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.
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