Where's Alexis?

Greetings from the other side of the world!! I can't believe it's been nearly a month since I last wrote and that I've been away from home this long. Wifi around the world is spotty, so today I've invested 80 baht into using the internet at a café for two hours.

I'm currently in Koh Phangan, recovering from the all night into the day, dance fest that is the Full Moon Party. Although the Full Moon Party is an experience, I'm quite glad to be leaving Koh Phangan this evening as everything is overpriced, and the never ending partying is proving to be quite exhausting.

The nearly 4 weeks since I left home, have been a blur. I flew into Frankfurt on the 8th of February, then was off to Munich two days later, and then to Stuttgart a few days after that, and then I was off to Bangkok on the 16th. From Bankok I went to Phuket, Phi Phi, Krabi, Ton Sai, Koh Phangan, and now tonight a few friends and I will once again pack up our backpacks and head back to Bangkok.

In the past 3 weeks in Thailand, the majority of the people I've met were journeying to the Full Moon Party. It's been fun that we've all been on the same trek direction wise, so I've continuously been meeting up and running into people that I've met before on other islands.

Travel time works different than real world time. The majority of us never know what the date or day of the week is. Days are endless. You become instantly close with someone and it feels like you've known them for years, when in reality you've only been travelling together for a few days. It's also a bit sad that you get accustomed to certain people and places, and then you split up to go your separate ways.

Well that's all for now folks. Just a little update that I am alive and well, and as soon as I have access to a memory card reader I can give you a sneak peak of my rough island life.

Until then!


XOXO

Auf Wiedersehen North America

My mama and I have a ritual at the airport. No matter how old I get, or how mature I say I am in other aspects of my life, I make her come into the airport whether I'm coming and going.

Anytime I leave she stands there and watches me until I've passed security , when we sign "I love you," to each other, and she doesn't leave until I left her view on my way to the gate.

This trip for some reason is harder than the others. As I did my normal walk through security, I found it hard to control my tears every time I looked back and my mama was standing there. Part of me wanted to turn back around and just stay. Maybe because in Canada I knew I was only a 3 hour flight away and now my journey back will be 17+ hours. 

I also know it's more emotional for my family this time because I'm going further away than I ever have. It's scary and exciting, but in the end please don't worry about me. Whatever happens was meant to happen. My life so far has been beautiful and full of amazing adventures and most importantly I've had an amazing family, especially my mama, the best, most inspirational, loving woman I know. 

But anyways enough of the emotional stuff, I'll speak to you on the other side of the sea!

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

It's Never Too Late

I've been in a bit of a funk recently. Worrying that it's too late, that I didn't study the right thing, I didn't start off my 20s the way I should of, didn't get experience where I should have, etc. Then I saw this post on Humans of New York, and reading through the comments and seeing people that have all sorts of dreams and ambitions that they're chasing at every age with such enthusiasm, makes me realize it's never too late for any of us.

Post by Humans of New York.

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." -C.S. Lewis
Here's to 2015!

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

 

 

12 December 2014

Greetings! From my warm and toasty room. I know it has been awhile, but nothing interesting has currently been happening in the Canadian Rockies. It gets warm, it gets cold. All the snow melts, and a week later there's snow up to my knees.

Last week I went snowboarding for the first time ever.

Apparently this is a really great board

I purchased my board off of Canadian craigslist, also known as Kijiji. A new board and bindings would have easily been over $500, but I purchased mine used for $125. When I went to get it waxed the girls at the shop were surprised at how much I had gotten it for. My boots and helmet which were half of the price of gear in the stores in Banff unfortunately did not make it in time to my lesson last Thursday, so I had to rent boots and a helmet. I'm not going to lie, rental gear makes you feel like a dork on the hill.

Anyhow, I woke up early in the morning to catch a bus to Lake Louise which is 40 minutes away from Banff. Although Sunshine Village is only 20 minutes away, the thought about having everyone I know watch me as I tumbled down the hill wasn't very appealing, so I opted for the much quieter Lake Louise.

I had chosen the full day group lesson for snowboarding as it was around the same price as a 2 hour lesson. It turns out I was the only one who signed up for a lesson that day, so I got an accidental, full day, private lesson for half of the price.

I had prepared myself for anything, including a trip to the hospital.  My instructor asked me every time I fell if  I was ok, but only one of my falls actually hurt, the rest just looked dramatic, or were because I had thrown myself down as I didn't really know how to stop.

Although initially the thought of sliding on one piece of wood seemed unnatural and scary, when I got on the hill I was fine. My instructor Shannon was really great and there were no injuries at the end of the day.

Everyone kept telling me to be prepared to be sore. I didn't believe them as my falls didn't hurt and my muscles hurt more after bootcamp, but I did end up basically paralyzed the next day. The following days were painful as it was an effort to even put on my clothes. But at the end of the day I had a good run. I planned on returning to the hill this week, but due to our recent warm weather, most of the snow has melted, and that which remains is an icy death trap. Not conditions for a beginner snowboarder unless she was to go flying and face planting on ice.

The new face of pro-snowboarding? Probably not. 

Aleskimo

Winter 2014