Good Bye Banff

Time is cruel. It makes the worst moments, the worst days, drag on, painful minute by painful minute, and the best days and times slip through your fingers all too quickly. Although there were so many points during my time at Banff I was ready to leave, when the moment came two days ago it seemed like too much too soon. 1 year and 6 months, I spent in that small mountain town waking up surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. It's hard when you've made a home and a place for yourself somewhere, not to leave part of your heart behind.

So here I sit on my bed, with part of my heart broken, but packing to go off on my next adventure. In one month I will have travelled to Vancouver, Whistler, Banff, Las Vegas, and Frankfurt. I'm spoiled, it's not a bad life, I can't deny that. January 13-17 I went to Whistler and Vancouver. Then the 21st was my last day of work (!), on the 22nd I was back home on a visa run since I found out last minute I had to switch over to visitor status since my work visa ended. Back to Banff on the 25th for one last week of snowboarding, except Banff decided to have summer and all the snow melted, and back to Las Vegas on February 3, and finally, off to Frankfurt on the 8th....and then to Bangkok on the 16th.

So if you haven't managed to keep up with that, I'll summarize: I am a very busy little girl.

But expect updates, because I have some lengthy travel times ahead which I will be hopefully using to update everyone on my whereabouts. On that note, for one last time, here is one final photo of Banff. My home, my heart. 2013-2015. Thank you for everything you gave to me, and all you taught me about myself.

Good Night Banff- 31 December 2014

Top 20 of 2014

It’s funny the differences in culture from Canada to the United States. If you look on my Facebook you’ll see a difference between my friends from the United States and my friends I’ve made abroad. My friends in the States are posting about their office jobs, husbands, and kids. My friends here in Canada and abroad are posting about the perks of travelling, photos of their latest adventure, and where they’re off to next.

I’m not saying one is better than the other. When I was little I told my mom I wanted to travel around the world, but I then that idea faded like most childhood fantasies. Then I grew up and I thought all I wanted was to settle down and raise a family in a nice little house in the suburbs.  But by accident I changed.  I never planned on being on my own, but last year I set off by myself for the first time just to take a few weeks to think about the current state of my life and I never went back.

My mother keeps saying I need to stop and settle down. That I'm Peter Pan. I'm not though. In my previous life I was spoiled and I never did anything on my own including pumping gas or paying a phone bill, not because I have a rich family, but I was sheltered. I'm more grown up, fearless and responsible now than I've been in my entire life.  One day when I settle down, I won't have the freedom or the ability to do what I am doing now. And when my last day and my last breath comes will I regret all the places I never saw, or be thankful for all the beauty in the world that I did get to see? Option number two please.

It is all of this that came into mind on my walk to work today. My mind is a battlefield of in which on one side I want to be home to give my mommy all the things I promised when I was 10, such as a stone house by a river and a house full of grandkids vs. seeing and experiencing the world. Remembering what I've managed to do in one year though reminds me why I'm just not ready to come home yet. So here is my year summed up in 20 highlights.

1. Snow tubing

Mt. Norquay, Alberta

 

2. Dog Sledding

Canmore, Alberta

3. Walking on rivers and lakes 

Lake Louise, Alberta
 

 

 4. Hockey games!

 

5. Montreal, Quebec

It's a spa, on a boat!

 

6. Quebec City, Quebec

 

7. Vancouver, British Columbia

 

 

9. Working on a lavender farm and winery

And learning how to mow the lawn and ride a tractor

10. Tofino, British Columbia

Seeing whales, riding on a sea plane AND attempting to surf.

 

11. Hiking

 

12. Drumheller, Alberta

Where the dinosaurs are

13. Canoeing  

 

14. Camping

And got to hang out with horses

 

15. Petted wolf dogs

 

16. Columbia Icefield, Alberta

And stood on the Athabasca Glacier,
and rode in the only snow coaches available anywhere besides Antarctica

 

17. Toronto, Ontario

 

 

18. Ottawa, Ontario - The capitol of Canada!

 

 

19. Niagara Falls, Ontario

 

20. Went snowboarding

 

 

Greetings from Banff!

So after all those adventures I headed back to Banff, and got a job. The adjustment from traveller to office employee was a bit difficult after 7 weeks of freedom. Getting the job was the easy part. I arrived back in Banff on a Sunday, had an interview Monday, and was hired on Tuesday. The two weeks of sitting around until my start date were a little bit hard. I had gotten use to being in new places every few days and exploring, to sitting around in a town that every street corner was already engrained into my being, and it was hard to not find the familiarity boring.

Although I wasn't looking forward to ending my journey, just like Wendy in Neverland, it was time for me to head home. I had done the journey from Vancouver to Banff last year on a 13 hour, overnight, Greyhound bus ride, but I opted to pay double the price, and double my days getting there, on the Moose Travel Network bus, a youth backpacker tour. It started out slow and little quiet as we all got onto the bus a group of strangers, but by the end of the second day we were best friends. The tour stopped at sites I didn't know existed in between the two provinces, we saw waterfalls, beaches, I swam (for a whole 2 seconds) in freezing water, saw dinosaurs, and took a jet boat and house boat ride.

The Log Cabin in British Columbia

I was just a lot of bit jealous when I got off in Banff and the tour continued on around Alberta. I saw their photos on Facebook and wished I could have continued on with them, but all the places they visited were places that I can go to for the weekend. Also I had to go back to being a real girl.

So my in-between play and work time was spent watching the fireworks on Canada Day, July 1st, to going camping in Whiteswan park in my favorite province, British Columbia! To watch the fireworks, instead of sitting in the park like the average Joe, my friends and I took part of a mass march of about 50 or so people, up the side of a mountain in the dark. Don't worry mama, we had headlamps to help us get down.

View from the top of Tunnel Mountain

The following day we packed up the truck and headed to B.C. I spent the majority of the weekend itting around in my swimsuit because it was so hot. Whiteswan is known for it's natural hot springs, the Lussier Hot Springs, but as there were two groups of us, we had to wait for the other group to arrive, and then have dinner. By the time we headed down to the hot springs it was midnight. So we hopped in the truck bed, pointing out constellations to each other, which were easy to spot as it was the clearest sky you've ever seen, and drove down to the springs. There were a few people there already, and everyone brings tea lights down. The water was almost unbearably hot, so I spent a majority of the time with just my feet in the water. The five of us piled into the canoe for a quick float, but the canoe dipped dangerously low into the water, so afterwards we went in twos. The boys went fishing, while the girls laid out in the sun. We smelt like eggs from the sulphur in the hot springs the night before, and I was the first one to brave the waters and dip in the lake for a rinse. The other two girls followed shortly after, but our movement was limited as we tried to find and stay in warms spots.

Gone Fishing- Moose Lake

After soaking in the sun, I headed off to work the next day. Although excited to be bringing in some five dollar bills (Fun Fact: The smallest bill in Canada is $5, $1 and $2 come in coin form called 'loonies' or 'goonies'), the first few weeks of wearing a uniform and sitting in an office, have been a bit slow for me. I have to wear socks even with ballet flats, and I accidentally left my pants in the dryer a bit too long so that now the bottom hem hangs two inches too high above my ankles. 

After having orientation, I started to drink the brand Kool-Aid though. The new company I work for does have really great benefits and I get a free gym and pool pass, so I have no excuse not to be in the best shape of my life. Also during the tour I got to see that there are views like this around my new place of employment:

View from the top, no PhotoShop needed

And with a view like that, how could I not fall in love with Banff all over again?

Adventure in Surfing

Alexis is back in typing action!

So back to my Tofino days, so very long ago (last week). I arrived on a Sunday night, relaxed and watched the sunset over the ocean from my hostel. 

View from the hostel

I woke up bright and early on Monday morning (around 10) and made my way into town to set up a surfing lesson at Surf Sister which I heard many glowing recommendations about before I had even reached Tofino. I was lucky enough to rock up around 11 and find out that there was one slot available for 1:30pm that day and took it as it was a beautiful, sunny day.

I had to arrive around 1:00 because I didn't have a car to take me to the beach and the girls at the shop were checking with other students if myself and another woman could catch a ride up. Luckily for us a bus of German tourist arrived and happily invited us aboard in exchange for beer.

The wind had picked up by the time we arrived, but the beach was gorgeous. Unfortunately it was recommended to leave your belongings in the vehicles so I don't have any photos of it, but there was a long stretch of smooth, cream colored sand, with the cool blue of the ocean waves crashing down upon it.

After about an hour of struggling to get into wetsuits and learning safety, and stance, we made our way into the water. Everyone warned me about the water being cold, but in our wetsuits we were nice and toasty. The instructors pushed us off for our first waves, and cheered everyone on as they attempted to, or did manage to stand up. I was excited, waiting for my moment to shine, but found it hard to coordinate my body parts so quickly. Instead of being an instant surf star as I was hoping, I spent a majority of the time under the water instead of on top of it. At one point I went under and with my knees tucked in starting rolling backwards, and looked like what of one of the instructors described as, "clothes in the tumble dryer." 

So to say I'm not a natural at surfing is an understatement, but despite needing assistance and getting peeled out of my wetsuit, and the massive amounts of salt water that I had swallowed and inhaled, I did really enjoy myself. I enjoyed it so much that I am currently saving up for a surf and yoga holiday, but until then maybe I'll just work on my balance a little (or a lot) more. 

What We Leave Behind

Just so you know I'm always thinking about you mama. Even when I'm at the beach. 

So far I've made traveling sound great, and it is, but you do have to prepare yourself for the loneliness that you encounter time-to-time being out on the road. For me traveling alone is a bit easier than it is for some people because I've never lived in one place more than five years, and I am an only child, with no cousins who was raised by a single mum. I've also talked about how your fellow travelers become an away from home family, but as much as my friends are like brothers and sisters to me out on the road, it doesn't mean I don't get lonely and miss home sometimes. You do have to prepare yourself to miss some moments and milestones that you wish you could be there for. You're going to miss birthdays, holidays, weddings, births, etc. This week I came out of a job interview crying because I felt awful that my mama had gone into surgery and I wasn't at home to be with her. It's moments like that, that make it hard to be away.

When you hit those times that make you question whether you made the right decision by leaving home, sometimes you have to remember all of the other beautiful moments and adventures that you would have never been part of if you hadn't left. In the past year since being on my own I've met people from all over the world, worked on a farm, gone on a sea plane, canoeing, dog sledding, whitewater rafting, surfing, and a majority of that I accomplished in a little over a month. It's the price we pay as travelers or backpackers, that sometimes who we love and what we love to do, aren't necessarily going to be in the same place.

Goodbye Farm Life

Edit: As a side note that I forgot to mention in this post originally, if you look behind me in the photo and see the beautiful, fresh cut grass, I did that. I was allowed to mow the lawn one more time on the new mower and successfully managed to maneuver the machine up and down the rows of the vineyard. (Although a few vines and poles may have been slighty injured)

So we've reached the end of my three weeks as a farmhand. As excited as I am to be heading off to my next adventure, there's a bit of sadness in my heart realizing that I won't wake up and head out to work the land here anymore.

The work I've done here is more satisfying than any other job I've done before. I can stand at the edge of this property and feel a sense of pride from having done some work on every acre of this land. The work was hard, it tested my patience, but through it I discovered more about myself than I ever could sitting in an office all day. My body is stronger, my mind, ambitions and goals in life, clearer. 

So goodbye Damali. Thank you for all the lessons you taught me everything you've given me. I'll never forget you. 

Green Acres

Damali Lavender Farm and Winery, 2014

After two ferries, and four buses, I made it to Vancouver Island one week ago to work on a lavender farm and winery. Alexis Kay Arana from college graduate with a degree in Integrated Marketing Communications to farm girl. Surprisingly it wasn't me who was doubtful of my farming skills, but my volunteer coordinators. Could an office girl be fine in the dirt and under the sun all day?

I would be lying if I didn't say that every day I woke up after my first five days of farm work with every fiber of my being aching, but it aches in a good way. Your body hurts and lets you know that yes, today you have accomplished something and made a difference. It's only been one week but I have already found out a few things about myself. I found out that I have never slept better after a day of hard work. That I love being outside, and I love driving tractors. I already feel healthier and stronger.

The work isn't paid. I found out about it through workaway.info, where you can find volunteer work opportunities around the world. In exchange for 30 hours of work a week, I get room and board and all of my food and meals. I know work without pay doesn't sound too exciting, but it's a good opportunity to explore, and learn something new whether it be skills or about myself. Also I probably eat better than I do living on my own. Omelette's made from eggs collected from the chickens the day before, fresh mint for my tea, greens collected straight from the garden for your salad.

My clothes may be worn out, I'll be covered in dirt, and my body will be aching, but at the end of three weeks here, I have a feeling I'll be changed for the better.

Xoxo for now,

Alexis the Farm Girl

Vancouver or Bust!

English Bay, Vancouver, May 2014

Last year I went to Vancouver and ever since that I was itching to get back. I loved that you could both have culture and nature in one city. In one day you can go to the art museum in the morning and lay out on the beach in the afternoon. 

Upon my plane's arrival in Vancouver on Friday I headed to the the hostel, dropped of my bags, and headed straight to yoga at YYoga in Yaletown for their YHot with Music. Total cost for class, towel, and mat rental: $0. At YYoga you get free rentals and a class for your birthday. The studio itself was clean and bright, the locker room was a bit small with just hooks for your belongings, purses and bags can be left up front. The class itself was decent, but it wasn't amazing. You could smell the sweat before you entered and the class was a tie bit overly hot. I understand it was hot yoga, but in my previous class in Montreal the heat seemed to help assist flexibility in positions, while the heat at YYoga seemed just there to produce mass amounts of sweat to give the appearance of working out. 

What the Yaletown location lacked, the YYoga Downtown Flow location made up for. The space is much larger, the locker room actually has lockers, and upon walking into the hot yoga room I smelled...nothing. I took a class Monday before I left Vancouver, a class which was once again free because of my birthday, and had I not had a ferry to catch I would have spent more time to use their facilities. At both locations the locker rooms have shampoo, conditioner, lotion, hair dryers, deodorant, and hair spray for your convinence. The downtown location also has a sauna for your use. The class was better than the one at the other location I had attended and the lounge was a nice peaceful place to grab a cup of tea and relax after the class. 

Tea Lounge at YYoga Downtown Flow

In my 3 days in Vancouver I made sandwiches and binged on the hostel breakfast, which at the Samesun consists of warm and delicious bagels and muffins and a variety of beverages. One thing I've learned about traveling alone though is that if you want to eat well, you can't fear sitting at a table for one. My lunch date I took myself on was to The Flying Pig in Gastown. I read mixed reviews about it online, mostly about the service, and although I was seated at the bar right away, it did take a moment for someone to come and take my order. The food though was amazing. I indulged in the Braised Beef Short Rib Jumbo Macaroni which was absolutely delicious. The beef was tender and succulent and the creamy mushroom sauce was the lovely.

The Flying Pig

The Samesun does have a very active social atmosphere which I chose not to partake in this time around as I opted work on my physical and spiritual health this time around. In addition to my two days of yoga I also spent a day taking a Reiki course. My journeys will bring me to Vancouver again so my next time around I plan on visiting either Granville Island or Stanley Park to see more of what is beyond the downtown area. 

Quebec City

Quebec City, what else can I say mais je t'aime. Quebec was amazing. The train ride there from Montreal passed quickly. The only problem that occurred was that I failed to heed my friend's warning about the hostel, the Auberge internationale de Quebec, being up a hill, and I arrived on its doorstep dripping in sweat. Note to self: Next time carry less, or hitch a ride up.
The hostel is in the middle of old Quebec, and a prime location. I really wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. The hostel itself is in an older building, but the rooms were clean and well taken care of. There are no ensuites and  toilets and showers are communal, but I rarely had any one else in the bathroom with me while I was there.
Another note to self about Quebec: bring comfortable shoes. Very comfortable shoes. I wore a pair of dress sandals that I thought were decent to  walk in, my first night there and found myself laying back 4 hours later with swelled up feet that were in horrible pain. How the women of Quebec hike up such steep hills in heels is beyond me, they must be camel/French Canadian hybrids.
I didn't have any destination in particular planned, I just ended up where my feet took me. The first day they took me around the entirety of old Quebec and it does seem like a small village in France. For those a bit nervous about their French or whom can't say more than, "bonjour," you don't have to worry as everyone is bilingual and more than happy to help you out.
I did more on Thursday, May 22nd, as it was my birthday! And by more, I mean I spent most of the day eating and becoming fat.
I started off with breakfast at a small restaurant down the road from the hostel. Although initially unimpressed as there was no one in there, and the decor seemed a bit older, the eggs benedict with salmon and spinach was delicious. It filled me up for the day until my 9pm dinner when I went to Casse-Crepe Breton. Now if you go there, beware that there is a sign that says please wait to be seated. Actually two rather large signs, but that day was unbearable windy to the point I almost fell over, so my head was in my hood and up my bum when I walked in and sat myself down at the bar. I had a hot chocolate to warm up and then an asparagus, ham and swiss crepe for dinner and then indulged in a strawberry crepe for dessert. The girls make them in the front of the restaurant for everyone to see and the despite my faux-pas, were very nice and attentive to me throughout the night. It was an exceptional birthday dinner.

Yum!

Ooo la la

The one other thing I did besides gain a birthday food baby was go to the Musée de la civilization. Although you're not allowed to take photos I did manage to sneak one. The museum was awesome, but maybe I'm just a museum nerd. Their display on the Gods of Mount Olympus was extraordinary and beautifully designed. I only wish I could have snuck in a photo of the  main display of ancient statues.
Well that's all for now. Unfortunately I only got to stay in Quebec for a day and half, but it is one place I wouldn't mind returning. But alas I'm in Vancouver now, so onto the next adventure!

Montreal

Currently I'm on the train from Montreal. I have the section of seats to myself, and the sun is shining on me, promising to make this a worthwhile journey.

I was only in Montreal for a day and a half. Maybe since I had just left my bubble in Banff, or had been traveling for 12 hours, or had 3 hours of sleep when I arrived, I didn't give it the chance it deserved. Or maybe Montreal and I were just not right for each other at this time. I was followed down the street by panhandlers, my friend and I were completely ignored at two restaurants and ended up walking out, and at the third the waiter only talked to us when we were about to leave to point out that my friend did not leave him a tip after he had served everyone around us and ignored us throughout our dinner.

Although there were a few unfortunate events, there were a few things that I did enjoy while I was there. I stayed at the M-Montreal. The area it is located in wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but the hostel itself is amazing. It looks more like a hotel than hostel, the rooms are clean and airy, the shower in the ensuite had a multi-stream fixture, you're provided fresh towels everyday, and they also provide breakfast in the bar downstairs from 7-10 every morning.

Bar in the basement of the M

Yesterday after having my breakfast I made my way to ensō yoga for the 10am community hot flow which is only $10 for the class, but because I rented a mat, towel and also got a bottle of water, my total came to $17. When you walk in everything is clean and beautiful. Shoes are left in a coat room in the front so the floor is spotless and you don't have any fear about walking around barefoot. The staff was friendly and helpful, and the locker room was immaculate with large wooden lockers that have a keypad on it so you don't need to bring a lock. For those of you who have done hot yoga before you may be aware of some places have the problem of the stench of sweat being permanently embedded into the room. Here though, that is not a problem at all. You would think the room was being used for the first time. The instructor gives the lesson in both French and English, and even though I haven't done hot yoga in 2 years, it was easy to follow, but I'm still sore in a good way today. There were plenty of showers for everyone and they provide soap, shampoo and blow dryers. I only wish I would have  time to go more than once. 

Afterwards yoga I made my way to Old Montreal. It was a 20 minute walk from the hostel but when I got there I wished I would have gone the night before when I arrived, because it would have made me appreciate Montreal a lot more. 

I visited the Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal. Even if you're not Catholic or not religious it is an amazing church to visit and you have to have respect for the amount of work and detail put into building it. 

My friend and I had a late lunch of sangria and duck and rabbit crepes then went down to BotaBota for a day at the spa which is also an old boat. Now I know this makes me sound like the worst backpacker ever, but it is my birthday week, and on Tuesdays you can do the water circuit and get a 60 minute massage for $110. There are a few rules on the boat that you must be aware of though. Starting on the 2nd floor you must remain silent, which is hard if you come in a group, but as a former spa employee I understand why this rule is in place, as it's not a party boat, but a place that people come to relax, and you don't want to hear 50 people chatting at once. You're also not allowed to take photos without asking an employees permission first  because they don't want you to bother the other guest. You're given a bracelet with a key fob on it for you locker, and also a robe and towel, which you have to bring back at the end of your time there. 

There were quite a few people when we arrived, but not all of them were having treatments. You can just come and pay an access fee for the water circuit, and it's understandable why people would chose this option, because it was a beautiful warm day for sunbathing, and the water circuit is excellent for detoxing. You have the choice of sitting in the steam room or sauna first as part of the circuit, both which smell like eucalyptus which is excellent for clearing out your sinuses. After you plunge in the cold pool, which is slightly shocking, but you're entirely grateful for it after coming out of the steam room. Then you can relax outside on one of the chairs or bean bags they provide on the decks. On the decks there are also hot pools for you to relax in while viewing horse drawn carriages passing through Old Montreal. 

In regards to Montreal, I just may have not had enough time or done enough research before coming to make the most out of the city. I did have a few good experiences though, but alas here I am headed to my next East Coast journey. Next stop, Quebec City!

America, The Not So Brave

Let’s face the fact America. It’s not our way to travel. It’s our way to look at magazines and the travel channel and say, “I want to go there,” then put it on our list of things to do, but rarely cross it off. We don’t encourage our youth to go explore and work abroad. Our youth stays at home and watches shows about teen pregnancy and keeps up-to-date with the latest celebrity gossip. Our youth goes to school, then goes to more school, then goes and works a 9-5 and perhaps will travel for a week or two later on in life.

What’s the point of going away? you may ask, since we obviously live in the best country in the world. Fun fact, there are a whole lot of patriotic citizens from other places that think that their country is the best in the world, but that doesn’t stop them from supporting their young people to go and explore the world. What do you gain from travelling? You gain independence. You get out of your comfort zone and develop a better understanding of other cultures and a broader understanding of the world around you that you would have never gained sitting at a desk for the rest of your days.

 Afraid to go off because you’ll be alone? When you travel you meet others doing the same. Your acquaintances become your friends who become your family, and the thing about family is, you take care of each other.

Another reason that you stop yourself: money. Money?! Who cares!! No, just kidding. You do need money to travel, but you don’t need to be rich. You just need base funds and a good work ethic. There are working holiday visas out there, emphasis on the working aspect.  You can go somewhere halfway across the world, somewhere you only dreamed of and you can work while you’re there so you can have a steady income.

In the end the real reason that stops us from travelling or perhaps pursuing another one our dreams is fear. Fear helps us makes excuses. Fear helps us put off our dreams for another day, another week, another lifetime. We have one life, and a life spent in fear is a life wasted. The world has never been more open or fuller of opportunities. Take a chance, take a leap. You’re not average, you’re exceptional. So live your life that way. 

Tunnel Mountain, Banff, Alberta, Canada 2013