Heather's Travel Log

Holsbybrunn, Småland, Sweden

2008-06-14T18:46:00.001+01:00

I have finally made it to Holsby Brunn, Sweden, where I am working as a volunteer in the kitchen for the next six weeks. After a flight in a tiny propeller plane from Tallinn, Estonia, I landed in Stockholm, Sweden… the city of my dreams! However, the train that I wanted to take was sold out, and my only option for the day was to purchase a very expensive first class ticket on the second train headed to Vetlanda. So, I sat in roomy comfort thinking about how broke I am and then I arrived at the train station in Vetlanda, where Brad, the kitchen manager was waiting to pick me up, and we drove to Holsby Brunn. I am living in a house with the other summer interns, and so far I have my own room, which is nice! It’s about a thirty-second walk to work, so that is also nice! I spent my first evening unpacking and organizing and settling in, before reporting to breakfast at 8:30am the next morning. I started work after the meal was over, and was bombarded with large amounts of information, most of which I will likely have to have repeated to me. There are only four of us on the kitchen staff, which is significantly smaller than I was expecting. Brad is the big boss, and Heidi is the assistant kitchen manager. There is a girl named Damaris from Germany who has been working in the kitchen for almost a year now, and then there’s me. I had expected to be doing things like dishes and setting the table etc, but, as it turns out, housekeeping does that stuff, and I actually have to learn to cook for big groups! This is a little intimidating. I had two days of work, and then I had two days off, and tomorrow I have to prepare breakfast all by myself already! Here’s to hoping that I can remember everything that I’m supposed to do! It has been great to have these two days off though. I had no idea just how exhausted I was from travelling for two months. I have slept a ridiculous amount since getting here, and people are probably going to think I’m a bit crazy, but I finally feel like I’m ready to engage with the world again and become a normal human being and interact with people. I also finally got to do my laundry yesterday… which may not seem like a big deal to those of you reading this, but it was a definite highlight for me, and today I ACTUALLY GOT TO WEAR CLEAN CLOTHES!!! The area around here seems really nice, and there is a lot of forest area, which is nice, but the lake is apparently a forty-five minute walk away and that is slightly disappointing. The staff and interns seem really nice, although I haven’t really had the opportunity to get to know them so far… but maybe now that I’m done sleeping I can make friends! Anyway, I think the next six weeks will go pretty quickly, and I think there will be lots to learn and hopefully a lot of fun to be had too.

Two Days of Torture and a Miracle

2008-05-18T11:41:00.003+01:00

MISSION: Leave Gent, Belgium, and catch bus at 6:15am at Sint-Pietersstation.

PROBLEM #1: The tram does not start running until 6:02am on "Zaterdag". Oops. Crazy tourist information woman.
SOLUTION: For some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to start walking towards the train station, so I start walking following the tram tracks. I told you it was a great game.
PROBLEM #2: I'm scared. It's dark. It's sketchy. I miss home.
SOLUTION: I call my parents because it's only 11:20 at home. My Dad answers. I explain that life is not going well. He talks to me while I walk through sketchy Gent.
PROBLEM #3: There is no way that I am going to be able to walk to the Train Station by 6:15am let alone 5:45am.
SOLUTION: I give up trying to find an earlier tram from a closer station, and wait at some random tram station for the 6:07am train, and admit defeat on the bus situation.
PROBLEM #4: 6:07am comes, and the tram does not.
SOLUTION: Freak out and keep hoping. Tram does come eventually.
PROBLEM #5: I can't open the tram door. Oops.
SOLUTION: Push the wheelchair help buttoon. Oops.
PROBLEM #6: I arrive at the train station at 6:22am. Not sure if bus has shown up.
SOLUTION: Wait until 6:30am before giving up complete hope.
PROBLEM #7: 6:30am arrives, and bus does not.
SOLUTION: Try other options.
PROBLEM #8: It costs 7,70 to get to Brussels and then I would have to find the bus station and hope that the bus actually shows up etc.
SOLUTION: Just take the freaking train even though it costs almost three times as much.
ISSUE: Only five minutes between train transfers. It's tight.
WONDERFUL THING #1: Diderik calls me ten minutes before I arrive in Eindhoven so I can tell him that I'm on the train, not the bus.
WONDERFUL THING #2: Diderik and I had a great day together. We talked about how much we love Canada and how much we miss Banff and want to live there forever. We went out for a yummy lunch, he showed me around the city, he took me out to the castle where he's getting married in two weeks, we had some Dutch food for dinner, I met his finance when she got home from work, and then Diderik and I went out for drinks before going to wait for the bus.
PROBLEM #9: 11:59pm comes, and the bus does not.
SOLUTION: Keep waiting.
PROBLEM #10: 12:30am comes and the bus does not.
SOLUTION: Thank God that Diderik was waiting with me so I wasn't completely sketched out.
PROBLEM #11: A bus arrives! It's going to Warsaw! The driver says he doesn't stop in Berlin.
SOLUTION: Call the emergency help number.
PROBLEM #12: The emergency help line tells you to leave a message. Not much help.
SOLUTION: Keep waiting.
PROBLEM #13: Another bus arrives! It's going to London! I'm not!
SOLUTION: Keep waiting.
PROBLEM #14: It's getting really cold, and I feel bad that Diderik is still waiting with me, but I don't want to send him home because I'd be scared, and he probably wouldn't leave me there alone anyway.
SOLUTION: Dance around and sing songs about how I want the bus to come.
PROBLEM #15: 1:00am comes and the bus does not.
SOLUTION: Go back to Diderik's house and sleep (I am EXHAUSTED by this point) and figure out how to get to Berlin the next day. I give up hope on the bus, thinking that the driver going to Warsaw was lying to me about not stopping in Berlin.
WONDERFUL THING #3: All the other guys who had been waiting for the bus to Berlin had gradually disappeared, but when Diderik and I walked back to his car to head back to his place, a couple of the guys came up and asked if we were waiting for the bus to Berlin.
WONDERFUL THING #4: Diderik speaks Dutch. I have no idea what exactly happened in that conversation, but somehow they ended up talking for almost twenty minutes about how buses are often hours late (NOTE: NEVER BOOK A EUROLINES BUS) etc etc but that it does have to come eventually. I stand around understanding nothing but praying for a miracle.
MOST WONDERFUL THING OF ALL: At 1:20am A BIG YELLOW BUS DRIVES BY AND TURNS AROUND TO COME BACK TO THE BUS STOP WITH A SIGN SAYING BERLIN IN THE WINDOW!!!
I really don't think words can explain my gratitude at that moment. I had been up for 22 hours, was absolutely exhausted, did not want to have to fight with EuroLines people about getting the money back for my ticket in Dutch, and did not want to have to book a flight the next day.... We grabbed my bag out of Diderik's truck, and there was communal rejoicing about the arrived bus. I said goodbye to Diderik and walked to the back of the bus and lay down and fell asleep.
PROBLEM #16: When I wake up the next morning somewhere in Germany, I started listening to the guy and girl sitting behind me. So, apparently I have a knack for ending up on buses with criminals. This is the second time. Weirdness. They were from Wales, and he was on his way to Berlin for his trial. For the next hour or so I listened to them discussing the various trouble they have been in, leaving out details to my imagination... It was really weird.
SOLUTION: Don't talk to anyone.
NEXT: The bus arrives at the bus station, I pull out and apple and eat it. I easily find my way to a metro station and get to Alexanderplatz, where I supposedly have directions to walk to my hostel.
PROBLEM #17: Whoever wrote the walking directions from Alexanderplatz missed a vital step in helping me to actually find where I'm going.
SOLUTION: I spend about 40 minutes walking around in circles because I can't find the stupid street I'm looking for, and I'm not entirely sure what direction I'm supposed to be going to.
PROBLEM #18: I'm tired, cranky, lost, hungry, emotionally and physically exhausted and I want to cry.
SOLUTION: Approach the problem from another angle. I get back on the metro and go to the other station that I have directions to the hostel from.
WONDERFUL THING #6: I FOUND THE HOSTEL!!!!!!
PROBLEM #19: I can't check in for another two hours.
SOLUTION: They let me leave my luggage, and I head for McDonald's, my new best friend since they have free wireless internet. I got a LARGE orange juice and a chicken caesar wrap.
CURRENT STATUS: I'm sitting at bench table at McDonalds facing a huge window that looks onto the big tall tower with the big ball on the top (yeah, I don't know what it's called... but it's the icon of Berlin in my head)... and in 28 minutes I can go check into my hostel room and SLEEP and SHOWER!!!!!!!!! I have to meet my tour leader and tour group at 5am this afternoon.
WONDERFUL THING #7: I'm listening to Brad Paisley on the Calgary Country Radio Station via my headphones/laptop/internet and that is making me happy.

THE UNITED KINGDOM!

2008-05-13T22:55:00.003+01:00

So I have been terrible at keeping this updated since I left Charlbury back on April 14th... but rest assured that I do have intentions of reporting all of the happenings along my travels! But for now, know that I had a good trip through the Scottish highlands, followed by four lovely days in the beautiful city of Edinburgh, a ten hour bus trip back to London, an excursion to Jane Austen's house in Chawton, a wonderfully fantastic weekend excursion to Wales before my friend, Laurel, flew over from Canada to join me. We stayed in Oxted, and saw my old house, old school etc etc, and spent a day in London and "King Lear" at the Globe Theatre and it was fantastic! We went to Hever Castle, Blenheim Palace, Oxford, and Charlbury, and then headed to the sea for three days in Lyme Regis where I acquired an intense sunburn. Today was spent taking a bus/train/tube/eurostar/train trip before we made it to our hostel here in Brugges, Belgium, so I have finally left the UK, although I almost wish I had more time to explore there! Anyway, that is the very brief update... the next four days have me exploring Belgium and eating lots of chocolate and waffles!

Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK

2008-04-19T19:17:00.004+01:00

You know the last episode of Friends where Ross goes to the wrong airport when he's trying to stop Rachel from moving to Paris? Well, I can't ever make fun of him anymore. Ree and I woke up the next morning and walked to the bus station, hopped on a bus to the airport, and thought all was going smoothly. However, upon arriving at the airport and being unable to locate the check-in desks for RyanAir, Ree joked about us being at the wrong airport and almost instantly I knew she was right. A very nice lady confirmed it for us, and thus began our little adventure to someplace that really should not be called Glasgow at all. We took a bus to Paisley Gilmour Train station, which luckily only cost £1.40, and then had to take a train to Prestwick Airport. For some bizarre reason, after telling the guy that we needed to get there he asked to see our plane tickets and then told us the train trip was free. It was the strangest thing ever, but we weren't about to complain. Luckily we had left very early and had lots of time to spare and so were able to enjoy a nice 40 minute train ride through the Scottish countryside. We got to the right airport with plenty of time, and after putting on twice as many clothes as I would normally wear since it costs a ridiculous amount of money to check luggage, we boarded our fifteen minute flight. Pretty much as soon as we took off we landed in Northern Ireland.

Our three days in Belfast were fantastic. People were incredibly friendly, and we stayed at a fantastic hostel that felt quite homey. After checking in at Paddy's Palace (the final resting place of Ree's new scarf) we headed out to explore the city. It was a beautiful day, and so we explored through the Royal Botanical Gardens, and then walked down by the River Lagan, in the area where the Titanic was originally built. After a few hours of walking we stopped a grocery store, and then headed to the hostel to make some great chicken pasta!

The next morning we took a day tour along the northern coast of the country, and there are no words to describe how beautiful it was! The water was a combination of varying shades of brilliant blue, and the jagged cliffs and grassy hills made for a wild looking landscape that Ree and I both fell in love with! We stopped at the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, and then continued driving north. We saw Dunluce Castle, and then made our way to our Derry, our final destination. We took a short walking tour of the city with an Irish man named John, who told us about the history of the city. We learned about the conflicts between the Catholics and the Protestants, or the Irish and the British. It was fascinating to learn about it all, as I had no idea that the tension was still quite strong. The city of Derry is right on the border of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and is largely populated by Irishmen. It was especially interesting because our tour guide was around during many of the major events of the recent history of the city. After our bus driver sang us back to Belfast, we had another portion of chicken pasta before heading out to see the Crown Liquor Salon and then to the pub next door to hear some Irish music. It was loud. Way too loud.

The next day we took really easy, but eventually got out of the hostel and took a "Black Taxi Tour". The taxi driver took us around the city and showed us the various parts of town - the Catholic areas and the Protestant areas, and the huge wall that divides them. We learned a lot more about the history of the conflict between the two sides and it was especially interesting because so much of it is so recent. We saw numerous murals painted on buildings by both sides portraying various propaganda, and it was a very informative hour and a half that gave me a better appreciation for the city that we were staying in. We spent the rest of the day walking around, seeing the Linen Hall Library, doing some shopping, and then had one final dinner of chicken pasta!

We had an early night last night, and woke up at four this morning to walk to the bus station to catch a five o'clock bus to the Belfast International Airport to catch our EasyJet flight to Edinburgh....

Glasgow, Scotland, UK

2008-04-19T19:10:00.002+01:00

We got off the bus in Glasgow at 7:15am. For the record, that is early in the morning, and there was pretty much no one around the city. It was eerily silent. We passed the greatest statue ever - a clock on top of two legs running away. It amused me greatly. Anyway, we hopped on the underground for three stops and then walked to my cousin's house. We chatted with her for awhile, and played with her one-year-old son, Milo, before Ree and I fell asleep watching a movie. Once we had regained some energy we headed out to conquer the city, and walked all around, visiting the University of Glasgow, where we almost interrupted a couple classes, and took a walk along the river, until we lost the river. We ended up at the Hunterian Museum, which was super cool. This guy collected all sorts of weird stuff, and it was fascinating to see it all! The most interesting was a preserved fetus in a uterus of a woman who died while she was pregnant. Crystal and Milo met us at the museum and joined us for some more walking around the city, and then stopped a pub in an adorable street where I had the most delicious hot chocolate of life. After Crystal and Milo headed home, Ree and I explored the downtown shopping area of the city before going home to a yummy dinner and some much needed relaxation!

London, England, UK

2008-04-19T18:57:00.002+01:00

April 14th. The day was a transition from one chapter of my trip to the next. The morning saw tearful goodbyes to friends and to a town that has grown to feel like home. All but three of our group boarded a bus headed to Heathrow Airport, and then parted ways. Tim, Ree, and I spent the day hanging out in London and had a great time relaxing, exploring, and aimlessly wandering while just enjoying life. We made a pit stop at a grocery store and headed to Hyde Park for a picnic in front of a huge statue of Achilles. Yummy sandwiches. Yummy apples. Yummy onion ring chip things. Yummy chocolate chip cookies. We walked around the park and around the city, and eventually made our way to Greenwich, where we stood on the 0˚ longitude line, and learned all about the concept of time and daylight savings time (British Summer Time) and various other time related things. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and then we walked through the extensive grounds surrounding the Royal Observatory and sat in an tree and ate more food while Tim tried to tempt the pigeons and the squirrels with the remains of our lunch. We took the tube back to Trafalgar Square, and then walked around that area, before heading to Covent Gardens to do some "window" shopping. Ree bought a scarf. However, I'm sad to say that that scarf' didn't make it out of Belfast. May it rest in peace. Anyway, Covent Gardens was fantastic. The atmosphere made me happy, and we sat and listened to a string quartet for quite some time, and watched as they tried to con Tim into buying their CD. We then headed back to Victoria Station, where we said goodbye to Tim, and Ree and I waited for our overnight bus to Glasgow, Scotland.

Stourhead, Stonehenge, and Bath, England

2008-03-24T20:54:00.006Z

After being back in Charlbury for a few weeks, preparing for and performing a production of various scenes from Shakespeare's comedies, attending a couple weeks of classes, and reading numerous plays, the group of us headed to Stourhead for Easter Weekend.

Good Friday was a day that came close to perfection. Marion (the assistant general co-ordinator) and her husband Andrew drove the sixteen passenger van around the town of Charlbury picking us up, and then we drove about three hours to Stourhead, which is near the town of Mere. The sky was blue and the scenery was gorgeous, and Rebecca, Mark and I had great fun playing "would you rather" on the bus for about an hour. We were staying in the "stable yard" area of the property, and had our own common room and kitchen. The whole day was full of great group bonding adventures and once we got all settled, eleven of us took a walk around the very extensive grounds. The scene where Mr. Darcy first proposes to Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice in the new version with Keira Knightly was filmed at Stourhead, so of course we had to go see that spot! We took a bunch of ridiculous pictures, and some gorgeous ones of the landscaping too, and just spent a lot of time laughing and hanging out and just simply being carefree! We had a great chapel time together as a group, and Rebecca, Mark, Tim, and I had a great time trying to beat the sensor light on the big manor house in the middle of the night!

Saturday we took a trip to Stonehenge, and enjoyed learning all about the ancient site... although it sounds like there's a lot of stuff that they really don't have a clue about! It was freezing and the wind was insane, but it was a good time nonetheless. That night we had an impromptu talent show that had me in stitches laughing.

Sunday morning we actually had snow on the ground! We headed into the nearby town of Mere for an Easter Sunday morning service at St. Michael's Anglican church there, and the snow had disappeared by the time we got back to Stourhead! We actually got a little bit of homework done in the afternoon before having a wonderful Easter ham dinner as a group! Laura and Gabrielle did a fantastic job of cooking!

Monday morning we had a little sleep-in, followed by an easter egg hunt in the stable yard, and it brought out the kids in all of us! We then had a great brunch together before we cleaned up and packed up the van for the trip back. We stopped in Bath for a couple hours, but unfortunately it was expensive to actually go see the old Roman baths. However, a couple of us girls did go check out the Jane Austen Centre, and that was a highlight for me since I love Jane Austen so much! It was definitely a weekend to be remembered, and was full of fun and laughs!

Pardubice, Czech Republic

2008-03-02T21:18:00.003Z

Friday was rainy, so after a wonderful sleep-in and relaxing morning, Jana and I went to Ikea. Ikea makes me happy. However, it makes me want my own apartment/house... Anyway, then we drove back to Pardubice and put pictures on our computers etc etc. Later that evening Jana, Jan, and I drove to Zamek Detinice, where there is a huge medieval pub, and we had a great time! All the servers are dressed in medieval costume, and according to my translators (Jan and Jana) they skip all formality and politeness when talking to their customers. The food was incredible - a huge plate of meat cooked on an open fire and these amazing sauces - and it was eaten without utensils. I had my second taste of Czech beer, and tried a couple other Czech liqueurs. There were belly dancers, people playing drums, bagpipes, and who knows what other kind of instruments. They did a "witch-hunt" like in the middle ages and had one girl being punished for being a witch. They place was full of laughter, and we all had a good time. The next day marked the end of my time in the Czech Republic, but due to a hail and wind storm, the power went out in a number of areas in the country, and the trains stopped running, so Jan and Jana had to drive me back into Prague to the airport in order for me to catch my plane! I did make it though, and it felt really good to be back in England in a world where I could understand what people were saying! The train ride back to Charlbury cost and outrageous amount of money, but it is good to be back in the familiar, and it's been great resting all day today!

Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

2008-03-02T21:03:00.003Z

On Wednesday Jana and I drove back into Prague, stopping at various castles along the way... We stopped at Kacina, and then again in Kutna Hora to see the church of St. Barbora. Once in Prague we climbed all 300 steps of the miniature replica of the Eiffel tower and had an amazing view of the city, and the sky even cleared up for us! We walked back down the hill, and then walked through Jewish town. Unfortunately things were closing as we got there, and but we did get to see a glimpse of the largest old Jewish Cemetery through the gate - there are so many gravestones that they are practically on top of each other. We spent that night at Jana's sister's place, who lives just outside of the city, and the next day made the long drive down to the south of the Czech Republic to Cesky Krumlov. We stopped first at Castel Karlstjen, and we climbed up the hill to see it, but like everywhere else, it was closed for the winter.... opening up at the beginning of March! Oh well, the outside is always cooler anyway! We then stopped in Holasovice, a cute little baroque village famous for its architecture. We made it to Cesky Krumlov in pretty good time, and parked and went into the town where there are no cars. We walked along the adorable cobble stone streets and looked in some of the various shops. We walked up yet another hill to yet another castle... haha. This one was quite different than some of the others though, and it was interesting to see the painted walls. We had a late lunch at an old pub that was designed to be like a cave, and I had the most garlicky soup of all times in a bread bowl and a fantastic sausage that they cooked on the open fire behind our table. We both bought a pair of new earrings and then began the long trek back to Kralupy, where Anna lives. We stopped at Hluboka (another castle) on the way home, and then watched my third Czech movie - it was definitely a week of immersion in Czech culture!

Teplice, Czech Republic

2008-03-02T20:48:00.002Z

Tuesday we drove to Teplice, up in the north the Czech Republic, because they have some really cool rock formations that make Banff's hoodoos seem rather insignificant. What I didn't know was that it was going to be a bit of a hike to see these rock formations, but it was great! We walked through an amazing forest up some serious hills but the views at the top were incredible. And I don't think I have ever enjoyed an apple as much as when Jana gave me one when we got to the top! It definitely helped with the hunger and thirst, since no one in this country drinks water... Anyway, we did encounter a few obstacles along the path, since technically the area is closed at this time of year... we had to climb up a couple of ice patched with interesting results. We walked in between the rock columns, and the ground was covered in snow and ice and I definitely slipped and fell. oops. They had signs up pointing to the different shapes in the rocks and was fun trying to find them. After all that walking it was great to stop at a pub on the way back to Pardubice and try yet another Czech dish - breaded fried cheese. Surprisingly filling, and definitely tasty. After picking up Jana's boyfriend, we headed back to their place and watched another Czech movie, and then a movie in English called "Once" because the girl in it is from Czech, and they won an Oscar for the song in it.

Prague, Czech Republic

2008-03-02T20:17:00.003Z

I arrived at the Prague airport on Sunday afternoon and it felt as though I was still in London because all around me people were speaking English with British accents, and so many of the stores were the same. It didn't take long, however, to figure out that things in Czech are different! For starters, their language is insane, and I was glad that I had Jana to speak for me for the week! But I'm getting ahead of myself. Jana and her boyfriend, Jan, picked me up at the airport and we took the underground into the centre of Prague, and walked up the first of many hills for the week to see a view of the city from the Prague Castle. It is a beautiful and colourful city! We walked along the "Golden Lane" and saw the famous astronomical clock in the Old Town Square, and went in St. Vitus Cathedral. The evening ended with a stop at a pub where I had my first ever beer. Apparently it's all that anyone drinks in this country! I also tried a garlic soup that was amazing and is very common in Czech. Then I had some other Czech specialty that I don't know the name of, and probably couldn't pronounce anyway (like most Czech words!) and it was really good! We drove to Pardubice, where Jana and Jan live, and got some sleep. The next day Jana took me to the town that she grew up in, and we met her sister, Anna, at her parents house, and had rabbit and potatoes for lunch (yummy!) and then took a walk to the castle on the other side of the forest (there are a LOT of castles, and a lot of forests in Czech!). Unfortunately, nothing is open in February, so I only got to see the outside of any of them, but it was still good! The day ended with my first Czech movie, which I also really enjoyed.

Oxted, Surrey, England

2008-03-02T20:02:00.003Z

I got on a train at Victoria Station headed to Oxted. It was great be back in the town that I spent three years living in when I was a kid. After some serious relaxing and sleeping on Friday night, I went exploring through the town on Saturday and it brought back so many memories! I went to Woolworths and bought my favourite British candies and chocolates like in the old days, and walked down streets that my old friends used to live on, walked by the tennis club that I used to take lessons at, and walked by my old school. It felt like like time had stood still and I had taken a journey into the past. It was fun to stay with family friends too, and to visit with them and just to relax before my flight to Prague on Sunday!

London, England

2008-03-02T19:34:00.002Z

So when the essays were finally written and printed and handed in, we all packed our bags and headed into London the next morning. We got off the tube at Westminster and were escorted into the Parliament buildings, where we were taken to the viewing area in the Chamber of the House of Commons. We then had lunch with a couple MP's who were part of the CPA (Commonwealth Parliamentary Association), and then went to view the House of Lords in session. It was interesting to see the two different houses and to learn about the differences between them, and the whole experience also made me realize that I wish I knew at least a little bit more about politics! After leaving Westminster a couple of us just went exploring to Westminster Abbey and Trafalgar Square, and walked around before taking the tube to the hostel that we stayed at that night. After dropping off our stuff and getting our keys, we went out for dinner at a fun pub and then went to see the play "The Homecoming" by Harold Pinter. It was a unique play, and I'm not sure that too many of our group enjoyed it. But such is life. Anyway, the next morning we took the tube to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and had a tour inside, which was really cool. I'm hoping to actually get to see a performance there in the summer before I go home. After looking through the exhibition there we were free to be on our midterm breaks! A couple of the girls and I did some exploring, went to Tower Bridge, and walked by the Tower of London, and then in the afternoon I headed off on my own to begin my midterm adventure!

Bodleian Library, Oxford, England

2008-02-18T15:07:00.010Z

I think subconsciously when I envisioned the Bodleian Library when I had heard about it before I came I pictured an atmosphere in which people ceased to be human and became merely couriers of academia. Despite the absurdity of the idea, I imagined absolute silence, and robotic scholars overflowing with knowledge beyond anything I have encountered. Yet here I sit in one of the oldest and most impressive libraries in the world and I'm still surrounded by people with loud shoes, the sound of keyboards clicking as people type, and I'm picking at my sweater which still has fluff on it. A place like the Bodleian Library should also somehow be immune to such realistic invasions as construction and scaffolding but the drill has been going for quite some time now. Sometimes, when dreams become reality they lose and element of fantasy and you realize that they are not as far from the everyday as you had originally imagined. Not to say that it isn't a tremendous privilege to be sitting here doing research, and an opportunity for which I am very grateful and fully enjoying - but it's funny to me how some things are universal. Oxford or Ancaster - some things are the same. I'm still procrastinating actually doing research and writing my papers, and people are still people - I'm not the only one playing around on facebook and writing emails to avoid actually working!

Cloudcuckooland

2008-02-17T11:57:00.002Z

Well, we are nearing the end of our first term here in England. Our last class was on Thursday and we wrote exams on Friday and Saturday. They went okay, but I think I did better on the History of Drama exam on Saturday than I did on the Shakespeare exam on Friday. After the exam yesterday a bunch of us took the train into Oxford and Dr. Loney, a professor from Redeemer who is here visiting us for a week, gave us a C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien tour, showing us the various colleges that are part of Oxford University that they attended or taught at. I enjoyed it, and it was definitely nice to have an excuse not to be working on writing my essays! The tour ended the Lamb and Flag, a pub where Lewis and Tolkien and their group of writers known as "The Inklings" used to meet. We hung out there for a little while, before heading to the North Wall Arts Centre to watch a play called "Cloudcuckooland." It is a musical children's adaptation of Aristophene's Greek play called "Birds." I didn't know what to expect, but I think all of us were pleasantly surprised, because it was absolutely hilarious! There were so many contemporary references that had us all laughing hysterically! The whole group of us headed to Mumma Mia's Pizzeria for dinner afterwards and had a great time just hanging out and eating food there. Today I have to get back into the schoolwork mode, and produced two papers and a review of the play that we saw last night before Wednesday at 9pm. If only writing essays was not part of a university education....

Stratford-Upon-Avon, England

2008-02-11T23:55:00.000Z

This weekend consisted of some good times! Friday night Laura Sharon, Jodi and I got dressed up and headed into Oxford for Formal Hall at Regent's Park College. This is the college that is part of Oxford University that we are associated with, and every Friday night they have a fancy dress dinner. The four of us got to go this week and had fun both with our little photo shoot before we left, and laughing with some British boys as they regaled us with tales of crazy British monarchs. Aside from the fact that I wore stupid shoes and my feet are still sore, the night was a success. After dinner we went up to the JCR (Junior Common Room) where they were having a "charity slave auction" which proved to be somewhat entertaining. On our way home, Peter, our driver, stopped in Woodstock to show us the wooden stocks from back in the day that gave the town its name.

Saturday the whole group of us went into Stratford-Upon-Avon for the day. Our first stop was Anne Hathaway's cottage. Anne Hathaway was Shakespeare's wife, and despite the scaffolding on the building as they are putting a new thatched roof up, it was interesting to see it, and we had fun playing in the maze in the gardens! We then headed into the actual town of Stratford where the

girls and I had a picnic lunch by the Avon River before visiting Shakespeare's birthplace, the house he bought later in life, and

the house that belonged to his daughter and her husband. The sky was blue and the sun was shining and it was hard to believe that it was still the beginning of February! On our way home we stopped at an old stone circle called the "Rollright Stones" which, legend has it, is a king and his army that were turned to stone.

Sunday I went to the Baptist church here in Charlbury in the morning, and actually got some schoolwork done in the afternoon before I met up with Laura and Jodi and headed into Oxford with a lady and her daughter from the baptist church. We went to Evensong at Christchurch Cathedral, and it was enjoyable to listen to the choir and to be such an old cathedral. I had a nice relaxing evening after I got home, and this morning I even slept in!

A Trip To Scarborough

2008-02-07T23:31:00.000Z

Okay, so maybe the title is a little misleading since we didn't actually take a trip to Scarborough... we did, however, go see a play by that title last night at the Oxford Playhouse. Yesterday was an all around good day. We took the train into Oxford in the morning, and had a medieval drama class at Regent's Park College in the morning, followed by lunch there as well with this great shortbread for dessert! Our afternoon was free, and Rebecca and I spent most of it in the Lower Camera Reading Room (the name given to the lower floor of the Radcliffe Camera - one of the buildings that composes the Bodleian Library). It was great to be in a world famous library surrounded by a whole bunch of academics and old books and feeling very studious. Ree actually did some research, but I just sat there and read one of the plays that we have to read for Renaissance Drama. After a few hours of that we wandered around looking at Oxford University paraphernalia and then headed to a pub called the "Eagle and Child" to meet up with the rest of the group. This pub is known for being a place that J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis used to come to meet together. After a satisfying dinner we walked to the Oxford Playhouse to see Alan Ayckbourn's production of "A Trip to Scarborough." It was an enjoyable play, and a nice change from Shakespeare, but it was still confusing at times because there were three different time periods and the same actors were playing different roles in different time periods. I kind of wish that I could see it again now that I have more of an understanding of what is going on, but such is life.

Today I was late again to meet the girls to walk to the train station - but we still caught the train, so all is well. We had our last medieval drama class this morning, and it was interesting. We had an interesting version of pizza for dessert, and then had our first Renaissance drama class and I can't say that I enjoyed it, as I find the tutor very difficult to understand what he's talking about. However, Ree and I had a nice wander around random (and potentially sketchy) of Oxford afterwards, and it was nice to clear our heads of school for a bit and get some fresh air before going back to wait for the severely delayed train back to Charlbury. I finished reading the last of the plays that we need to read for this half of the program, so now it is on to the written assignments and exam studying for the next two weeks!

Warwick, Warwickshire, England

2008-02-05T23:29:00.000Z

This past Saturday brought sunshine and good times. We drove to Warwick Castle and spent hours wandering through it. We took pictures with the wax figurines portraying life as it would have been during medieval times when the castle was inhabited, and climbed numerous narrow stairs up to the top of various towers overlooking the castle and the surrounding town. We also got to spend some time trying on various hats and costumes from back in the day and had some good laughs about that. Despite being the middle of winter, it was fun to walk through the large grounds as well. The day ended with a trip to Coventry Cathedral. The old cathedral was bombed during the second world war, and they have built a new on to symbolize reconciliation that is attached to the remnants of the old one. The day was definitely a fun one.

Sunday I went to the Baptist Church in Charlbury, which was interesting. I think my favourite thing was that they had a children's segment and there's only one child in the church! And pretty much since then I've been reading astronomical amounts of Shakespeare plays (okay, so two, but in two days that seemed like a lot!). Our class was cancelled yesterday so the day was a little more relaxing. In the evening I had a student assistant meeting and a wonderful dinner to go with it so that was nice! I cannot believe how quickly time is flying though and that in less than three weeks I'll be flying to Prague, Czech Republic for my midterm break!

King Henry V

2008-02-01T00:08:00.000Z

Life has started to sort of fall into a routine, but it's also starting to fly by! We had our Thursday morning chapel again this morning and I couldn't believe that it had already been a week since the last one! It's also only about two and a half weeks until we write our first set of exams and then have a week off of traveling!

Anyway, I was thinking that I'd give a brief overview of what our schedule is like to give an idea of my day to day life. Mondays we stay in Charlbury and have chapel with the minister from the Baptist church. After lunch we have class at the Methodist church. Monday nights I have student assistant meetings with the general co-ordinator and the other two student assistants and so far that has been fun, and there's food involved so that's always good! Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays we take the train into Oxford where we have morning classes at the Baptist church, and then head over to Regent's Park College for a hot lunch with the students from there. After lunch we have classes at the college. The evenings are generally free, but occasionally we have things scheduled. This Wednesday we went into Stratford to watch the Royal Shakespeare Company present Henry V, which I loved! I think it helped that I had just finished reading it that morning since we're currently studying it in class, so I knew what was going on etc, but they did a great job of it! We have to write a critical review of it for our class. Fridays we spend in Charlbury again, having classes etc. Most of our Saturdays involve day trips to various places. This weekend we're going to Warwick Castle and Coventry Cathedral, and next week we're going to Stratford for the day to see all of Shakespeare's houses.

Things are going pretty well, and I'm enjoying where I'm staying. I get along well with the lady, and I really am happy with my room. I really wish that I had more time to go exploring, but I guess I'm just going to have to start making the most of the little lumps of time in between activities. Right now everyone is trying to decide where they want to go for the midterm break which is in a few weeks. Right now I'm thinking that I'm going to go to Prague in Czech Republic since no one else is going anywhere that I want to go. I have wanted to see Prague for quite some time, and I have a friend who lives in Czech so I will hopefully stay with her for a couple days. Anyway, this post has become pretty long, so until next time - greetings from England!

A Walk in the Country

2008-01-26T17:04:00.000Z

I had the most marvelous of days today! The past week has been crazy busy and it was so amazing to have today to relax and just go exploring on my own. A bunch of the group headed into Woodstock with the intention of going to Blenheim Palace - the birthplace of Winston Churchill - and I felt a little guilty about not taking the opportunity to go with them, but I do still intend to get there sometime before I leave since it's only a few miles from the town of Charlbury, where I'm living. I think I made the right decision though, and after a nice sleep-in, I went exploring through town and then ended up outside of town a little ways among the rolling hills and it was gorgeous. I just kept wandering and eventually ended up on a muddy little footpath that I followed for quite some time. The sky was blue, and the sun was shining, and even though the wind was a little chilly, it was a moment that made me remember why I had decided to come to England for these three months in the first place! I found another little grocery store and went in to see if there was any way that maybe the prices were better than the outrageous amounts that they charge at the little co-op down the street from where I live - they weren't. However, I did end up buying more chocolate that reminds me of my childhood in England... It's just so exciting to be able to get Penguin bars, Time Out bars, Fingers, Twix bars (which I know we have in Canada but still remind me of England!). Maybe the novelty will wear off after a little while... which might be a good thing so that every time I go into a grocery store I don't end up in the chocolate biscuit aisle!

Oxford, Oxfordshire, England

2008-01-23T01:35:00.000Z

Our first trip into the city of Oxford, besides a drive through on our way to Charlbury, was on Monday. We took the train in, and accidentally ended up in the "quiet carriage" which was a little disappointing... both to us, and I'm sure to the people around us trying to have a moment of peace on their way to work! When we got there, we went to the Bodleian Library and were sworn in. Literally, we had to read aloud a promise to obey the rules etc. It was quite the ceremony, and entertained me. The room that we did that in had been used as the parliament of England during a couple times during England's history which I thought was pretty cool. After our initiation into the library system we headed to the local church where we ate lunch, and after wandering around town a bit, had our first class - Classical Drama. It was a rather abrupt beginning to the academic aspect of the program - I was not ready to actually have to work! After the train ride back into Charlbury we headed off to Stratford to watch Shakespeare's Richard II. I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open at the end, but it was none-the-less enjoyable. Today we went back into Oxford and had our first Shakespeare class. I think our tutor was a little disappointed that none of us had really started the reading but we have barely had two minutes of spare time to do anything! We had lunch at Regent's Park College with the students there, and then had an academic orientation session and learned about excited stuff like papers and exams. After some more time wandering the streets we were back at Regent's Park College for tea with the president of the college and a few other people. We finally had a free evening tonight, and most of it was spent over at Jodi and Sharon's place reading Oedipus and then cleaning up the mess I made during the missing train pass adventure of this morning. I really like the city of Oxford, and I'm starting to feel more comfortable and settled, and while I wish I had some time to myself, I'm hoping that the schedule will calm down somewhat now that we have a lot of the introductory stuff out of the way!

Charlbury, Oxfordshire, England

2008-01-23T01:27:00.000Z

The flight over was relatively hassle free, and that made me a happy person - especially the lack of confrontation over the weight of my enormously large suitcase! However, it was not fun dragging said huge suitcase through Heathrow airport once we arrived in England. Jodi, Sharon, Laura, and I were all on the same British Airways flight, and had to transfer from terminal four to terminal three once we got there, and I'm pretty sure the entire staff of the airport was entertained by our efforts to get all our luggage onto and off of the Heathrow Express and to the meeting point. We met the rest of the group, and travelled to Charlbury, our home for the next three months, by bus. Despite being exhausted, after a very welcome lunch, they kept us busy all day with orientation stuff, and a tour of the very small and quiet town. We met our hosts in the afternoon and were able to go get settled in, so that was nice. I am staying with a lady and her fifteen year old daughter. The next day was Sunday, so we went to the Anglican church, where the congregations of all the churches in the town were gathered for "unity Sunday." Our afternoon was spent meeting some of the members of the Baptist Church as they prepared lunch for us, and then we had dinner at the co-ordinator's house and learned more about what we would be doing. It did feel weird to be in England and not to be in Oxted (town that I lived in when I was a kid) and I actually really missed it a lot, which surprised me. However, Charlbury is slowly growing on me... The picture is of the house where I am living. My room is the little attachment off to the right on the ground floor.

Milan, Italy

2008-01-23T01:26:00.001Z

Coming soon...

Cairo, Egypt

2008-01-23T01:25:00.005Z

Coming soon...

Sinai Desert, Egypt

2008-01-23T01:25:00.003Z

Coming soon...

Eilat, Israel

2008-01-23T01:25:00.001Z

Coming soon...

Jerusalem, Israel

2008-01-23T01:24:00.002Z

Coming soon...

Tel Aviv and Galilee area, Israel

2008-01-23T01:24:00.001Z

Coming soon...

Oakville, Ontario, Canada

2007-11-20T16:38:00.003Z

I arrived back home in Oakville on the evening of August 27th, 2007, and it was good to be home! The drive was long, but I actually enjoyed doing it on my own, and getting to listen to the various country radio stations throughout the USA. I have, however, come to the conclusion, that the country radio station in my area is one of my least favourites - way too many commercials! I drove through Michigan and made a stop to buy Phil Vassar's greatest hits CD, and to grab some food before I crossed the border to use up the rest of my American money. The last week of my summer holidays was spent relaxing, unpacking, seeing friends etc before starting what turned out to be an exceptionally busy semester of school! Aside from being a full time student, I was working part time at a bookstore, and was involved with an organization called Young Life that also took a chunk of time. I enjoyed all the things that I was involved with, but all the time commitments made me exceptionally busy and almost go crazy! However, it was nice to be back in familiar territory and with friends for awhile again!

Joliet, Illinois, USA

2007-11-20T16:38:00.001Z

After trying to watch the gorgeous sunset as I drove through Wyoming, I pulled over somewhere along the side of the highway at a little turnout and got out to admire the sky full of stars and to just enjoy being all alone in the middle of nowhere! It was kind of a weird feeling... no one knowing where I was, so far from home, and yet Gus (my wonderful car) and I were having a great time! I stayed overnight at some small town just off the highway someplace in Wyoming, and the next day I drove a very long way to Joliet, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. I stayed at my friend Jodi and her husband's place, and in the morning her and I went out for breakfast to a bagel place and were able to chat and catch up before I began the last leg of my journey.

Moyie Springs, Idaho, USA

2007-11-20T16:37:00.004Z

I drove to the Woomerts' house in Moyie Springs, and spent a couple days hanging out there. The highlight was definitely the "ball" in town. We got dressed up and spent the evening learning and doing a bunch of fun dances! I wish I lived in a place where that kind of thing was normal! The rest of my time there was spent just hanging out with Donzel and Liesl and their family and visiting, before I began the extensive driving portion of my trip back to Ontario! I drove through Troy, Montana - home of the most hilarious grocery store of all times - and then down through a gorgeous area of Montana that I simply fell in love with... the sky is so huge and there were lakes dotted everywhere amongst the mountains all around. I crossed the border into Wyoming and as the sun was beginning to set, I pulled off the highway to get something to eat.

Moscow, Idaho, USA

2007-11-20T16:37:00.003Z

I drove to Moscow, which is just over the Washington/Idaho border to meet up with my friend Katie and her husband. Katie was one of my roommates at Bible school in Greece, and it was fun to see her again. Her friend Stacia was also visiting her at the time, and the two of us had a good couple of days exploring the are with Katie, and I got to go to a class that Katie was teaching (she's a masters student and gets to teach an undergraduate class!) and that was certainly entertaining. We went to Pullman, Washington, just on the other side of the border, to go to a free Tyrone Wells concert, and though I had never previously heard of him, I really enjoyed it. The next day after a morning of exploring the downtown area of Moscow, and an afternoon of Scrubs episodes, I took off and headed north to Moyie Springs, also in Idaho.

Seattle, Washington, USA

2007-11-20T16:37:00.001Z

After a week of camp, I picked up my car in Vancouver and spent another night in Abbotsford. My brother flew into the Abbotsford airport at ten at night, so I picked him up and spent an hour or so grocery shopping and hanging out with him and then dropped him off at the college that he is attending. The next day I drove to Seattle to meet up with my friend Erin, who I met while I was in Greece. We had a great time going out for ice cream, walking around the lake at the park, and just catching up. I spent the night at her place and the next morning headed for Idaho!

Rockridge Canyon, BC, Canada

2007-11-20T16:36:00.002Z

After dropping Nichole off at the train station I stayed overnight in Abbotsford at Amy's again, and then met up with my Young Life kids from Oakville at the Vancouver airport the next day. Young Life owns a camp out in BC, so they send kids from all over the country there during the summer. We spent the day touring around Vancouver and on Granville Island, and then spent the night at Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford, before heading to Rockridge Canyon outside Princeton, BC. The week was filled with fun activities and good times, but for me, also a lot of challenging moments. The camp was gorgeous, and it was fun to be there, but I'm sad that I never got to go on the caribe, or on the blob. Such is life. They do have Canada's longest zipline though, and that was a lot of fun! It was great that I got to spend the week with Meaghan, one of my campers who I've become good friends with, but I found it difficult to connect with some of the other girls in my cabin. However, the week was a growing experience.

Tofino, BC, Canada

2007-11-20T16:36:00.001Z

Nichole and I got on the ferry and headed over to Vancouver Island and after dinner in the adorable town of Qualicum Beach, we embarked on the three-hour very windy drive from Nanaimo to Tofino on the far side of the island. We got there after dark and finding a campsite turned out to be much more of a challenge than we had anticipated. We eventually ended up down some random logging road in the only clearing we could find. It was a definite adventure, but the voices that seemed to be getting closer and closer were not all that welcome! But every time I hear Kenny Chesney's sont "Those Songs Again" I will think of that night... The next day we had a little better luck, and after a breakfast of Fruit Loops without spoons on a very cool beach, we found ourselves a campsite a little ways outside of town and pitched the tent for the following night. The weather was overcast, but we had fun running on the beach, and we headed into town for dinner. I went down to the beach to watch the sunset, and after walking for awhile, ended up lost and unable to find my shoes or the path back to the campground once it got dark. Oops. It was scary. And my feet hurt.

The next day we packed up and drove back to the eastern side of the island and stayed with my aunt and uncle in Parksville, and my Grandpa came over for dinner, so it was good to see them, and nice to have a place to sleep!

Abbotsford, BC, Canada

2007-11-20T16:34:00.002Z

From Kelowna I drove to Abbotsford, BC, and stayed with my friend Amy who was my quadmate my first year of college in Saskatchewan. We had a great time catching up, and it was fun to see the area. I spent the night at her place, and then headed to Vancouver to pick up my friend Nichole at the bus depot/train station.

Kelowna, BC, Canada

2007-11-20T16:34:00.001Z

So, it turns out that I was doing a bit of a mad-rush packing job as usual, but as I managed to completely forget that Kelowna is in a different time zone than Banff, I wasn't TOO late to meet up with my friend Andrea at the place that she was house-sitting. We went for a walk down to Lake Okanagan and saw the crowds of people sprawled out across the beach, and we walked barefoot along the edge of the water. We then walked through an area of town with cute little shops... which were mostly closed because it was a holiday Monday... but it was still fun. Dinner was back at Andrea's place, and then I drove to visit my friend Katie and stayed at her place overnight.

Jasper, Alberta, Canada

2007-07-17T05:42:00.000+01:00

Coming soon...

Banff, Alberta, Canada

2007-05-25T18:08:00.000+01:00

Aaron Lines sang through my stereo as I exited the highway to my little mountain town of Banff on Monday, May 14th, and I have been here ever since. First stop, pick up staff accommodation keys and finally unload my car. I'm living in a little apartment with my friend Rachelle who goes to my church and I met when I first moved out here THREE years ago (my how time flies!!) that is part of the Red Carpet staff accom. While not being exactly state of the art, it does the job, and it's nice to only be living with one person instead of the 6 others I'd have to share a kitchen with if I was living at my old place. It's also about a 22 second walk from work, so that's never a bad thing! That means I can pretty much get up about 20 minutes before work, which is also never a bad thing! Work has been going pretty smoothly; it was even easier than I expected to step back into my old job on the front desk at the hotel. It's been great to go back to my old church, to see friends, to see my mountains! Heidi came down from Edmonton for the Victoria Day long weekend, and we had a great time carrying out a bunch of our Banff traditions - including two trips up the gondola with Michelle, and of course, poutine! We've had a bit of crazy weather the past few days. Yesterday we had snow in the morning! Katlyn and I drove up Mount Norquay and took a bunch of pictures in the snow and it was a whole lot of fun. It's also kind of cool that although I'm only here for two and a half months, I will get to see winter Banff and summer Banff! :) Tonight I'm headed into Calgary to celebrate Joya's 24th birthday, so that's exciting... except for the insane gas prices I will have to pay to get there! All in all though, I'm excited to be here for this season again, and it's even greater that I have a car to go exploring a little farther afield.

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

2007-05-25T17:55:00.000+01:00

The night of Sunday, May 13th had Joya and I arriving at her place in Calgary after stops at the Alberta/Saskatchewan border to check for our names that we signed two years ago, and at Pita Pit in Medicine Hat to stick with tradition. Her husband, Graham, and his brother, Landon, who was a good friend of our in college were over (well, technically Graham lives there being married to her and all...) and we just hung out for a little while, before heading to bed. Monday morning after they had headed off to work I went to Superstore to do a little grocery/necessity shopping and then embarked on my final portion of Summer 2007 Road Trip towards my mountains as I listened to Paul Brandt's "Alberta Bound."

Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada

2007-05-23T20:50:00.000+01:00

I had missed Saskatchewan, and getting to drive there by myself with the windows down and the country music blaring was a good time! The drive to Regina took about four hours, so I had some time to kill before I had to be at the airport to pick up Joya (my college roommate). So, I ate at Quizno's and did some comparison shopping between Walmart and Superstore before continuing on my way. I arrived at the airport at 9pm and after finding Joya, her and I continued driving west toward Moose Jaw to her parents house. We spent the weekend there, and it was great to be back again! Friday we went out Caronport (home of my Briercrest Bible College) and had coffee with an old friend there, walked around the campus, said hi to my cute little post office, and walked around the library that I miss. The evening consisted of a steak dinner fundraiser for Joya's Mom's work, and then Joya and I went to see Spiderman 3. Saturday we stayed in Moose Jaw, did some shopping with Joya's Mom, went to Houston Pizza for their delicious pasta with Joya's parents, and then headed to Joe's Place, the youth drop-in centre that I used to do my field ed at when I was at Briercrest. It was fun to see the place again, and all the renovations that they have done, especially the huge climbing wall that they built. It also surprised me that there were still a number of people that I knew hanging around! After that little adventure, Joya and I went to Coffee Encounters for steamers (one of those drinks that Ontarians have yet to discover!) and played a game of crib. The guy working there went to school with us too, and while we were there another girl from our dorm walked by! And here I didn't think I'd know anyone in Moose Jaw anymore. Anyway, Saturday night finished off with a nice walk around Crescent Park, and then off to bed. Sunday morning we went to Joya's parents church, and were fortunate enough that Sharon and her husband arrived in town earlier than we though they were going to so we got to see them too! After a buffet lunch at Pizza Hut with Joya's parents and their friends, we once again headed west on the Trans-Canada.

Brandon, Manitoba, Canada

2007-05-23T20:48:00.000+01:00

Brandon was the end of Laurel's portion of our road trip, and we arrived at her apartment on Wednesday night after heading out to her favourite Asian restaurant for dinner. The next day we took at look at Brandon University, and then we met up with one of her friends and explored downtown, had a magnificent milkshake, and walked along the path by the river. We then headed out to the Army Base at Shilo, which was actually kind of interesting. After saying goodbye to Laurel, I left in the early evening to head even further west...

Winnipeg, Mantioba, Canada

2007-05-23T18:27:00.000+01:00

Winnipeg pleasantly surprised me, and it was great to get to hang out with my friends Alison and Peter again! The weather was insanely hot and I got my first Canadian sunburn of the summer... and had to buy ANOTHER bottle of aloe vera gel! I spent Monday with Laurel experiencing the sights and sounds of the city. We went to the Forks and looked around, completing my search for a Manitoba licence plate keychain, and discovering just how wonderful deep fried Mars bars are! We walked along next to the river, and toured the provincial parliament building, although it was unfortunately not in session so we didn't get to listen in. That evening we went out to the cheap theatre with one of Laurel's friends, and then I headed back to Alison and Peter's place. The next day they showed me the Salvation Army college that they are attending, and took me to the Multi-Cultural centre that they work at. The day was completed with a long walk (the origin of the sunburn) for ice cream! Wednesday, May 9th Laurel and I got back on the Trans-Canada highway and continued heading west...

Crystal City, Manitoba, Canada

2007-05-23T17:46:00.000+01:00

For those of you who think there is nothing in Saskatchewan, don't even talk to me until you have seen North Dakota. The fact that it rained pretty much the whole time probably didn't help my opinion of the state, but it was really quite unexciting. But trying to tune into various country radio stations throughout the barren land we made it to the Canadian border where the border guard asked a hundred thousand questions and finally figured out that he curled with Laurel's uncle and all was well. It made me laugh a lot, and then the border guard was all concerned that I was going to think they were rednecks and such and all in all it was just an amusing encounter. Anyway, Laurel's parents live on a farm about five minutes from the border and so we headed there for the night. I was introduced to Corner Gas... I have come to enjoy its host of unique small-town characters and really find it rather amusing. Anyway, after dinner with Laurel's parents we had an early night and then headed to Laurel's church, followed by an afternoon of fun exploring the farm, meeting the bulls, briefly riding the horse, and playing in the hay loft. We left early evening and headed to the provincial capital.

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

2007-05-23T17:06:00.000+01:00

Destination Friday, May 4th: Mall of America
Continuing our drive through Wisconsin, and on into Minnesota, Laurel and I headed toward the Mall of America - the United States' largest shopping mall. It was similar in many ways to the West Edmonton Mall in that the whole centre is really just rides, roller coasters, ferris wheels, junk food stands etc etc. Unfortunately they charge outrageous prices, so while it was fun to look, there was no fun to be had by actually going on the rides! However, I did get to see my first ever Lindt chocolate store and they gave us free samples on the way in, AND on the way out! That is what I call good customer service! I also had a corn dog at the food court in memory of Heidi and her USA tradition...they really are good. From there we headed Northwest and stopped over night in St. Cloud, Minnesota before heading back to our homeland of Canada.

Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, USA

2007-05-23T17:01:00.000+01:00

Laurel and I made a pit stop in Wisconsin Dells just long enough to discover that it is the tackiest tourist town ever and it made me laugh just oh-so-much! Aside from not actually wanting to spend the time or money going on one of the "duck" boat/road vehicle tour to discover what the Wisconsin dells are really all about, we stayed long enough to see a giant Trojan Horse roller coaster, an upside down building, a dozen tacky tourist stores, and to injure poor Gus' hubcap. I also got a pink sweatshirt out of the deal, so no one is complaining. Definitely a worthwhile stop!

Crest Hill, Illinois, USA

2007-05-22T20:51:00.000+01:00

From Ohio we headed in the direction of Chicago to meet up with my friend Jodi (we met at Bible College) who lives in Crest Hill outside of the city. Jodi gave us a tour of Joliet, and we got to see the old jail where the TV show "Prison Break" is filmed, although I have yet to actually watch said show, so I didn't appreciate it as much as some of my other friends might have! Other highlights of our time in Illinois included meeting Jodi's finace, a trip to Ikea, dinner at the Texas Steakhouse, and a day in Chicago. I was pleasantly surprised with the city itself; it probably helped that it was a bright, sunshiney day and the sky was crazy blue, but we went to Millenium Park, saw "the bean", walked around downtown and had a FANTASTIC dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. Seriously, it was one of the greatest pasta meals that I've ever had! I also learned that Chicago-style pizza is bizarre... I had heard that Chicago was famous for their pizza, but what I did not know is that it is a whole new experience compared to that of any other pizza-eating extravaganza. While it is called deep dish pizza, the crust itself is quite thin, and it's LOADED with more cheese than imaginable, and then they put a layer of sauce on TOP of the cheese as well as underneath!

Dublin, Ohio, USA

2007-05-22T18:37:00.000+01:00

Despite having lost Havilah's phone number (a girl that Laurel and I met in Greece) and not being able to contact her to confirm our visit, Laurel and I embarked on the drive towards Columbus, Ohio. Fortunately Havilah called my cell on our way there, and all was well. After a little "detour" in Delaware, Ohio and a little bit of driving in circles once we finally got to Dublin to find Havilah's apartment, we arrived and headed out to a turkish restaurant for some food vaguely reminiscent of the stuff we used to eat when we all first met in Leptokarya, Greece. The evening came to a close with an old Audrey Hepburn movie (although I was the only one who stayed awake for the whole thing), and as the next day was Sunday, we headed into West Liberty, Ohio (a.k.a. the middle of nowhere) to go to the church that her Dad is the pastor of. This church was the cutest thing ever, and I loved the drive to get out there. We had lunch with Havilah's parents afterward, and then headed out to Easton to do some shopping. Monday we went into Columbus and went to the greatest book store ever that had books on everything imaginable. It was like a maze! There were 31 rooms full of all sorts of books, and we spent a good chunk of time browsing. After a stop at starbucks where I tried some drink that was trying to be Second Cup's cookies and cream delato, we went to the "Short North" (the artistic district of town). Unfortunately it was getting later in the day, so everything was closed, but it was interesting to see the area, and we did meet a drunk guy who was determined to follow us, if that counts for anything!

Northville, Michigan, USA

2007-05-22T18:20:00.000+01:00

The day finally arrived for the first road trip with Gus (a.k.a. my car). I loaded him up with my hot pink suitcase, my M&M duvet cover and other random things that I may need throughout the summer and we were pulled out of the driveway on the morning of Friday, April 27th. There was definite excitement in the air as Laurel and I drove away listening to Paul Brandt's "Alberta Bound." Laurel (my friend from Manitoba who I met while in Greece) had flown out to Toronto a few days earlier and was now joining me on my mission to head back out west. We drove toward Sarnia and for the first time in 1726 years, the border guard didn't ask 53 annoying questions and insinuate that I was trouble. Yay! Once in Michigan I learned about the bizarre way that Michigonians (is that a word?) make left turns... it's really more of a U-turn... but hey... whatever makes them happy. We stopped in the West Bloomfield to visit a friend of mine that used to live in Oakville, and went out to a little family restaurant with her and her one-year-old son. It still is a little scary that I have friends with kids... From there Laurel and I drove to Northville to her aunt and uncle's house, where we stayed for the evening and were treated like royalty. They took us out to a steakhouse for dinner, and after ice cream and a movie we went to our separate rooms with huge comfy beds. After a WONDERFUL and well-deserved post-exam sleep-in, I awoke to delicious breakfast, and then Laurel, her aunt, uncle, cousin, and I headed to Greenfield Village in Detroit. It was a beautiful day and I learned all sorts of things. We were able to see the house that the Wright brothers lived in, saw Robert Frost's house, Thomas Edison's labs and house etc, and Henry Ford's house. After another delicious meal and very yummy huge chocolate chip cookie, we headed back to Northville, and then Laurel and I set out for the next part of our adventure!

Port Sydney, Ontario, Canada

2007-04-02T18:21:00.000+01:00

Last weekend I had the opportunity to go visit my brother up in the Huntsville area at MBC. He's attending Summit College up there. I hadn't seen him since January, and it was really good to be able to spend some time with him before he heads off to Arkansas for five weeks. I arrived Saturday afternoon, and got to meet some of his friends. After dinner in the dining hall (for him and the other students - it was $12 if I wanted to eat and I think that's rediculous!), I headed into Huntsville with him and his friend Katie. We picked up some cheaper food for me, and rented a movie, and made a few other little stops. We headed back to his building and hung out and watched the movie before heading to bed around midnight. I was fortunate enough to get to sleep until eleven the next morning and it felt wonderful! We spent the day walking around MBC chatting and catching up, and then made another trip into town and walked by the river etc etc before I headed back to Oakville to get some homework done before Monday came again!

Orlando, Florida, USA

2007-04-02T18:12:00.000+01:00

In this crazy life I lead, I headed down to Orlando, Florida only two weeks after returning home from Hawaii. I went as a leader for the Young Life Disney trip. Basically it was a March Break high school trip, and I was responsible for four high school girls from Oakville. I work with Young Life on a weekly basis, so I knew the girls a little bit before we left, but it was fun to be able to hang out with them and get to know them better over the course of the week that we were away. We stayed at a camp called Lake Auroura about an hour outside of Disney World, and it was a really nice place. After the bus ride of eternity (26 hours) we were dropped off at Blizzard Beach and spent the day hanging out at the water park going on water slides etc etc - it was a weird feeling to get on the bus in cold rain, and to get off and walk around in your bathing suit! Day two was spent at Epcot. Day three was at Magic Kingdom, which was probably my favourite. Wednesday we had a camp day in which we played all those crazy camp games that end up with you being covered in such things as flour, eggs, water, etc etc. This was followed by a dip in the lake, and dinner on the beach. It was a nice change of pace from the days at the park. Thursday brought us to MGM Studios, and Friday was spent at Animal Kingdom, and then back to the Magic Kingdom for the Fantasmic show. I had no idea that Disney World was so huge... I was really impressed with how well done everything was too. After each day at the park we had "club" back at camp - a time in which we sing motown songs, do a crazy skit, and listen to a little talk. After a little free time, we met together to have cabin time to discuss what was talked about in club, and it was really interesting to hear other people's points of view on life. The week finished off with another 26 hour bus ride... but all in all it was a good trip!

Maui, Hawaii, USA

2007-04-02T18:04:00.000+01:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to spend my reading week in Maui with my parents and my friend Heidi! It was a great time of fun and relaxation. After some anxiety over whether or not I would miss my connecting flight, Heidi and I met at the Vancouver airport and boarded our flight to Maui. We were greeted at the airport by my parents who had already spent a week on the islands. We headed towards Lahaina, where we were staying. Our days were filled with things such as big yummy breakfasts, walks along the beach, shopping in Lahaina, and all around relaxing. Heidi and I did a whale watching tour one day, which was great fun. I just love the feeling of being in a boat out on the ocean with the wind blowing my hair out of my face. We got to see a number of humpback whales, and it was especially cool when a mother and her baby came within a few feet of our boat. The following day, me, Heidi, and my parents went on a snorkeling tour with the hope of seeing dolphins. Due to some boat troubles we didn't get to see any dolphins, but did have a good time again being out on the water and snorkeling. Probably my favourite day though was when my Mom drove me and Heidi up to the top of the Haleakela Volcano (10 000 feet high) and then Heidi and I biked down. It was so cool to be biking through the clouds, and feeling the temperature change, and seeing the landscape change as we got closer and closer to sea level. It was also amazing because the whole thing was downhill and required pretty much no pedalling! It kind of made me want to get a motorbike... Anyway, many pairs of flip flops and a whole bottle of aloe vera gel later we got on a plane to head back to real life. But it was definitely a memorable and enjoyable trip!

Oakville, Ontario, Canada

2007-01-04T20:48:00.000Z

I had an overnight flight home on September 3rd, and arrived home on the morning of the 4th, in time for a quick nap before heading out to Redeemer University College for registration. It had been a busy month... but I was excited that school was starting and that I was entering a new phase in my life. It was a good semester, and I really enjoyed my classes (with the notable exception of calculus), and it was nice to be living at home again. My brother headed off to Summit College in Huntsville, so it has just been me and my parents at home, which is different. Christmas and New Years were good, although relatively uneventful. Daniel came home and it was great to see how he has grown up and changed, and I also got to meet some of his new friends, which was fun. Tomorrow marks the beginning of another new semester for me, and I'm excited about that, although I could have used a little bit more of a Christmas break... Anyway, the travels have slowed down for awhile, but it's only 44 days (as per Heidi's countdown) until I head to Hawaii!

Banff, Alberta, Canada

2007-01-04T20:43:00.000Z

Heidi and I arrived at Michael and Michelle's place on Beaver Street and received a wonderful welcome! They made us a HUGE barbequed dinner, and even got the cheese sausages just for me because they knew I liked them! We had a wonderfully fun evening together with the four of us and the dog... even though Kate and Julien were supposed to come over and never showed up. The next day we spent once again exploring Banff, and going up the gondola for the fourth millionth time for poutine at the top, and this time Michelle and Mike even came with us! After that we went to the Banff Springs golf course and got a few buckets of balls and played at the driving range... despite my total lack of golf skills. Then the four of us got matching golf shirts - well, Michael's is a little different, him being a guy and all. The idea is that once we go off to our separate homes we can wear the shirts on the same day and think of each other and our wonderful times in Banff... Anyway, although it was short, it was great to get to be in Banff yet again, and to see my fantastic friends once more!

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

2007-01-04T20:30:00.000Z

I limped through the Toronto airport early Saturday morning and thought about it what it must be like to never be able to keep up with the average person... to always feel people's eyes on you wondering what was wrong... I arrived in Calgary and Joya was there to pick me up. We spent the weekend hanging out and catching up. Her friend Shiloh was also staying at her apartment, and the three of us had some good times - especially with Shiloh's vast array of dress up clothes! Joya still had to work for a few days that week, so I spent my time lying down (as I still couldn't actually walk) reading the sequel to the wonderful book I had become so absorbed in on my previous trip, and also trying to brush up on my calculus skills since it had been so many years since I took high school calculus and yet I had enrolled in a university course for the fall (side note: in hindsight, that was a bad idea). We also hung out with our friend Landon (who happens to be Joya's then-fiance/now-husband's brother) and his girlfriend. It was fun to see him again too. We spent some time over at Joya and Graham's new appartment - which is yellow, and super cute, and even has a spare room for me! The rehearsal and rehearsal dinner went well, and the wedding, although small, was fun and very pretty. I got to wear a pink dress, and pink makes me happy... so that is a good thing. I also got to make a toast to Joya, and I think that went off okay too. The other bridesmaid's name is Kim, and her and I have known each other through Joya for quite awhile now, so we had some good times together too. And Kurt (the best man) even let me keep his pink tie, so it was a successful day! Following the reception, my wonderful friend Heidi came and picked me up at the church and I headed to Banff still dressed up as a bridesmaid!

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

2007-01-04T20:22:00.000Z

My three days at home were basically spent doing stuff related to Renee's wedding. The day after I arrived home there was a bridal shower for her, and that was a lot of fun. I especially enjoyed it because I got to see some of her friends who I had met randomly while living out in Banff. The day following the bridal shower held the rehearsal, which didn't go entirely as I had imagined it. Well, I guess the actual rehearsal was okay, but after it was over, I was trying to jump over the runner that went down the centre aisle since they didn't want us stepping on it too much... and as I was wearing a skirt, my legs didn't really let me jump wide enough and I landed on my ankle and there was severe pain... The bruising started immediately, and from that day it just kept getting bigger for about three days. By the time I landed in Calgary two days later my foot barely fit in my flip flop because it was swollen all the way into my toes. But all that is a side note. At the rehearsal dinner no one would let me move anywhere or do anything for myself, which was slightly frustrating, but hey, I guess that's the life of an invalid. :) I headed home, and the next morning it hurt so bad that I wondered if I had broken it, so my Mom and I went to get it x-rayed before heading over to Renee's place to get all beautiful for the wedding. It turned out that it was only sprained, but it was exciting that I had to wear stiletto heels for the whole evening. Somehow that wasn't actually a problem, and was probably a good thing, because shoes that actually covered my foot probably wouldn't have fit on it! The wedding was beautiful, and the reception was a really good time, and Renee looked gorgeous. After leaving around midnight, I woke up at about six am to catch a flight to Calgary so that I could be Joya's maid of honour! I'm telling you, it was the summer of the weddings!

Monroe, Washington, USA

2007-01-04T20:13:00.000Z

Monroe meant eating a lot of Lucky Charms. As Nichole and BJ had only recently moved into their new appartment, they hadn't really had time to buy much food... and so Lucky Charms was what the menu consisted of for pretty much every meal. Nichole's husband, BJ, is a youth pastor, so Nichole and I went to his youth group one night while I was there, but the highlight, and main purpose of my trip to Washington, was BJ and Nichole's wedding reception. Originally the wedding had been planned for August 20th, but the ended up moving the ceremony forward by a few weeks, but kept the big reception for the 20th. Despite not actually being there for the ceremony, I was one of the bridesmaids, and it was a medieval themed wedding. The parents of both the bride and the groom, as well as Nichole and BJ had medieval costumes, and our bridesmaid dresses were like none other that I had the privelege of wearing that summer (I was a bridsmaid four times). Underneath was a floor length white blouse thing, followed by a velvet-like black skirt, and then each of the four bridesmaids had a different colour on top, and there was a gold apronlike thing covering most of the skirt. It was definetely unique, but kind of fun getting dressed up! They had the most wonderful looking CHOCOLATE wedding cake, and it was a good afternoon, despite the fact that I only knew a handful of people there. The day after the reception, Nichole, BJ, BJ's Dad and Grandfather, as well as one of BJ's friend, and I went four wheeling. This was a new experience for me, and it was a whole lot of fun. Basically we took the doors off of BJ's jeep, drove through these random trails in this forest and got stuck in the mud a couple of times etc etc. My favourite part of the day though was when we came across these other people four wheeling and Jeff and BJ had to try to get them unstuck from the mud, and their engine ended up catching on fire... It was exciting. The next day brought the end of Western Adventure #1 for 2006 and I flew back home to Ontario.

Cannon Beach, Oregon, USA

2007-01-04T19:57:00.000Z

After a night or so in Monroe, Nichole, her friend Hannah, and I head took a road trip down to the Oregon coast for Nichole's "bachelorette party". Hannah and I got along really well, and the three of us had a good time. The original intention was to go camping, but in true Nichole fashion, we left it until the very last minute to try and find a tent we could use, and after no such luck we ended up staying at the youth hostel in Seaside. The drive down was fun, and I am hopelessly in love with the Oregon coast, so it made me so very happy to be able to be there for the second time in a year! Our first stop was in Cannon Beach, Oregon, just as the sun was setting. It was a little chilly out, and the huge beach was deserted, and we had sooo much fun running through the sand out towards the water and kicking off our sandals and splashing around, despite the frigid temperature of the ocean. As it got darker it kind of reminded me of my trip in January with Nichole where we were running away from the incoming tide, and trying to find sand dollars by the light of her flashlight and my camera. Anyway, we headed into Seaside and had dinner at the same place Nichole and I did last time, and had delicious hot chocolate and pancakes, and then headed to the youth hostel for a good night's sleep. The next day we stopped at the grocery store to get something to eat for breakfast, and then headed to the beach in Seaside, although the atmosphere is somehow not as exciting when there are so many other people around. Nonetheless, it was great to get to stare at the ocean... We left Seaside and headed further down the coast to the town of Tillamook, which is famous for its cheddar cheese. Unfortunately it was a Saturday, so we didn't really get to see the factory in action, but got to see them packaging huge blocks of cheese, and got to sample a number of different varities, and then of course we had to try their ice cream. :) That being done, we began the drive back to Washington.

Orcas Island, Washington, USA

2007-01-04T19:52:00.000Z

The morning after Nichole arrived in Bellingham, her and I drove off to Anacortes where we took a day trip to Orcas Island. Anacortes is where the ferries leave from to any of the San Juan islands, as well as to Victoria, BC. We stopped for breakfast at McDonald's and then parked the car at this place where you put your parking money in an envelope and then put it in the mailbox with your licence plate number. I found that to be quite a unique way of paying for parking... but hey, whatever works. Anyway, Nichole and I hopped on a ferry out to Orcas Island. I had my traditional m&m's on the way over, and the trip took about an hour or so. The island was cute and little and we only stayed over there for a couple hours, just wandering around and looking in little touristy shops etc. We had thought about renting scooters and exploring but didn't feel like paying the money and didn't really have the time. We did, however, find 100% cocoa dark chocolate, which I had never seen before, but as it was a rediculous amount of money, I didn't get to try it... After a hot chocolate in a little cafe by the ferry terminal, we headed back to Anacortes, and then drove to Nichole's place in Monroe.

Bellingham, Washington, USA

2007-01-04T19:47:00.000Z

I arrived in Bellingham and Katie and her boyfriend Aaron were there to pick me up. I spent a few days just hanging out at Katie's place. She was in a summer school course, so during the day she was often in class, but I fell in love with the book I was reading so that wasn't really too big a deal. I had the opportunity to find my Phish Food Ben and Jerry's ice cream that I can't get in Canada, so that was also pretty exciting! Chocolate makes me happy. Katie was involved in an English as a second language thing, so we had a picnic with all the ESL students at the university and it was cool to meet them and hear how far they had come with their English. Nichole came to pick me up a few days later and stayed the night - it was fun to have the three of us all together again as we were all roommates when we lived in Greece!

Seattle, Washington, USA

2006-08-23T21:35:00.000+01:00

Sunday morning Erin, Laurel, and I headed to Seattle for the day. The drive from Wenatchee was beautiful. We spent awhile wandering around Pike Place Market, and then had gyros for lunch at this mediterranian place in memory of the good old days in Leptokarya! Although I still have yet to find anywhere in North America that makes them as well as they did in Greece. They just don't understand the whole fries in the middle concept over here. Anyway, we spent a good chunk of the afternoon at the Seattle Aquarium watching seals, and sea otters etc etc, and then we hopped on a ferry over to Bainbridge Island and then came straight back - basically the excursion was just for the sake of being on the water... it was cool to see the city from the water, and again, I just adore being on boats and feeling the wind against my face and blowing in my hair. And let me tell you, there was wind that day! Anyway, my time with Erin and Laurel came to an end as they dropped me off at the greyhound station for my one and only greyhound adventure this trip (yay!!). I was told that the bus was full, but I was able to get on at the last minute, so that was so long Seattle!

Wenatchee, Washington, USA

2006-08-23T21:23:00.000+01:00

My early morning flight landed me in Seattle, where Erin and Laurel (friends I met in Greece) picked me up at the airport. It was really great to see them again, and we had a wonderful weekend together. We drove out to Erin's place in Wenatchee (about two hours west of Seattle in the Cascade Mountains), but made a pit stop in North Bend to do a little outlet shopping, and I was finally able to find a pair of shoes I like! We spent most of the afternoon taking many random pictures in Ohme gardens, and then headed to Erin's parents place in Cashmere to meet the family and eat dinner. The next day the girls woke me up at nine, and we packed a picnic and went to Rocky Reach Dam where we learned about the power supply that is garnished from the Columbia River running not too far from Erin's place. It was a fun little museum and the salmon fish ladder was also pretty cool. After our lunch stop we headed into a little Bavarian town called Leavenworth. It feels as though you're in Germany... it's so funny. We walked around and looked in little shops, had one of the greatest milkshakes of all time, and the most wonderful dark chocolate peanut butter fudge that I have ever tasted... and I don't even like fudge that much, but let me tell you - this stuff was good! We went down to the river and put our feet in and then headed home for a movie and another wonderful night of sleep.

DETOUR: Vancouver, BC, Canada

2006-08-15T04:41:00.000+01:00

Six o'clock in the morning came way, way, way too quickly after finally getting to bed after Michael and Michelle's wedding reception and packing the night before. However, I did drag myself out of bed, and hopped in the car headed for Calgary. Amber, Sherri, and I made a pit stop in Canmore to grab breakfast, and then arrived in Calgary where the girls dropped me off at Joya's work, where I spent the day hanging out in Calgary. I did sodoku puzzles at Joya's office and then walked to the mall and spent a whole bunch of time in Chapters and then spent more money again. Bad Heather bad. Anyway, after Joya was done work she drove me to the airport, at which point I realized that my CDs had unfortunately continued on to Manitoba with Amber and Sherri. One day we will be reunited and it will be a happy, happy day. A very happy day. The airport proved to be a frustrating place as security was insane due to crazy people in London and the whole liquid bomb theory. Water bottles were seen to be evil things, and toothpaste was simply not tolerated. My flight to Vancouver left an hour and a half late, and as a result, I missed my connecting flight to Seattle. I was informed that there were no more flights that evening. After confirming with Erin that she and Laurel could still pick me up in Seattle the next morning, and overcoming my annoyance with Air Canada and the city of Vancouver in general, I decided that things could have, in fact, been much much worse. Air Canada put me up in the Delta Airport hotel where I had my very own hotel room for the first time in my life, and had a fluffy king sized bed. They also gave me vouchers for dinner and breakfast, and I was finally able to fulfill my desire to eat in a sit down restaurant by myself. Waking up at five the next morning I drank my orange juice out of a wine glass (apparently that's how it's done at fancy breakfast buffets) and hopped on the shuttle to head back to the airport where things went quite smoothly. My luggage actually was where they told me it would be, despite my unbelief, and the customs guy did let me into the States even though I think he was a little unsure of why I needed to go to Bellingham, Washington twice in one year when I live on the other side of the continent.

Banff, Alberta, Canada

2006-08-15T04:27:00.000+01:00

Oh my beautiful mountains, how do I love thee, let me count the ways... Okay, so it turns out that on a summer long weekend when there is some prestigious golf tournament going on a the Banff Springs golf course that the town of Banff is ABSOLUTELY PACKED! An unfortnate truth considering these were the conditions in Banff when Heidi and I arrived. We had called Tunnel Mountain campground before we left Edmonton and were informed that while the campground was indeed full, that there would likely be space if we showed up early Saturday morning as they only take reservations for half of the campground. Well, unfortunately they were wrong in their predictions of likelihood and we ended up resorting to asking friends if we could camp in their backyards and eventually Michelle and Michael just let us stay in their extra room upstairs and that ended up working out very well. I like Michelle and Michael. They are very cool people who have a very cool house and a very, very cool couch. My five days in Banff were glorious! I spent too much money and had a great time! :) I went canoeing in the Bow River, hiked up Tunnel Mountain, sat on my bench, had a mudslide at the Balkan, went up the gondola three times, ate poutine, went on the Lake Minnewanka boat cruise, bought more quote magnets and cards at my favourite book store, took pictures at Canada Place gardens, walked to the Bow Falls, visited the place I used to work, had a campfire and made wonderful smores that spilled chocolate all over me, visited my beloved church on Sunday, saw old friends and made new ones... and to top it all off, I got to be there for Michelle and Michael's Banff reception (they had recently had their wedding in the Dominican Republic and then came home and had a reception for all of us who couldn't be at the first one). The bank got robbed. I tried to take a short cut around the roped off corner and ended up in the middle of the police taped area. Oops. Joya and Graham drove up to Banff on Monday night and joined us for dinner at the Balkan and that was also good times. I watched She's the Man two more times with Amber. Did I mention that I really like that movie? What? I already did. Oh. Well, I really like that movie. And I really like Banff.

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

2006-08-15T04:18:00.000+01:00

Heidi and I were backing out of her garage Friday afternoon to head south when it occurred to us that we had, in fact, forgotten the tent. After rectifying this situation, we proceeded with our journey. We made a pit stop in Airdrie for Pita Pit only to discover that it was closed early for the evening due to a lack of staff, and we ended up having Subway instead, much to the disappointment of my 11th pita free card. We continued into Calgary blaring Rascal Flatts and other random memories of last summer and arrived at Joya's sister's place so that her Mom could fit me for my dress for Joya's wedding. While the dress was nice of course, what really caught my heart was the pink tie that goes with it that the best man gets to wear. I want this tie. I will get the tie. Watch out Kurt... the tie belongs to me! Anyway, after a brief stop over at the apartment that Joya and Graham will be moving into once they're married, we went to Kim's apartment to watch what I have now dubbed as one of the funniest movies in a long, long, long time. She's the Man is abso-freakin-lutely HILARIOUS! Having only briefly seen the previews, I had no desire to see this movie because it looked like another one of those dumb-funny movies which are just not my style... but I could not contain my laughter in this movie. Turns out that it is a parody of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, and it was just all around great. Okay, moving on. When the end of the movie did come, we headed back to Joya's apartment and her and I sent Heidi to bed and stayed up chatting and playing with her veil for awhile. A short, but pleasant stay in Calgary!

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

2006-08-02T20:54:00.000+01:00

Yesterday had me on a plane to Edmonton in my beloved Alberta. However, upon arriving at the check-in counter, I was informed that the economy class was oversold, and I would have to be on standby for a seat until the eligible people were upgraded to business class. At this point, the lady put a "standby" tag on my luggage as a precaution so that it wouldn't go without me. I headed toward the gate and proceeded to the counter when my name was called, and after a rather lengthy wait, I was handed a boarding pass that actually had a seat number on it. To be sure, it was a middle seat, and was definitely not one of the most comfortable flights I've ever been on, but at that point all I cared about what getting on the plane and getting to Edmonton and seeing Heidi! After numerous attempts at trying to sleep on my tray table (if you have a pillow it really does work...), watching "Over the Hedge" and looking out of the airplane window at the endless field patches, I did touchdown in Edmonton - well, technically the airport is in Leduc, but we'll let that one slide. Anyway, I met up with Heidi and we stood around waiting for my bag, although doing more talking than actually watching the conveyor belt... but the bag never came... So, it was off to the lost luggage counter with us. The guy who helped us out was really funny, and I think he thought we were funny too, because he issued me $50 to spend on toiletries and cosmetics etc since my bag was gone. It was a glorious trip to Shoppers Drugmart that followed that conversation. Never have I had so much freedom to buy expensive brand name items... but yesterday I didn't feel bad about it, because if I didn't SPEND the money, I didn't GET the money! Heidi and I went out for dinner at Chianti's on Whyte Ave and it was great - a fabulous start to our adventure together! She's at work today, so after a glorious sleep in I am hanging around her house relaxing and having a grand old time until she gets home from work. And thus begins my Summer 2006 Western Adventure #1!

Oakville, Ontario, Canada

2006-08-02T20:36:00.000+01:00

Well, this post is probably well overdue... considering the fact that I arrived back in Oakville at the end of February - but as they say - better late than never! Anyway, since getting back home I painted my room, and it looks fabulous, if I do say so myself! I am quite pleased with it. It is quite unique at any rate. I also found a job working part time as an office receptionist. It was a job that I didn't mind, and the people I worked with were nice enough, it did eventually prove to be quite boring sitting around doing practically nothing all day. My last day of work there was this past Friday, and I'm happy to say that I am once again unemployed. :) I had a very enjoyable and relaxing summer - spent lots of time swimming in my pool, hanging out with friends, being the maid of honour in my friend Alison's wedding, spent a weekend up in Huntsville with my friend Renee, had Mike and Michelle out from Alberta for a day - and now I move on once again...

Maritime Provinces, Canada

2006-05-08T20:37:00.004+01:00

Last night had me on a plane back to Ontario from Halifax, Nova Scotia. I don't think I've ever been on a more last minute trip than the one that I took this past weekend. Last week confusion began to encroach upon my mind as the idea of moving again and heading out east for university entered my head. Within a few days I had planned to perfection my journey to the maritimes at the end of the summer with Heidi. It all seemed so exciting, and yet there was still this part of me doesn't want to move again, that doesn't want to start all over again. On the other hand, there is a part of me that I can't seem to get rid of this notion that somewhere else is always more exciting than here. At any rate, my Dad had a business meeting out in Halifax and suggested I come along and look at the two universities that I had been investigating and considering. So, after managing to switch things around at work, I got on a plane with my Dad on Thursday afternoon bound for the Atlantic Ocean. Well, the plane wasn't technically bound for the ocean, as I foresee that that would cause significant problems... but it was close enough that after landing I could SEE the ocean. We spent two days in Nova Scotia before heading to Prince Edward Island for a day, and then clipping the corner of New Brunswick before heading back to Halifax for our flight home last night. Instead of just the two universities I had originally intended to see, we toured FOUR! Two were what one might refer to as "self-guided" tours, or others may see as blatant tresspassing, and sneaking through back doors that happened to be unlocked into buildings that were mourning for fall and the life that would return. It was an enjoyable little getaway, although I'm still exceptionally confused as to what September is going to hold for me... if nothing else, I got to see the maritime provinces for the first time in about five or six years!

New York City, New York, USA

2006-03-04T01:58:00.000Z

Spending too long socializing with Jerusha's family and admiring her Mom's house in Greenville, South Carolina caused Jerusha and I to embark on a memorable adventure trying to catch the bus... we missed it in Greenville, and decided that we could beat it to its next stop, Spartanburg, about forty-five minutes away. As it turns out, however, despite throttling down the highway, the bus beat us there, and we ended up having to drive back to Greenville and I just waited for the next bus, which, fortunately, was only about an hour from that time. At any rate, after a million hours on the bus, I did arrive in New York City, albeit two hours late, and as I couldn't get ahold of Alison and Peter, they were all freaked out and annoyed. However, they forgave me and in my sweats with my backpack on we proceeded to head to the Rockefeller Centre and NBC Studio tour that we were almost late for. Our three days in the city were packed full of adventures, including taking the free Staten Island ferry to see the Statue of Liberty, which is significantly smaller than I expected it to be, seeing the most bizarre Broadway show ever to hit the stage (in my opinion... not that I've seen any others, but not much could top this one), seeing Times Square, Wall Street, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler building, ground zero... We ate dinner at Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co. one night and it was the greatest thing ever. We were staying in an appartment at the Salvation Army Corps in the middle of ghetto town and Alison got scared every time we had to go home and it was funny. :) It was a great couple of days, and fulfilled my desire to see the city so often represented in the media (ie. movies). We set off bright and early last Saturday and made our way back to my beloved Canada, and it felt so good to be home again!! And with that, my reports on my exciting excursions around the continent have come to and end....

Anderson, South Carolina, USA

2006-02-21T20:35:00.000Z

After a two and a half hour layover in Atlanta, Georgia at five in the morning, I continued heading north and finally arrived in Anderson, South Carolina, and thankfully Jerusha was there waiting for me, because the bus stopped in a pretty sketchy area of town and I would have had no idea what to do if she wasn't there to pick me up! :) Anyway, we headed back to her college, which was about two minutes away, and she brought me to her dorm room to hang out while she went to class. I had a thoroughly enjoyable time catching up on emails and blogging. After her class we met up with her almost-boyfriend and his friend and went out to lunch. The afternoon I spent hanging out in Jerusha's room while she went to another class and then we went out for a drive around town and ran a few errands. That evening we went bowling with a few of her friends, most of whom were pretty into it. Some of them had their own bowling shoes and bowling balls! However, I think I played the best that I have ever played in my life! It was great. The second game that we played we had a bet going that if I beat this guy JD we were going to sailing at midnight... which would have been fun, however, despite the fact that I was winning through most of the game, he got four strikes in a row in the last two frames! Our evening of good times was concluded with Hershey's chocolate cake at Denny's before heading back to Jerusha's dorm room for some much needed sleep. Today we went for a little drive and had lunch at KFC. The majority of the day has been spent relaxing as Jerusha comes and goes to classes, but it's been a fun little visit, and very good to see her again! This evening we're going to Greenville, which is about 45 miinutes away to meet her family, and from there I will get on my final greyhound adventure headed toward New York City!! I'm so over travelling on the bus all alone! It will be so good to see Peter and Alison, and yet I cannot believe that my trip is almost over, and that in a matter of days I'll be sleeping in my own bed in Ontario!!!

Miami, Florida, USA

2006-02-21T20:16:00.000Z

After our day in Jamaica we had one final day at sea before our return to Florida. There are few things I love more than just staring at the ocean over the side of a boat as we glide across the water. I spent a large portion of the day, after a sleep in of course, out on the top deck reading my book. The sun was shining for the most part, but it was pretty windy. I actually quite like wind, and as everyone else left I had almost the entire top deck to myself for a bit. All in all the cruise was a fun experience, although to be honest, not quite as spectacular as I had expected it to be. There were shows every evening after dinner if you wanted to go them, and we went to a few, but sometimes I needed to watch the Olympic figure skating (it's an obsession) instead. :) The show on the last night I especially enjoyed. Throughout the week cruise guests auditioned for the parts of various artists in the karaoke lounge, and on the last night all the winners did a performance that was quite entertaining. We had to get off the ship rediculously early in Miami unfortunately. :( So, my Mom and I caught a bus to the Miami airport where we hung out for a few hours, and then my Mom headed to Fort Lauderdale while I sat around and waited some more for the bus that was supposed to come at one o'clock to take me to the Greyhound station from where I was supposed to leave for South Carolina. However, when it hadn't shown up by almost quarter after one, I decided that I was going to have to give in and pay for a taxi to get to the station so that I didn't miss my bus completely and end up stranded in Florida for an extra eight hours or so. Ten dollars later I did make it to the bus depot, and caught my 22 hour bus to Anderson.

Ocho Rios, Jamaica

2006-02-21T20:02:00.000Z

Ya mon. Welcome to Jamaica. We got off the boat and walked along the pier toward to the island, and got in a van to begin our "Ultimate Jamaican Adventure". Oddly enough, we were the only two people who had chosen this tour, so we had a van, driver, and tour guide all to ourselves. We learned a little bit about the history of Jamaica, and a little about their language of Patoia, which is a mixture of English, French, and African languages. It's quite an amusing language. Anyway, we took a drive up this large hill through what looked like a tropical forest to this absolutely gorgeous area. When we got there we met the girl who was going to be our hiking guide, and were given a small backpack, with a bottle of water and a chocolate bar in it. We walked further up this hill/mountain, and although it was called "hiking", it was really more of a stroll. Nonetheless, it was absolutely beautiful. I saw the most amazing tree I've ever seen in my life. Anyway, our walk ended at the top where we got into tube and went river tubing for three miles down this gorgeous river through the forest. It was absolutely wonderful. My Mom fell out of the tube when she was going over one of the rapids, and it was kind of funny. :) At the end of the river tube ride, we were back to where we started our walk, and at this point we got changed and began the horseback riding portion of our adventure. Our guide's name was Garfield and he took us up this mountain and through the forest and told us about the different types of plants etc etc, and it was quite interesting. We went through an orange orchard and had oranges from the tree and they were yummy. :) Our adventure was concluded with a lunch of jerk chicken - jerk is a Jamaican seasoning that they apparently put on pretty much everything... - and it was also very yummy. :) We headed back to the pier and thus concluded our day in Jamaica.

Georgetown, Grand Cayman Island

2006-02-21T18:57:00.000Z

Grand Cayman Island was one of the places that I was most looking forward to in my entire two month trip. For some weird reason, and I'm not entirely sure why, I had built it up in my head as being almost something from another reality. Going there seemed almost like travelling to another world for some reason. You read about it in books, you see it in movies, you hear about the financial scandals and the secrets contained within the Cayman Islands, and for some reason, all this intrigue produced a facination with the place in me. Upon our arrival there, we had to get into smaller boats to take us to shore. The place was adorable. I wanted to move there. Heidi was going to come with me. She doesn't know it, but the whole time I was there I was planning how we were going to move there for a couple months and get jobs at banks or the library or some fun place like that and we were going to sit on the beach, and swim in the ocean, and drive cars with Grand Cayman licence plates and it was going to be the coolest thing ever. The sun was even shining and the sky was blue, which was something we had unfortunately seen relatively little of on our cruise to this point. Anyway, all that to say, that I loved the place, and would like to go back one day! My Mom and I did and island tour, on which we got to go to this town called Hell, which of course opens the gates for a million jokes, which got old after about fifteen minutes... I can't imagine living near there and having to hear the jokes on a consistent basis... Anyway, there are these rock formations that look like what people would imagine hell to look like, and it's actually kind of cool. We also went to this turtle farm and I got to hold a turtle, and it was cute. :) Our final Grand Cayman adventure was taking a boat out to Stingray city and getting to swim with and pet the sting rays, which was pretty cool. There's this sandbar way out from the island, kind of in the middle of nowhere, and it was beautiful... although quite overpopulated with tourists. At any rate, it was a wonderful day and I truly am an admirer of the Cayman Islands!

Costa Maya, Mexico

2006-02-21T18:47:00.001Z

We boarded our cruise ship: The Carnival Victory. It was a new experience for both of us. It was like a miniature world floating on the sea. There were a whole bunch of different bars and lounges and restaurants, some shops, a photo gallery, and of course, a whole bunch of staterooms. Unfortunately, due to my cheapness and lack of extensive monetary assets, we were in an interior room instead of one of the super cool rooms with their own balcony. However, such is life, and it was a nice enough room despite not being able to see my beloved ocean. The first day and a half were spent at sea. Dinner each night was in the Pacific Dinning Room, where my Mom and I were seated at table 503 with four other gentlemen, probably all in their forties. Despite being half the age of everyone else at the table, it did prove to be an entertaining week none the less. Two of the guys were from Montreal, and the other two from the USA. One guy in particular proved to be full of surprises, and even came to dinner dressed up as a woman for Valentine's Day! There were lots of laughs to be had. Anyway, moving on. We docked at Costa Maya, Mexico on the the second full day of the cruise. My Mom and I went on the Clear Water Kayak excursion, which, despite the somewhat overcast and drizzly weather, was quite enjoyable. We had completely transparent kayaks, so that you could see the ocean floor, and while there wasn't a huge variety of tropical fish or coral in the area that we were in, was still fun. The water was absolutely gorgeous, and despite the cooler than expected temperature of the air, very pleasant for standing in. Upon returning from the kayak adventure we looked in a whole bunch of jewelry stores and made a few purchases... :) With that port number one was completed and we made our way back to our world on the water.

Kissimmee, Florida, USA

2006-02-21T01:34:00.000Z

The final day of my American Contiki adventure brought me to Kissimmee, Florida, a suburb of Orlando. After a day of driving through Altlanta I arrived in the state that I believe is the number one vacation spot for Ontarians. Finally, after years of listening to everyone else tell me about their trips to Florida... at any rate, it rained... but it was still pretty. I didn't have much time after arriving in Kissimmee I had to begin my journey to Miami. I said my farewells and got in a taxi to go to the Kissimmee bus depot. There was a little anxiety as I had a minimal amount of time if I wanted to catch the bus.... I did arrive however seven minutes before the bus was scheduled to leave. I went up to the counter to confirm the time the bus was leaving and ask for a luggage tag, and the lady behind the counter informed me that the bus was full. She did say, however, that if it was okay with the driver, that I could stand on the trip to Orlando, where I had to change buses anyway. Bizarre, yes. But whatever it was going to take to get me to Miami and the hotel where my mother and clean clothes awaited me. So the bus pulls up and the bus driver goes on about how he can't let us on because he only has two empty seats and there were at least four of us wanting to go, and that it was against policy to let us stand etc etc, but eventually we won out, and so I sat in the aisle between the two rows of seats, hung my head in my hands, felt the vibrations of the vehicle, and listened to constant chatter in Spanish. Upon arrival in Orlando, I grabbed my bag and lined up for the bus I had to take to Miami. I did manage to get a seat on this bus, and even a window seat at that (after the Kissimmee to Orlando trip, but standards of bus satisfaction had dropped just a little.... I would have been happy with ANY seat!). Once I arrived in Miami at about 1:30 in the morning I took a taxi to the hotel where I was to meet my Mom, and I had a beautiful sleep in a beautiful bed after spending a significant amount of time relaying all my exciting adventures to my Mom! The next morning we headed toward the dock to begin our cruise adventure!

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

2006-02-20T19:47:00.000Z

Basically all I had time for was the supersonic speedy version of Atlanta, unfortunately. We arrived in the city with just enough time to run off of the bus to catch the last tour of the CNN headquarters, which has the coolest building ever. The floor in the food court area is a map of the world, and I got to go up the world's tallest free standing escalator (oh the strange things you do on vacation). The tour itself was interesting, although I'm kicking myself for not volunteering to do a trial run at being a newscaster and getting to read the teleprompter because that would have been a lot of fun. Oh well, such is life. Anyway, dinner that night was just funny. Everything about it was funny. It was one of those nights where you just laugh, and you feel good, and it was topped off with half a slice of chocolate mousse cake. Yummy. Saying goodbye to Atlanta was sad though... as it meant that my Contiki time was drawing to a close, and the goodbyes to my fellow travellers were in the near future.

Lynchburg, Tennessee, USA

2006-02-20T19:36:00.000Z

Lynchburg, Tennessee is a funny little town. In this middle of this county that it is illegal to sell alcohol is the Jack Daniel's distillery that provides the entire world with their whiskey. I find that to be quite ironic. Anyway, I was destined to have a tour of the place, although to be honest it really didn't excite me that much... you know, having never tasted the stuff, and knowing by previous experiences that breweries smell disgusting. But alas, it was that or stand in the parking lot, so I ventured to learn all about the process of making whiskey and it turned out to be quite interesting and entertaining. Our tour guide had the greatest southern accent and you could tell he really liked his job. While some of the smells did fortify my opinion about the stinky quality of alcohol manufacturing plants, one in particular made the inside of your nose tingle, it turned out to be a good time. Heading away from the distillery, we went to the historic downtown part of Lynchburg - or so they call it. The place made me smile. There is this jail that looks like a house, and has flowers outside and everything and is right next to a restaurant. It just seemed really random to me. But hey, who I am to judge. We ate at this adorable little restaurant called "Lynchburg Country Kitchen" and the name suited it perfectly. There really wasn't much to the town appart from the two restaurants and a few souvenirs stores selling all things Jack Daniels. It was just so unlike anything I'd see before that I had to include it on my reports!

Nashville, Tennessee, USA

2006-02-20T19:16:00.000Z

Leaving Memphis, we made a morning stop at Graceland to see Elvis' house. I thoroughly enjoyed learning all about him, and seeing the numerous records he put out and the awards he had received over the course of his life. His house was pretty cool too - there was one room in particular down in the basement that I was especially fond of. A large part of it due to the mirrors on the ceiling which is just cool. At any rate, it was a good time. From there we headed to Nashville - Music City USA. Due to the lack of internet availability this was all such a long time ago that the clarity of my reflections is somewhat faded, but alas, I shall try to remember what my time in this city held. I do remember, however, that they had a super cool walking bridge. It was huge... well, for a pedestrian bridge I thought it was pretty big. At any rate, after almost missing the bus, we had a tour of the city in which our tour guide, Jordan, pointed out some of the cool sites etc and gave us a little background on the city. We were dropped off down town, and I walked around with Sarah and Eleanor, looking through souvenir shops, putting their pictures onto CDs, trying to find a post office despite multiple variations of directions. It turns out that it costs 55 cents to mail a postcard to Canada. What is silly though, is that they don't have 55 cent stamps. And no, they couldn't just give me a 50 cent stamp and a 5 cent stamp even. I mean, honestly, if you're going to charge 55 cents, make a 55 cent stamp!! But no, a 39 cent stamp, a ten cent stamp, and two three cent stamps later and my postcards were on their way. Well, that's not entirely true either... as I didn't have the postcards with me at the time it took about another eight days or so before they actually got into the mailbox in Miami yesterday! Moving on from my post office experience. Lunch was at Quizno's. I love Quizno's. I don't know how I never discovered Quizno's before this trip. Look out Oakville Quizno's - Heather is coming home! Anyway, we then headed to the Country Music Museum and Hall of Fame, where I spent a good couple hours learning all sorts of random things. I saw Elvis' gold cadillac, which, to my surprise actually had 24 karat gold and CRUSHED DIAMONDS in the paint. That is just bizarre. But hey, whatever worked for the guy. After the Hall of Fame we headed out to Studio B, which is where Elvis did most of his recording, as well as a bunch of other well known artists whose names have escaped me at this time, partially due to my lack of knowledge of older music. At any rate, the tour was interesting, and I got to play on the piano that Elvis used to play on, and I thought that was cool. Very cool.

Memphis, Tennessee, USA

2006-02-07T19:21:00.000Z

I am in love with the city of Memphis. Currently I write to you from the public library on Front Street, one block from the Mississippi River. It was fun to see the river that you learn how to spell in grade one. C'mon, you all remember the rhyme. Anyway, we went to this great place called B.B. King's for dinner last night, and there was a live blues band afterward, and that was thoroughly enjoyable. The whole atmosphere of the city is great. It's fun seeing all the places and learning about all the people that the "Walking in Memphis" song talks about. This morning we went to the Lorraine Motel, which is where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed. There is a lady who was living in the motel when they decided to turn it into the Civil Rights Museum, and she has been living on the street outside for over eigthteen years now, protesting against the museum, saying that the money that went into the musuem could have been better used to help people, to keep King's dream alive. Anyway, she gave us a little talk, and it was actually quite moving. Following that we drove to Sun Studio, which is where Johnny Cash and Elvis did some of their early recordings. This afternoon I took a stroll around Memphis by myself, and absolutely loved it. I was at the point where I just needed some alone time, and to stand and look at the Misssissippi River, and the Memphis pyramid, and just feel the wind against my skin was beautiful. Tonight brings Kareoke (yeah, I can't spell it), and some people have decided that I am going to sing. I, however, am not nearly as determined as they are. Tomorrow, before we leave the city we are heading to Graceland, Elvis' home, for a tour. And then it's goodbye to the city of the blues, and hello to my Country Music Capital!

Little Rock, Arkansas, USA

2006-02-07T19:18:00.000Z

From Dallas we headed north toward Arkansas. We stopped in Texarkana, which is right on the border between Texas and Arkansas - half of the city in each state. There really isn't a whole lot to report about the place, except that I was able to partake once again of the chicken carbonara sub at Quizno's for lunch, and that made me very happy. I also got Yvonne's pictures put on a CD at Walmart to make up for my lost pictures from the beginning of the trip. :S Oh, and we took a picture at the state line and by the "Welcome to Texas" sign and that made me happy. We continued our journey through the state of Arkansas, and stopped for a break in Little Rock, and had the opportunity to walk through the state capitol builiding, which I actually thoroughly enjoyed.

Dallas, Texas, USA

2006-02-07T19:05:00.000Z

I like Dallas. Although it didn't feel as "Texasish" as I would have liked. At any rate, our arrival in Dallas was marked by a tour of the Dallas Cowboys stadium. I have taken many tours of many places in my travels, and let me tell you, this one was weird. The tour guide took us up to the suite level and led us through hallways which for some reason were not lit. Honestly, what kind of a tour takes 40 some odd people through pitch black hallways so that they can SEE the suite level of the stadium. To top it off, those of us at the back of the group could barely hear a word the guy was saying. Oh well. Such is life I suppose. It was just a little strange. We did however eventually make it out an open area where we could look out over the playing field, and learned more about the Cowboys and the stadium itself. We then took a browse through the locker rooms and down the tunnel that the Cowboys run out of before games, and then were able to play around on the field itself which was kind of cool. That night in Dallas we had dinner at the most amusing of all restaurants - a place called Dicks. Apparently the idea is that the servers are supposed to be rude to the customers. They bring you your food in bucket things, and make you wear bibs and stupid looking paper hats with random and rediculous sentences on them. Yet another unique Dallas experience. The next day I went to the Sixth Floor Museum - a museum dedicated to president John F Kennedy, as it was from that building that he was shot and assassinated. You can look out of the window from where the sniper stood, and see the road that Kennedy was driving on. I thoroughly enjoyed the museum and learned a lot about Kennedy and what he meant to the American people. It was unfortunately Superbowl Sunday that day, and despite my lack of appreciation for football as a sport I headed to this bar/restaurant/pool place with the rest of my group to watch the game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers. It is the first Superbowl game that I have ever managed to watch the entirety of. Again, the vast majority of my fellow Contiki travellers took the opportunity to consume mass amounts of beer, and it resulted in the arrest of five of them - which to me is quite funny, but apparently it wasn't at the time (I had already headed back to the hotel and was fast asleep in bed). They managed to get out of jail in time for our departure from the city of Dallas. :)

Amarillo, Texas, USA

2006-02-07T18:53:00.000Z

I finally made it to Texas!!! We made a pit stop at Cadillac Ranch on the way into Amarillo and it completely thrilled me. To all my fellow country music lovers out there, and even some of you who aren't, we've all heard the "Cadillac Ranch" song - but to be honest I didn't really know what it was until we got there. It is truly one of the funniest things I have ever seen. There's this random field full of nothing but dirt, with ten half inverted Cadillac's stuck nose first into the ground. Apparently it was originally to represent the life and freedom that living in Texas accorded, and people are free to walk out there 24 hours a day and look at, climb on, spray paint these cars. In memory of our line dancing days at Wild Bill's Saloon in Banff, I spray painted Heidi's name on one of the cars... picture to follow Heidi!! :)

Anyway, Amarillo itself was also a blast! We stayed at this place called the Big Texan, and let me tell you... it made me happy. We had cowprint bedspreads, saloon doors to our bathrooms, the whole outside was designed to look like an old cow town... The restaurant next to the hotel had deer and elk heads on every available piece of wall space, and gave a free 72 ounce steak to anyone who could eat it with four side dishes in under an hour. We all got decked out in our cowboy outfits and headed out to this... place is the only word I can think to describe it. :) There was a room with country music - words cannot explain how much I miss country music - and a dance floor, where to my disappointment, people generally did two-step dances instead of indulging my longing for line dancing. I did get one good one in though, so that did make me happy. And of course I did get to wear a cowboy hat all night which also made me happy. And honestly, after years of wanting to go to Texas, how could I really have a bad time when I was finally there! Unfortunately, as the numerous Aussie's on tour with me do not share my appreciation for country music, we eventually made our way to the 70's music room and danced he night away in there. Well, kind of. I'm not much a dancer, but I did manage to get out on the floor for at least a little bit to appease those I was travelling with. The vast majority were intoxicated at any rate and the fact that I cannot dance probably escaped their notice. At any rate, we got up much too early the next morning and headed for Dallas.

Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

2006-02-07T18:43:00.000Z

Let me tell you something about George Bush: when he is in town, you cannot go hot air ballooning. Let me also tell you about how hot air ballooning was going to be one of the highlights on this trip for me. Now let me tell you about how George Bush came to Albuquerque, New Mexico on the same day as me. Also let me tell you how annoyed that made me. And that, my friends, is the summary of my time in Albuquerque.

Leaving Albuquerque on the morning of who knows what day it is - the standard calander that most people run their lives by has become something of a distant memory to me - we headed to Santa Fe, New Mexico. It turns out that I love the city of Santa Fe. It is just the cutest place. The arcitechture is beautiful, and I cannot stop fawning over all of the southwestern jewellery sold on every sidewalk and in every giftstore. We went to the Loretto Chapel where there is a spiral staircase leading up to the balcony made entirely without nails. Apparently it is something of a phenomenon... at any rate, it was quite interesting. We had incredibly spicy (at least for my tastebuds) fajitas in the city square, followed by amazing triple chocolate Haagen-Dazs ice cream. Truly, my few hours in Santa Fe were thoroughly enjoyed.

Durango, Colorado, USA

2006-02-02T17:06:00.000Z

I have five and a half hours to hang out in Durango, Colorado. Five and a half. That is a lot. So here I sit at the public library, updating you yet again on the exciting events of my North American adventure. It is true that we had free internet at the hotel lobby last night in Cortez, Colorado and I got pretty much up to date... and haven't really done a whole lot since, but what the heck, it's a new state. The place we stayed at last night was adorable, and I was disappointed that we were only there for one night, but such is life. Today we had our group photo taken overlooking the town of Durango and some of the surrounding mountains. However, being in the south of Colorado, the mountains really aren't all that tall. Not compared to my beautiful Banff mountains. But then again, I'm partial. Okay, so following that we were dropped off in town, and those of us who opted not to spend a ton of money to go snowmobiling have a whole lot of time to explore a town that's not all that exciting. Meh. This evening we are driving to New Mexico, where we will be staying tonight... followed by a sun rise hot air balloon ride tomorrow morning!

Monument Valley, Utah, USA

2006-02-02T05:31:00.000Z

Today we made a day stop at Monument Valley on the border between Arizona and Utah. First, however, I must share my moment of stupidity with you. I accidentally deleted all of my pictures from Christmas up until now. It was a sad tragedy I tell you... I am thoroughly disappointed! I had taken some great pictures that I really was excited about sharing with people when I got home. Although, my parents and Ben, and maybe Alison and Peter are the only one's who would really actually take the time to look at them... Anyway, it was a startling reminder that travelling is not about pictures... In the past I have found it funny that travelling has been reduced to what you can take pictures of - sometimes the actual experience gets lost in our trying to capture it to remember it in the future. So I lost my pictures from the past month (and good ones they were) - but I have still been blessed in so many other ways. I didn't lose the camera, I still had the opportunity to experience those places and times, I still have the opportunity to continue on with my trip! While it was definitely disheartening, it was a reminder as to what this trip is about, a reminder not to sweat the small stuff. Anyway, back to Monument Valley. We took shuttle tours of the area, learning about the Navajo Indians (it's on a reserve), and the history of the area, and the names of the rock formations. It was an enjoyable day. We also got to see one of the places where Forrest Gump went running in the movie... Anyway, that pretty much brings us up to today!

Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

2006-02-02T05:25:00.000Z

To describe my experience at the Grand Canyon in words is next to impossible. Yvonne and I headed down the Bright Angel Trail (with no expectations of completing it... just wanting to go down it a little) on a bright sunny afternoon. We artfully dodged the numerous piles of mule dung that lined the pathway; the absense of which should have notified us of the fact that we had wandered off of the beaten track.... We ended up in some random spot on the side of the canyon, scrambling over branches and rocks, until we finally agreed that at some point we must have lost the trail. As I was leading, I must take full responsibility for this rediculous mistake (it's not like it's an easy trail to lose)... but it definitely made for a memorable adventure. Once we had returned to the well worn path, we continued down the canyon, pausing from time to time to marvel at the growing walls shooting straight above us, and gazing down into the depths that we would never reach. About an hour later we turned around and began the ascent. I absolutely abhor walking up hill, but slowly and steadly, all the while reminding me that there was life after this hike, I did make it back to the top... at which point we sat in the sun and did not move for at least an hour. That morning I also had the opportunity to take my first helicopter ride over the canyon, which provided me with spectacular views... God truly is an amazing artist!

VIVA! Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

2006-02-02T05:11:00.000Z

Las Vegas felt like an alternate reality. The temperature was such that you didn't notice it - that perfect temperature that makes you feel as though you are inside even when you are outside. Smack in the middle of miles and miles of desert is a city unlike anything else in existence. It's as though they tried to recreate the entire world in one place. Each of the numerous hotels and casinos lining what is known as "The Strip" (a.k.a. Las Vegas Blvd) is state of the art. No expense was spared in the construction of these impressive structures. Each has a different theme - you've got a fake Eiffel Tower, a fake Venice, a fake Roman Colisseum, a fake statue of Liberty, a fake Monte Carlo, a fake Egyptian pyramid etc etc... The list goes on and on. It was definitely an impressive spectacle. My favourite thing about Las Vegas, however, would have to be m&m world. For those of you unfamiliar with my affinity for m&m's (my bedding is m&m's)... let me tell you that the four floors of unlimited m&m merchandise was pure paradise to me. If I was a millionaire I would have bought the entire place, but alas, I had to settle for a yellow m&m pillow, two packs of playing cards, a key chain, and of course, some m&m's. They had an entire wall filled with dispensers of each colour - and not just your standard m&m colours... every colour imaginable - and you could mix and match. It was just pure bliss. On top of all this they have a little walk through museum type display on how m&m's are made, and it was the cutest thing. This, believe it or not, was followed by a 3D movie called "I lost my M in Vegas" starring "Red" and "Yellow". Cute. Anyway, all that to say that I had a wonderful time in Vegas getting to know the people on my tour, and exploring the city that is unlike anything else. Oh, and eight months after my last one broke, I finally bought a watch! :) Of course, however, there is also the disturbing side to Vegas: guys standing on the sidewalks handing out baseball card sized pamphlets of almost naked women, and discarded cards literally LINE the streets. Everywhere you look there are advertisements for show girls etc etc. Oh, and you should know that I did spend two dollars playing the shot machines, and unfortunately did not win the $5000 that I had anticipated. Ooops. AND, before I end this, I must share the most hilarious thing ever - we stopped at this little wedding chapel called "Graceland Wedding Chapel" and the owner who was all dressed up as Elvis performed a fake wedding between two people on my tour... it was thoroughly entertaining... lots and lots of laughs! :)

Anaheim, California, USA

2006-02-02T00:42:00.000Z

Waking up in Portland, Oregon was weird. I was all alone in the city... so I went for a little walk, not really knowing where I was going or what I was doing. I ended up in some strange area that was overrun by construction workers and as the weather was rotten and wet, I decided that I was going to take the 1pm bus to California as opposed to the 6:55pm. I ended up at a coffee shop and sat by the large window looking out at the streets of Portland and Couch Park, drinking hot chocolate and reading Donald Miller in his own city. I made my way to the Greyhound station and went through security (yes, that's right... they have SECURITY at the Greyhound station in Portland... no one's really sure why) and got on the 24 hour bus trip to Anaheim, California. I ended up sitting next to a guy from Salem on his way to Medford, and he felt the need to tell me about all the stupid things he's done when he's been drunk, and about how drunk he was going to get that night, and about how much he liked drinking, and about how I was the only person over the age of fourteen whom he'd ever met that had never been drunk. Joining me in Medford, Oregon was an insecure girl travelling with her boyfriend who treated her like she was five, and she barely spoke a word to me but turned around to face him for the duration of the multiple hour trip to Sacremento. We had the weirdest bus driver... and to try to put the experience of that night into words would take too much work... I was surrounded by loud and obnoxious men who felt the need to get upset over everything. At any rate, I switched buses in Sacremento, California at like 4am and was finally able to fall asleep for a few hours. I then awoke to God's reminder that He was in fact still in control even in the midst of my slightly freaky adventure - a glorious sunrise over the California desert. I arrived in Los Angeles around noon the next day, and it is beautiful. After weeks in the Northwest, the sunshine and blue sky was a welcome change. :) I was a little edgy being there all alone, and surrounded by people five times my size and speaking Spanish. However, I did survive, and caught the bus to Anaheim. Upon arrival in Anaheim, I decided that I'm a supergenius, and instead of asking for directions or figuring out the city bus system or calling a cab, I'm going to glance at the map, and set out to find my hotel on my own. Well, it turns out that there are FOUR Holiday Inns in Anaheim (who woulda thought??) and when I got to one, I asked directions to the one that I was supposed to be staying at and meeting my tour group at. The guy at the desk told me to go to straight down Harbour Street until Katella Avenue. Well... straight down Harbour Street I did go... for a very long time... with my heavy backpack on.... until finally I saw North Street... which indicated that I was on the wrong side of town . But, seeing as I'm stubborn... I kept going, until finally I had to find out where I was. So I stopped in at a 7-11 and bought and orange juice and asked where Katella Ave was. Five or six miles in the OTHER direction. Good. GOOOOOD. So, I strolled out of there like I knew where I was going and like that wasn't a big deal. But once I crossed the street I just started laughing at myself and decided that despite my trying to do things the cheap way, I was going to have to break down and call a cab. So, I had a quesadilla at Del Taco and asked the guy for a number to call a taxi. At long last I did arrive at the Holiday Inn and met my roommate for the next two weeks - a girl named Yvonne from Holland. That night we had a "meet the tour guide" thing at the restaurant/bar in the hotel, which went quite smoothly. I even overcame my shyness and introduced myself to people without being spoken to first. This is big. Anyway, after a well deserved shower and a glorious sleep, we set off the next morning for the state of Nevada.

I'M IN LOVE: Seaside, Oregon, USA

2006-01-26T06:25:00.000Z

Everyone told me that the Oregon coast is gorgeous. It turns out that they were all telling the truth. Nichole and I did a "one-day road trip" today... We left Monroe, Washington at 1pm after a stop at Quizno's Subs, as I had never been there before and Nichole seemed to think that that was a crime. They did have exceptionally wonderful cheddar broccoli soup, and the chicken and corn chowder was also truly enjoyable. On top of that, they had a sandwich with chicken and bacon and alfredo sauce, and if you ask me, life doesn't get much better than that. Anyway, back to Oregon... We headed south, and as Nichole was really tired from working stupid hours, I got to drive most of the way, which thrilled me as I really do miss driving! Four hours later we arrived in this cute little town called Seaside. We parked and ran out toward the water along the beach, the very large and sandy beach. It had just turned dark, and the wind was blowing, and the waves were lapping and it was paradise. We found two sand dollars so that we could each keep one and also found a starfish. We had to run away from the approaching tide, but that made the adventure all that more fulfilling. I seriously love the ocean... the horizon... The town itself is adorable too: there's starfish lights on all the lamp posts! We ate dinner at this cute little restaurant where we ordered way more pancakes than the two of us could possibly ever eat... I'm not too sure what we were thinking... but the hot chocolate was a delicious treat after our chilling experience on the beach. Despite Nichole's disappointment that none of the shops selling sea-salt taffee were open, we did in fact have to leave. We drove to Portland, and Nichole dropped me off at a youth hostel, from where I am currently writing to you. It's a little freaky as I've never stayed at a hostel alone before, but I'm sure I'll live. And as my internet time is drawing to a close, I will leave you now... but know that I'm in love with Oregon!

Monroe, Washington, USA

2006-01-25T07:13:00.000Z

After a rather frustrating encounter with the customs officer at the border who seemed to be convinced that I planned to come into the States to live and work, I have again arrived in the United States of America. I have been staying at my friend Nichole's house in Monroe, and it's been great to hang out with her again. We were able to make a day trip into Seattle (about an hour from where she lives) and spent the majority of the time browsing through Pike Place Market. I got to see the first ever Starbucks location. :) Anyway, today I spent hanging out and reading at her work (it's a little coffee shop/cafe place) and thoroughly enjoyed it. Tomorrow brings the fulfillment of another dream: OREGON and PORTLAND!

AT LONG LAST: Victoria, BC, Canada

2006-01-25T07:00:00.000Z

After months of waiting and hearing about everyone else's trips to Victoria... I finally arrived. For those of you unfamiliar with my odd attachment to a city that I have never actually been to, let me inform you that indeed, although it is odd, I have long been desiring to aquaint myself with the city that is British Columbia's capital. To be looking out across a deep blue ocean and listening to the sound of the wind forming waves on the water and a dog barking on the beach felt like the fulfillment of a dream come true. The ferry ride provided me with ample food for the soul - there are few things I enjoy more than to be on the water, and to look out at the horizon into an unknown eternity. Anyway, I spent two wonderful days on Vancouver Island hanging out with my friend Hannah... we visited the Undersea Gardens and I got to see an octopus and an eel. We explored the Empress hotel, walked along the ocean, and ate some really good ice cream. Yes, good food is a theme with me. I've been loving my trip and everytime I step off of a bus into a new location I am reminded of how good God is to me. Each day and each new place brings the renewal of old friendships, memories of days gone by combined with experiences for today - the yesterday of tomorrow.

Bellingham, Washington, USA

2006-01-19T20:26:00.000Z

Yesterday morning Amy dropped me off at the bus depot in Abbotsford, and I got on a bus to go to Victoria. I had to transfer in Vancouver however, and when I got there I decided to call my friend Katie in Bellingham one last time, and when she answered I decided to get on a bus and head down here to the States instead! So, alas, I have left my Canada behind for a few days... I'm thoroughly enjoying hanging out with Katie (my roommate when I lived in Greece). I spent a few hours in the library at the university that she attends last night while she was in classes and it was good times. I really like libraries. I also went to a two hour grammar class, and being the geek that I am - I found it quite interesting. Ironically enough, two of her friends from Capernwray were in town last night, so we met up with them and hung out for a bit. Today we're planning to do a little more adventuring... see more of Bellingham, and then more of the school thing... all this attending classes is ALMOST making me miss school... although watching people have to do homework does not. :) At any rate, my last minute change of plans has worked out very well... as my friend Hannah in Victoria has the weekend off, so now I'll be able to spend more time with her when I go there tomorrow!

Abbotsford, BC, Canada

2006-01-19T20:22:00.000Z

Abbotsford was filled with good times. It was so good to see Amy again after so many years! We had lots of good memories to reflect upon from our first year at Briercrest when we were quadmates... We spent a morning in White Rock, and although it was cold and rainy, it was fun to see the ocean yet again! We also ate at this really cute little French place. The afternoon was filled with a trip to Trinity Western University as Amy had a class and a business club meeting, both of which entertained me. :) Anyway, I spent my last day in Abbotsford at Summit Pacific Bible College visiting my friend Andrea who I knew from my church in Banff this summer. We had a nice relaxing day together, in which I attended chapel with her, played Settlers of Catan with her and a few of her friends, and went out to dinner at Boston Pizza to satisfy my inner longing for pasta with alfredo sauce! All in all it was a very pleasant day, despite my not feeling completely healthy... but definitely good to see her again! AND - the climax I've been waiting for: MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE GOT DELIVERED TO AMY'S HOUSE!! I can now leave the country with ease!

Vancouver, BC, Canada

2006-01-16T05:16:00.000Z

Today brought my long awaited visit to Vancouver. Amy and I spent a thoroughly enjoyable morning at her church and then headed to her friend's house for lunch before heading toward Vancouver. It was a lovely day... we took a brisk walk along the path by the ocean in Stanley Park, followed by a delicious dinner and stroll on Robson Street. By about 6:30pm we were wiped out (pathetic I know), so we headed back to Abbotsford for a soak in her hot tub!

Kelowna, BC, Canada

2006-01-14T06:36:00.000Z

It is very interesting the types of people that you meet on a Greyhound bus. I could write a very interesting collection of them all. For some reason, it seemed that my bus from Creston (where Donzel dropped me off) to Kelowna was occupied chiefly by old men whose coughs produced sounds that I would rather not have been accosted with. At any rate, despite feeling the length of the journey, and after a dinner stop in some random little town called Salmo, and another brief stop to drop off a man who thought he was having a heart attack, I did make it Kelowna. My friend Katie picked me up (we met in Banff two summers ago) and brought me back to her place. It really struck me how blessed I am to have people waiting for me at the end of bus rides that take me through unfamiliar territory and a bed to sleep in and a roof over my head. Unfortunately, Kaite had to work today, so I spent the day with her roommate Emily. We ran a few errands and did a little tour of the city, went down to the Okanagan Lake and got my picture taken with the Ogopogo statue thing. It was good times. I can see how it would be a really pretty place in the summer. Too bad I picked the worst time of year to go travelling. Such is life. At any rate, tomorrow morning I get back on a Greyhound bus (which I have decided is really my home for the next two months) and to Abbotsford for a few days.

Bonners Ferry, Idaho, USA

2006-01-14T06:31:00.000Z

My time in Idaho was spent at the Woomerts house - I met their three eldest children at Capernwray in Greece last year. My last full day there was spent with a trip to Sandpoint, Idaho, a nearby tourist town where I had wonderful French toast and spent a significant amount of time hanging out in the library, combined with running a number of errands and a visit to the lake. I really like water. More than mountains even I think. Water makes me happy.

BONUS: Troy, Montana, USA

2006-01-11T18:23:00.000Z

So yesterday we took an afternoon trip to Montana - it turns out that the border is only about twenty minutes away from the Woomerts house... At any rate, it was a splendid expedition, and I just have to inform you all of my amusing discovery: we went to a grocery store and there were multiple deer and elk heads on the wall above the vegetables aisle!!! I was thoroughly entertained at this public display, specifically because it was in a grocery store, but unfortunately my camera ran out of battery power, and I was unable to photograph the scene. At any rate, I also discovered a wonderful flavour of Ben & Jerry's ice cream: Phish Food. This is very good. Everyone should try it. The end.

Unfamiliar Territory

2006-01-10T02:05:00.000Z

Saturday brought a sad goodbye to Alberta... I left Edmonton and headed into Calgary for the evening for dinner with Joya and then caught the overnight bus to Creston, BC. It was long. But I have concocted a scheme as to how to avoid sharing a seat on the bus if at all possible. Granted, this particular bus trip was relatively empty, so my coniving plan was unnecessary, but I feel the need to share it with you anyway. So, here's what I figure - most people would prefer not to have to share a seat, so they often will walk towards the back in hope of finding an empty seat, and only when the start to near the rear of the coach will they resign themselves to sitting with someone. HOWEVER, if you sit near the front, but not too near the front to be subjected to overly lazy people who just want to take the first available seat, MOST people will walk right by you in hopes of finding a seat all to themselves. Granted, it's not a failproof system, but it's working pretty well for me so far. Anyway, the Woomerts picked me up in Creston, and we headed to Fairmont Hot Springs for the day, which was good times. Lots of hot water... yay for hot water. Crossing the border into the USA proved to be relatively simple, and required my drivers licence, so here I am in Bonners Ferry, Idaho! Today we drove to Coeur D'Alene to drop off a friend of theirs who was visiting from Germany at the bus depot, which was followed by my first ever Olive Garden experience. At any rate, I have a few more days here, and learning to make chocolate truffels is on the agenda for tomorrow....

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

2006-01-07T00:00:00.000Z

I think that Heidi is one of my favourite people to hang out with. Especially now that my plot to convert her to country music has come to fulfillment, we have way too much fun together, and it makes me happy. The past few days in Edmonton have been wonderful... filled with sleeping in, too much good food, the new Rascal Flatts CD on repeat, chick flicks, shopping, and skating. It helps the budget significantly knowing that anything I buy I have to carry with me in my already crammed backpack for the next month and a half... but our day at West Edmonton Mall was still full of good times, and Heidi now has a wonderful outfit to wow everybody with at her staff party. :) This evening is "girl time" as a couple of her friends are coming over and we're watching Pride and Prejudice (one of my very favourite movies) and eating pizza and junk food. Tomorrow I head back to Calgary for the evening, and then it's off to unfamiliar territory as I catch a bus to Creston, BC - some random little town I'd never heard of until a couple months ago. Donzel and Liesl are picking me up there and we're going to Fairmont to the Hot Springs and hour or two away for the day, and then heading back to their home in Idaho - all assuming I either acquire my birth certificate in the next day or have a nice security guard who is okay with my photocopy and my driver's licence. Pray people, PRAY. For those of you who may be familiar with the rediculous drama of my passport, my application was rejected for whatever reason (I have yet to find out) and they are returning it to me with my birth certificate and health card - however, as it turns out, I don't need a passport at all, even to go on cruise - this is the last year that I can use a birth certificate and photo ID. So, praise the Lord for that - we will continue the passport drama upon my return to Ontario, and for now will simply focus on getting the birth certificate back. I've been learning to cope with uncertainty through this whole experience though, and God has been teaching me to rely on Him, and to be okay with not knowing what is going to happen. Worrying is not going to help anything, and the things that I make out to be big huge deals, usually aren't in the end anyway. I'm trying to look at the positive side of things. :) At any rate, I cannot believe how quickly my few days here in Edmonton have flown... so until next time - hope you are all well... please keep me posted on what's new with you guys too!

Happy Birthday to My Little Brother!

2005-12-31T04:14:00.000Z

Today is my brother's 20th birthday! :) Yay!

I am currently at my second last shift at work! :) Yay!

I don't have to work tomorrow and it is New Year's Eve! :) Yay!

There are fireworks on New Years Eve! :) Yay!

I don't have to work until 2pm on New Year's Day and I get paid double time and a half! :) Yay!

I get to see Joya and Heidi in four days! :) Yay!

My passport still hasn't arrived in the mail! :( Boo! Please pray........