot bringing my netbook or a real book out with me on a Friday night, I'm currently thinking of just grabbing fast food and coming back to my room. Seriously? FUCK THAT. That's not who I am. I can't let myself take the easy way out, it's just dinner! I'm gonna do it.... soon. I promise.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The weather here in Brisbane is so frustrating. Woke up this morning and it was nice and sunny out, so decided I'd head to the beach after breakfast. Then the sky became overcast and looked like it was going to break open into pouring rain any second. So I didn't leave. Then it looked sunny again. Then overcast. Now it looks like sunny. Maybe. ARGH! Oh well. I'm broke as fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck right now so if I don't do anything today the next two days, my last two in Brisbane, will be more enjoyable.
Tomorrow we're heading up to Mount Coot-tha, a mountain where you can look out over the entire city, with botanic gardens and waterfalls and stuff. Should be gorgeous. Saturday, my last day here, I'll hopefully be able to afford to grab a bus and head down to the Gold Coast, to Coolangata, to spend the day on one of the prettiest beaches around.
This week has been a little annoying, as I'm too broke to really do much and there isn't a whole lot to do in the city itself, all of the interesting things require a bit of cash and which I just don't have. Blargh. Got some cash coming to me from peoples back home in the next couple of days, and my tax refund should hopefully be deposited in the next few days, and then I'll be back on track.
Tomorrow we're heading up to Mount Coot-tha, a mountain where you can look out over the entire city, with botanic gardens and waterfalls and stuff. Should be gorgeous. Saturday, my last day here, I'll hopefully be able to afford to grab a bus and head down to the Gold Coast, to Coolangata, to spend the day on one of the prettiest beaches around.
This week has been a little annoying, as I'm too broke to really do much and there isn't a whole lot to do in the city itself, all of the interesting things require a bit of cash and which I just don't have. Blargh. Got some cash coming to me from peoples back home in the next couple of days, and my tax refund should hopefully be deposited in the next few days, and then I'll be back on track.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Brisbane is awesome so far. I don't think I could have picked a better place to spend my week of being broke as fuck. Heading out in a few minutes to meet up with J, the British boy from the Belizean sandy beach adventure. The people who live at the house I'm staying with are amazing. Should spend time up at waterfalls in the hills and on beaches on the Sunshine Coast at some point this week. Then by the end of the week I will hopefully have a bit more money in my bank account and I can party hard here before heading to Alice Springs on Sunday.
OH! And there is a KITTY at this house! First cat I've seen here, and he's so handsome. Like my Mr. Pawsborne but older and more distinguished. Yes, I called a cat distinguished :D
OH! And there is a KITTY at this house! First cat I've seen here, and he's so handsome. Like my Mr. Pawsborne but older and more distinguished. Yes, I called a cat distinguished :D
Sunday, April 3, 2011
I'm going to like it here in Brisbane. Fuck yes. Just arrived at the fucking beautiful house I'm staying in (thanks to a friend of a friend of a friend), immediately was offered a drink of vodka and I can hear the people who live here jamming downstairs, and once they're done we're heading to someone's birthday in a park. Ahhhhh life is good!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Goddamn I love free wifi. I'm currently sitting on the curb at the Brisbane airport, waiting for my bus into the CBD (That's Central Business District, my Canadian friends, that's what it's called instead of downtown), and while I wait I'm using the airports wifi to figure out how to get where I'm going, and also to download episodes of Modern Family. Got off the plane with no idea how to get where I'm going. Asked the shuttle bus lady and she said i could get out at the Convention Centre and take a bus from there. But OOOH thanks to googlemaps, I now know it's only a 20 minute walk from the CC to the place I'm staying. Aaaaaaah. I love teh intrawebs.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Friday in the rainforest
What an incredible day. I am so in love with life right now.
Part of why I came to Cairns was to spend time in the Atherton Tablelands, so thats where I headed today. Took the Kuranda Scenic Railway, an old steam train, up the hills into the rainforest. Stopped to see the Barron Falls, it was beautiful. I joke on this trip about 'how did people travel before digital cameras and wi-fi?', but more and more I realize it's not a joke, technology has overtaken everything. When we stopped at the falls, almost every person stepping off the train already had their camera up - like they couldn't miss a second of this being recorded. I don't understand, because if you're always more concerned about taking photos, that's the only memory you'll have. You wont' have an actual memory in your mind about how it felt to be there. I did take photos of course, but I also just stood there and drank it in. The cool breeze coming off the water, the mist in the air, the power of the falls. Beautiful.
Got off the train in Kuranda and fought my way through the hordes of tour groups, and went up the stairs - to the left, the town. To the right, the river. I am literally the only person who turned right, which meant I had the rainforest all to myself! There are a bunch of self-guided trails that take you along the river and through the rainforest, and since it was just me I could go at whatever pace I wanted to, and just stop and listen to the trees. It was incredible. Technology was also there, of course - just as I was thinking 'last time I was in the rainforest was with Ashley, I miss her', I got a text from her! HA! Texting from the rainforest. Love it.
From there I headed into town where I went and handfed some kangaroos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also saw a bunch of crocodiles, koalas, wallabies,and even a wombat. EEEEEEEEEK! My timing for the day was perfect, cause I got all my outdoors stuff in, and just as I sat down for lunch the sky broke open and it started pouring. I asked a lady in a shop for a plastic bag to put my purse in, and she gave me a rain poncho - and wouldn't let me pay her for it! So nice.
My day ended with a ride down over the rainforest in the Skyrail Cablecar. Floating in my own little car over all the trees, with another stop (and a different view)) at Barron Falls.
So many times today I just looked around and thought about how lucky I am to be here. I'm so happy I came.
Part of why I came to Cairns was to spend time in the Atherton Tablelands, so thats where I headed today. Took the Kuranda Scenic Railway, an old steam train, up the hills into the rainforest. Stopped to see the Barron Falls, it was beautiful. I joke on this trip about 'how did people travel before digital cameras and wi-fi?', but more and more I realize it's not a joke, technology has overtaken everything. When we stopped at the falls, almost every person stepping off the train already had their camera up - like they couldn't miss a second of this being recorded. I don't understand, because if you're always more concerned about taking photos, that's the only memory you'll have. You wont' have an actual memory in your mind about how it felt to be there. I did take photos of course, but I also just stood there and drank it in. The cool breeze coming off the water, the mist in the air, the power of the falls. Beautiful.
Got off the train in Kuranda and fought my way through the hordes of tour groups, and went up the stairs - to the left, the town. To the right, the river. I am literally the only person who turned right, which meant I had the rainforest all to myself! There are a bunch of self-guided trails that take you along the river and through the rainforest, and since it was just me I could go at whatever pace I wanted to, and just stop and listen to the trees. It was incredible. Technology was also there, of course - just as I was thinking 'last time I was in the rainforest was with Ashley, I miss her', I got a text from her! HA! Texting from the rainforest. Love it.
From there I headed into town where I went and handfed some kangaroos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also saw a bunch of crocodiles, koalas, wallabies,and even a wombat. EEEEEEEEEK! My timing for the day was perfect, cause I got all my outdoors stuff in, and just as I sat down for lunch the sky broke open and it started pouring. I asked a lady in a shop for a plastic bag to put my purse in, and she gave me a rain poncho - and wouldn't let me pay her for it! So nice.
My day ended with a ride down over the rainforest in the Skyrail Cablecar. Floating in my own little car over all the trees, with another stop (and a different view)) at Barron Falls.
So many times today I just looked around and thought about how lucky I am to be here. I'm so happy I came.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Last night we drove out to a beach in Port Douglas (unfortunately T & T couldn't come, which sucked! I came north at this time specifically to see them. Ah well, I'll see them when I get home!), where we made a fire and slept under the stars. So there I was, middle of the night, walking down a path in the woods with two men I've just met online, in a strange country. Hello horror movie much? Heh. Anyway. The stars were stars I've never seen before, like the southern cross. Very cool. Woke up to the fire still burning and the sun just starting to rise over the horizon.
Realized this morning that THIS was what I'd come here for. To see and do things I've never done before, and may never again. It doesn't matter if I wake up hungover like in Melbourne and don't really know the people around me, cause I'm HERE. YAY :D :D :D :D
Then I spent the day snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef!!!!! SO AMAZING. We went to three spots, the last one was called Turtle Bay but sadly we did not see any turtles :(
Tomorrow I'm taking the train up into Kuranda, which will be my last activity until Uluru. I'm almost fucking BROKE, this place is expensive to begin with and I've been doing any and every thing I can imagine, and then I almost had a heart attack when looking at my bank account yesterday. Got some money coming to me from hom next week and that should get me through til the end. Not too bad though - half the trip doing whatever I want, half the trip scrounging like a traveler should be. Next week will involve lots of cheap relaxation on the beaches in Brisbane :D
After Brisbane, I'm flying to Alice Springs, for a three-day trip out to Uluru and surroundings, then taking the Ghan train down to Adelaide, which means I'll get to stop in at Coober Pedy - yay underground mines! Then two days in Sydney, and back to Melbourne, then home.
Realized this morning that THIS was what I'd come here for. To see and do things I've never done before, and may never again. It doesn't matter if I wake up hungover like in Melbourne and don't really know the people around me, cause I'm HERE. YAY :D :D :D :D
Then I spent the day snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef!!!!! SO AMAZING. We went to three spots, the last one was called Turtle Bay but sadly we did not see any turtles :(
Tomorrow I'm taking the train up into Kuranda, which will be my last activity until Uluru. I'm almost fucking BROKE, this place is expensive to begin with and I've been doing any and every thing I can imagine, and then I almost had a heart attack when looking at my bank account yesterday. Got some money coming to me from hom next week and that should get me through til the end. Not too bad though - half the trip doing whatever I want, half the trip scrounging like a traveler should be. Next week will involve lots of cheap relaxation on the beaches in Brisbane :D
After Brisbane, I'm flying to Alice Springs, for a three-day trip out to Uluru and surroundings, then taking the Ghan train down to Adelaide, which means I'll get to stop in at Coober Pedy - yay underground mines! Then two days in Sydney, and back to Melbourne, then home.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Well, two days of feeling blah aren't so bad. Today I woke up feeling great, the next three days are going to be some of the most exciting of my entire life.
Today I'm going skydiving. This evening, the guy I'm staying with and his friend and I are going to meet up with T & T from home and drink on the beach under the stars. Tomorrow I'm snorkelling the great barrier reef. Friday I'm taking a steamtrain into Kuranda and coming back on the skyrail.
And I've found a place to stay in Brisbane! With a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend. HA! People are amazing. Life is good :D
Three weeks left of my trip. WOW. It's half over already, I can't believe it.
Today I'm going skydiving. This evening, the guy I'm staying with and his friend and I are going to meet up with T & T from home and drink on the beach under the stars. Tomorrow I'm snorkelling the great barrier reef. Friday I'm taking a steamtrain into Kuranda and coming back on the skyrail.
And I've found a place to stay in Brisbane! With a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend. HA! People are amazing. Life is good :D
Three weeks left of my trip. WOW. It's half over already, I can't believe it.
The next week of my trip will probably be the loneliest, and it's an odd feeling. So far I've been with people I knew years ago, or friends of friends that I got along with instantly, so although I've been alone for most activities, I've still had people to come home to and hang out with at the end of the day. I definitely lucked out in Melbourne, and people there are giving me hookups for Brisbane, so it looks like here will be the only place I'm stuck without any decent people to hang out with.
Now I'm in a place where I know noone, and I'm currently sitting on a patio at a backpackers, having a pint of beer in the sun. But I realize I don't exactly fit in with a lot of the travellers around. There are two groups of people sitting near me right now, and I find nothing appealing about either of them. Sometimes I think maybe I'm a judgemental bitch, but I really think it's that I'd just rather be alone than spend time with people I don't really have anything in common with. You should have seen the look on the face of the guy I'm couchsurfing with now when I said I'd crashed at a squat in Melbourne. People here are kind of separated into backpackers, and yuppies. I'm neither. I may be here with a backpack, but I've got the cash to go and do a lot of things mostly just yuppies do so I kind of stick out around the backpackers. I can sleep in a squat and love it and spend my money on beer instead of accomodations but if I was stuck I wouldn't have to sleep outside, I could rent a room somewhere. So it's a little odd.
Now I'm in a place where I know noone, and I'm currently sitting on a patio at a backpackers, having a pint of beer in the sun. But I realize I don't exactly fit in with a lot of the travellers around. There are two groups of people sitting near me right now, and I find nothing appealing about either of them. Sometimes I think maybe I'm a judgemental bitch, but I really think it's that I'd just rather be alone than spend time with people I don't really have anything in common with. You should have seen the look on the face of the guy I'm couchsurfing with now when I said I'd crashed at a squat in Melbourne. People here are kind of separated into backpackers, and yuppies. I'm neither. I may be here with a backpack, but I've got the cash to go and do a lot of things mostly just yuppies do so I kind of stick out around the backpackers. I can sleep in a squat and love it and spend my money on beer instead of accomodations but if I was stuck I wouldn't have to sleep outside, I could rent a room somewhere. So it's a little odd.
Monday, March 28, 2011
All I wanted to do today was sit around and feel hungover and rejected and sorry for myself, but luckily, since you have to buy plane tickets in advance, I had no choice but to get my ass in gear and get on my plane. Which is good. It's one of the things about taking a short trip (I know some of you may think calling a six-week trip short is crazy, but in travellers time it really is) but you don't get to have a lot of time-wasting day or feeling crappy/lazy days.
Oh well. I got on my plane and made it to Cairns. Staying here with someone from couchsurfing, the guy is a great host already he picked me up from the airport and has a spare room, washing machine (YAY laundry), and he even has spare adapters in my room so I can charge more than one thing at a time.
Should be hooking up with Tom and Tara tomorrow, yay! Haven't spoken with her in a couple of days but hopefully will by the morning. Then Wednesday, thinking of going to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, Thursday possibly bungee jump in the rainforest, Friday taking a trip into Kuranda, then may head down to Brisbane on Saturday but not sure yet. Might not head that way til Sunday or something. Should be meeting up with J there, the dude from the sandy beach adventure waaaaaaaaaaay back in Caye Caulker in December.
I'm really hoping I wake up tomorrow and feel better. Feeling blah while on a vacation is the worst. If I can't get out of this funk, it'll waste my time and money being here. Grrrrrr.
Oh well. I got on my plane and made it to Cairns. Staying here with someone from couchsurfing, the guy is a great host already he picked me up from the airport and has a spare room, washing machine (YAY laundry), and he even has spare adapters in my room so I can charge more than one thing at a time.
Should be hooking up with Tom and Tara tomorrow, yay! Haven't spoken with her in a couple of days but hopefully will by the morning. Then Wednesday, thinking of going to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, Thursday possibly bungee jump in the rainforest, Friday taking a trip into Kuranda, then may head down to Brisbane on Saturday but not sure yet. Might not head that way til Sunday or something. Should be meeting up with J there, the dude from the sandy beach adventure waaaaaaaaaaay back in Caye Caulker in December.
I'm really hoping I wake up tomorrow and feel better. Feeling blah while on a vacation is the worst. If I can't get out of this funk, it'll waste my time and money being here. Grrrrrr.
Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh
Hangover days are much better at home. Woke up today feeling like a sack of crap, and for the first time since I arrived I really wished I was at home. Spent the morning/afternoon sitting around just chilling with a few people in Essendon, and while everyone was really nice, it was so odd to be feeling so shitty and hanging out with strangers. Not seeing real friends. Felt especially crappy cause the closest person I had to a friend here, CNZ guy, took off last night without saying anything to me, which made my hangover feeling crappy day feel even worse. Wish I could have been home with my felines snuggled in around me.
But, c'est la vie. One shitty day out of 2.5 weeks ain't so bad.
Off to Cairns now!
But, c'est la vie. One shitty day out of 2.5 weeks ain't so bad.
Off to Cairns now!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
It's been two weeks since I arrived in this country. Barely more than a week since I've left Melbourne. I can't fucking believe everything that's happened since then. Hahah no wonder my body feels like jelly right now, I'm exhausted!
Tonight is my last night with Lisa and my last night in Western Australia. I can't stress enough to anyone considering visiting this country - COME TO WA!!!!! All of the travel books will tell you that Perth is a hidden secret of this country and they are correct. It is so beautiful here. I've been so spoiled getting to stay with Lisa, she's such a sweetheart and I'm happy to have been able to catch up with her. Hahahaha although I don't think she liked it much when I accidentally flashed her and her boy in the ocean today, HAHAH! I popped up saying 'Ha the water almost pantsed me!', not realizing I was falling out of half my top. OOPS! Ah well, in Canada I'd say everyone one my friends has seen my tatas at some point so it had to happen over here at some point too :P
Back to Melbourne in the morning for ultra party time, then Cairns Monday.
Tonight is my last night with Lisa and my last night in Western Australia. I can't stress enough to anyone considering visiting this country - COME TO WA!!!!! All of the travel books will tell you that Perth is a hidden secret of this country and they are correct. It is so beautiful here. I've been so spoiled getting to stay with Lisa, she's such a sweetheart and I'm happy to have been able to catch up with her. Hahahaha although I don't think she liked it much when I accidentally flashed her and her boy in the ocean today, HAHAH! I popped up saying 'Ha the water almost pantsed me!', not realizing I was falling out of half my top. OOPS! Ah well, in Canada I'd say everyone one my friends has seen my tatas at some point so it had to happen over here at some point too :P
Back to Melbourne in the morning for ultra party time, then Cairns Monday.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Faaaaaaaaaaail
Well it looks like I'm going to fail big time on my first night alone. Checked into this adorable little hostel, the teevee room is full of dudes who work in the local vineyards (although they're all just playing computer games and watching game shows, not very exciting), and I can barely keep my eyes open. The last two nights I've had a room all to myself and ample time to sleep, but nooooo I couldn't sleep, I've been waking up at 6am on my own, every day, since my last morning in Melbourne last Thursday. And now, here I am, my first night alone and chance to be social with other travellers, and I'm going to pass out very soon. It's not even 6pm.
Now granted, I've been sitting on a sunny patio drinking beer since 2pm, and I do have to be energized for the rock climbing tomorrow, but still. LAME. Grrr. Id been thinking about doing a surf lesson, but the town isn' on the beach and I got here too late to try and get transport or anything. Plus I really need to stop spending so much. This is a problem about spending only one night in a place - there's almost no point in trying to socialize with the people here, cause once I go to sleep tonight, I'll never see any of them again cause I'll be checking out at 8am. Ah well.
Now granted, I've been sitting on a sunny patio drinking beer since 2pm, and I do have to be energized for the rock climbing tomorrow, but still. LAME. Grrr. Id been thinking about doing a surf lesson, but the town isn' on the beach and I got here too late to try and get transport or anything. Plus I really need to stop spending so much. This is a problem about spending only one night in a place - there's almost no point in trying to socialize with the people here, cause once I go to sleep tonight, I'll never see any of them again cause I'll be checking out at 8am. Ah well.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Margaret River, WA
Heading down to Margaret River today. Wanted to go for two nights, but the bus didn't match up with my return from Exmouth yesterday. Oh well. This afternoon I may sign up for my first ever surf lesson, this is one of the top surfing spots in the world so I think I kinda have to! Tomorrow I'm going abseiling and rock climbing (http://www.margaretriver.com/tours2/margaret-river-climbing-co/?tourcode=16373). So excited.
This will be my first night all on my own since I left, weird! I've been very lucky so far, with a comfortable place to stay every night, incredible hosts, and plenty of privacy - except for the nights I stayed in Essendon, I had my own room and everything (not that I'm complaining about not having my own room in Essendon, hehehehehe). And now that I think of it, tonight will be the only night alone until Brisbane at least, if not Alice Springs, which means it's almost two weeks away. So I will enjoy this! Or be really bored, hahaha.
The whole Exmouth debacle ended up being by far the most expensive part of my trip. It cost me 200 to change my ticket date, so with the flight, and the insanely expensive (but totally worth it) whale shark tour, I spent over a weeks budget in three days. Have to play a bit of catch up the next few days, I don't want to get to the end of my trip and be scrounging.
This will be my first night all on my own since I left, weird! I've been very lucky so far, with a comfortable place to stay every night, incredible hosts, and plenty of privacy - except for the nights I stayed in Essendon, I had my own room and everything (not that I'm complaining about not having my own room in Essendon, hehehehehe). And now that I think of it, tonight will be the only night alone until Brisbane at least, if not Alice Springs, which means it's almost two weeks away. So I will enjoy this! Or be really bored, hahaha.
The whole Exmouth debacle ended up being by far the most expensive part of my trip. It cost me 200 to change my ticket date, so with the flight, and the insanely expensive (but totally worth it) whale shark tour, I spent over a weeks budget in three days. Have to play a bit of catch up the next few days, I don't want to get to the end of my trip and be scrounging.
Exmouth, Western Australia
Well this was the first time in months I've made it through airport security without any additional screening. When Ash and I flew to Belize, we had to step into the full body scan. On my way back, they pulled me out of the line boarding the plane and gave me a full pat down and tore through my bag (after I'd already passed airport security initially). When I boarded my first flight out of Ottawa for this trip, they searched my bags for traces of explosives. On my way into Sydney, they took me in a little room and asked me a bunch of questions and made me sign that my answers were true. Although not once on this trip have I been asked the questions I'm used to receiving, about employment or travel plans. Weird!
So I'm currently at the Exmouth airport, heading back to Perth. Going to spend the night with Lisa again (she's the cutest hostest EVER, god I've missed this girl!), and we're going to eat at the same place we went Saturday so we can ogle the hot boys again.
My 48 hours in Exmouth have been exciting, relaxing, and terrifying. It's a very teeny little town, when I called the airport shuttle today they immediately said 'we'll pick you up at 11:50', as they didn't have to ask what flight I was on as it's the only one. The people are very friendly, and there are a group of American military guys here who are constantly hosting couchsurfers, it was very welcoming. I had my own room and everything!
I'd planned to come here initially to do my scuba course. Once that failed I decided to come just a few days, and snorkel around Coral Bay and Shark Bay, but when I got here this marine biologist who is also staying at the place I stayed was all, you HAVE to go see the whale sharks, people come from all over the world for this. So I did, and it was amazing. At one point we jumped off the boat and headed over to the shark, and without realizing it I'd floated right over him, I looked down and he was right beneath me, his blue body glowing with white dots. So incredible. We swam with three different whale sharks, and on the way back at the end of the day we spotted dugongs! Got to see a mom and baby swimming along together.
The terrifying part happened at the beginning of the day. Our snorkel guide took me and the two other non-divers off the reef to snorkel around, without any care about where we all went, so I was constantly popping my head up to make sure I could still see them. Well, suddenly I pop up and I can see them all halfway back to the boat - I was all alone, the water was CHOPPY, and I'm still freaking myself out about the breathing problems. YAY. So I had to swim as fast as I could to get back alone, and as I didn't want to snorkel my way there as I didn't want to stray off path, I had my head up and kept getting water in my mouth. I'm not the world's strongest swimmer so this was actually really scary. Lame. I fucking LOST it on the snorkel guide when I got back, many of you have witnessed Angry Danielle and believe me this dude saw the worst. Fucker.
Anyway. Heading to Margaret River tomorrow, it's going to be gorgeous!
So I'm currently at the Exmouth airport, heading back to Perth. Going to spend the night with Lisa again (she's the cutest hostest EVER, god I've missed this girl!), and we're going to eat at the same place we went Saturday so we can ogle the hot boys again.
My 48 hours in Exmouth have been exciting, relaxing, and terrifying. It's a very teeny little town, when I called the airport shuttle today they immediately said 'we'll pick you up at 11:50', as they didn't have to ask what flight I was on as it's the only one. The people are very friendly, and there are a group of American military guys here who are constantly hosting couchsurfers, it was very welcoming. I had my own room and everything!
I'd planned to come here initially to do my scuba course. Once that failed I decided to come just a few days, and snorkel around Coral Bay and Shark Bay, but when I got here this marine biologist who is also staying at the place I stayed was all, you HAVE to go see the whale sharks, people come from all over the world for this. So I did, and it was amazing. At one point we jumped off the boat and headed over to the shark, and without realizing it I'd floated right over him, I looked down and he was right beneath me, his blue body glowing with white dots. So incredible. We swam with three different whale sharks, and on the way back at the end of the day we spotted dugongs! Got to see a mom and baby swimming along together.
The terrifying part happened at the beginning of the day. Our snorkel guide took me and the two other non-divers off the reef to snorkel around, without any care about where we all went, so I was constantly popping my head up to make sure I could still see them. Well, suddenly I pop up and I can see them all halfway back to the boat - I was all alone, the water was CHOPPY, and I'm still freaking myself out about the breathing problems. YAY. So I had to swim as fast as I could to get back alone, and as I didn't want to snorkel my way there as I didn't want to stray off path, I had my head up and kept getting water in my mouth. I'm not the world's strongest swimmer so this was actually really scary. Lame. I fucking LOST it on the snorkel guide when I got back, many of you have witnessed Angry Danielle and believe me this dude saw the worst. Fucker.
Anyway. Heading to Margaret River tomorrow, it's going to be gorgeous!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Exmouth, WA
Today I:
Snorkeled off the Ningaloo Reef
Had my snorkeling guide swim back to the boat and leave me alone in giant swells of water 100 metres from the boat
Swam beside three whale sharks
Saw a mommy and baby dugong
Got a pretty bad sunburn on my back
Saw an old shipwreck
Was in the passenger seat of a car that hit a kangaroo
What a crazy day, and it's not even 8pm!
Snorkeled off the Ningaloo Reef
Had my snorkeling guide swim back to the boat and leave me alone in giant swells of water 100 metres from the boat
Swam beside three whale sharks
Saw a mommy and baby dugong
Got a pretty bad sunburn on my back
Saw an old shipwreck
Was in the passenger seat of a car that hit a kangaroo
What a crazy day, and it's not even 8pm!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
FUCK MY LUNGS, I'm having a smoke
Not exactly to do with my travels, but it effects it, and this is also my only place to rant so you have no choice but to read my rant about my crappy lungs (yes, I am aware you could simply close the browser window, but in my mind you absolutely must read what I write if you've made the effort to come here, hahahaha).
Since I failed the dive medical I've had to try really hard to not let it get me down. Its not just the diving that sucks - I'm still going to both Ningaloo Reef and the Great Barrier Reef, and the snorkeling will be absolutely breaktaking, so no huge deal. But once I sit and think about it, I realize the things my shitty lungs have already effected for me, and wonder what the fuck else is going to happen.
Here's the lowdown on my lungs and respiratory system:
I've pretty much always had some time of issue with my throat/lungs/breathing, now that I really think about it. Beginning around age 12-13, I consistently had strep throat/tonsilittis about every two months, before my tonsils were finally removed at age 14. I also began smoking at age 11, and was a half pack-pack a day smoker up until about 19. At nineteen I quit smoking, and at 23 I started working out on a fairy regular basis, and during this time I don't recall much of an issue. However, I always had problems running/jogging. In elementary school I remember crying in the washrooms during Canada Fitness days and such, because they'd make us run - and my face would get beet red, and I could barely breathe seconds into the run. I'd always just act then like I was too cool for running, and chose to walk instead. But really it's because I couldn't. In my mid-late 20s, I started jogging, on my own time, and eventually began to enjoy it. To love it actually. Some of my best memories of Ottawa are about waking up in my apartment near Lebreton Flats and jumping right into my running shoes, and waking up by jogging along the canal while the sun was rising and the ducks were just waking up. Then I got bronchitis. And it didn't go away. This was in 2009. I was so sick that year I stopped working out completely because it hurt so much, and I even had to cut a trip to NYC short because I was so sick. I would finally get better, only to get sick again about a month later. It was brutal. And I'd just go back to the doctor, who would give me the same spiel about 'if it gets worse again, come back', basically just ignoring me that I'd been barely able to breathe for months. I'd say it was about six months before that finally got out of my system. But since then, even though it's been about a year and a half, i've never felt I've had my full lung functions back. I still work out, but for only about half the time and half the intensity that I used to. I just can't do it anymore. I kept hoping if I just pushed myself it would come back, then in January this year I got sicker than I'd ever been before. I got pneumonia, which basically kept me bedridden unable to breathe for about a month. It was so bad the morning I finally pulled myself out of bed and into the cab to the doctor that I was crying in pain when they were making me do that breathing into a tube test (which is what made me fail the dive medical. You have to blow for six seconds, and hit a 75 minimum. I couldn't get past 4 and my scores ranged from 48-65).
So honestly, I wasn't surprised to fail the dive medical. It's actually not even a legal requirement here in Australia any longer, but I chose to do it anyway, and I'm glad I did, as diving with lungs like mine could actually kill me. Scary. But thats what makes me say WHAT THE FUCK. Even when I started smoking again about a year ago, I never smoked much. And I quit smoking back in December! Now I'm letting myself be stupid, I currently have a pack of cigarettes in my purse and know I'll be smoking again as soon as I crack a beer later today. What if my lungs get worse? What if end up not being able to hike up mountains, or rock climb, or do all of these other things I want to do? I never expected this. It's frustrating too because it's caused me to gain weight, because I can't exercise as I used to. Grrrrr.
Since I failed the dive medical I've had to try really hard to not let it get me down. Its not just the diving that sucks - I'm still going to both Ningaloo Reef and the Great Barrier Reef, and the snorkeling will be absolutely breaktaking, so no huge deal. But once I sit and think about it, I realize the things my shitty lungs have already effected for me, and wonder what the fuck else is going to happen.
Here's the lowdown on my lungs and respiratory system:
I've pretty much always had some time of issue with my throat/lungs/breathing, now that I really think about it. Beginning around age 12-13, I consistently had strep throat/tonsilittis about every two months, before my tonsils were finally removed at age 14. I also began smoking at age 11, and was a half pack-pack a day smoker up until about 19. At nineteen I quit smoking, and at 23 I started working out on a fairy regular basis, and during this time I don't recall much of an issue. However, I always had problems running/jogging. In elementary school I remember crying in the washrooms during Canada Fitness days and such, because they'd make us run - and my face would get beet red, and I could barely breathe seconds into the run. I'd always just act then like I was too cool for running, and chose to walk instead. But really it's because I couldn't. In my mid-late 20s, I started jogging, on my own time, and eventually began to enjoy it. To love it actually. Some of my best memories of Ottawa are about waking up in my apartment near Lebreton Flats and jumping right into my running shoes, and waking up by jogging along the canal while the sun was rising and the ducks were just waking up. Then I got bronchitis. And it didn't go away. This was in 2009. I was so sick that year I stopped working out completely because it hurt so much, and I even had to cut a trip to NYC short because I was so sick. I would finally get better, only to get sick again about a month later. It was brutal. And I'd just go back to the doctor, who would give me the same spiel about 'if it gets worse again, come back', basically just ignoring me that I'd been barely able to breathe for months. I'd say it was about six months before that finally got out of my system. But since then, even though it's been about a year and a half, i've never felt I've had my full lung functions back. I still work out, but for only about half the time and half the intensity that I used to. I just can't do it anymore. I kept hoping if I just pushed myself it would come back, then in January this year I got sicker than I'd ever been before. I got pneumonia, which basically kept me bedridden unable to breathe for about a month. It was so bad the morning I finally pulled myself out of bed and into the cab to the doctor that I was crying in pain when they were making me do that breathing into a tube test (which is what made me fail the dive medical. You have to blow for six seconds, and hit a 75 minimum. I couldn't get past 4 and my scores ranged from 48-65).
So honestly, I wasn't surprised to fail the dive medical. It's actually not even a legal requirement here in Australia any longer, but I chose to do it anyway, and I'm glad I did, as diving with lungs like mine could actually kill me. Scary. But thats what makes me say WHAT THE FUCK. Even when I started smoking again about a year ago, I never smoked much. And I quit smoking back in December! Now I'm letting myself be stupid, I currently have a pack of cigarettes in my purse and know I'll be smoking again as soon as I crack a beer later today. What if my lungs get worse? What if end up not being able to hike up mountains, or rock climb, or do all of these other things I want to do? I never expected this. It's frustrating too because it's caused me to gain weight, because I can't exercise as I used to. Grrrrr.
I've been here a bit over a week now, and I'm still amazed by the fact that I'm really here. I'm in fucking AUSTRALIA! I'm on the plane right now heading from Perth to Exmouth, and I feel like pinching myself as I gaze out the window. I've been here ten days, and each day has been one of the best ever. And still I've barely touched on anything I'm going to experience here. I have yet to snorkel, surf, and do anything in the outback. I honestly don't know how I spent 30 years of my life barely leaving Canada. Well actually I know the answer to that, MONEY, hahaha. Being here though has also made me realize I have taken advantage of very little that Canada itself has to offer. At the beginning of winter last year, I swore to myself I would go skiing. I didn't. I've been through the Rocky Mountains once, and that was over a decade ago. I've never been to the east coast. WTF. So this is all going to change. I'm going to get my licence when I get back (I'm thinking of getting my motorcycle license, as I believe you G1 comes with it automatically, so why not). Once I have a car (or motorcycle, fuck yeah) I have no excuse to not drive everywhere back home. I also talked to Pudge about doing a road trip to the east coast, and he seemed genuinely excited about it, so looks like I'll be heading to Moncton and Halifax at some point this summer, fuck yes!
I already would love to extend my trip out here, but at least a couple of weeks. BUT, if I do that, I can't apply for a working holiday visa to return here. Turns out you can't apply once you turn 31 - but you can apply right up til your 31st birthday. When I get home, that gives me 9 days to submit my visa application, then I can look at coming back here and actually working and living here. Don't panic though my Canadian lovelies, as applying doesn't actually mean I'll do it - I just don't want to lose out on the chance, and once I turn 31 it's done. I would LOVE to come back here for a year or two, I know it already. But then it would get into the issues of what to do with my kitties. I hate the fact that once I'm away from them, in another part of the world, I have to honestly admit there is a part of me that could be okay with leaving them behind. WHAT. Yes, I really said that. But saying that makes another part of me panic and think WTF is wrong with you! They could always come with me, but they'd be subject to 180 days of quarantine (although 150 could be done while still in Canada), and they'd have to have so many vet appts and vaccinations, it would cost me literally thousands of dollars to do so. Plus I could never subject them to SIX MONTHS quarantine, that is just ludicrous. I love them too much. So leaving Canada permanently doesn't seem to be an option.... yet anyway. We'll see what happens.
I'm definitely going to apply for the visa, and definitely going to move to Montreal in September. I need to get the fuck out of Ottawa. I love the handful of real, good friends I have there, but I'm sorry everyone, Ottawa really is a pit of laziness, drama, and non-motivation. I need to be in a city where people enjoy being there, where you can walk outside on any day and actually make something happen. So, once I get back, I'll begin French lessons, and hopefully by the end of the summer be bilingual enough that I can get a job in Montreal once I get there. Purrhaps if I live in Montreal, I won't feel the need to move to a country I travel to, but I'll actually be happy enough just with the travelling.
I think Thailand is next on the agenda. But what deters me from there is how close so many other amazing places are. If I'm so close to Laos/Cambodia/Vietnam/Nepal/Japan (so sad about Japan right now), how can I not go there too? That journey would have to be at least 3 months I think, unless I limit myself to one/two countries like I did this time, which would make 6 weeks sufficient. I also NEED to come back to Oz though, so I can spend time in Tasmania, and head over to New Zealand as well. So many places to go, so little time... I still want to go back to school September after next (2012 start date), and I really can't push that date back more than one year after that, or I'll be too damned old! Fuck I hate being old enough that things like that actually become a concern - I can no longer think of having a child 'someday', because I have less than ten fertile years and even less that I'd actually want to start a family in, I really wouldn't want to become a mom after about 36 - so five years left? Fuuuuuck. And I want to start a business. Hmmmm. Purrhaps I'll leave the bakery until I'm old and grey, and I'll spend my years with my baby strapped to my chest (and the kitties following on leashes? hahaha) while I clamber all over mountains all over the world. Who knows what time will bring.
I already would love to extend my trip out here, but at least a couple of weeks. BUT, if I do that, I can't apply for a working holiday visa to return here. Turns out you can't apply once you turn 31 - but you can apply right up til your 31st birthday. When I get home, that gives me 9 days to submit my visa application, then I can look at coming back here and actually working and living here. Don't panic though my Canadian lovelies, as applying doesn't actually mean I'll do it - I just don't want to lose out on the chance, and once I turn 31 it's done. I would LOVE to come back here for a year or two, I know it already. But then it would get into the issues of what to do with my kitties. I hate the fact that once I'm away from them, in another part of the world, I have to honestly admit there is a part of me that could be okay with leaving them behind. WHAT. Yes, I really said that. But saying that makes another part of me panic and think WTF is wrong with you! They could always come with me, but they'd be subject to 180 days of quarantine (although 150 could be done while still in Canada), and they'd have to have so many vet appts and vaccinations, it would cost me literally thousands of dollars to do so. Plus I could never subject them to SIX MONTHS quarantine, that is just ludicrous. I love them too much. So leaving Canada permanently doesn't seem to be an option.... yet anyway. We'll see what happens.
I'm definitely going to apply for the visa, and definitely going to move to Montreal in September. I need to get the fuck out of Ottawa. I love the handful of real, good friends I have there, but I'm sorry everyone, Ottawa really is a pit of laziness, drama, and non-motivation. I need to be in a city where people enjoy being there, where you can walk outside on any day and actually make something happen. So, once I get back, I'll begin French lessons, and hopefully by the end of the summer be bilingual enough that I can get a job in Montreal once I get there. Purrhaps if I live in Montreal, I won't feel the need to move to a country I travel to, but I'll actually be happy enough just with the travelling.
I think Thailand is next on the agenda. But what deters me from there is how close so many other amazing places are. If I'm so close to Laos/Cambodia/Vietnam/Nepal/Japan (so sad about Japan right now), how can I not go there too? That journey would have to be at least 3 months I think, unless I limit myself to one/two countries like I did this time, which would make 6 weeks sufficient. I also NEED to come back to Oz though, so I can spend time in Tasmania, and head over to New Zealand as well. So many places to go, so little time... I still want to go back to school September after next (2012 start date), and I really can't push that date back more than one year after that, or I'll be too damned old! Fuck I hate being old enough that things like that actually become a concern - I can no longer think of having a child 'someday', because I have less than ten fertile years and even less that I'd actually want to start a family in, I really wouldn't want to become a mom after about 36 - so five years left? Fuuuuuck. And I want to start a business. Hmmmm. Purrhaps I'll leave the bakery until I'm old and grey, and I'll spend my years with my baby strapped to my chest (and the kitties following on leashes? hahaha) while I clamber all over mountains all over the world. Who knows what time will bring.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Western Australia rules!
WOW do I ever love it over here. This morning Lisa and I woke up bright and early at 6am, met up with a friend of hers, and drove over to Rockingham to go kayaking off Shoalwater Bay. It was my first time kayaking and it took me a bit of circling around to get the hang of it, but I made it through three hours of kayaking through pretty choppy waters so YAY me. My arms will probably hate me tomorrow though. We paddled over to Lion Island first to check out the sea lions, they're such funny little creatures. Then over to Penguin Island, which was stunningly beautiful. The little chubby penguins were so cute!
We then drove over to Cotteslau to get ice cream and walk around the beach. Very, very gorgeous area, but a bit too crowded of a beach for my liking.
Then Lisa and I came back to Perth and we went out for dinner where we got the best service I've received so far in Oz (Lisa said the best she ever has too and she's been here six years), and my GOD were the boys that worked there ever gorgeous. Definitely going back to eat there when I come back later this week :D
Tomorrow I fly to Exmouth, to check out the Ningaloo Reef and snorkel around Coral Bay. Wednesday I'm heading down to Margaret River, which will be my first night actually on my own since I arrived. Booked a cute little room, and I'll be getting there mid-afternoon so I might go get a surf lesson that afternoon but I'll see what happens. Thursday I'm going abseiling and rock climbing, then coming back to Perth to spend Thursday night and Friday with Lisa and her boy. If they're not working Friday we're going out to Rottnest Island, so I have my fingers crossed as I've heard nothing but awesome things about out there. Then Saturday, back to Melbourne for the weekend!
Today was AMAZING. I'm falling in love with this country, BIG TIME. The weather, the people, the scenery, the incredible activities available, the very, very cute boys... the list goes on and on. I could see myself living here for a very, very long time. Don't tell Ashley.
We then drove over to Cotteslau to get ice cream and walk around the beach. Very, very gorgeous area, but a bit too crowded of a beach for my liking.
Then Lisa and I came back to Perth and we went out for dinner where we got the best service I've received so far in Oz (Lisa said the best she ever has too and she's been here six years), and my GOD were the boys that worked there ever gorgeous. Definitely going back to eat there when I come back later this week :D
Tomorrow I fly to Exmouth, to check out the Ningaloo Reef and snorkel around Coral Bay. Wednesday I'm heading down to Margaret River, which will be my first night actually on my own since I arrived. Booked a cute little room, and I'll be getting there mid-afternoon so I might go get a surf lesson that afternoon but I'll see what happens. Thursday I'm going abseiling and rock climbing, then coming back to Perth to spend Thursday night and Friday with Lisa and her boy. If they're not working Friday we're going out to Rottnest Island, so I have my fingers crossed as I've heard nothing but awesome things about out there. Then Saturday, back to Melbourne for the weekend!
Today was AMAZING. I'm falling in love with this country, BIG TIME. The weather, the people, the scenery, the incredible activities available, the very, very cute boys... the list goes on and on. I could see myself living here for a very, very long time. Don't tell Ashley.
Friday, March 18, 2011
I fucking failed my dive medical. Not too surprised, seeing as I just got over pneumonia in January. My lungs suck. So now my plans have to change.
A big piss off about this is that I just bought plane tickets to/from Exmouth earlier today - now, without doing the scuba, I don't need to go there at all, and def not for a week. It still is a gorgeous area, so I'm going to go there for two nights - and the change of plane ticket cost me over $200. Then I'll come back to Perth and hang with Lisa and her boy, then I'm deciding between the Pinnacles and Margaret River. Then I'll head back to Melbourne on Saturday for two nights and then up to Cairn on the following Monday. I'd planned to dive the reef up in Cairns, but I'll still get to surf and check out a lot of amazing shit. Small but expensive setback, oh well.
A big piss off about this is that I just bought plane tickets to/from Exmouth earlier today - now, without doing the scuba, I don't need to go there at all, and def not for a week. It still is a gorgeous area, so I'm going to go there for two nights - and the change of plane ticket cost me over $200. Then I'll come back to Perth and hang with Lisa and her boy, then I'm deciding between the Pinnacles and Margaret River. Then I'll head back to Melbourne on Saturday for two nights and then up to Cairn on the following Monday. I'd planned to dive the reef up in Cairns, but I'll still get to surf and check out a lot of amazing shit. Small but expensive setback, oh well.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
WOW it's hard to get around to other areas from Western Australia. I'm in Perth right now, heading to Exmouth on Sunday, and my next destination is Cairns, where I want to be on the 28th. There is NO WAY to get up to that spot from Exmouth. I tried looking for flights/buses any where north from Exmouth, like Broome or Darwin, nothing available on either Saturday or Sunday the 26 or 27. So instead, on the 26th I'm flying back to Perth (no buses available), which is cool cause I'll get to spend more time with Lisa. Then I looked for flights to Cairns from Perth - they ALL stopped through Sydney or Melbourne, and were really expensive. So instead, I'm saving $100 by flying to Melbourne from Perth, then to Cairns from Melbourne. Totally backtracking, but it's cool cause instead of just laying over at the airport I'm going to fly to Melbourne on the Sunday, then to Cairns on the Monday, so I'll have another random night in Melbourne, which is fine with me! PARTY TIME!
My GOD is the weather in Perth incredible. Lisa picked me up at the airport yesterday, and she's just as adorable as ever! I'm so happy to be here with her, she made me a nice barbecue yesterday and we sat outside drinking wine and smoking cigarettes (eeeek I love having someone to sneak the occasional cigarette with!). Not sure what the plan is today for sure but I know my bikini and the Indian Ocean will be involved for sure :D
Sonofa...
I definitely have a crush. Fuck. Crushes are fun but I need to think about scuba diving, not cute boys!
I'm on the plane from Melbourne to Perth right now, which means my trip has really just begun. So far I've ventured out of Melbourne for the Great Ocean Road and the Grampians, but that's about a teeny little pinprick out of the Australian landscape. Its not just the boy that would have kept me in Melbourne longer though, it is a great city and I can see myself living there easily. Definitely a great start to this trip, I can't imagine what it would have been like if the last week had been spend somewhere I didn't feel comfortable. Although as I type that, I can't really imagine not feeling comfortable somewhere - I never want to leave New York or Vegas any time I go, and I wanted to stay forever in Belize and Guatemala. So maybe it's just that my mind and heart fall in love with each place I'm in and heading somewhere else makes it break a little. I remember I was almost in actual tears the morning I was driven out of Guatemala, because it was ending. I wanted to see MORE - well today I'm doing just that, I am going to see EVERYTHING. Only one week done, still five more to go - and only a bit more than four til I see the cute NZ guy again, aaaaaaaaaaaah. Waitaminute - isn't this blog supposed to be about my travels, not my romantic pursuits? Shit, sorry faithful readers (all what, five of you? hahahahaha).
As I said above, today really is when the journey begins. To do those two excursions out of Melbourne - whoa interjection, I'm watching 'Burlesque' at the moment here on the plane and Alan Cumming (fuck I love him), just told Xtina 'baby, I should wash your mouth out with Jagermeister'. AMAZING! Okay back to Melbourne. Both of those excursions had to be done with a tour group, as they were far out of the city and being a non-driver I had no way to get there myself. The rest of my trip should be tour-group free (I fucking hope at least). So from here on in it's all up to me. Once my scuba course ends next week, the only time I have a set destination is to be up in Cairns on the 28th to see Tom and Tara from home. I've been planning about ten days in that area, to dive the reef and learn to surf, and to wander around the tablelands, but I may shorten that up a bit and head down to Brisbane for a bit. J, the British boy I met on Caye Caulker is heading there, he's been in Melbourne the whole time I was there but we didn't meet up so purrhaps we'll get to have a beer in Brisbane, or maybe a litre of rum so we can pretend we're still in Belize (although here it'll cost $40, instead of $6), haha. Apparently it will be HOTTER here than there, YAY this has been the sunniest winter ever :D And Brisbane would be another place to dive, another place to try surfing, and if I pick myself up a tent it'll be a great place to camp out on the beach a few nights. That would be so amazing.
I've been here a week and am already heavily thinking of applying for a working visa to come back here. Apparently it's not too easy once you turn 31, which means I have nine days to submit the application once I get home. I did love Central America but never once thought about moving there, but a week here and I'm already curious how long my kitties would have to stay in quarantine for if I brought them over here with me to live with the 'roos.
I'm on the plane from Melbourne to Perth right now, which means my trip has really just begun. So far I've ventured out of Melbourne for the Great Ocean Road and the Grampians, but that's about a teeny little pinprick out of the Australian landscape. Its not just the boy that would have kept me in Melbourne longer though, it is a great city and I can see myself living there easily. Definitely a great start to this trip, I can't imagine what it would have been like if the last week had been spend somewhere I didn't feel comfortable. Although as I type that, I can't really imagine not feeling comfortable somewhere - I never want to leave New York or Vegas any time I go, and I wanted to stay forever in Belize and Guatemala. So maybe it's just that my mind and heart fall in love with each place I'm in and heading somewhere else makes it break a little. I remember I was almost in actual tears the morning I was driven out of Guatemala, because it was ending. I wanted to see MORE - well today I'm doing just that, I am going to see EVERYTHING. Only one week done, still five more to go - and only a bit more than four til I see the cute NZ guy again, aaaaaaaaaaaah. Waitaminute - isn't this blog supposed to be about my travels, not my romantic pursuits? Shit, sorry faithful readers (all what, five of you? hahahahaha).
As I said above, today really is when the journey begins. To do those two excursions out of Melbourne - whoa interjection, I'm watching 'Burlesque' at the moment here on the plane and Alan Cumming (fuck I love him), just told Xtina 'baby, I should wash your mouth out with Jagermeister'. AMAZING! Okay back to Melbourne. Both of those excursions had to be done with a tour group, as they were far out of the city and being a non-driver I had no way to get there myself. The rest of my trip should be tour-group free (I fucking hope at least). So from here on in it's all up to me. Once my scuba course ends next week, the only time I have a set destination is to be up in Cairns on the 28th to see Tom and Tara from home. I've been planning about ten days in that area, to dive the reef and learn to surf, and to wander around the tablelands, but I may shorten that up a bit and head down to Brisbane for a bit. J, the British boy I met on Caye Caulker is heading there, he's been in Melbourne the whole time I was there but we didn't meet up so purrhaps we'll get to have a beer in Brisbane, or maybe a litre of rum so we can pretend we're still in Belize (although here it'll cost $40, instead of $6), haha. Apparently it will be HOTTER here than there, YAY this has been the sunniest winter ever :D And Brisbane would be another place to dive, another place to try surfing, and if I pick myself up a tent it'll be a great place to camp out on the beach a few nights. That would be so amazing.
I've been here a week and am already heavily thinking of applying for a working visa to come back here. Apparently it's not too easy once you turn 31, which means I have nine days to submit the application once I get home. I did love Central America but never once thought about moving there, but a week here and I'm already curious how long my kitties would have to stay in quarantine for if I brought them over here with me to live with the 'roos.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
So far the thing that is striking me the most is just how incredibly nice and non-selfish people here are. When we were going through the sewers yesterday, any time one of us would slip a bit or say 'ow!', the others would immediately turn around and ask if you were alright. I've been offered beer by so many others. The people in the squat woke up after a three-day bender and immediately began cleaning up, to the point of even fixing a wooden chair that had been basically smashed to bits the night before. The hangover day was spent buildng a gate to keep the dogs in the yard and tending to the garden. These are the things that could keep me in a place like this.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Melbourne/Montreal
Quite a few people back home told me that Melbourne was quite similar to Montreal, and I figure they must be right, because I'm currently in a van being driven up into the Grampians and all I can think about is how I want to move to Montreal. No matter where I travel to, it always strikes me how I don't think of Ottawa as 'home'. I always love Montreal. I feel more at home there than in any other Canadian city. So I'm seriously thinking of packing up and moving there in September. Give myself a few months, learn French, so I can hopefully get a serving job when I get there. Just seems to make sense.
Anyway. Today is my last day in Melbourne, and I wish I had more time here! I'm excited as hell to get out of cities and see more outdoors. Lisa in Perth has already planned an awesome weekend for us, we're going to bike around an island, go snorkeling, see penguins, it's gonna rule. Then up to Exmouth and I'll be starting my scuba course on Monday! From there my plan has been to head up to Cairns, but there was an earthquake there yesterday so I'm not 100% if I'm going to head that way or not. Also thinking of hitting up Brisbane once I have my scuba, I hadn't planned on going that way but I read about an old shipwreck you can dive around and it sounds like something I don't want to miss. Plus D will be around there and he's been awesome to hang out with the last few days so it would be cool to hang out with him again. Yesterday we put on ninja turtle bandanas and ran around the sewers for a few hours with J and CNZ (cute new zealand) guy. Oh yes that's right, on this trip (for once), I'm not crushing on anyone with a British accent as per usual, this time it's CNZguy. Think I'll have to come back to Melbourne for more than just one night at the end of my trip, there's a gig on the 17th of April so I may come back here for that and spend my last three nights here. We'll see.
Now to put the computer away and go see some kangaroos!!!!
Anyway. Today is my last day in Melbourne, and I wish I had more time here! I'm excited as hell to get out of cities and see more outdoors. Lisa in Perth has already planned an awesome weekend for us, we're going to bike around an island, go snorkeling, see penguins, it's gonna rule. Then up to Exmouth and I'll be starting my scuba course on Monday! From there my plan has been to head up to Cairns, but there was an earthquake there yesterday so I'm not 100% if I'm going to head that way or not. Also thinking of hitting up Brisbane once I have my scuba, I hadn't planned on going that way but I read about an old shipwreck you can dive around and it sounds like something I don't want to miss. Plus D will be around there and he's been awesome to hang out with the last few days so it would be cool to hang out with him again. Yesterday we put on ninja turtle bandanas and ran around the sewers for a few hours with J and CNZ (cute new zealand) guy. Oh yes that's right, on this trip (for once), I'm not crushing on anyone with a British accent as per usual, this time it's CNZguy. Think I'll have to come back to Melbourne for more than just one night at the end of my trip, there's a gig on the 17th of April so I may come back here for that and spend my last three nights here. We'll see.
Now to put the computer away and go see some kangaroos!!!!
Monday, March 14, 2011
The Great Ocean Road
Currently in a tourist van on the way back to Melbourne after a day driving down the Great Ocean Road. Last night at the squat in Essendon everyone made fun of me for joining a tourist group, but as I don't drive and there was noone with a car to drive me, it really was my only option. As far as tourist trips goes, this wasn't bad at all: we stopped at Bells Beach (was I ever disappointed to discover that the final scene in Point Break was only pretending to be Bells Beach but was really shot in Oregan), did a little nature walk through some rainforest, stopped to see koalas, then went to see the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard gorge, and London Bridge.
Now my touristy crap is done for the day and I can't wait to get back into Melbourne. I think I'm finally over the awful jetlag, and I don't have any plans tomorrow, which means I can actually party tonight. I had a blast yesterday in Essendon, was the first real, functional squat I've ever seen and it was pretty rad. Totally have a boner for one of the dudes there too, the cute guy from New Zealand I met at a party on Saturday, hmmmmm. Wonder what tonight will bring :D Tomorrow he and I and D are running around the sewers all day apparently, ninja turtle eyewear and all. This should be hilarious. We were going to do it yesterday but it started to pour rain, and obv the sewers wouldn't be a smart idea in the rain. the grampians tour, then Thursday I'm flying over to the west coast to see Lisa, whom I haven't seen in about 8 or 9 years! That's exciting. Might also meet up with M, a dude I went to high school with. Cause you know, it's totally normal to see someone from high school for the first time in 13 years down here in Australia.
Now my touristy crap is done for the day and I can't wait to get back into Melbourne. I think I'm finally over the awful jetlag, and I don't have any plans tomorrow, which means I can actually party tonight. I had a blast yesterday in Essendon, was the first real, functional squat I've ever seen and it was pretty rad. Totally have a boner for one of the dudes there too, the cute guy from New Zealand I met at a party on Saturday, hmmmmm. Wonder what tonight will bring :D Tomorrow he and I and D are running around the sewers all day apparently, ninja turtle eyewear and all. This should be hilarious. We were going to do it yesterday but it started to pour rain, and obv the sewers wouldn't be a smart idea in the rain. the grampians tour, then Thursday I'm flying over to the west coast to see Lisa, whom I haven't seen in about 8 or 9 years! That's exciting. Might also meet up with M, a dude I went to high school with. Cause you know, it's totally normal to see someone from high school for the first time in 13 years down here in Australia.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Small differences
I think the differences stand out so much here because everything basically LOOKS the same, but then it's like, what???
When I got here on Friday I went up to a coffee shop and asked for a coffee. 'What kind of coffee?' she asked. I was like, um, a small one? She said 'Yes but a latte, a cappucino, a mocha...'. I said 'just a regular coffee, a black one?'. She looked at me like I was nuts, and proceeded to make me a very watery espresso-based black coffee drink. There is NO percolated coffee over here! So even at the 7-11 (the cheapest place to get a coffee by the way, it's only $2, everywhere else it's 3 or 4 dollars!), the counter guy has to go and brew you a fresh espresso drink while the other customers wait in line. So odd!
Also there is barely any wi-fi around. It's in every McDonalds (where I am now, so I could finally come online), but yesterday I walked past a million coffee shops and there was no wi-fi anywhere.
The prices on everything here are just insane too. My sausage mcmuffin breakfast (with extra hashbrown, I'm not ashamed!) just came to $8.
All of you back home would lose your minds to see the beer prices! If you buy two 24s of a certain beer, you can get a deal and get them both for $70. Otherwise they're $40 each. At a bar/restaurant, a bottle of beer is $8. But you don't have to tip - the people serving you are probably making at least $22 an hour, and it's only standard to tip about 5-10% if you receive exemplary service. Not tipping will take a while to get used to.
The weather here is incredibly gorgeous. And the sun is up from about 7am til 8 or 9pm. It's wonderful. I'm still crazy jetlagged though, which is annoying. Last night M and D brought me to a party that seemed pretty awesome, there was a really cute new zealand guy there who I recognized from Montreal that I was talking to, but by 10:30pm I could barely keep my eyes open. Granted I'd been up and out in the sun since 8am...but still. Big fucking FAIL on my part! Went home and slept right til 8:30 today. Lame lame lame. Was probably my only real party night here in Melbourne and I failed. Dammit.
When I got here on Friday I went up to a coffee shop and asked for a coffee. 'What kind of coffee?' she asked. I was like, um, a small one? She said 'Yes but a latte, a cappucino, a mocha...'. I said 'just a regular coffee, a black one?'. She looked at me like I was nuts, and proceeded to make me a very watery espresso-based black coffee drink. There is NO percolated coffee over here! So even at the 7-11 (the cheapest place to get a coffee by the way, it's only $2, everywhere else it's 3 or 4 dollars!), the counter guy has to go and brew you a fresh espresso drink while the other customers wait in line. So odd!
Also there is barely any wi-fi around. It's in every McDonalds (where I am now, so I could finally come online), but yesterday I walked past a million coffee shops and there was no wi-fi anywhere.
The prices on everything here are just insane too. My sausage mcmuffin breakfast (with extra hashbrown, I'm not ashamed!) just came to $8.
All of you back home would lose your minds to see the beer prices! If you buy two 24s of a certain beer, you can get a deal and get them both for $70. Otherwise they're $40 each. At a bar/restaurant, a bottle of beer is $8. But you don't have to tip - the people serving you are probably making at least $22 an hour, and it's only standard to tip about 5-10% if you receive exemplary service. Not tipping will take a while to get used to.
The weather here is incredibly gorgeous. And the sun is up from about 7am til 8 or 9pm. It's wonderful. I'm still crazy jetlagged though, which is annoying. Last night M and D brought me to a party that seemed pretty awesome, there was a really cute new zealand guy there who I recognized from Montreal that I was talking to, but by 10:30pm I could barely keep my eyes open. Granted I'd been up and out in the sun since 8am...but still. Big fucking FAIL on my part! Went home and slept right til 8:30 today. Lame lame lame. Was probably my only real party night here in Melbourne and I failed. Dammit.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Melbourne
Arrived yesterday after a 29-hour flight. Sitting in one spot in a darkened plane for 16-hours straight is NOT fun!
Was met downtown by M and D, two friends of friends who were awesome enough to offer me a place to crash and people to hang with. The weather outside was freaking AMAZING, so we grabbed some beers and sat in the sun to drink for a while. Didn't take long before I began to fade though, and we went back to M's where I passed out until 8 this morning. Eeek!
So today, my real first day here begins. It's 11am right now, and I've just booked myself on the following tours for while I'm here: Monday I'm doign the Great Ocean Road (http://gowest.com.au/great-ocean-road.html) and Wednesday I'm doing the Grampians (http://www.ecoplatypustours.com/tours/sov.htm). I also really want to do the Phillips Island tour (http://gowest.com.au/phillip-island-day-tour.html) and could do that Tuesday, but I don't want to book up all of my days just yet as I leave Thursday for Perth. So we'll see.
Right now I'm heading back to Ms where hopefully he's up and feels like spending the day out in the sun with me, it's SO gorgeous out right now!
Was met downtown by M and D, two friends of friends who were awesome enough to offer me a place to crash and people to hang with. The weather outside was freaking AMAZING, so we grabbed some beers and sat in the sun to drink for a while. Didn't take long before I began to fade though, and we went back to M's where I passed out until 8 this morning. Eeek!
So today, my real first day here begins. It's 11am right now, and I've just booked myself on the following tours for while I'm here: Monday I'm doign the Great Ocean Road (http://gowest.com.au/great-ocean-road.html) and Wednesday I'm doing the Grampians (http://www.ecoplatypustours.com/tours/sov.htm). I also really want to do the Phillips Island tour (http://gowest.com.au/phillip-island-day-tour.html) and could do that Tuesday, but I don't want to book up all of my days just yet as I leave Thursday for Perth. So we'll see.
Right now I'm heading back to Ms where hopefully he's up and feels like spending the day out in the sun with me, it's SO gorgeous out right now!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
On my way!
Sitting in the Ottawa airport, have about 45 minutes to kill before the plane to Washington boards. Then LA, then Melbourne!
I left my packing to literally the last minute, about 20 minutes before I had to catch a bus to the aiport I was still shoving stuff into my backpack. Hope I got everything I need, hahahha!
Was weird saying goodbye to the felines today, and I realized the weirdest part about it was the fact that someone else would be taking care of them for the next six weeks. I'm SO not used to having someone else take care of me/my responsibilities. So that was weird.
And on the bus on the way here, I thought about how my whole life is going to change in the next few days!!!! YAY!!!!
I left my packing to literally the last minute, about 20 minutes before I had to catch a bus to the aiport I was still shoving stuff into my backpack. Hope I got everything I need, hahahha!
Was weird saying goodbye to the felines today, and I realized the weirdest part about it was the fact that someone else would be taking care of them for the next six weeks. I'm SO not used to having someone else take care of me/my responsibilities. So that was weird.
And on the bus on the way here, I thought about how my whole life is going to change in the next few days!!!! YAY!!!!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Haven't even left yet, and already have the next trip booked, hahahah! Going to be hitting up Vegas again in May!!! FUCK YES!!! Going to the punkrockbowling music fest, I can't believe I am actually able to say I have tickets to see the Descendents! The weekend is going to be so amazing. So far there are seven people from here going, hopefully the list gets bigger and bigger!
Also, in exactly a week from now, I will be on board my final flight of my trip, from LA to Melbourne. EEEEEEEEEEEEK!
Also, in exactly a week from now, I will be on board my final flight of my trip, from LA to Melbourne. EEEEEEEEEEEEK!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
I love Couchsurfing!
Seriously. I've found people to crash with in both Exmouth and Cairns. This will make my trip SO much better, cause now I'll have people to show me around in most places i'm in, plus it will give me for money for party time, hahaha.
So my tentative plan below is going to work out it seems!
March 9 - leave Ottawa
March 11 - land in Melbourne
March 11-17 - stay in Melbourne, got a place to stay with Steves friend Matt. Pudge's friend Danny is also here, and that dude I met on Caye Caulker will also probs be here. Party time.
March 17 - fly to Perth (ticket already purchased!)
March 17-20 - stay in Perth with Lisa, who was one of my best friends while I was still in Toronto, she's already made me promise to make her pancakes every day, hahahahaha
March 20 - fly to Exmouth
March 20-27 - stay with some dude I found on couchsurfing. Take the Open Water diving course. Hells yes.
March 27 -28 - make my way up to Cairns, likely stopping in Broome or something along the way
March 28 - arrive in Cairns.
March 28 -April 3- Stay with some dude I met on couchsurfing. Hook up with Tom and Tara. Surf. Dive. Hike around the rainforest.
April 4-April 13- Make my way down to Uluru/Alice Springs/Flinders Ranges, etc. Hello outback! Probs hostel/camp for all of this.
April 14-Head over to Sydney. Possible hookup for a place through Steves friend Cat. Also apparently some dude I may know from Pembroke lives there, may hook up with him. Stay here about 4 days. CHeck out Blue Mountains, etc.
April 18 - head back to Melbourne. Party time.
April 20 - head back to Ottawa!
So my tentative plan below is going to work out it seems!
March 9 - leave Ottawa
March 11 - land in Melbourne
March 11-17 - stay in Melbourne, got a place to stay with Steves friend Matt. Pudge's friend Danny is also here, and that dude I met on Caye Caulker will also probs be here. Party time.
March 17 - fly to Perth (ticket already purchased!)
March 17-20 - stay in Perth with Lisa, who was one of my best friends while I was still in Toronto, she's already made me promise to make her pancakes every day, hahahahaha
March 20 - fly to Exmouth
March 20-27 - stay with some dude I found on couchsurfing. Take the Open Water diving course. Hells yes.
March 27 -28 - make my way up to Cairns, likely stopping in Broome or something along the way
March 28 - arrive in Cairns.
March 28 -April 3- Stay with some dude I met on couchsurfing. Hook up with Tom and Tara. Surf. Dive. Hike around the rainforest.
April 4-April 13- Make my way down to Uluru/Alice Springs/Flinders Ranges, etc. Hello outback! Probs hostel/camp for all of this.
April 14-Head over to Sydney. Possible hookup for a place through Steves friend Cat. Also apparently some dude I may know from Pembroke lives there, may hook up with him. Stay here about 4 days. CHeck out Blue Mountains, etc.
April 18 - head back to Melbourne. Party time.
April 20 - head back to Ottawa!
Three weeks!
In three weeks I leave, in three weeks and two days I land, hahaha! So excited. Realizing I'm totally fucking disorganized though, I still need to buy a backpack, hiking shoes, buy some plane tickets to fly around Australia, book my scuba course, book hostels, hahahaha basically do everything? Mebbe I should get on that. Later!!!!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Plans so far
Arrive in Melbourne March 11. Stay about 5 days. Steve 'introduced' me on facebook to some punks he knows, so hopefully I can crash there. Would be AMAZING to know people right away, and have people to party with/place to crash.
Head out of Melbourne around March 16. Wanted to check out Adelaide at this point, but no time if I want to get to Cairns when Tom and Tara are there. So head to Perth right from Melbourne (hopefully this works for Lisa), get there on the 17th. Stay in Perth about 3 days.
Head from Perth to Exmouth. This should be about the 20th. Here, I'll get my SCUBA certification and dive around coral bay. HELLS YES. Will be here at least 5 days, as the course itself is 4.
From here, I'd like to head straight to Cairns, as thats where Tom and Tara will be from the 28-31. But I can't find any direct ways to get from Exmouth to Cairns. I'll have to get to Broome somehow, and from there I can fly to Cairns. So, if I leave Exmouth on the 26, spend a day in Broome, then get to Cairns on the 28th.
This is where I think I'll spend a LOT of time. Gonna surf with Tom and Tara, then when they leave, I'll want to do a LOT of diving, and might finally skydive as well. And there is just SO MUCH stuff to do around here. Tjapukai, Fitzroy Island, and I get so crazy excited reading about Atherton Tablelands I almost wish I could pee myself. THe more I read, the more time I know I'll need. Lets see... surf/dive in Cairns from the 28-April 2, then spend time in Kuranda (Atherton), until April 7? Goddamn I need to research more.
From Kuranda I'll then head back into the middle, checking out Alice Springs/Uluru, then heading over to Flinders Ranges. This gets me to about April 15. HEad into Sydney, stay there about 3 days, checking out Blue Mountains, then back into Melbourne to leave on the 20th.
Uuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhh... okay I think I may be planning a bit too much. I really need to plan this better, I can already imagine I'll have to cut out the whole Exmouth plan and just head straight up to Cairns from Perth, it'll give me more time. But I don't wanna. I wanna do it all!
Head out of Melbourne around March 16. Wanted to check out Adelaide at this point, but no time if I want to get to Cairns when Tom and Tara are there. So head to Perth right from Melbourne (hopefully this works for Lisa), get there on the 17th. Stay in Perth about 3 days.
Head from Perth to Exmouth. This should be about the 20th. Here, I'll get my SCUBA certification and dive around coral bay. HELLS YES. Will be here at least 5 days, as the course itself is 4.
From here, I'd like to head straight to Cairns, as thats where Tom and Tara will be from the 28-31. But I can't find any direct ways to get from Exmouth to Cairns. I'll have to get to Broome somehow, and from there I can fly to Cairns. So, if I leave Exmouth on the 26, spend a day in Broome, then get to Cairns on the 28th.
This is where I think I'll spend a LOT of time. Gonna surf with Tom and Tara, then when they leave, I'll want to do a LOT of diving, and might finally skydive as well. And there is just SO MUCH stuff to do around here. Tjapukai, Fitzroy Island, and I get so crazy excited reading about Atherton Tablelands I almost wish I could pee myself. THe more I read, the more time I know I'll need. Lets see... surf/dive in Cairns from the 28-April 2, then spend time in Kuranda (Atherton), until April 7? Goddamn I need to research more.
From Kuranda I'll then head back into the middle, checking out Alice Springs/Uluru, then heading over to Flinders Ranges. This gets me to about April 15. HEad into Sydney, stay there about 3 days, checking out Blue Mountains, then back into Melbourne to leave on the 20th.
Uuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhh... okay I think I may be planning a bit too much. I really need to plan this better, I can already imagine I'll have to cut out the whole Exmouth plan and just head straight up to Cairns from Perth, it'll give me more time. But I don't wanna. I wanna do it all!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Panic mode ON
Why. Why did I think I could do this???? I'm reading my guide to Australia and every time I get excited thinking 'I get to GO THERE!!!', the joy is followed up by immediately panicking and being hardly able to breathe. I barely 'backpacked' around Belize/Guatemala for TWO WEEKS. Two weeks. On a trip already planned out from start to finish by Sarah, and with 2-3 other people. So of course it makes purrfect sense to then plan a solo, six-week tour all alone, and to buy my ticket as a way of forcing myself to actually do it. Yeesh. Gawdammit!
One kind of sucky thing is that there WILL be some things I really won't have the balls to do. Like a six-day Overland trek. Def can't do that alone. I'm not an experienced hiker at all, and the thought of sleeping in a little tent alone outside makes me want to cry. That's something I wish I had a partner for, because it would be amazing.
So far, plan is: (without adding the smaller stops that I haven't looked in to yet)
Fly into Melbourne. Stay in Melbourne about 4 nights.
Begin heading west. Probably stop in Victoria and Adelaide, but want to look into whats available deeper inland. Want to read more about Lake Torren and Flinders ranges.
Unless I find something I really, really want to do along the way, from here I'll probably head straight to Perth, to see my friend Lisa from Toronto. Hopefully the dates line up for her. She said her boyfriend can help me surf :D
Then I'll start heading north but probably along the coast, I see both Shark Bay and Carnarvon on the map, might look at doing SCUBA certification here if its available, and def stay for some outback coast tours.
From there, heading inland to Uluru. Def dont' want to skip that.
From there, heading up to Cairns This will be end of March, and Tom and Tara from Ottawa will be there. Surf with them a couple of days, then dive in the Great Barrier Reef. Get scuba if haven't done so already. I have a feeling my longest stay will be in this area, anywhere from 1-2 weeks. Want to spend a lot of time in Atherton.
From there, I'll start making my way down to Sydney. Its just awful whats happenign in the rest of Queensland right now, I may look into some short-term volunteer opportunities if they're available and if I can make any difference in just a few days.
Spend a few days in Sydney, then depending on timing may just have to head back to Melbourne to come home.
This is a very, very loose idea, I haven't looked into any transportation things or anything yet. This is just from viewing the map. Also there are possibilities of meeting up with a couple of somewhat familiar faces in and around Melbourne, so this may change my plans a bit. One is this dude Mark I went to high school with, but he's leaving Aus mid-march I think so it may not happen, and that cute Brit J should be kicking around somewhere when I arrive.
I really, really want to visit Tasmania. But it's where the things that scare me the most are. I've been saying for YEARS that my dream vacation is to hike through Australia. Tasmania seems like th best place to do it, but I can seriously see me losing my mind and crying myself to sleep a few times. I dunno. And it would take up at least a week of my time there and I don't have a whole lot of it.
Planning planning planning. Hopefully I'm not just planning my own brutal death by surfboard and shark bite.
One kind of sucky thing is that there WILL be some things I really won't have the balls to do. Like a six-day Overland trek. Def can't do that alone. I'm not an experienced hiker at all, and the thought of sleeping in a little tent alone outside makes me want to cry. That's something I wish I had a partner for, because it would be amazing.
So far, plan is: (without adding the smaller stops that I haven't looked in to yet)
Fly into Melbourne. Stay in Melbourne about 4 nights.
Begin heading west. Probably stop in Victoria and Adelaide, but want to look into whats available deeper inland. Want to read more about Lake Torren and Flinders ranges.
Unless I find something I really, really want to do along the way, from here I'll probably head straight to Perth, to see my friend Lisa from Toronto. Hopefully the dates line up for her. She said her boyfriend can help me surf :D
Then I'll start heading north but probably along the coast, I see both Shark Bay and Carnarvon on the map, might look at doing SCUBA certification here if its available, and def stay for some outback coast tours.
From there, heading inland to Uluru. Def dont' want to skip that.
From there, heading up to Cairns This will be end of March, and Tom and Tara from Ottawa will be there. Surf with them a couple of days, then dive in the Great Barrier Reef. Get scuba if haven't done so already. I have a feeling my longest stay will be in this area, anywhere from 1-2 weeks. Want to spend a lot of time in Atherton.
From there, I'll start making my way down to Sydney. Its just awful whats happenign in the rest of Queensland right now, I may look into some short-term volunteer opportunities if they're available and if I can make any difference in just a few days.
Spend a few days in Sydney, then depending on timing may just have to head back to Melbourne to come home.
This is a very, very loose idea, I haven't looked into any transportation things or anything yet. This is just from viewing the map. Also there are possibilities of meeting up with a couple of somewhat familiar faces in and around Melbourne, so this may change my plans a bit. One is this dude Mark I went to high school with, but he's leaving Aus mid-march I think so it may not happen, and that cute Brit J should be kicking around somewhere when I arrive.
I really, really want to visit Tasmania. But it's where the things that scare me the most are. I've been saying for YEARS that my dream vacation is to hike through Australia. Tasmania seems like th best place to do it, but I can seriously see me losing my mind and crying myself to sleep a few times. I dunno. And it would take up at least a week of my time there and I don't have a whole lot of it.
Planning planning planning. Hopefully I'm not just planning my own brutal death by surfboard and shark bite.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
I love Sarah
Sarah makes me smile. She just said 'the great thing about travelling is that there can't be drama - even when it starts, you just leave town'. SO TRUE!
It's really happening...
I was scared I was going to pussy-out, so when I found a ticket online today for $500 less than I'd expected, I went ahead and BOUGHT IT!!! HELLO AUSTRALIA! Leaving Ottawa March 9, returning April 20. Fuck yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Planning planning
Okay, so Cuba wasn't a big success. Luckily Belize/Guatemala WAS, so I'm still holding on to the travel bug.
So, Australia next. I've been planning on heading there around beginning of March, for two months, but now there are two small changes. For one, I don't think I want to do two whole months for my first big travel, and my first SOLO travel. So I'm going to do six weeks. And second change, is I won't be leaving until March 10, so I can go see LADY FUCKING GAGA. Hells yes. With Alanna, Dusty, and DD. If anyone thinks it's odd that I'm postponing my trip in order to see Lady Gaga with a bunch of punks, you clearly don't know me very well, hahah.
So, Australia for six weeks in March. Then...duh duh duh... I'm postponing moving back to Toronto for school from this year til next year. Too much traveling to do, plus I'm not ready to move back there just yet. So, this means I can head to England/France for six weeks in the fall. Then next year, I plan to do Thailand, and not sure on the second one, but I'll be doing two 4-6 week trips then. Aaaaaah. So much to see!
So, Australia next. I've been planning on heading there around beginning of March, for two months, but now there are two small changes. For one, I don't think I want to do two whole months for my first big travel, and my first SOLO travel. So I'm going to do six weeks. And second change, is I won't be leaving until March 10, so I can go see LADY FUCKING GAGA. Hells yes. With Alanna, Dusty, and DD. If anyone thinks it's odd that I'm postponing my trip in order to see Lady Gaga with a bunch of punks, you clearly don't know me very well, hahah.
So, Australia for six weeks in March. Then...duh duh duh... I'm postponing moving back to Toronto for school from this year til next year. Too much traveling to do, plus I'm not ready to move back there just yet. So, this means I can head to England/France for six weeks in the fall. Then next year, I plan to do Thailand, and not sure on the second one, but I'll be doing two 4-6 week trips then. Aaaaaah. So much to see!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Home time yet?
Can we go home yet? Today is our last day here, and while I know we both will enjoy the sun and the waves, both of us would be so much happier if we could just get HOME. We've learned for sure, that if doing the resort thing, SPEND MORE MONEY. Getting a cheaper place has meant terrible food, shitty service, NOTHING available to you when the restaurants close, etc etc. And the place is full of barely-legal French assholes who scream and pick fights.
The week hasn't been terrible by any means. But, besides the dolphins and my initial excitement at swimming in the ocean waves, nothing has been spectacular either. I'm currently COVERED in bug bites (definitely not bedbugs, don't worry!). Like actually covered. About ten on my left thigh three on my left calf, not sure how many on my right leg, one enormous one on my ass, and a bunch on my upper arms too. YAY! Bug bites are sexy!
We tried to make last night a Party Time night, but basically failed. We checked out the resort disco but neither of us really felt like dancing much on the liquid-soaked floor, cause we could barely stand on it without slipping, and they kept playing crappy American music like Taylor Swift, followed by Cuban music, followed by Ke$ha. Weird. Neither of us were really into it, but we sat in the common area and had a couple drinks before heading back to our room around midnight. OH YES we know how to party!
Right now all I can think of is how happy I am to be going home tomorrow. Its too bad. I wish we'd had the time of our lives. For me, I don't think that will ever be possible on a resort. I keep thinking how I wish I'd had a nice little hotel in Havana, so I could have taken my time, walking through gorgeous old Havana, being able to just sit and look around in the squares, having time to enjoy a nice, relaxing meal at one of the pretty little cafes, being able to just soak up the sun and people-watch. Rather than have six days on the beach and one day there, I wish it had been opposite. One day on the beach would have been enough for me, and six days spent on the move, seeing MORE.
30 hours til I'm home to my wonderful little furry feline family, where I will revel in the kittycat love, while planning out my trip to Australia. Two months til I head out for my first solo trip, I'm soooo fucking nervous for this! But I can't WAIT :D :D :D :D
Monday, January 10, 2011
Dolphins!
Today, we swam with dolphins. One gave me the tongue, twice! HAHAHA! Amazing.
Want this to never end Never ever ever EVER.Sunday, January 9, 2011
THE OCEAN
I take back everything negative I've said. It's 12:22pm, Ive spent my morning swimming the waves in the Atlantic Ocean, an soaking up the sun while drinking mojitos. LOVE. Want this to never end Never ever ever EVER.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Havana
Back in bed after a day spent in Havana. Havana was incredibly beautiful. Unfortunately, we went on a tourbus there, which meant we had about 5-15 minutes in each area before we were herded back onto our bus. It was nice, because if we'd gone on our own we wouldn't have had a chance to see everything we did, but at the same time, we didn't get to actually SEE anything. It was like, 'Okay, we're in Revolution Square. You have five minutes to take pictures then get back on the bus'. Uhhhh.....seriously????
Tomorrow we're going to take the bus into Varadero to check out that town, and hopefully find an adapter so I can charge my camera battery, otherwise I'll be done with photos by tomorrow night. I looked in the Ottawa airport before leaving, and asked at the resort, and no dice. Monday should be the best day of the trip, we're heading out on a catamaran and are going to SWIM WITH DOLPHINS. Oh yes.
I'm tryng really hard to remain positive, but honestlly, I'm hating almost everything about the all-inclusive resort experience. People who work here are paid so low they're literally pushing each other out of the way to try and serve us to get tips, and since the drinks are free, Imade myself finish my last sangria before coming back to the room, so I could get a refill, but chugging that drink has only resulted in me having a swollen, full stomach from drinking too much.
So far I can definitely say at least I've seen enough of Cuba to know I want to see more. To come back to Havana and actually spend time there, not just take a photo to show I've stood in that spot.
The biggest difference so far between this and my last trip is that I can't WAIT to get home. I' already thinking of going to Montreal and giving cigars to my men and partying while drinkinkg the rum I bring back. But on my last trip, even though I love some people back home more than life itself, going back wasn't an active thought. I wanted to keep going, going, going. Being on a resort, I could go home tomorrow and honestly not feel like I've missed anything, even though I've only spent one day on the resort so far. And it was fun! We layed in the sun, watched an incredible sunset, and met some decent people. Not a bad day at all - but not my kind of day. I want adventure! Or at least, I don't want to only be able to get breakfast between certain hours of the day because thats the only time the resort will feed us.
Whine whine whine huh? At least I'm not home in Canada, with blizzards of snow whipping me in the face! I guess I'll shut up now :P
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)