Surfer's Paradise!

We are now in Surfer's Paradise! We got here yesterday afternoon and are stayin with a couple of Stew's buddies from highschool Jeff and Matt. They have an apartment right in the heart of Surfer's and have been nice enough to give us a pull out couch to crash on for a few days. We drove 8 hours from Yepoon on Monday back to Mooloolaba to stay with Mick for the night and say goodbye to Emily again before she flew back to Canada Tuesday morning. Tuesday we got up and got me stuff for the van like a new pot and pan to cook on our portable stove, stew got new fishing equipment and then we headed to Surfer's Paradise which only took a couple hours. We'll be here til Friday and then are heading toByron Bay to celebrate Stew's 26th Birthday and meet up with Mick and Andrew for the weekend. We went out for a surf yesterday but I didn't last long as the rip tide was insane and basically dragged me across the ocean floor repeatedly, so NOT a good day back on the surf. Stew and Jeff had better luck but the waves were pretty intense so they had some juicy nose dives as well. Stew and i had dinner at the hard rock cafe and then we just had drinks with the guys at their place.

Today we'll hit the beach again and then tomorrow we're going to check out Wet n Wild water park! So excited! We love it here so far. I was here back with Em and her family for the night in September and I fell in love with this place then too. It's so busy and reminds me a lot of Niagara Falls if the falls were a beach. SO many stores, restaurants, bars, etc. and people everywhere. I couldn't live here per say but it is a nice change from being on an island or in the quiet area of Mooloolaba.

Pumpkin Island:

Ok so we got to Pumpkin on the friday and the weather wasn't the greatest for a lot of the time but we did manage ot get a couple of really nice days. Work was a joke there and basically we just had to help clean a couple cottages on the island every now and then which only took a couple hours max on the days we actually had to do something. Not to mention Wayne and Laureth the owners and the couple who was also working on the island Cavin and cherraine helped the entire time so it was a piece of cake. When we weren't working we got to snorkel, swim, fish, go out on the paddle boats, etc. The one day Stew wanted to fish off the paddle boat so we paddled out but the weather wasn't the greatest and the wind was so strong it blew us way the hell out into the middle of the ocean where panic 2.0 started for me. The waves were hitting our boat and we actually started to sink. I was freaking out thinking about the movie open water and how we were about to capsize in a freaking paddle boat and become shark bait since stew had a bag of fish and prawns for fishing. greaaaaat. So we tried to get the water out and stew had to paddle his side only to avoid the waves hitting us and sinking us further. Needless to say, I didn't go out when the weather was bad again. Theres that added nervousness being out in the reef when Wayne willhardly swim and there are no shark nets.

Snorkeling was really cool and we saw some really cool looking fish. However, a lot of the reef was brown and dead from the floods last year so it was a little sad to see so much coral life ruined. It would have been really cool to see the bright colours that were once there but we still got to see some great things that we never would have before. Lots of sea cucumbers as seen on jackass haha and we decided to pick them up many times. For those who don't know, when you pick up a sea cucumber if they feel threatened they shoot out white threads that look like...er....nevermind you can probably imagine so we had some fun threatenin the cucumbers and taking inapprorpiate/immature pictures that will soon be on facebook hahaha.

Wayne and Laureth were great and we had a lot of fun with them. They cooked for us a few times which was super nice and we spent our last night in their house because a huge rain storm hit and nearly blew our tent away. I sadly did not get to spear a fish but it was probably for the best. there weren't any sticks or bamboo strong enough to build a spear and the fish were pretty small and reef fish so i couldnt have eaten it anyways. However, we did find coconuts and i got to bust open a coupel to eat which were amazing! on the rainy days we just watched movies or read which was nice but we did get a little stir crazy some days needing entertainment. all in all it was a great experience and we were grateful to be able to see the great barrier reef.

Christmas is gettin closer and closer! can't believe dad will be here in less than 2 weeks. We will begin our drive on Monday towards Sydney. Our currymobile is driving well and we've pretty much got driving manual down no problem. We had a couple incidents on our way back from yepoon which included driving away with our van door open unknowingly and stew losing a flip flop somewhere onthe bruce highway, oops! our second incident was stew got caught on the radar of the police in trap zone that went from like 80 to 60 in a matter of stesps. we got pulled over but i think our bein canadian helped as we didn't get a ticket! they made stew do a breathalizer which was hilarious but apparently is standard here in aus whenever someone gets pulled over.

I will post pictures soon but for now its time to hit the beach here. I want to give a HUGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEee congrats to my best friend Caity and Dan on their recent engagement!! I could not be happier for you guys and cannot wait for the wedding!!! I can't believe my girl is gonna be a Galbraith! So awesome!!
Anyways, pictures to come and more updates I'm sure. Thanks guys!

Headed to the Great Barrier Reef - Pumpkin Island

This will likely be my only update from now until mid-December as finding internet is becoming more difficult. We are currently in Yepoon which is 7 hours north of the Sunshine Coast where we will be taking a ferry across to Pumpkin Island tomorrow. We drove up here on Tuesday in OUR NEW VAN but weren't able to get to Pumpkin until  tomorrow because the water has been rough according to the owners Wayne and Laureth.

Let's backtrack a little shall we. First of all, after looking at 4 different vans and getting our hopes up each time that it would work out we finally ended up with a Mazda E2000, year 2000 with just over 200,000 clicks on it. It was in pretty great condition besides being filled with the stink of curry as it was owned by an idian dude who worked in an indian restaurant and must have used the van as the restaurants garbage depot. We took it to our mechanic and bff Bruno over at B & T Autmotives in Nambour where they gave us some new tires, tuned up the beast and cleaned out the curry from the dashboard...yes there was literal curry in the dashboard when we drove it over which almost resulted in me vommitting all over the van. We got a great deal and brought Em to drive it off the lot as Stew and I didn't know how to drive manual. With an awesome instructor (Em) and some side streets we were able to learn and are getting better with each drive. We're still a little nervous on hills but overall, the stalling is becoming less and less. Now we just need some sweet sunglasses to drive in and more hippie stuff to decorate and we'll have the most epic vehicle Aus has seen.



We moved out of our apartment and left 56 alcohol bottles nicely displayed on the shelves in the kitchen. Our final count was 2 bottles of CC, 2 Vodka and 54 bottles of wine. Well over a bottle a day for the amount of time we were there. I'm sure the cleaning staff will LOVE us and I'm sure they'd love to have us back there. lol. We crashed with Em on Monday night and then hit the road on Tuesday.

A long 7 hour drive and we made it to Emu National Park where our Pumpkin Island friends were able to get us into the Hostel for free for the night as we weren't able to get to pumpkin right away. Spent one night in the hostel and then bummed around the nothing town of Emu on Wednesday. We decided to go x to the z xzibit on our van and totally revamped it taping down a tarp on the ground which was MUCH cleaner after a solid cleansweep session with our friend Zac on Monday (top to bottom scrubbing was a must). We tarped the ground, decorated and organized our van to have a bed and storage for everything we own. Em gave us a Canadian flag to sport inside it and we have a Merry Christmas decal on the window. We're going to get bumper stickers in each place we visit with our van so it can be a part of our journey. While we still need more comforters to make the bed comfortable we survived our first night sleeping in it last night and didn't suffocate from the heat. There was a huge bus group that came in from Airlie beach so we couldnt stay in the rooms last night but were still able to use all the facilities and just sleep in our van on the lot. We met some Swed's and had some drinks with them.

Today we got up early and headed into Yepoon, saw the harbour where we will be departing from and walked around the town of Yepoon that had some cool shops. We are currently sitting on the floor of the mall where we found oulets to charge our electronics and free wifi which is pretty hard to come by here in Australia. Tonight we get another free stay at the hostel and then we'll be heading to take the boat to the island in the morning.

Peregion was a great time back a couple sundays. We took the bus up and met Em and Zac and Mick there. We had lunch and listened to live music and drank some beers on the lawn. Definitely a hippie festival and some great music. Our last night in Mooloolaba was probably one of the best. We went to our friend Matt and Jay's (who we met our surfing one day) and the girls joined for some drinks before we all headed to O'Malley's. Matt and Jay's was hilarious as they had a fake wedding ceremony for Matt and his fiance Kyla. I guess it's not fake since they are really getting married in Aug and Lisa and Jay got ordained online haha but it was the classiest ceremony yet on their balcony with vows exchanged in high-fives and the reception being in a pub with cheap scooners lol. A lot of fun but bittersweet having to say goodbye to everyone. A lot of the Canadians were heading back to Canada for Christmas as they all just graduated from teachers college and its time to go. Seems strange since we're just starting our journey really. It was really hard saying goodbye to Em and we missher so much already!


Amanda Kutner or shall i say KUBES came to visit us last week who I met in the hostel who is the most hilarious Canadian girl as I mentioned previously. She partied with us a couple nights in Mooloo and it was so amazing to catch up with her. We were hoping to take her surfing but the weather was pretty crappy while she was here so we just bummed around, watched movies and caught up on each others adventures. Definitely going to miss her SO much when she heads back to Canada but we've already promised to keep in touch and have stuck to that almost every day. I'd love to travel with her again in the future as we have a great time together.

It's really starting to get hot here as the summer kicks off which is awesome but meltinggggggggggg. Also seems weird when we're in the mall with Christmas decorations and Christmas carols in the grocery store--just seems weird to be in bathing suits and barefoot all the time with Christmas around the corner. I definitely will miss the snow just for Christmas but the heat is something else :)
We're really excited to get to the Island tomorrow as there isn't too much to do in Emu and we just want to see what we've been anticipating for a while. Then its our journey back down the coast where we will be meeting Mick and Andrew in Byron Bay for Stew's 26th birthday December 18. We're gonna be itching to surf by then so it'll be great to get down there and reunite with our buddy!

Won't be able to update while on Pumpkin but I will update when we reach internet again soon! SO excited for daddy to get here for Christmas and only 21 days away now. Cannot believe I'll get to see him here in Australia! woo woo! Anyways, happy Christmas shopping to everyone and miss you all back home! Hope those who snowboard are taking advantage as I would love to board this time of year but will take the beach easily.

Time to get our hippie on

Halfway through November and the mustaches are coming along quite nicely. Stew's kind of looks like a pirate or something with his little soul patch hahaha. Mick is also participating now and his looks more like a creeper since his is strawberry blonde-ish lol.

We are making some serious progress on the hunt for our campervan and may actually have one by the end of the week. We found this sweet Nissan Urvan through this guy in Buderim not far from here. It's hand painted and looks like a reptile in the front and then ocean scenery along the sides, extremely hippie. This beast is going to stand out like crazy amongst the other white campers. The inside pops up so we'll actually be able to stand up in it. It has 2 benches and a table that fold down into a big bed. It is also stacked with a stove, fridge, cupboards, etc. so we can literally live in it for the next 10 months of our journey. The only issues were having right now is what its goingto cost us to replace the valve seals and some rust along the frame in order to get it safety certified and road worthy. We've been in contact with a few mechanics and may have found a deal with a sweet place recommended to me by a girl at work. Fingers crossed! Pictures will definitely be coming asap as this is something you have to see to understand how unreal it is.

The surf has been kinda crappy lately, just really flat or choppy waves that are ok to play in but not so much for trying to surf on. Still been at the beach almost every day though. I've been running a bit more and think my groove is coming back slowly but surely. It's hard to believe but we're up and starting our day around 7:30am every day. Mooloolaba is definitely a morning place so if you're not up and going by 8am it feels like you've slept your day away, so different. Most places are open by 6am for breakfast and Sundays are the most insane day for breakfast as Stew and I usually work it and its bonkers. I worked this past sunday and tables turned over SO fast. People were sitting down at dirty tables before I could even clear them. It's crazy because even a cheap breakfast here with eggs and toast only is still like $10. If you want a full breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, hashbrowns, etc youre looking at at least $15, so crazy. Makes me miss the riverdale a lot for the $5 delicious breakfast that included a coffee! I get to eat for free at Karma when I work so I've had my breakfasts without the financial pain.

This Sunday Mick, Emily (aussie), Rachel (Em's sister), Stew and I are heading up to Perigion (sp?) which is like half an hour north of here where there is a big hippie beach party. It starts early with everyone surfing and then they have live bands on the beach where people can drink, dance, etc. We're pretty stoked as this place does this at the beginning and 3rd Sunday of each month. It'll be one of our last outings here before heading up to Pumpkin Island. We're going to be goingto Emily (canadian em)'s graduation for teachers college next week like a couple of proud parents lol then we'll be celebrating her being finished likely by hitting the bar right after. We're super stoked for Pumpkin Island too and have been wondering what its going to be like. A little nervous about surfing there if there is surf since apparently they have gigantic fish and aquatic life, which can often mean sharks as well. Guess we'll find out fast when we get there with our boards if the couple who owns it tells us otherwise. My biggest goal while at Pumpkin Island is to spear a fish. Yes, spear it. Like survivor man or man vs. wild. We will definitely catch it on camera and potentially video. If I can make this happen I will literally crap my pants with excitement. It's on my bucket list and would be hilarious if I can pull it off. We're going to be living survivor styles anyways so its only necessary.

I've reached VIP status at the cafe Emjays we go to to use the internet. You only have to buy a coffee and you can stay here for hours using their internet. They've already created a card for me and stamp the shit out of it every time I come in so I get free coffees. Stew is pissed cause him and Em come here all the time and not only DONT have cards but haven't gotten any free coffee mou ha ha ha.

Anyways, I'm going to write one more blog before we go up to Pumpkin and peace out of Mooloolaba. It's going to be bitter sweet leaving here because while we're soooo excited to go to the barrier reef we've met some really awesome people here. Even walkin down the esplanade people recognize us from a) being likely the most tanned people here, b) always walking barefoot with surfboards and c) working and being canadian. its awesome.

I'm going to leave this blog on the note that everyone whose reading this should listen to two songs:
1. Be As You Are by Kenny Chesney
2. Small Town and Big Dreams by Paul Brandt
These songs always come on on my ipod and make life that much better :)

Movemeber

And it's November already. Today is Stew's one month of being in Australia which he is spending working at Hippodrome from 5:30am-3pm, can you say shittiest shift ever? I on the other hand do not work until 6pm tonight so have gotten up early to e-mail and blog and will be heading to the beach shortly. woo hoo!

Work at Karma Waters has been great so far and I really love the staff and owner. Everyone is so friendly and I'm gettin a good amount of hours. I work mostly in the evening so I have all day to surf, tan and embrace the beach. Stew and I got up this week at 5am the one day to go fishing since he bought a rod and equipment. We headed to the pier in Mooloolaba and within the first 20min of fishing a shark came up towards his line! Stew shouted "theres a fuckin shark! get the camera!!" so I scrambled to go see it and sure enough saw the shark swimming along the rock line. So crazy! not a huge shark but a shark none the less but sadly was not quick enough with the camera. We also saw a stingray that was HUGE swimming around and following Stew's bait. He caught one relatively big fish there but it was too big to reel in so it fell off the line. We moved to another bridge location later where he caught a couple small fish that we let go. Later that day we went surfing and I got to try out a friend's mini malibu which is a thicker board and was able to stand and ride a couple waves which was amazing and followed by my screaming and cheering for myself...lol. I caught a fish yesterday and was so proud of myself even if it was super small. Stew caught a tonne yesterday when he went out in the morning while I was working, we just need bigger fish to eat!

Surfing is getting better, I'm starting to pick it up more and more and can stand far more easier and am not as afraid of the big waves. We met an Aussie named Emily and her two roommates Rachel her sister and Rachel a Canadian. Theyve been coming out surfing with us so we have an official crew on the water which is awesome. Or should I say gang since our Board Short Mafia gang is picking up, its going to be  the next best thing to hit Mooloolaba soon enough...watch out.
It's so much fun sitting out on the waves waiting for a good one and being able to chat with friends. It's awesome. Yesterday was crazy busy on the water so it was a little stressful and the tide was so strong we kept gettin dragged into the flag area where we weren't supposed to be. Didn't catch anything yesterday but saw some sweet ass surfers ripping it up.

This week we went down to the wharf and checked out the fish market. We were able to get shark steaks and some fresh prawns for like $20 and they were delicious. Shark tastes a lot like chicken to me but it's so good and cheap as hell! The guy who sold it to us said "better we eat them then they eat us" amen brother and they are delicious so bring it on. They have these crab looking things too called 'bugs' which for so long we have thought meant actual bugs on the menus in restaurants but are like crabs...mystery solved. We also got a delicious seafood curry meal this week at Hot Pipi's restaurant where our new bff emily works and how we met her. The food was delicious and we got a new friend out of it so bonus!

I finally saw the movie Fubar this week as Stew had it on his hard drive and I cannot believe it took me this long to see it. It definitely made me think of Monster Jam and I loved it. There's a country music festival in January somewhere near Sydney apparently so its already in the works for our plans. There's also the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Surf competition on the Gold Coast in March-ish so we're going to try and make it to that too as it would be amazing! The pros can tear it up its unreal. We saw videos of surfers doing flips and landing back on the wave...just insane.

Anyways, its reaching that time that I need to head to the beach. I don't think I can get any more tanned but it is so awesome laying in the sun, surfing and listening to music on the beach. My back is sore today from the crazy amount of paddling required yesterday but we'll probably get back out there again today later on when the swell picks up.

Good luck to all those participating in Movember. Stew is starting his but we don't know many aussies participating so far. Can't wait to see pictures!

Happy Halloween!

Just want to wish everyone a Happy Halloween this weekend and cannot wait to the pictures of everyones costumes. I've been talking to a few people back home and have heard some hilarious costume ideas. Stew and I are going to dress up and go to Lisa's halloween party on saturday so pictures will be coming shortly after. Halloween is easily one of the best holidays and its so sad that aussies can't appreciate that here. Mick thought you have to dress up as something scary for halloween but we corrected him and told him about some of the best costumes we've seen and some of the most offensive which is clearly the best way to go.

I quit Cala Luna and got a new job at a restaurant called Karma Waters. Its right on the Mooloolaba esplanade and so much closer to our apartment. Also, they are going to give me a lot of hours unlike Cala Luna. I enjoyed the people who owned Cala but they just weren't giving me the hours I needed unfortunately. fingers crossed for the new job!

I had my best surf day yet yesterday at Alex beach. Stew and I went out even though the waves were pretty small and the weather wasn't the greatest. He helped me a lot at trying to stand up one foot and then the other. my problem before was that I could get to my knees easily but was struggling to stand up completely. With Stew's help and some practice in the sand I FINALLY was able to stand up yesterday and was so happy. Possibly one of the greatest feelings is just that sensation of standing on my board and knowing now I can start to ride these waves for real. We were out for about 2 hours yesterday morning and had a wicked surf. Today its miserable out and rainy and the waves are shit so we didn't even bother. Hopefully tomorrow will be better!! There have been a lot of jellyfish out lately but luckily no stings yet. They look like blue balloons when you see them washed up on the shore but I don't think i would be able to see one in the water and hopefully I won't get stung.

We're going to carve a pumpkin today! Stew is not as excited about this as me but he's going to help none the less. We haven't decided what to carve in the pumpkin but we'll have to take pictures either way.

Last night I started the process of developing 2 dreadlocks in my hair. We googled how to do it since I don't want a full head of dreads but a couple thin ones hidden in the back. They would blend into my hair easily. Hopefully it works! If not I'm just going to have a rats nest in my hair pretty much haha. But it would be pretty sweet if it works.

anyways, not much else to update right now! hope everyone has a great halloween and please post awesome pics of costumes!! cheers!

court

The Rainy Coast

I titled this entry the rainy coast for obvious reasons if you have seen the weather of the Sunshine Coast for the past week. Every day it looks promising around 7am and sure enough by 9am onwards it pours rain and looks absolutely miserable. We're hopeful each day that tomorrow we can get out and surf again but so far it isn't in our favour. The waves also have been pretty crazy because of it and frankly, the water just looks scary when the sun isn't out. Not too mention its just cold down in the water and not the most pleasant weather for being out on the water. fingers crossed though that this week will look up. Stew and I are itching to get back out there after our past couple surfs.


This week we got out twice, last Sunday when my board kicked my ass and I broke a fin on my board which gave me a monster bruise. Then Stew got his beating later in the week when his fin sliced his foot taking a solid chunk of skin--at least it wasn't his face! We will get back out there though and I will finally show my board who is boss.


I've been promising to post some pictures of my apartment so the family can see where we are so here goes:

This is our living room, Stew's board is on the left and mine on the right.

This is the view from our living room, to the left is our patio and past the kitchen is our bedroom and bathroom.

This was taken after about 4 days in our place, the newest picture has our bottles all the way to the end. As you can see we started with the rye and have cheaped out to $5 wine ha.

So thats our humble abode. I will post more pictures of Mooloolaba beach and Underwater World on Facebook so you can see some of the insanely huge sharks they have here in Australia that I hope I never see out in the ocean...ever. This morning I woke up to the news reporting that a 32 year old American man was killed by a shark in Perth yesterday. There have been countless shark sightings in Perth specifically and I'm told some here on the Sunny Coast though I'm going with the out of sight out of mind approach on that one. And avoiding dusk and dawn surfs as advised by Aussies. Don't worry mom, I've seen Jaws and will stay the eff out of the water when it's risky.

GOOD NEWS: Stew and I are both employed here in Mooloolaba now. Stew is working at a cafe called Hippodrome on the esplanade in Mooloolaba, a nice french cafe. I got the job at Cala Luna Italian Restaurant and am really enjoying it so far. It's owned by a family so its a very close staff, they always want to cook for me and drive me home after my shifts, very sweet. It was a bit confusing my first shift because here an entree is an appetizer and a main is what we'd consider an entree. Kind of confusing but getting the hang of it. And now we finally have some income so we can rest a bit more assured.

The party we went to last weekend was a blast! And the rugby game was really neat to watch. New Zealand destroyed Australia but it was fun to watch. We saw half of it at the Mooloolaba pub with the crew but went home half way as we ordered a trio dip appetizer and one of the dips was pesto...and since Stew is allergic to nuts the pine nuts in pesto didn't go over too well. He had one bite and said his mouth felt funny, automatically I thought "uh oh...pine nuts! damnit" We got him home in time to get him pumped with benadryl where he slept like a baby after. Sadly, I didn't get to stab his epi pen into his ass cheek as hoped but I was happy I still had my travel buddy at the end of the day. Lesson learned--no pesto.

We are trying to plan for Halloween here though sadly, Aussies don't really celebrate Halloween. Our friend Lisa's birthday is on Halloween so we're going to be going to a birthday/halloween party for that. We are still thinking of costume ideas and due to my immature nature, I will not share my ideas on this blog lol but we're still thinking of some creative ideas for a costume. Looking forward to Halloween as it has always been one of my fave holidays. They already have Christmas decorations for sale in the stores here which is funny to see because its so warm out it feels so out of place. My first Christmas this year on a beach, should be great!

Went back out for a run this week and have decided I may start training again in the new year for another half marathon in may. Nothing set in stone as it will depend on what we are doing but there is a half marathon in Melbourne that looks great. I would LOVE to do that so heres hoping we can make it happen. It's apparently a beautiful route and I have quite a bit of time to get ready for it.

Stew and I finally sat down and made some plans for our journeys. We are hoping to go up to Pumpkin Island for some work for a couple weeks at the end of November/early December. Then around December 13 start driving down the coast in either a rental VW van or one we buy used on the way to Sydney stopping at Fraser Island, Surfer's Paradise, Byron Bay, Grafton, etc. along the way before meeting dad in Syd. We really want to spend some time in Surfers and Byron and should be able to be there for Stew's over the hill birthday party December 18. We'll be doing Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and the Great Ocean Road over Christmas with dad then when he goes back Jan 11 we're going to try and get our farm work lined up. We're thinking of spending a month or so fruit picking and then heading to Thailand, Bali and so forth around April or May. It seems like we have so much time yet sometimes feels like its going so fast!

Anyways, to those at home who are starting to freeze because you're heading into winter I feel for you...wait...no I really don't because its still like 27 degrees here and only getting warmer haha. Anyone with creative Halloween costume ideas is encouraged to send them this way. I'll be posting pictures on facebook soon as well!

One last thing, Justin Bieber now has a Christmas song called "Mistletoe" that was brought to my attention by my bmfff Tim Green. I strongly advise you youtube it and download it immediately as it's clearly going to be the greatest Christmas song of the year. Mom, I believe you owe Tim $100 in relation to a bet that was placed last Thanksgiving stating that if Justin Bieber was still famous and/or had a Christmas album by next year (the present) you would pay up! haha. Bieber for life y'all, better embrace it.

Talk to you soon! cheers mates

Surfing

Today marks my 1 month stay here in Australia so its time to celebrate!! I can't believe its already been a month. I love it here! may just have to lock down an aussie husband so that i can stay here forever haha.

Stewy and I got a place at a holiday apartment called The Beach Club on first ave, just steps from the beach and mooloolaba shops and cafe. We have a rooftop hot tub and pool as well. It's gorgeous. Stewy got a surf board as well so we've been hitting the waves every day since we've been here. Stewy is really picking up the surfing and has already been standing no problem. I'm getting closer but my board is so fast its hard to get up on time but soon enough! Our arms are sore from paddling like crazy but its a wicked workout. We've both had colds the past week for some reason so the salt water helps flush out the sinuses. Went to buy some cold meds and the lady almost killed me tryin to sell me somethin that had codene in it. Luckily i asked what was in it or may have had my first hospital visit in Australia. Either way, the meds are either not working or it could be the drinking my face off thats getting in the way of healing haha. either way its not slowing me down from surfing.

We went to Underwater World and saw some crazy fish and sharks. We also went out a couple nights to the wharf down by the water for beers. The other night we went to a place called Fridays which was pretty fun--Mick our new triathlete friend joined us. Last night we did happy hour at the beach bar and grill with emily and some of her girlfriends. The girls went out for Thai food after and sstewy and i came back and made our steak and corn dinner. So good! Then we killed a bottle of rye and di and made the most epic playlist of 90s music and sang every single song. We also drunk dialed budday dave Pierce. Such a good night!

I had an interview at an Italian restaurant and have a trial next week so fingers crossed that I can start making some money soon! We've applied to like everything here in Mooloolaba so we've been waiting patiently for our phones to ring. We may or may not have tailored our resumes too to make our experience match what they want here lol.

The waves are too intense today so no surfers are out sadly. Not intense in a good way either--dangerous. Gonna sit by the pool with Em and Stew and listen to some country music. Tonight were going to a party for some flip cup and beer pong woot! Tomorrow theres a big footy game on so were gonna go to the pub across the street to watch and learn.

A big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to KYLE LITTLE!!! We miss you so much and have been watching hilarious videos of him on stews computer. Wish you were here! We will be drunk dialing you later!

Missing my trash tv and would love any updates about the following shows bachelor, jersey shore, real world, greys, etc. haha.

ok babydolls, thats it for today. miss you and love you all.

Mooloolaba Living

Stewy has arrived!! I spent the last week with Emily in Sunshine Coast and we met Stewy in Brisbane for what was supposed to be Oktoberfest but turned into getting wasted off goon in the hostel and not even going out annnnnnnnnnnnd passing out before 8 or 9pm. GOON IS DANGEROUS! Either way we were excited because my travel buddy is now in tow with me and we are currently all (Em, Stew and I) sitting in a cafe called Emjays using the internet in Mooloolaba.

Stewy and I had a super productive past couple days, tried out surfing on my board and surprisingly weren't that bad. We even stood up for about .3 seconds haha but still not bad for beginners. Today the waves weren't great so we got up early and went to the gym and then house hunting all day. Emily was in her practicum all day so Stewy and I called a million apartments til we found one in Mooloolaba just down the street from the beach and shops and bars and is gorgeous. The best part is that it works out to be less than staying in a hostel which is amazing. It's a 1 bedroom with laundry, gym, pool, across the street from groceries and looks like a resort. beautiful. we move in tomorrow and will be there for 4 weeks. I will post our address when I know it! We also went to Underwater World today and saw some really big fish and sharks it was so cool. I got free tickets from my friend Rachel's boss when I visited her in Redcliffe so Stewy and I got to see lots of cool stuff for free today. Pictures to come!

Tomorrow the job hunt will be in full force. There are tons of cafes and restaurants that we can apply to in Mooloolaba and we will be celebrating our new home in the meantime ha. Probably more surfing as well since stewy is currently obsessed with checking how big the waves are haha. its awesome though cause we both wanna get good at surfing and eventually be able to hang with the real surfers.

We already had our thanksgiving dinner and really, aussies here havent even mentioned thanksgiving so we don't really feel like were missing out. a lot of times i dont even know what day of the week it is but thats just life down unda! We're really picking up our aussie slang and its becoming more natural to say "how ya going?" "cheers mate" and "ye" a lot haha. Soon enough, we will be honorary aussies.

Missing everyone back home and hope everyone is doing well. I was thinking about my family today and all the delicious food they must be eating!! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! :)

Thanksgiving and Oktoberfest

It only came to my attention the other day that thanksgiving is coming up. I completely forgot that it was even october really because I'm so used to the changing leaves and bringing out the warmer clothes. Not to rub it in to my fellow Canadians but its starting to warm up here on the coast though it is still cool at night.

I got a full out thanksgiving dinner the other night with Emily and her friends as they had the full out turkey dinner and everyone brought sides. it was delicious and we were able to eat it on the beach. My first turkey dinner on the beach! so good! Oktoberfest is this weekend in Brisbane and we'll be meeting Stewy for the weekend there. Very excited/interested to see how they do oktoberfest since I've spent the last 4 in Kitchener, ON.

Not too much to update this round, still on the job hunt and hoping to land something soon. Applied to some cafes, restaurants and surf shops and anxiously waiting for my phone to ring. Have been lookin into some strawberry picking jobs as well but that would be more inland.

Got to watch some real surfers in action on the beach the other day which was so cool. I watched their timing and paddling so that I could get some pointers for when I try out my new board. Just need a leash and I am good to go! cannot wait to get out on those waves

In case I don't get a chance to tell everyone who follows this, Happy Thanksgiving! and Especially happy oktoberfest to those who are celebrating as though who know me know how much i love oktoberfest. have a great dinner and enjoy your time with family. I will genuinely miss the turkey dinners with my own and my daddys stuffing!!
love you all
cheers

The Sunshine Coast!

Hello to my followers. I have arrived in the Sunshine Coast with the lovely Emily and will be staying with her for a week in her beautiful resort/apt. Seriously, her apartment has a moat going around it and two huge pools. When we walked up to her place I felt like I was on vacation in Dominican or something .So beautiful. I can see why she may not want to move home in December. We spent a couple days with her family who had been here for a few weeks traveling with em. They picked me up on Friday morning from Backpackers and we headed to Surfer's Paradise. Their gps they rented was crap and sent us in the wrong direction initially but we got to see some inland stuff and had a good lunch at least. \

Arrived in Surfers in time for happy hour at the Holiday Inn. Em and I made reservations at a delicious Thai restaurant and went there with her parents for some great food. Then Em and I were able to meet up with Cam, Jess, John and their new friend Justin down at the bar scene for drinks. Had a great night out with many beverages haha. The next morning the 4 of us (Em and her parents and I) headed to Byron Bay but it was pouring rain almost all day so I didn't get the greatest first impression of the beautiful coast since I was freezing and tired. We had a good lunch and walked up to the lighthouse but got soaked on the way down. Headed back to Brisbane and stayed in the most ballin penthouse hotel room from an upgrade that was given at our hotel. So beautiful, I could have lived there. Had dinner at jo-jo's down in the market on queens and then a low key night at the hotel watching CSI.

Emily drove her parents to the airport this mornin and then we picked up my surfboard from the hostel where Cam and Amanda were watching it for me. Got a 6'8" board for $90 from a French dude who is heading home and not taking his board .Not a bad deal considering it's my first board and usually a used board can still be over $200. We grabbed the board and then headed to Emily's place. Today is going to be a job searching day and then we're going to a bar tonight with Emily's friends.

My last couple days at the hostel were great. Spent lots of time with our crew/family. Had a great day trip with Amanda, Jess, John and Cam when we went to Mooloolaba for the day. Had my first swim in the ocean which was amazing! The last night in Brisbane Cam and Amanda and I got some Goon and tied one on with our friends. We attempted to go to a club called Victory but it was packed so ultimately we ended up at Down Under which had glorious $3 spirits so delicious. Cam helped me pack up in the morning and had to say my goodbyes for now. Planning to stay at Backpackers on Oct 7th for Oktoberfest in Brisbane! Can't wait to see my family there again! hostel family that is.

Stew arrives in a few days after probably an epic weekend for UWO homecoming! Totally missing homecoming and the events of last year with Kristen and Sara and Ryan and Tim and the gang with out Pineapple. Best of luck to all those running in the CIBC Run for the Cure!

More updates to come as I embrace the palace of Emily's resort and work a little more on my tan ;)

Last week at Backpackers :(

It's my last week here at Backpackers hostel and I am already so sad thinking about leaving my hostel family. We all keep saying were a family, a big drunken, immature, incestuous unstable but hilarious family. I've been hanging out with the staff a lot and those who've been here as long as me if not longer. We have a solid crew so far and its always awesome when a new person joins in.

A new Canadian arrived named Amanda who has the loudest voice in the hostel but is the funniest girl I have ever met. She was telling stories last night about how she projectile vommited naked once in the snow and I literally almost peed my pants laughing. She said it was very comparible to Paul Rudd in I love you man only naked hahahaha. She's a great time though, so entertaining. I've been spending a lot of time with my newer roommate Jess who is British and has been travelling for the past 4 years and has been to so many cool places. She's a real hippie with a couple dreads and works for Greenpeace. She's got amazing stories and so many cool philosophies. She's my beach buddy and is trying to get as dark as me since I am currently #winning here for that.

I worked my first day labour job last week with a Canadian friend Cam who saw the job posting and they needed 2 backpackers. The boss man wasn't that impressed when cam showed up with a girl as the guy didnt think id be able to do heavy lifting. They're pretty sexist here in Australia so I  took it with a grain of salt and proved the asshole wrong. It was a job where we had to drill holes around a house into the concrete and inject a poison to kill termites. Then we had to cement the holes over after so it was a really tedious job but not difficult. We got paid $160 for the day which was about a 6 hour job and the boss bought us lunch! not bad! felt accomplished for it. and promptly spent some of that hard earned cash at the bar that night. we were so covered in dirt in cement when we got back to the hostel i just jumped in the pool lol.

Applied for my tfn number here so that I can work and open an Australian bank account while I'm here. Looking forward to working a steady job soon as I need the money bad.  Been trying to make some plans as to where I want to travel after Sunshine and spend Christmas. Right now am thinking we should head to Sydney for Christmas/new Years as apparently it's a riot to get drunk on bondi beach on christmas day with the other backpackers who don't go home for christmas. Dad might come meet stewy and I in Sydney if thats what we do and then he can spend Christmas with us in the gorgeous weather.

Had a wicked games night last night at the hostel where the bartender hosted a dont forget the lyrics game where we had to run up to the bar when he paused the song and finish the lyrics. Nothing better than a bunch of drunks sprinting through a bar to shout lady gaga lyrics haha. Such good times. We also did karaoke last week at another hostel and sang land down under which was awesome. This week we'll probably show amanda the down under bar and party it up before i leave Brisbane. it's been so much fun here and I've made some really great friends who I am going to miss like crazy already.

Gotta give a shout out  to Momma dearest and say HAPPY BIRTHDAY as it was her birthday this past weekend. Miss you! Also gotta point out that it's my nana's 91st birthday tomorrow so happy birthday nana as well and last but not least happy belated to my wifey Caity! 4 days until I get to see my dearest Emily and am soooooooooo excited!! Stewys last week in Canada as well so I am super pumped for him too as I know he'll be having a blast before he gets here. KRISTEN--best of luck in your run this week i am so proud of you and miss melting with you. I'm going to teach the locals how to melt but they may think im a lunatic hahaha!

Missing family and friends today, a little cloudier out and been thinkin about everyone at home. Love you all and miss you all very much.

How ya goin mate?

Day 6 in the beautiful city of Brisbane, Australia. Could not be loving it more really. Such a beautiful city with interesting shops, bars and sights to see. Already starting to feel at home in the Aussie way of life and haven't even been here a week. Currently rooming with 3 british girls named Jess, Katie and Linda. Everyone calls Katie kesha because she kinda looks like her and acts like her and is hilarious like her. Two french girls name Immanuel and Audrey and an asian who doesnt talk lololololoo.

Hostel life has been fantastic. Our days consist of going to the beach or hanging by the pool, perhaps going to a cafe to email our families since you can use the free wifi if you buy a $4 coffee, lol and the connection isn't great so it takes like 2 hours to send off a couple emails. In the afternoon more hanging by the pool or walking around , go for runs, and always always always make happy hour at 5. It's like a family bonding thing--jersey shore styles. We had our family dinner on Sunday where we got steak dinners for $5! I opted out of the steak cause it didnt look that great and everyone said after that it wasn't that great so mine was only $2 for some salad and fries. Haven't tried any seafood yet but lookin forward to when I do!

Went to the Koala sanctuary yesterday with some Canadians and got to hold a Koala and pet a kangaroo. SO cool. Koala's kind of stink but they are so cute and soft. Kangaroos act like dogs in a way you can scratch them behind their ears and they react like a dog which makes me miss my baby girl ollie! Got to see tasmanian devils which are adorable but look like they have add cause they just run around and hunt all the time like loony tunes. Saw a platypus too which basically is a combination of a beaver and duck in the most simplest description. It was such a cool place and my first day trip here.

The red bull bmx games were on last weekend and being held in Sydney so the lagoon had a gigantic screen showing the event, handing out free red bull and cheering for the Aussie competitors that did amazingly. Been playing a lot of pool here since our hostel has a table and starting to get a bit better at the game. Can't remember if I mentioned it before but I taught the Europeans how to mailman which was hilarious when it was tested out in a bar called down under where Valentino from France and I mailmanned on top of the table. We learned a couple things about Down Under bar, you are not allowed to drink out of a pitcher or jug as they call it here but you are allowed to dance on the tables and swing from the rafters, go figure. We went there again last night as the hostel has a free shuttle and evening happy hour ends conveniently at 11pm. Tuesday is a big night there so it was packed and there was a male stripper holy moses. Never seen anything like it and could probably go without seeing it again haaha. very graphic to say the least.

Spoke with a real aussie at the hostel last night who taught us all how to say the Australian cities properly or in aussie slang i should say. He said canadians pronounce every single syllable and it sounds funny. They said i sound the most Canadian and get a kick out of how I say about and out and whatever else. Typical stereotypes!! They pronounce Cairns as "cans" and Melbourne as "melbin" and Canberra as "canbra". Lots to learn here!!

Bought a $5 bottle of wine last night which tasted awful but got us pretty bombed for the cheapest yet here. STEW--you must buy liquor the second you get off the plane and as much as you can! haha. Had my first rye and di last night at the bar since they were cheaper last night at Down Under and I think I may have gone into a temporary dream state tasting that sweet sweet rye and diet. ,mmmmm lol.

found out some awful news about a mate in Perth the other day. Apparently was 21 and surfing and was attacked by a shark and torn in half. The surfers had a ceremony for him out in the water where they bring their surf boards and candles and have a moment of silence which is really nice. Unfortunately now they are hunting for the shark which many protestors and surfers hate because theres no way of knowing which exact shark it was that killed this poor guy. The locals have given a lot of good tips about surfing and when to go and when not to go. chatted with the aussie guy last night about surfing and which boards to buy and such and got a lot of good information. cant wait to hit those waves!!

Went for a drink with a netherlands fellow named haiko which was nice but kinda awkward because i think he wants me to be his girlfriend and i have absolutely no desire to. told him i wasnt really interestd and think he was a little sad but im sure there will be more canadian girls to replace me in no time lol. im here to have fun, lets be serious.

Had a toga party the other night at the rumpous room and got the british dudes to get their togas onas well. one guy named chris is absolutely hilarious and someone popped a water bottle and scared him and he shouted "crikey! i think i shit my toga! gonna have to change my bedsheet cause i shit meself!" which caused me to laugh my ass off for about 20min straight. too funny.

anyways, sorry for those who are reading and thought this post may never end but a lot has gone on here and i will have pictures on facebook for everyone to see what ive been up to!! miss you all and love you all.

my own dress and the rest in their hostel bedsheets (thats kesha in the blonde, karin the canadian in the glasses then linda and allison and cam who is 6'8!!!)

Welcome to Brisbane :)

I have arrived! The plane ride was not that bad and even the 8 hour layover in LA was not that bad. Though I didn't spot any celebs I got a great book called Kook about a surfer who starts from the ground up and goes pro in a year, very inspiring. I also, wrote in my journal and started my novel. Yes, I plan on writing a novel about my journeys, whether it sells or not or anyone reads it it will be a great memoir of this journey.

Made 2 friends in the LA airport both from Australia. One was named Glen, probably in his late fifties who was so friendly and gave me a ton of tips and even offered to pick me up with his family and show me the coast at some point. The other was a woman named Simone, visiting home to see family. Both were so friendly and immediately wanted to exchange emails and numbers. The flights were great, I watched Water for Elephants (loved), Arthur (so stupid), Bridesmaids (always hilarious) and Scream 4 (mediocre at best). I slept a lot too which was nice. And took advantage of my free bottle of wine on Qantas airways.

Arrived in Brisbane at 6am and met a girl named Karin who was from Edmonton and a lonely traveller as well. Sadly she was not going to the same hostel as me but said she might transfer in a couple days to mine. She was really nice and us canadians can stay together. Got checked in to my hostel and went for a run around the area, lots of cafe's, restaurants and little shops. Realized I will never be drinking coffee here as the average cup is $3.50 min and the absolutely cheapest is the crap from 7eleven, so crazy. Bananas here are currently running at $10.99 fora bundle, when I asked about this it was because of the flooding bananas are gold here. Stew should bring a suitcase full of bananas and we'll sell them for like $4, we'd make a killing!!!

Anyways, walked across the bridge and went looking for an electronics converter and cell phone. Got hte converter and got my phone unlocked, just need an Aus simcard now. Came back to the hostel, layed by the pool and watched boys being boys throwing each other in the pool. I couldn't understand anything they were saying and soon realized they were German. haha. A young gentleman walked into my 8 person room yesterday when I was relaxing. He is 23, named Haiko from the Netherlands. He was about 6'4", blue eyes and really nice. He was just staying for a night so we decided to go for a walk to the waterfront since he's been in aus for a bit and knew the area. watched a really cool laser show, went on the ferry and saw the beautiful waterfront area where I discovered there is a GORGEOUS man made beach. I am hitting that up today naturally. Had a beer with Haiko and chatted with from French men and then off to bed where we hung out with a french girl for a bed and then retreated to our bunk beds. I got top bunk which I thought funny since I haven't been in a bunk bed since the days of camp at Texas Longhorn ranch lol.

Slept like a baby and about to head out for another run today. Going to buy some groceries but will probably live off granola bars while in Bris since everything is SOOOOO expensive :( Gotta get my phone sorted out too and then heading to the beach. My french roommates aren't much drinkers sadly so it may be a dry week in Bris. Haiko and some other Europeans are having a bbq on the weekend and invited me so I may go. They have these outdoor gazebo type things at the waterfront with gorgeous bbqs for public use. So cool.
Anyways, looking forward to seeing Emily and Stew soon enough! It's beautiful here, the perfect weather, I am sooooo not missing cold Canada right now but I am missing family and friends and thinking of you all and will email when I can. I have to pay for internet here so it may be in time! Love you all!!!

Courts

Last post in Canada...

I'm going to try and make this one short and sweet since my last few posts have been longer. Today is my official last full day in Canada. Seems so surreal still but the excitement is really starting to kick in. Hearing about friends going back to school, people going back to work full fledged after the summer made me realize how much fun I'm about to have (no offense friends). I can't imagine going back to school right now or some 9-5 job I'll likely bitch about haha.

Pretty much all packed...tryin to take some things out but it's so hard to just leave things not knowing when I will return. I've been told by good friends who've been to Aus to take out half of what I've packed as I probably won't wear it anyways and will buy stuff. This is probably very true. How do you pack for an entire year anyways?!

Going to spend tonight having a nice dinner of pacific salmon and red wine with my brother and daddy. Got to watch some home movies last night with Steven and Dad after a dinner with Nana. It was hilarious to see a) my dad with more hair and a full beard and b) me with some kind of little boy haircut and a my voice sounding like I swallowed a tonne of helium. Got to watch dad's videos from Italy too which was really cool.

So tomorrow afternoon I'll be spending a good 8 hours in the LAX airport on my layover and then I'll be boarding for Australia. Hoping to spot some celebs in the airport--preferably Bieber, the Kardashians or a comedian of some sort. I told my dad with my luck I'd be sitting beside some big sports star on the plane and have no effing idea who they are. haha. Anyways, as promised this will be a short post since I need to double check my packing, get some american money for LA and relax before the nerves really kick in. I've taken down important numbers and addresses so I can keep in touch with everyone besides here. I will hopefully get a cell phone when I  get there but my priorities will be pool, tan, meet fellow backpackers.

Love you all and appreciate those who've been reading this! My next post will be from the land down under!!

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMANDA SWITZER :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEgCkOfl4jE

The Home Stretch

4 days left in Calgary before I go. Holy sheep shit. I have been on the phone with OHIP every day trying to finalize that I will be covered when I leave for the next year. Been faxing, and holding and talking to them non-stop---it's like a friggen relationship but the good news is it's almost completely finalized.

This past week I worked my last shift at Joey Tomatoes and had a good night for tips. Done work now officially and have been doing the last minute things like getting a beach towel, some new flip flops and making final arrangements. Going to start packing soon--bringing the suitcase up tonight. Scary! I think I know everything I want to bring, let's just hope I have enough room.

The past 2 days have been a blurr that's really all I can say. I want to say thank you to family and friends who've been keeping in touch and sending me love before I take off. I've really appreciated and felt so loved lately with all the kind words and wishes for my travels. It's a great thing to be surrounded by such amazing people who I will miss SO much.

Tonight I am going to Aussie Rules--the coolest dueling piano bar here in Calgary with dad and Steven and likely Tim! Tim drove in from Vancouver to visit me and family and we had a great day walking around Eau Claire and seeing the shops. Aussie Rules takes song requests and then plays them on their pianos in their version, it's really cool and they can play ANYTHING! Including the Biebs. Very excited. Sunday night we're doing Chinese take out with Nana to have a last visit before I go.

The next few days are likely going to fly by which is a bit scary but I think it's time to go. I cannot believe it's already here. Really looking forward to getting to Brisbane and having some time to discover the city, run, and meet amazing people. Hoping to meet some fellow Canadians who can join Stewy, Em and I at Oktoberfest in Bris. My close family friends Carol and Joe had a dinner for me last weekend and bought me a beautiful journal to write while I am away--my all time favourite thing obviously. Going to start writing a lot on my travels which I hope to turn into a book. Doesn't need to be a seller but I would love to have a memoir of this journey so fellow travelers can get inspired :)

I got to thinking this week that so many things happen for a reason. Yes, cliche but I think I'm starting to see that in effect. I am starting to feel that this trip has been awaiting me my whole life and I'm finally doing what I need to do. A very close person to me named Linda has been my inspiration for the past year and has inspired me and encouraged me to follow my dreams, take chances and see what the world has to offer. I cannot thank her enough for lighting that spark in me.

This may be the last blog before I go though I will try and write one the day before I leave with my final words. Lots to do in the next few days and not a lot of time to get it done! Crazy to think I'll be meeting up with a couple of my greatest friends on the other side of the world. Stew, I'll be at the airport in October buddy, ready to start this craziness. I applied to an Island called Pumpkin Island on the Great Barrier Reef where they said they are looking for 2 backpackers to stay on the island, do some gardening and they will allow them to stay for free and use all the islands facilities including snorkeling, scuba, surf and more equipment. I sent Stew's and my resumes and it looks like we'll have a job in November! Woooooo!

Anyways, enjoy the weekend. I know I will!

The Last 2 Weeks in Canada

I have about 2 weeks left in Canada now. In two weeks I will be spending my last day either with Tim and the family or packing the last of my life into a suitcase for Australia. I cannot believe how soon this feels--I'm excited/nervous and it still hasn't really hit me that in 2 weeks I will be getting ready to board a plane to the other side of the world without knowing if I'm even going to come back. It's made planning for packing difficult as how do you really pack something thinking "I better not leave that behind because I may never come back..." crazy.

Anyways, I handed in my one week resignation to my boss at Joey Tomatoes yesterday. I was really nervous because I hate quitting anything and felt like I was keeping a secret. My boss was really cool about it though and told me he's jealous that I'm about to go for the opportunity of a lifetime. I agree! So this week will be my last week at work. Hoping I can make some good tips so that I can pay my dad the remainder of my flight tickets in cash like a bausssss.

My plans for the last couple weeks that I'm here will be to go to Aussie Rules this wicked dueling piano bar that i got to go to back in April when I visited for easter. I also want to go to Ranchmans an authentic country western bar full of legit cowboys *drool*. Maybe do some shopping for last minute items like flip flops. Going to spend a lot of time with family, see Nana a few more times. My bmfff Tim is going to be coming to Calgary before I leave so we can finally reunite and do some fun stuff like yoga, hiking, etc. Gonna need a few more heart to hearts with Jimbo and probably kill a few more bottles of wine (sorry, i mean cases) before I take off. Gonna try and relax more and not spend my nights and mornings thinking about everything I need to bring, what its going to be like and just go with the flow...I can't stop thinking about it all and how soon its coming. AHHHH!

I will blog once more before I go to australia and from there the real journey begins...

22 Days Left..

After an incredible weekend in Jasper with my dad, brother, two half-sisters and bree's baby joey I realized my time in Canada is dwindling. With 22 days left in Canada, I have limited time to get my life together before embarking on my incredible journey to come. I feel as though I have been lucky to be able to spend half my summer with the greatest friends in the world in Ontario and the other half of the summer with my amazing family and beautiful scenery out here. 

I want to take the time to give a major congrats to my fellow racers and best friends. Congrats to Amanda Switzer for the insane triathlon racing she's been doing. For those of you who don't know--she's kicking some major ass and will likely be on TV in the very near future for her speedy races and incredible athleticism. I also want to congratulate Tim Green for his excellent 10k road races and continuous improvements in running over the past year--so proud! As well as Kira Costello who is likely going to have a half marathon under her belt in no time! Lastly, I would like to give a major shout out to Kristen Kuzemko who recently completed a 30km night race in a fantastic time! You all are amazing and have made me realize I need to amp up my running again haha.


I got a backpack for my journey as my travel buddy has suggested this as a good method for when we're venturing off the traditional courses and perhaps Thailand specifically. I also decided I'm going to try and find patches to sew on to my suitcase for each location I visit. I already have got one for this past weekends visit in Jasper. I hope I'll be able to keep this up as I got the idea from the show Departures where they collected bumper stickers. 


22 days...that gives me enough time to see my cousins, family and spend quality chatting time with Dad. Enough time to get any last minute clothing items, travel items, etc. Enough time to quit my job soon and collect my one and only paycheck from them before fleeing the country. Enough time to wrap up any existing burdens in my life and enough time to get packing for this great escape. I'm still trying to get used to the idea that there IS the possibility of me not coming back but I'm mostly excited to finally get that feeling that I've found exactly what I needed without the worries of tomorrow. 22 days left to really look at what we have here in Canada and our society--the way we go about daily life, the things we stress about and our values here...which are all about to change...in 22 days.

Sore feet and penguins

My tickets have arrived! I was able to pick up my plane tickets from AMA the other day and I now officially hold the key to my adventure. Waaaa hooo! I also finalized my first stay at Backpacker's Resort in Brisbane where I will be staying for 2 weeks before meeting up with Emily, Curt and Stewy. Pretty stoked and it was cheap as hell.


I started my serving (in training) at Joey Tomatoes which has been absolutely exhausting. We have to wear HIGH HEELS which is just brutal torture and since we're in training we work split shifts every day. It's so frustrating because we only get a couple tables too so my best day yet has had me walking out with $70 in tips for the entire day and feet so sore it feels like I was walking across hot coals. Can't complain too much because at least I am working, even if it's for pennies right now. 


Saw the movie Crazy Stupid Love with dad last week and loved it. Ryan Gosling is a babe and a half and naturally Steve Carrell is hilarious. Great movie, definitely recommend it. Also got dad to watch Limitless which he loved, my second time seeing it and I would still take the pill like Cooper. 


Big plans this upcoming weekend. Dad, Steven and I are driving up to Jasper to meet up with my half sisters Bree and Elyse. Bree is bringing her adorable baby boy Joey so it will be my first time meeting my nephew in person. Pretty excited! Jasper is also crazy beautiful and so unique. Mountains everywhere and not touristy like Banff. It's like a hidden gem. I'm really looking forward to the weekend because it'll be dad's first time with all his kids again in a long time and I haven't seen Bree or Elyse in person for years. Should be a really good bonding weekend.


Major friend withdrawals lately....and Barneys. I miss the nights out on the patio with beers and stumbling back to Picton with the boys. Also miss the GoodLife MED crew and sharing our stories about ridiculous members. It gets lonely here sometimes but I try to keep my eye on the prize...the prize being Australia. Not long now, less than a month! Still haven't got health insurance yet so I will spend today googling how to make my own IV bag and manually fix broken bones if it comes down to it. Jokessss. 


What I'm going to leave you with today is this...my travel agent told me about a place in southern Australia where penguins come up on the beach looking for food at night. Apparently they're really tiny and adorable and only come where its really quiet but if you don't scare them they'll come right up to you! I have to see this place and these cute little tuxedo bastards. lol.

MOVE

I found this link today:
http://vimeo.com/27246366


Though the video doesn't say much I don't think it really needs to. After chatting with my soon to be fellow traveller Curt, we discussed the idea of settling down in careers right now and how it totally isn't something we want to do right now. It reinstated my thinking that while obviously "life is too short" and such, the major thing is that I cannot see myself signing a contract to a job at the age of 24--a job I may be in until I'm in my 40's, bitter, and wishing I had done more with my life while I was young and free.


The good news is since I have already taken the steps to do this, it's no problem. It just got me thinking that more people should be doing this. Maybe that's why people are unhappy later in life, because they're the ones saying "Oh man...I wish I had done that when I was your age." So thankfully, I am happy that I will not be one of those people. Instead, I will get to be "Oh wow, when I did that when I was 24..." etc.


The tattoo is really meaning more and more to me as I think about it. It's crazy to think in 36 days I will be taking off to Brisbane. I have been in contact with a hostel called Backpackers and will be staying there for the first 2 + weeks of my stay. I am really excited, even bought a new bathing suit online today! I start working at Joey Tomatoes serving full out on Wednesday so I'm super excited to start making some tip money. 


This post won't be long...found some great pictures online this week while embracing sharkweek on discovery channel. This one happens to be my favourite

Anyways, the free time I've had has allowed me to get a solid tan going so far and spend a lot of time at the gym (surf prep). Really hoping I'll be able to find success in surfing as I think it's incredible. As long as I don't drown...or get shark attacked lol.

More to come in the future...

Great Week!

Oh wow has it ever been a busy week boys and girls. I've been doing my online training for Joey Tomatoes to learn the menu which looks absolutely delicious by the way. AND lots of updates...here goes...


I got my 3rd tattoo this week at Strangeworld Tattoos here in NW Calgary by a wicked artist named Rick. It's of a compass with the quote "Sail away from the safe harbor" which basically sums up my life. The quote is from a longer quote that basically says to take chances now, live without regrets and discover what is out there which is exactly what I am trying to do. 


After my tattoo I went to see a travel agent and I am officially booked for Australia!!


I will be flying out of the Calgary airport at noon on September 13th and arriving in Brisbane Australia on September 15th at 6:10am. I could not be more excited and I got a wicked deal too. Going to be doing some traveling with my girl Emily and her family when I get there. Then in October have some friends coming to meet me in Bris where we will start traveling and surfing the coast. Could not be more excited to have friends on this journey.


Went to work with dad this week for a couple days at the Calgary Boys and Girls Club. Did a lot of little tasks like data entry, filing and counting receipts which gave me a new found appreciation for accountants but also made me realize I could NEVER do that for a living. Either way it was great to get to work with dad and meet his co-workers and it was also great to make some extra money.


Taking my Nana for lunch today, getting used to Calgary driving finally. No big plans this weekend for the long weekend. Maybe just some shopping, tanning and visiting with family friends. I genuinely miss everyone in Ontario :( It's crazy to think I have about a month left in Canada but its even crazier to think I'm gonna be able to see some friends I thought I wouldn't for over a year in a couple months on the other side of the world. SO stoked.


Saw the movie Friends With Benefits.. SO good. Definitely go see it. ha. Don't want to ruin any of it so just take my word and see it. That's all for now babydolls! stay tuned...