Happy One Year Anniversary

The 28th of January marked the one year anniversary of my over seas travels. It seems like it should be something significant, I had meant to mark the occasion some how, and remember the moment, and feel its significance. I just kept forgetting throughout the day though. Felt like a normal every day. I had a beer...

I'm super glad that I've ventured out of Australia, out of my comfort zone and done something different, for me. I'm not sure if I've changed all that much, mabye I have, maybe I haven't, who cares, that wasn't the reason for my travels. I've seen, done and experienced some really cool shit that I wouldn't have seen/done/experienced other wise. I have met some mother fucking spectacular people who I never would have come across had I not left Australia. I have come across amazing kindness and generosity, this experience has opened my eyes a lot in that way. Thank you to all the lovely people out there. You are amazing.

Love!

Hollywood love drama

I had been seeing this guy while I was in Vancouver. He moved to Revelstoke and I moved to Courtenay, so we ended it. He called me recently to let me know that he has feelings for April, my Vancouver BFF. When I was living in Vancouver we were all real good mates with each other. Super close. Crazy shit… straight out of a Hollywood freakin’ movie. Didn’t/don’t know what to think about it all. It’s pretty nuts though.

Just realised how long I’ve really been away. I tried to vote in the Triple J hottest 100. I had only heard of one song though. I’d heard of plenty of bands, just wasn’t familiar with any of the new stuff, time to start streaming some JJJ online me thinks.

I’ll have been over seas for 1 year as of the 28th of January. Pretty exciting really I guess. Real happy I came here to try something new. Seen and done a whole bunch of shit I never would have done other wise.

I moved into town, got me a car bed, so life is pretty reasonable at the moment.

To board or to ski, that is the question

My working day:
5:30am - wake up
6:00am – leave for work
6:30am – Bus for work leaves mall 5km from where I’ve been living
8:00am – start work
4:00pm – finish work
4:40pm – Bus from work leaves for home
5:30pm – ride bike home
6:00pm – Get home

So things have been a little hectic. My working day is long and tiring. Living out of town with no car is not the most convenient of things… the family I’m living with have been amazing. They’ve been driving me to the bus stop every morning.

The work is the easiest work I’ve done. Look at peoples forms, give them ski or snow boots of the right size. Put them back at the end of the day. Tech peoples ski’s so they fit their boots, and change the din number.

I’ve been learning how to snow board, had a couple of lessons, it’s pretty damn fun. It snowed in town and covered the place in snow, it was really beautiful.




Christmas was awesome, I went back to Vancouver. The day before Christmas I met up with my Aussie friend Dan, we went ice skating and hired bikes and rode around Stanley Park. On Christmas day I went to the neighbours for Mexican food and crepes, so damn good. Then in the afternoon I went to my mate Trina’s for orphans xmas, again, amazing food, drinking, played some games. Then on Boxing Day I went back to Courtenay and had my third Xmas dinner, turkey again, more drinking, more games. So good.

Kate to Courtenay

Just moved myself and way too much of my crap to Courtenay on Vancouver Island.

I brought a snow board, a push bike, my back pack, a smaller back pack and an enormous suit case filled with my shit. It was a bit of a pain in the arse. People on the sky train into downtown Vancouver were laughing at me. Luckily my mate Hugues agreed to drive me from down town to the Horseshoe bay Ferry terminal, saved a lot of hassle. I had to take my bike out on the bus the day before, wouldn’t have been physically possible other wise.


The family I’ve moved in with have been real lovely and welcoming. Jessie, who I worked with at Stanley park had made me space in her bathroom, and even printed off a label with my name and stuck it on an empty draw for me to put my stuff, sweetest shit ever.


This is the smallest town I’ve lived in since I was 3. It’s the furthest I’ve lived from shops. It’s 5km’s from the house to Downtown Courtenay. It’ll take a little bit of getting used to.

Wind and snow whirl and blow

I gave myself a 4 day weekend last weekend and took the ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo to meet up with mate Jessie, who I worked with at Stanley Park. There was a job fair at Mt Washington, the ski mountain on Vancouver Island near Courtenay, where Jessie lives with her mum, dad and younger brother. I’d been flirting with the idea of moving there ever since I worked with Jessie in spring, and Jessies family had very kindly said I could live with them. Jessie let me know that there was a job fair happening.

To keep the story short, I went there, it was nuts, many people, but I got a job in the rentals department, presumably helping people rent ski/snow boarding equipment and clothing? I hear it’s a good job to have.. at least it’ll be inside… not sure I could handle the outside cold. So I move out on the 1st of December. Just when I’d settled back into Vancouver. Ahh well, good to have a change.. I came to Canada to see and do new shit.. so here I am. Living the Aussie dream.. haha! I’m pretty pumped, slightly nervous, but mostly excited. Job starts on the 4th of December, and I think the season goes on until the end of March..? Depends on the snow I guess. Good times here we come.

Gumboots

make me feel invincible

Trick or Treat!

Halloween, a celebration I feel that Australia is really missing out on. For me it started by selling a whole bunch of costumes and candy to people at Toys R Us, and by purchasing and constructing my own costume and getting all excited. On the 30th I went to this mad party at Beck and Hugues house, hell damn fun. I carved me a pumpkin! Here’s a photo of my costume:


I made the hat myself (Marti helped with the sewing machine).

Marti took me Trick or Treating. I’d been asking customers buying candy for Trick or Treating if they would give me candy or not, if it would be appropriate, most said yes. I’d never done it before, mum had always referred to it as American shit. It’s not so popular in Australia. But anyway, we had a back up story, I was 14… Marti was taking his Australian cousin out (me), because I’d never done it before. Knocking on the first door was hell nerve racking. It was this super sweet old lady though who gave us the rest of her candy coz it was “getting late” (7.45pm).

After the first 5 or so it got really easy though, the candy bag starting getting some weight to it and I felt super happy. Best celebration ever, dressing up, getting candy, boozing it up and parties for the adults. So much damn fun. So many cute kids handing out candy. I loved it.