730 days since the adventure began….

September 6th, 2019

The old saying, “time flies when you’re having fun” has never been so right.  The 1,460 days I waited and prepared for ‘The Big Trip’ flew by, as did the 8months I spent living it.  Now, 730 days (or 2 years) later, I can’t help but wonder, “where did the time go”?  Two years to the day that I strapped on my too full pack, took a deep breath and got on that plane.  To say that my life has changed since September 6th 2017 would be an understatement!  The lessons learned as I wandered my way around the world have served me well and I hold my travel memories in a very special place in my heart.

To celebrate this “travelversary”, I’m sharing some never before posted photos of my travels.

This is how I roll!  The good old ‘front/back pack” situation.  Helps to balance the weight of the packs and as a bonus, kept me safe from any possible attack as literally, no one could get near me!

I spent the first 4 days of my trip in Normandy.  While I was deeply fascinated by the history, my mood was slowly sinking with every drop of rain that hit my body.  I thought of quitting this crazy plan of mine however, instead, I looked at a weather map of France and headed towards the sunniest spot: Aix-en-Provence.  The minute I stepped off the bus and the sun hit my face, I knew this was going to be magical.  And I was right.  Many a moment was spent slowly sipping a ‘cafe’ and watching the provencial life unfold.

Bucket list item right here.  I had been lucky enough to see Buckingham Palace once before on a prior visit to London, however stepping foot inside remained a dream of mine.  This was probably the one activity I was the most excited about in the entire trip.  Simply, it was everything I hoped for and more.  Confession: a tear might have been shed while sipping tea on the Queen’s veranda…

I knew a bit about the famed architect Antoni Gaudi before arriving in Barcelona however I developped this intense curiostiy and need to visit as many Gaudi sites as I could in Barcelona.  (Sadly, I only visited 9 out of the 20… must go back!)

A cheap way to travel was the overnight bus.  Every single time I did it and slept poorly, I vowed never to do so again…. until I did!  On this particular trip, the German police stopped the bus at 2am and after deciphering what the angry officer was shouting in German, I handed over my passport (panick activiated!) for over 1 hr…. only to have them return it and send us all on our merry way!

I hate the rain.  Like, really hate it.  However, sometimes you have to grin and bear it, like I was attempting here at the Chateau Chillon in Montreux, Switzerland.  (yes, it was cold!)

What’s the secret to the amazing Swiss chocolate?  Happy cows! Loved the ‘all-you-can-eat” chocolate making workshop at Funky Chocolate Club in Interlaken, Switzerland.

This remains my absolute favorite photo of my travels – it literally captured the absolute pure joy I felt upon seeing the magnificent Matterhorn up close.  I really, really love that mountain!

I flew back to Canada on December 21st 2017 – with an extra suitcase in tow! (bottom left corner).  I did all my christmas shopping abroad and needed to buy a rolling suitcase to haul it back.  That little suitcase almost made me miss my flight (it was over weight for a carryon however I exasperated the security officer and he let me through) and then I promptly forgot it at my sister’s as I drove 5 hrs up north to celebrate Christmas with my family.  Don’t worry, my awesome Dad woke up at 4am the next day and made the 8hrs round trip with me to retrieve it!  (fun fact: this is also one of the last photos of me with my long hair – I grew it out for 4 years however I soon realized what a pain in the #&% it was while travelling – I can’t even count the amount of times my hair got stuck in the straps of my bag as I donned my backpack; I chopped it off as soon as I got home!)

This is as “dressed up” as one can get while backpacking; a luau makes the perfect occasion to get dolled up.  Don’t worry, my Birkenstock sandals kept me grounded and reminded me of my backpacker roots.

One of my bffs had introduced me to Dole Whip’s years ago at Disney World – I was beyond thrilled to discover the Dole Plantation during an organized day trip on Oahu, Hawaii where I thouroughly enjoyed my Dole Float (pineapple soft serve, pineapple juice and fresh chunks of pineapple) as seen above.  And I couldn’t leave without enjoying another (below), making the 4hr round trip bus ride soooo worth it!  Yes, I seriously took a 4 hr bus ride to get ice cream.

During the second part of my trip, I tried to minimize the amount of clothes I brought, favoring staple pieces in neutral colors that I could mix and match.  As evidenced below, maybe I should have branched out a bit more!!

Travel is often about food for me and I never pass up the chance to indulge in local delicacies, such as this Hawaiian Shave Ice (shaved ice with flavored syrup; often adding adzuki bean paste at the bottom and condensed milk on top!)  Think of it like an adult, tropical version of the snow cone.

Australia was one of the places I told myself I would never visit (for many reasons!) however I made the best of my layover, extended my time in Sydney and loved every minute.  Can you believe the view from my hostel rooftop?

After many years of wondering, I was finally able to prove the old joke: I am, indeed, hobbit size! (Hobbiton Set, Matamata, New Zealand)

“You can drink your fancy ales,
You can drink them by the flagon,
But the only brew for the brave and true…
..Comes from the Green Dragon!!”

Lake Tekapo, New Zealand – one of the most amazing lakes I have every seen!

 

I’ve always been deeply fascinated by whales and dolphins.  Snorkeling with wild dolphins in Kaikoura on New Zealand’s south island was beyond my wildest dreams!!  This was a defining moment during my travels, one where the realization of how lucky I was to be living this amazing adventure hit me hard, right in the face.

By the time I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), I was pretty much done with travelling.  I was tired, a little homesick and just felt lost.  I really wanted to go home, but felt that I should at least visit something in Southeast Asia, you know, while I was in that part of the world.  So I headed off to Vietnam, the only country that really peaked my curiosity.  As soon as I got off the plane, the hot, noisy and busy city of 13million had me hooked.  It was truly the first place I had visited that was completly different.  Love at first sight!

Took advantage of the 10 000 tailors in Hoi Ann (mine was a Canadian, funny enough!) and had this awesome skirt made.  I wanted something simple, that I could wear every day while I was travelling.  Then I saw this material and it completly transformed my plan.  Now, if only I had somewhere to wear it…

If you don’t have elephant pants, did you even go to Asia?

Greece was another of those bucket list destinations for me.  I loved every minute!  I also got to indulge in my new favorite water sport: snorkeling!

What could be better than visiting the island of Milos, Greece with one of your best friends?  Shopping on said island with your BFF of course!  By happy occurance, I was able to continue my tradition of buying jewelry in different countries, which has quickly become my favorite travel souvenir.

This photo not only sums up how excited I was to be in Greece, but also embodies how I felt during my travels: I was definetly jumping for joy!

“If your goals don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough”