I’m taking a bit of a lazy route with today’s post due to getting only 10 hours of sleep in the last two days.. I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed! So much so that it’s apparently preventing me from getting any sleep the rest of the time.  Ah well. Small potatoes. So today I bring you… beach photos!

My time in Sorrento (and Positano subsequently) was spent doing three things : walking, eating and beaching.  It was incredibly relaxing and gave me a lot of time to think about everything that’s happened in the past few months.  I still can’t believe how much things have changed since May 29th, but I know I’ve made the right decisions for my happiness and for my future.  So without further ado, here are some beach photos!

After a seemingly neverending walk, I found this beach just outside of Sorrento’s city centre.

As I continued my walk, I saw this place from above and decided I needed to get to it.  I wandered the trails back and forth and finally found one I didn’t take.  When I got to the bottom and put my feet in the mediterranean for the first time, a wave (no pun intended I swear) of happiness came over me.  A moment I’ll never forget.

My next day in town, I went out to Leonelli’s Beach in Sorrento.  I have to say — this place was a total rip off. But that’s my own fault for going to an ‘owned’ beach as opposed to the one near the campground.  Never again will I pay €13 for a sunbed.  I didn’t even pay that much for most of my meals!

And talk about a shit view. I mean really.

That night I went to the beach by the campground and while I had to sit on the rocks — it was not crowded and I loved it.  (Please note the ANT BITES on my legs. They were so awful. The only thing that seemed to help heal them was my wiccy magic muscles bar. It was completely melted from being in the tent all day but the oil from it soothed the bites. Just another thing that magical bar is good for.)

My last bit of time on the beach was in Positano. I had dreamed of this view for years.  The photo just does not do it justice. This place is just marvellous. I hope to get back there one day with a special someone — whenever I find one haha.

Finally, me lounging by the pool.  I guess it’s not so much a beach so it doesn’t belong here, but hey, I just look so happy.

Well that’s it for this post. I swear there are more quality posts on the way! Have a wonderful Thursday my loves, I know I will .

peace&love.

p.♥

Since this was a day of fun more so than picture taking, I only had my iPhone with me, so I apologize in advance for the quality of the photos. 

We started the morning off by riding the infamous Crush’s Coaster.  Caroline had been going on and on about it since before my arrival, but I was skeptical.  With it being ‘Finding Nemo’ themed and all, I expected it to be a calm little jaunt through the world of Nemo.  Yeah no. Not at all.  I don’t want to give too much away, so let me just say that it was super fast paced and easily the best ride in the Hollywood Studios park.  If the line hadn’t ballooned to over an hour wait, I would have gone on it again.  Side note : They really need to get rid of the Fast Pass for Aladdin and move it to the Nemo queue.  It’s simple Disney, get on it!

After that first ride, we headed back into Toy Story land and went on my other favorite ride in the park, the RC Racer.  Once that was over, the girls tried to convince me to go on the Tower of Terror.  Having already been on it once — and nearly shitting myself — I opted out and went for some donuts instead. mmmmm. donuts.

This little pack of three had one plain, one nutella filled and one apple sauce filled donut. The plain one was my favorite — but the Nutella was a close second.  Hating apples like the plague, I gave that one to Emma, who loved it.  So all and all a win. (Even if it was like €5 for the three and a water bottle lol.)

Having done all of the stuff we liked in Hollywood Studios, we made the jaunt over to Disneyland Park!

Upon hearing the Emma hadn’t been on Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters, we decided it was time to rectify this.  BLAB is a game/ride combination that I happen to be verrrry good at haha.  In the four trips I’ve made to California, I always beat whoever I was playing against — which resulted in them stealing my gun, trying to distract me by moving the ship around or pouting. (See the Sunny So’Cal Pt. 1 post to learn more about the girl accused of pouting, just saying.) So this round, I played against Emma instead of Caroline — who I had beaten on my last trip haha.

We had a great time on the ride — and Emma was a good sport .

We ventured around the park, did a couple more rides before finally making our way to “Hakuna Matata” for lunch! On our last adventure in the park we had brought a lunch, but this time we couldn’t grab any bread en route, so we opted for this quick service restaurant for lunch.

I ordered the “African” chicken which consisted of pieces of thigh meat cooked in what tasted like a watered down club house gravy sauce.  The rice was lightly buttered and somehow the best part of the meal.  Caro had pointed out that we were in a Disney park and that was why the food was terrible, but I have to disagree.  In Cali there are of course some terrible menu options, but if you look hard enough, you will find some awesome places as well.  Every place we went to eat at in the Paris park was kind of nasty, but what can you do.  You don’t go to Disney for the food now do you?

We managed to fit in a few more rides before Emma had to go back to work.  We said our see you soons and posed for a quick photo in front of the Castle.

Aren’t we gorgeous?

With Emma gone, Caro and I decided we should take an afternoon break and get some gelato.  We made our way into Fantasyland and this is where we ran into the man I had been dreaming we would run into…. FRENCH ALADDIN!

Caro had to convince me to pose for the photo with him, and I have to say I’m happy I did. 

When my best friend Alex went to Disneyland Paris a few years before, she had told me all about how unattractive French Aladdin was.  Granted that I’m not sure we saw the same guy, I thought he looked nothing like Aladdin — but I suppose how could you look like a cartoon character really? (Later on while we watched the parade, we discovered the same guy was playing Prince Naveen haha. I guess they have a shortage of dark skinned men to play the characters there ).

Still glowing from my meeting with Aladdin, we made our way to the ”Fantasia Gelateria”.  I had tried to get my hands on the pistachio gelato the last time we were in the park, but when we got to there it was closed! This time we went there around 3pm and while there was quite a line, we got our delicious desserts.

As we sat and ate, the mini-parade passed us, and Eeyore passed through the gelateria! He posed for a photo for me and then went on his merry way.  The next thing we knew, Caroline’s favorite character, Tigger, passed through as well! We were having quite the day of character encounters — compared to the last trip where we barely saw any.  With this in mind, we decided perhaps we should go wait in the queue and meet Mickey Mouse!

The line was long, the people passing us frustrated us… but the movies playing while we waited were great and meeting Mickey was wonderful.  I mean I had already met him before in Cali — and yes I am aware, it’s just a guy in a suit — but it’s just such a great, goosebumpy experience when you get to see him in person and give him a hug.

We ventured around the park a bit more, rode a few more rides — in particular my favorite, Big Thunder Mountain RailRoad — and then made our way to the front of the castle so that we could watch the parade! We had gotten absolutely shit seats last time due to our dinner running late — so this time we sat in our spots for over an hour waiting for the parade to start.  Totally worth it though. (Even if I kept getting mad at all of the people who were breaking the rules… lol)

The Toy Story float was probably my favorite of all of them.  Mind you, Toy Story is amongst my favorite movies of all time.. If I remember to do it when I get home, I’ll post a photo of my ‘toy cabinet’ and you can see the MANY Toy Story toys / collectors items I own. (My favorite being the spider/baby head/thing from Sid’s Room. Thanks again Steve!)

Once the parade was over we went for some ‘Mexican’ food and it was slightly better than lunch, but still not great.  Again, what did I expect?

It was around this time that I was struck with a pretty horrendous headache and we decided to call it a day — but not before going on BLAB again.  This time though… Caroline kicked my ass. Like seriously kicked my ass.  I blame it on the headache! but to be fair, she does have some skill .

Well that’s it for this post, I hope you’ve enjoyed it! I’m off to explore the British Museum today!  I was meant to go yesterday, but I ended up spending a lot longer at the Tate Modern than I had originally planned.  What can I say, time flies when you’re having fun!

peace&love.

p.♥

When I was in Amsterdam, I stayed at two different hostels.  At my second hostel, The Heart of Amsterdam, I met an Australian fellow.  After about 10-15 minutes of chatting, we realized we were two very different individuals.  He was in Amsterdam to ‘sample’ the local drug scene and I was more excited about seeing sheet and windmills in the city.

While I did not get the chance to see a whole lot of either while I was in Ams, I did see a few on my way out of town from the bus. So yes, here I am, bringing you another ‘photos from the bus’ blog post. I hope you enjoy!

peace&love.

p.♥

Whenever I travel, I love to hit up all of the touristy places in the first day or two and then start exploring the rest of the city.  While I was in Amsterdam, there was SO MUCH touristy stuff to see that I did mostly that.  On my last day of exploring the city, I decided it was time I found a windmill, and in finding that, I stumbled into Amstel Park.

First off, let me just say that Amstel Park is HUGE.  I only made it through about half the park because I was scared my camera battery was going to run out before I made it to the windmill haha.  I checked out some playground equipment, flowers, the petting zoo and a few of the trails before making my way to the windmill (with a pit stop for ice cream of course).  It’s a lovely place, I’d highly recommend checking it out if you’re in Amsterdam.  It’s a nice, quiet spot to enjoy a stroll, read a book or feel like a kid again  climbing the many jungle gyms they have .  So enough about that, let me show you what I saw there!

I started my afternoon in the park by taking a break on a bench haha. I had walked all morning at the market so I was in need of a break.  I sat down and had one of my favorite donuts! I had tried one the day before at the AH store and loved it so much I picked up 3 more for the day haha.

They were fluffy and sweet and tender and amazing.  It was almost of Krispy Kreme calibre deliciousness . I’ll honestly travel back to Amsterdam just to have more of those donuts!

I continued to make my way around the park, and this is where I found the 4-5 playgrounds.  I was quite surprised at how many there were in the park — and how big some of the equipment was.  I kind of wanted to climb on them myself.. too bad I didn’t have anyone to join me!

After checking out the many playgrounds, I walked towards a petting zoo.  I’m not too keen on petting zoos myself, but out of the corner of my eye… I saw a tiny horse… A LI’L SEBASTIAN!!!

I literally LOL’d when I saw him, which since I was alone, made me look crazy.  I just couldn’t believe I found Li’l Sebastian, and of all places, in Amstel Park in Amsterdam.  This made my day so much better than I could have ever planned haha.  (For anyone who doesn’t have the faintest idea what I’m talking about, Li’l Sebastian is a ‘character’ on my favorite TV show, Parks & Recreation.)

It was around this point where I realized my camera was about to die — and I left my second battery (which was also on it’s last leg) at the hostel.  I decided it was time to try and find that windmill so I checked on one of the maps where I could find it — and this was where I realized it was actually outside of the park itself. Haha.

I wanted to take a different route than the one I had taken to get to the playgrounds, and I found a lovely little ‘Beverly Hills’ like area on the way.

Okay so really the only thing that reminded me of Beverly Hills was the trees lined up like they are on the main boulevard there, but still.

I was just about to walk out of the park when I saw the ice cream stand and decided it was time for yet another taste of pistachio.  I also couldn’t help myself and had to get a scoop of what ‘Smurf’ ice cream.  (I’m a sucker for any food that’s blue or purple.)  It tasted something like white chocolate ice cream and it was quite good — not as good as pistachio, but let’s be honest, what could be?

I popped in my headphones and made the 15 minute walk to the Windmill.  This time instead of Beverly Hills, I felt like I was in Central Park.  A truly beautiful stroll.

Upon arriving I was surrounded by a whole bunch of other tourists haha. I guess they had been looking for it as well.  I was a little disappointed that there was a fence surrounding it, so I couldn’t get very close for any photos.  Nor could I visit the facilities — but to be fair, it did look like it may have been someone’s home.  Overall, I was just happy to have seen it.

I had a seat on a nearby bench and pondered for a while.  I knew I would miss Amsterdam, but I didn’t realize how much I would until now.  It’s a truly beautiful city with so much to do and see and I can’t wait to get back there one day.

Well that is it for my Amsterdam posts *(with the exception of a bus-photo post coming up;))* so I hope you’ve enjoyed! Stay tuned for the rest of my time in France as well as my week in Italy before my final days in London.  I leave for Edmonton in just 9 more days, and I must admit I’m quite excited to get home and sleep in my bed — and cuddle with my kitty cats! So I hope you have a lovely Saturday! Wayne & I are relaxing today

peace&love.

p.♥

Sorry once again for the long delay in between posts.  I’m in London now — and taking a break day today, so I’ll be able to catch up on my blog! So without further ado, I bring you my adventure at the Heineken Brewery! (Forewarning, anyone who plans on doing the Heineken tour, this is a huge spoiler type of post — so stop reading now if you want to maintain the element of surprise when you visit.)

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts — I got totally lost on the way there the first time I tried to get there haha.  This time, I followed my instincts and got there.

I had bought my ticket a few days prior, and saved a couple euros doing that.  Definitely something I’d recommend doing.  It also saves you time when you arrive — as there was quite a line when I got there.

Upon entering they give you a little bracelet with removable tabs — one for a free gift at the Heineken Brand store (which I found the day before) and then two free beers at the end of the tour! This was not as awesome for me as it would be for some as I don’t drink beer, but I still thought it was a nice touch.

The tour starts with a very thorough history of Heineken.  The family behind it, the brewery itself and a whole lot more.  This was probably the part of the tour that I enjoyed the most.  It had a whole lot of different facts and items to gander at.  Several of the original bottles which I thought was very neat — we’ve come a long way — and bottles are much smaller nowadays.

Following the history, you get right into the action by entering the old brewing room.  There are several gigantic vats where the beer was made before being sent to the bottling facilities.  The colors in this room were really great, very bronze-y. There were several stained glass windows as well, adding to the look.

When you get to the bottom of the room there are several places for photo ops — where you can pretend to be mixing the beer yourself — as well as the original handles/knobs for operating these beasts.

On your way out you pass the stables. Now I must have missed the sign as to why they were there exactly haha, but the horses were a nice little surprise through the tour.  Say hi to Rene, aka, the only horse who was sort of posing for me as I went by on the escalator to the next floor.

Next up we had the “Heineken Brewing Experience” — I’m not going to reveal what that is because I think it’s something everyone should see for themselves — but it was really fun.  An added bonus that I didn’t think I’d get as part of the tour. (Hint : If you want to experience it without doing the door, they also have it available at the Heineken Brand store I believe )

Finally we made it to the testing room.  Everyone is handed a small pint of beer and learns how to taste the beer properly.  I opted out of this because I don’t like beer at all, but I enjoyed the demonstration by the staff.  Who knew there was a correct way to drink beer?

(They were also very kind and offered me a water when they heard I didn’t drink beer.  Nice people!)

Now came the bottle filling stations.  There were a few steps that go into bottling; cleaning the bottles, filling them, sealing them and then labelling them.  You even have the opportunity to purchase a bottle with a custom label there which I thought was a great souvenir idea.

As the tour came to a close, we went through a final bit of museum-ey stuff where they go over the details of Heineken’s efforts to produce ‘green’ beer — using sustainable brewing methods and recycling programs for the glass.

After this, you are welcome to check out the bar and redeem your free beer tabs — and it’s a full pint! Well two of them in fact! I walked right through there and went to the brand store and checked out some of the merchandise.  Had I been a Heineken aficionado myself, I probably would have purchased a few tshirts or magnets, but I refrained.  They’ve got a great selection though, so if that’s your thing, I’d highly recommend it.

Well that’s it for the brewery! Overall I really, really enjoyed it. It’s something I’d highly recommend doing if you’re in Amsterdam — especially if you like beer! It was a fun couple hours and worth every penny.

Stay tuned to the blog for the end of my trip in Amsterdam, my return to France, my time in Italy and now my time in London before heading home on August 6th. (ps. I’ve officially been accepted to school! I start in September and I’m stoked!!!)

peace&love

p.♥

Today I bring you a post that has been weeks in the making.  A deconstruction of myself and my journey.  I hope you enjoy — it’s going to be a long one.

When I first started planning this trip around the world about 5 years ago now, I always envisioned myself with a boyfriend or a husband to share it with.  When I started actually planning this trip last fall, I started to accept the fact that I was going to have to do it on my own.

At first the idea of being alone worried me but it gradually started appealing to me. I had lived on my own for two years in Vancouver and grown to appreciate my independence. “I don’t need a man!” was a thought that often crossed my mind.  I soon realized however that this was not at all like being independent in Vancouver.  This was far more difficult than I had ever anticipated.  Wandering around alone, eating alone, no kitties to cuddle with at night and so much more that I can’t even begin to list them all off.  I had a breakdown within the first week of being away and subsequently one or two (or five) every week after that.

It’s not that I wasn’t happy doing what I was doing, but the overwhelming sense of being alone just broke me down.  It’s something I’ve never experienced before and frankly I hope never to endure again.

Now I can’t actually say that I was entirely alone in this adventure, because I have had some truly remarkable people to help me out along the way.  If it wasn’t for them, I’d surely have come home crying by now.  So let me tell you a bit about them, in a way, an open thank you to each and every one of these special friends.

First there was Stephen.  He picked me up at the airport after my night of no sleep, caught me up on his life in the acting world and offered me his bed to sleep in — “my mom would be horrified if she knew I had a girl over and didn’t offer her my bed to sleep in!” was what he said.  That suited me just fine, it was very comfortable haha.  He also introduced me to fiddle heads and drove me all the way to Bridgewater.  We didn’t have a whole lot of time to spend together, but the little bit we did have was wonderful and something I’ll never forget.

Upon arriving to Bridgewater, I was greeted by my best friend Sam and her boyfriend Tony, who made me feel the east coast hospitality I had heard so much about.  They welcomed me into their homes, their families and most importantly — in my eyes at least — they fed me.  We watched movies, walked around town, drove to Peggy’s Cove, explored Halifax’s Natural History museum and talked about all the emotions I was going through.  Witnessing the love these two shared ignited some feelings I hadn’t felt in a long time.. That longing desire to be with someone.  Someone who loves me unconditionally.  Maybe this was part of why I unraveled so quickly, but it was also very important for me to see this and perhaps reevaluate my priorities and life choices.  (Also, thank you to Lisa & Pete and Brenda & Don for everything! You’ve raised two amazing kids.)

After leaving Canada, there was my amazing Twitter friend, Inga. We met under rather unusual circumstances, but with similar goals we quickly hit it off.  In the 11 hours I was in that lovely country, she gave me a tour of her beautiful city, the tectonic plates and perhaps my favorite, the Heart Garden.  She was full of facts, was super encouraging and has kept in touch with me since I left.  I know I’ll make it back to Iceland one day and I know she’ll be there with a smile and hopefully some of that instagram chicken . (Check out her Tiny Iceland website today!)

(ps. sorry Inga, this was the only photo I had of you haha)

London was my first real stop on this international journey.  It was the city I had planned on spending the next 6-7 months in, working, traveling and seeing musicals.  It was also here I met Liam in person for the first time.  He picked me up at the airport with a sign that said “Ms. Patsy Tomkins”, purchased an oyster card for me and carried my gigantic backpack all the way to Wayne’s.   We didn’t get to spend a lot of time together, but for someone I had never actually met face to face before, he was remarkably welcoming.  We’ve had our differences since my leaving London, but I know everything he’s said has been in my best interest. Though we don’t always see eye to eye, we respect each other and our choices and that’s something I would not trade for the world.

(ps. Sorry Liam, I didn’t have a photo of us! We’ll have to rectify this soon!)

Then there was Wayne.  Wayne and I have one of those relationships that no matter how much time passes, we will always pick up right where we left off.  He’s helped me when I’ve been down, he’s encouraged me to try new things and pursue my dreams and he was willing to offer me a place to stay for the foreseeable future.  He cooked for me, we sang together, played board games together and since I’ve left the UK he’s been ever so encouraging.  He reminds me that I’m the most important person in my life and that if I’m not happy, then I’m the only one who can change that.  I’m going to miss him terribly when I leave but I know that he’ll always be in my life.  Perhaps one day we’ll take a trip together.  Probably to a Disney park or New York City to see a bunch of shows.  You know how we do.  

(Hotel might be my new favorite board game. Just sayin.)

One of my close friends, Andrew Menzies, has an awesome sister named Chelsea.  I had only met her a couple of times last summer when she was visiting VanCity.  When she heard I was coming to London where she lives with her fiance, Luke, she (and he) immediately offered to show me around.  We met up on the South Bank and saw all the sights within walking distance — which was quite a few.  Being an expat herself, she understood all of the crazy emotions I was going through and I spilled my guts.  She told me that these feelings will eventually pass, and to keep going but not to torture myself either.  Knowing someone who had experienced what I was going through was really helpful, but still, I couldn’t change my mind.  I’m stoked to see her and Luke for another tour of the city when I get back to London next week.  

Off to France I went!  This is where I fell in love with food even more than before (if that’s even possible). More importantly, where I found a second family, the Chibaudels/Lebels/Lopes’s.

Caroline is an incredible girl I had only met a few times before at various VFS events.  We are both graduates of the Entertainment Business Management program at VFS but are two very different types of producers.  She likes visual fx — I can’t be bothered.  She likes logistics, I like artsy stuff.  She is focused on the task at hand, and I… well to say I’ve got four million different ideas percolating at once is an understatement.  One thing we do have in common? Our love for Disney!

(This photo was taken right after our Jennifer Lopez singing.)(I wanna dance. and love. and dance. again!)

It was another one of those instances where when she heard I was coming to Europe, she greeted me with open arms.  She met me at the train station — even though I was an hour late because of my lost-ness haha — and within 5 minutes I knew what my life in France would be like.  “If you’re hungry, don’t hesitate to eat as much as you want, whenever you want. If you don’t like something, say it, we won’t force you.  There’s no embarrassment in our family.  We might speak our minds, but we welcome everyone” and it was true. Every last bit of it.

Her cousin, Magali, was the one I stayed with.  She showed me around her house in 10 minutes with little tips along the way. “If you want to do your laundry, you can ask my husband cause I don’t know how to work this thing. In fact, you can ask him to do it for you if you want.” and  “this is where we store the food.  You’re welcome to everything we have.” (for the record, there’s 4 places they store food in that house. My idea of heaven.)

Their cousin Sonia was also really wonderful.  She let me crash with her the night I got back from Amsterdam — and I ended up staying an extra day because I got along with her so well.  I saw a lot of myself in her and loved the time I spent with her.

I had only intended on being in France for a week — and ultimately I was there for just over three.  To say these ladies made an impression on me doesn’t come close to describing it.  We told stories, played cards, watched movies, cooked together, ate together and planned more trips to France in my future (As Magali put it, next time I’ll bring a boyfriend).  I can’t thank them enough for all of their hospitality, warmth and love. Just know that I love you all so much, and you’re all more than welcome to come to Canada one day and stay with me too (Oh and thanks to Laurent, Aurelien, Clement, Caro’s Grandparents and every one else I met along the way. Their family might be big, but not quite as big as mine )

While I was in France, I met up with Emma, a friend from my teenage years.  We hadn’t seen each other in at least 5 years — if not more — but had chatted quite a bit as I planned my trip.  She had been in Paris for a year and traveled around Europe on her time off from working as an au pair.  We went on two adventures in Paris together and then a trip to Disneyland Paris with Caroline.  She became a confidante of mine and helped me in planning my next few months.  She is a free spirit to say the least and someone I admire a lot.  I’m really looking forward to our future study dates.

Now before I forget, there are two people who really helped me get through my time here without actually being anywhere near here.  Danielle is the first. When I had my first major crisis, she happened to be online and we started chatting.  Well let me tell you, we chatted a whole lot more after that first day.  She shared stories of what happened when her and Lorant went to Romania and it made the culture shock I was going through less difficult (I only ran into one group of gypsies unlike her bus full of them).  She also shared in my happiness, sympathized with my sadness and made me laugh more than I had in a long time. So Danielle, let me tell you, I am BBQing for you when I get home.

(No photo, we will have to rectify this!)

Finally we have Janet.  I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love this girl.  She’s been the inspiration for this trip from the first time she left home to go traveling.  She knows exactly what I’ve been going through and when I told her what was going on — she always had a story to match it — and often to top it.  Let’s just say, if I had gone through half of what she has in her travels, I would have ran home a long time ago.  She’s probably been the person I’ve missed the most (well besides my mom, duh.) from our daily texts, our talk about books and our favorite shows (FRINGE!!!) and so much more.  (I even miss when she hates me and Bryce.)

Now I can already hear the skeptics, and yes, I do know that being alone is part of life.  I know that although I don’t want it to happen again — that it will.  I’m just planning in the future to be CLOSER to people who can help me out when I’m down.  I know I must learn to be self-sufficient, and I am, but it’s easier said than done and while this experience has taught me a whole lot, my journey to self-suffiency (is that a word?) is only starting.  It’s going to take time, effort, practice and I’m willing to do it all — but surrounded by those who love me so they can catch me when I fall off the rails.  I’m lucky to have so many people in my life who love me, support me and encourage me, and I’m excited to reunite with them all.

Finally, the actual point of this post, in case you hadn’t already guessed. I’m coming home. I know this disappoints some, excites others and sends my parents over the moon with joy haha.  But I feel like it’s what right for me.

While I had originally thought that I could leave my life behind, I’m realizing it’s much harder than that.  It wasn’t just my life I was leaving behind, it was everyone else’s.  There have been some rough times going on back home and knowing I couldn’t be there for those who needed me most has been draining.  I know I can’t solve everyone’s problems, nor can they solve mine, but being there to hug them, cry with them, laugh with them is everything I want.

In these two months I’ve been in 8 different countries (two in passing, but they still count!).  I’ve seen churches, beaches, monuments, theme parks, icebergs, a volcano, ruins and flowers of every shape and color.  I’ve met incredible human beings, wonderful hostel staff, creepy waiters and curious French people who thought Canadians lived in log houses (hahaha).  I’ve experienced more in these two months than I could have ever imagined and I’m eternally grateful.

So finally, where does that leave me? Well let’s see… I thought my career path might be that of a travel writer / travel show host.  As you can see by the lack of blog posts (and zero episodes), it isn’t my forte.  Sure I enjoy writing, but what made me the happiest was just blogging about my weekend, the projects I worked on, what my friends were working on and my life in general.  Now that’s not to say I did not enjoy writing about my travels, but more from the point of view as sharing it with friends and family as opposed to being informative.

But now!  What’s really next for me?

When I started bouncing around the idea of coming home, I told myself I needed to go back to school.  I was at my happiest when I was at VFS learning something new every day, having a creative output and being surrounded by like minds.  But I couldn’t go back to Vancouver. I’ve got too much debt attached to my name so it was time to weigh my other options.  It was then I found the Theatre Production program at Grant MacEwan.

It’s a two year program that focuses on the artsy / management side of theatre.  I’ll learn how to build sets, create props, design and the basics of wardrobe construction as well as stage management, lighting, sound, and a whole lot of other subjects that peak my interest.   By staying in Edmonton I can be close to my family and friends and still be close enough to Vancouver for weekend/week long getaways (you know, whenever I have money again).  The best part of all is that everything I’m learning is all stuff I can then apply to film, my true passion.

My Uncle Bob told me before leaving that he was excited that I was going to see all of these things and that it would help me grow as a person, and it really has.  I’ve decided that when I go home, that I will live my life to the fullest. No longer will I spend my evenings at home watching Fringe — I will go out, explore my home city like I never have before. I’m going to get back into shape — if walking up the stairs in Italy has taught me anything, it’s that my legs are in great shape but the rest of me is not.  I’m going to make an effort to work my way into the art/film community in Edmonton.  I’m going to spend as much time with my family as I can and I’m going to reconnect with friends I had shunned in the past.  I’m going to be happy.

I know I’ll always be looking for something more, that I may never be truly satisfied with what I have, but I guess that’s just human nature.  Can’t really fight that now can I? Time to embrace my quirks, my desire for more, for adventure, for love, for happiness and run with it.  I know I can accomplish a whole lot, I just have to find what’s right for me and the more I try, the more chances I have of finding it.   I know I’ll travel again one day too.  Hopefully with a husband or boyfriend this time.

Well I guess that’s really all I have to say, and I’m already at over 3000 words.  So I’ll leave you with these lyrics.

Back when I was young, couldn’t wait to grow up, get away and get out on my own.

And I look back now, ain’t it funny how I’ve been trying to get back home?  

//

Just as soon as I get what I want, I get unsatisfied.

Good is good, but it could be better.

I keep looking, I keep looking for, I keep looking for something more.

I always wonder what’s on the other side of the number 2 door?

I keep looking, looking for something more.

– Sara Evans.

Thank you for reading, for your support over these few months, and all of the love you’ve given me.  You guys rock my world.

peace&love.

p.

As promised, here is another post about my time in Amsterdam!

My first night at the Heart of Amsterdam hostel was actually quite good.  I wasn’t entirely sure I was going to be able to sleep in a room with 8 beds, 7 of which were occupied by men — but it was actually one of the best nights of sleep I have had the entire trip.  I’m sure it was a combination of exhaustion and pastry coma, but hey I’ll take what I can get.

I woke up late the next morning and had planned to check out the Heineken Brewery.  Unfortunately for me, I got so very, very lost — but fortunately for me, I found a market, some spring rolls & lychee juice, jewelry, a sex museum and so much more.  I guess sometimes getting lost is really the best part of traveling. So now, onto the adventure!

I started making my way down to the brewery — and I was totally going in the right direction — I just did not go far enough (I figured that out the next day).  I instead found a lovely little park where I sat down, had a snack (I always carry goat cheese and bread in my bag now) and finished reading the Catcher in the Rye for the 7th or 8th time.  Yes. Seriously.

Once I had finished the book, I decided to head back in the direction of the hostel and this is where I really got lost.  I traveled through streets that looked more like something out of Beverly Hills than Amsterdam, lined with lovely boutiques and quaint restaurants.  I ventured on and saw a market out of the corner of my eye! What luck!

I made my way through the market and found it to be quite unique.  There was a nice combination of new and old.  Vendors selling everything under the sun and then some! If I had had more room in my suitcase — and more money in my pockets — I would have purchased some items to turn into art projects.  Instead I ate.  Surprise, Surprise.

I couldn’t decide what to eat as I walked through the aisles, but on my way out I found my very favorite… SPRING ROLLS! Or under their dutch name — loempias!

The lady who was running the stand had her daughter with her and was singing as she cooked and served me.  I couldn’t understand what she was singing — nor could I identify if it was in dutch or vietnamese — but it gave my snack break a great ambience.  I also purchased a lychee Mogu Mogu drink and I gotta say I really enjoyed it.  I usually don’t much care for drinks that have chunks of stuff in them, but this time I really, really enjoyed it.  (So much that I purchased three more over the next few days)

I made my way back to a jewelry stand I had passed earlier because I really wanted to pick up this moose ring I had seen.  Upon arriving the shop keep told me there was a deal — buy 3, get 1 free.  Well you know me, I can’t pass up a deal so I picked up two rings for myself, a necklace (that I promptly broke upon returning to the hostel…) and a special something for my mama! .

Once I picked up the rings, I decided it was best for me to get outta there before I spent any more money that I didn’t have.  After about another hour of wandering aimlessly, I found yet another familiar point and then made my way to the Dam Square so I could check out some of the places on the main strip.  And that my dear friends, is where I found the sex museum.

Now I did find another 2-3 sex museums as the days went on, but this was the one I had seen pictures of from when Clarissa had gone to Amsterdam 6 years ago.  I decided that for €4 it was worth it.

Vintage Porn.

There was 4 levels to the museum with photos, sculptures, audio tracks, paintings and animatronic figures — not Disney quality, but like I said €4 for admission.  I didn’t really see anything that shocked me — maybe I’m not enough of a prude, but I did enjoy the museum as a whole.  It was a celebration of sexuality through the years and I found it very interesting to see that we haven’t evolved all that much in the sexual world.  Sure we are probably more vocal about it, more public about it and porn is more mainstream now a days, but the basics have stayed the same for hundreds if not thousands of years.

Also this flasher made me LOL pretty damn good.  It reminded me of going to school next to Mill Creek Ravine and the amount of times we either heard about flashers or that my friends saw them.  Or the time I was walking by the Y.E.S.S with Lindsey and some guy asked us if we had the time and his dink was hanging out of his pants.  Hahaha.

After meticulously exploring all four floors, I decided to continue my adventure in the sex world by checking out one of the many sex shops lining the streets of Central Amsterdam.  I hadn’t been to one for years so I figured I’d see what kind of progress we’ve made in the sexual universe.  Yet again, I wasn’t overly shocked by anything — but I did find Spanish Fly which brought back some souvenirs of High School with D’Lo.

It’s so inappropriate to giggle in a sex shop — but I could not resist.  The amount of hours we spent laughing over spanish fly jokes is really unbelievable. 

After all of the sex — I decided it was time to eat.  Nothing like that to give you an appetite! haha. I walked down the street to the most recommended frites shop in Amsterdam — both Yelp & UrbanSpoon recommend — as well as a huge sign in the front saying the best frites in Ams!

yikes my fingernails are dirty!

I walked back to a canal, had a seat and started chowing down.  I gotta say the fries were quite good and the fritsaus was good as well.  It was similar to mayonnaise but sweeter.  The size I got was a MEDIUM which is insane.  Talk about American sized servings. I barely made it through half of it, but it was delicious none the less.

After eating, I made my way back to the main drag again! I wanted to check out this XXX Amsterdam store I saw after getting my frites.  It’s just a large souvenir shop but I figured there might be some sweet stuff for me to buy.  I ended up settling on getting absolutely nothing, but it was a lovely little shopping trip anyways.  On my way out however, I ran into a couple street performers and absolutely loved it.

This guy was absolutely phenomenal! He had a great beat and his trunk/instrument thing was pretty cool.  I’m thinking it’s of australian descent based on the sound.  I dropped a euro into his change basket and he added a ‘thank you’ into his song. I thought it was really sweet.

Then I found this. And I was jealous I did not think of it first.

But fo realz though, what a genius! I threw a euro in that hat too — but mostly because I was snapping a photo.

I had now been out and about for 9 hours and although I had paused several times throughout the day, my feet were in agony.  I decided to head back to the hostel and see if I would run into my Australian companion — and what do you know, I did.

We headed out for a walk through red light again, then by the coffeeshops and onto the Dam Square.  We had both been to Rene’s a few times since arriving and decided it was time for us to go once more.  I picked up another one of those strawberry pastry things and he got a hot dog smothered in cheese and salami. I have to admit I was kind of jealous.

We made our way back to the hotel, sat on the front stoop and ate our treats while — you guessed it, watching the girls across the street.  This time we saw a really, really old man separate from his group to go ask one of the girls a question and she quickly shooed him away.  My my how I wished I could be a fly on the wall for that one!!! I don’t quite understand my fascination with the sex trade — but maybe one day I’ll be able to ask all of the questions in my head.  Maybe.

Anyhow, that’s it for today’s post. I leave you with this PONY 2012 poster.  It made me LOL pretty good.  Ohhh Jason Russell, how quickly KONY 2012 fell apart. (Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea, I just hate the execution. Oh and his public display of… self affection. yikes.)

peace&love.

p.♥

I hope you’ve been having a lovely couple days I have been making the most of my last few days in France by spending as much time with Caroline, Magali and Sonia as possible.  They have honestly been the most welcoming, helpful, friendly, sweet bunch of girls I could ask for.  I am truly blessed.

But now. Back to Amsterdam!

I started my first day of actual exploring after having checked into the Heart of Amsterdam hostel.  I figured having found it once (via Bike taxi…) that I could probably find it again, so off I went! I walked up and down the many canals of central Amsterdam pausing at each one to take a photo.  I could not believe how beautiful it was there — I was completely awestruck.

As I sat on the edge of the canal to take the photo below, my damn lens cap fell out of my lap and rolled right into the water.  Epic. Fail.   I haven’t been able to replace it yet, so I’ve been putting my camera in a silk bag and hoping it doesn’t get too scratched up.

I continued my walk around and again was amazed by the sheer amount of flowers this city has to offer.  When they’re not for sale in the many street stalls, markets and boutiques, they’re lining the beautiful houses/apartments in the central area.  A large majority of the homes are just covered in greenery! It was like being back in Vancouver again!

A mix of pinks, purples, yellows and oranges greeted me every ten feet.  I literally could not ask for more.

I had always heard that everyone in Amsterdam rode bikes but I never imagined how many I would find sprawled across the city.  Anywhere you can park a bike, you’ll find one — or ten or fifty.  It’s a lovely system and I have to say I wish more North American cities were like that.  I wonder if we’ll ever get to a point where we are like Amsterdam? Vancouver has made a lot of progress, but they are no where near where Amsterdam is.

I should have rented a bike when I was there, but that just means I’ll have to rent one when I go back in a few years.  I’ve already been invited back to France — so perhaps I’ll throw in a trip to Amsterdam and another to Italy when I get back here.  (Hopefully I’m with someone by then and can have them join me ).

I’m telling you — bikes everywhere!

I continued to wander around in circles — er well squares I guess — and eventually found my way back to the Moulin Rouge! I was so stoked when I saw it that I whipped out my camera and snapped a picture.  As I did that, I saw a man come out and wag his finger at me not to take photos.  I couldn’t really figure out why so I turned to my right and saw I was on the red light district.

I had heard about this place but it was way crazier than I ever could have imagined.  The girls range from the young, incredibly beautiful and well sculpted to the very old, decrepit and overweight.  Ladies who have traveled from every corner of the globe to come to Amsterdam where they can legally pursue their lifestyle. (I don’t know whether or not I should call it a career because I can’t imagine you can do that forever — but maybe you can?)

As I walked on through the district, I just could not look away.  I had a million questions to ask them — like how did you end up working here? How much do you pay in rent? Do you have a pimp? Do you get to refuse customers? Do you make a decent living? Are you busy? Do you have a boyfriend? So many questions! But it’s not like I could just walk up to them and ask — I suppose if I would pay a certain amount I might be able to — but that just was not happening.   I found it absolutely fascinating and also very sad.  But really — who am I to judge? Maybe they’re really happy doing this? I guess I won’t know.

Oh! And before I forget! The craziest thing I might have seen in the red light district — was a group of school children, aged between say, 13-16? There was about 40 of them and their teacher was walking them through the district.  Now I’m all for educating children about the sex trade — but actually walking them through there? I don’t know. It seemed inappropriate to me.  Perhaps because I swear every single one of those boys was walking around with eyes as big as eggs.

Once I got to the end of the Red Light District — I found my hostel! Haha. It was at the ‘entrance’ of the district.  I kept on walking and made my way to the Dam Square where I sat and watched the pigeons and people go by.   People watching is just so amazing.

At this point I had been gone for about 6 hours and decided it was time to head back to the hostel, meet some people and start nursing my budding cold. But first… First I found a bakery… and it quickly became my go-to place in Amsterdam.  I must have gone at least 4-5 times throughout the trip haha.

I picked up a custard-donut-sandwich type thing and it was fabulous.  I also picked up a strawberry custard tart and it was deeeelectable! I don’t think I’ve ever had such a delicious dessert in my life!

I went back up to my Lord of the Rings themed room where I met my australian roommate.  He was passed out cold from doing ‘truffles’ the night before when I had arrived at 3, so now that he was awake we chatted and decided to go for a walk outside.

We went through the district and I saw even more girls than I had when I went through at dinner time.  We made our way down the next street with all of the ‘coffee shops’ where he picked up more truffles and then we made our way back to the hostel.  We sat on the front stoop while he smoked a couple cigarettes and watched the two girls across the street.  I felt like such a perv watching them — but again, I was completely fascinated.  I saw a few men approach them and then they were sent away.  I wondered why — but yes again, I could not ask.  I’d really love to have a look into this world of craziness one day, and hopefully I will.  Perhaps I’ll make a documentary about the global sex trade one day.

Well I think that’s it for my first day in Amsterdam! I hope you enjoyed the post I’ll be posting a few more in the next couple days  – and not about the hookers this time I promise — as I’ll be traveling by bus to Italy . It’s going to be one hell of a long trip, but it’ll be great for writing . Have a lovely day y’all!

peace&love.

p.♥

I recently took a 9 hour (supposed to be 8 but they’re always late aren’t they?) ride from Paris to Amsterdam.  It was a heck of a long ride in a very, very hot bus, but on the up and up I got to see parts of Brussels, Belgium through the bus window .  So I bring you a photo post of Belgium from the Eurolines bus. Enjoy! (Please forgive the quality of the photos, they’re not great as I shot them through a window and didn’t focus very well it seems lol.)

peace&love.

p.♥

I absolutely loved Amsterdam.  It may be the only city I’ve enjoyed as much as Vancouver and LA.  I considered moving there for about half a second until I realized that 1) I don’t speak dutch and 2) I’d probably have a hard time finding a job — particularly an entertainment industry related one.  Walking down the streets along the canals was just so picture perfect.

I arrived late on a Thursday evening after a 9 hour bus ride.  I was a little out of my element seeing as I couldn’t really understand any of the signs for the first time this trip.  When I was in Iceland everything was in Icelandic and in english so I could manage, but here.. not so much.  I went and asked for directions from a lovely gentleman at the metro station and he sent me on my way to Hostelle, an all ladies hostel.

I must tell you, this was a lovely experience! Everything was very clean, the staff was very welcoming and the other girls in the hostel were really nice.  Upon entering my room, I met two canadian girls! One from Vancouver in particular! It made me miss that city just that much more.  Again!

I took a shower, got ready to go to the grocery store but lo and behold when I got outside, it was closed.  I had to settle for KFC which was one of the only places open and I got what they call a “Brazer” sandwich.  It was a grilled chicken breast on a ciabatta bun with some cheese and this crazy sauce as well as tomatoes and lettuce.  It was alright, not something I’d eat again, but not something I couldn’t eat either.  I will say the fries in the Netherlands were much much worse than the ones in Canada.  Too salty.

Following dinner I decided it was time to sleep — but of course sleep evaded me until at least 2:30 and then I had to be up at 9 to check out and all of that.  Luckily for me they let me store my bag there so I could go out and explore a bit before checking into my next hostel — the Heart of Amsterdam.

I checked out the various stores at the outdoor mall and then made my way to the grocery store.  I walked in without checking my bag in a locker and set off an alarm haha.  Luckily for me, the security guard was really nice and even started chatting me up, asking me how I liked the Netherlands, where I was from, what I was doing there.  Upon hearing I was from Canada I got the usual “Oh it’s so cold there!” comment.  Nothing new!

I made my way through the grocery store looking for my classic staples — salami, bread, mustard and of course — juice boxes! All together I think it cost me €3.40, so not too bad at all.  I parked myself on a bench in front of the grocery store, made a couple sandwiches and sat with the pigeons.

Can I just say — mustard should always be available in tube form.  So much easier to transport when traveling.

After finishing up my lunch with the birds, I made my way back to Hostelle, picked up my bag and took the train down to Heart of Amsterdam.

Upon getting off at Amsterdam’s Centraal Station — I got totally lost.  I had directions from hostelworld, but I was hot, tired and overwhelmed so I opted for a bike taxi.  It totally reminded me of my time in NYC when Andy and I took a bike taxi through Central Park — something I would not recommend, you don’t actually get to see enough of the park that way, and it’s super expensive.  Anyhow, back to Amsterdam.

It cost me €8 to get to the hostel, but it was totally worth it.  I checked in, locked my stuff up and headed out for the day.

Don’t I look like a balla? Also — sorry blonde girl for getting a picture of your ass…

Well that’s it for this post — I’ll tell you more about what I did that night and in the following days in my next post! But for now — here’s a picture of the beautiful canals of Amsterdam — the same canal that I dropped my damn lens cap in! haha

peace&love.

p.♥