9AM - Barcelona : Day 5

Just arrived in Barcelona after a 12-hour night train and found a Starbucks to hang at while I wait to check in. Silly to travel all the way to Europe to sit at a Starbucks. But hey, the WiFi is guaranteed so gotta love 'em for that.

My train ride was fabulous. I highly recommend train travel through Europe. I was able to watch the sunset on the French countryside while enjoying a 3-course meal - FREE. Had a full bathroom with shower and a free breakfast this morning. No wonder my ticket was so expensive! I was travelling in style and didn't even know it. The waiters and train staff were extremely accommodating and sweet. My sleep wasn't the greatest but I got a few winks in which is enough to keep me going.

I found my hotel much easier than the first hotel and the metro (as well as the streets) are a little more straight forward than in Paris too so now that I've "survived the Paris Metro", I feel I can survive this one too.

Walking around a bit, I'm already inspired and excited! My hotel feels like a modernized church with marble, funky dome chairs in the entrance, spiraling stair case, and wrought iron detailing everywhere. I'm looking forward to seeing what my room has in store for me. The staff there are fabulous and extremely sweet. A far cry from the pretentiousness of the Paris folk.

I didn't have any fixed plans while in Barcelona except to see the Gothic Quarter and all that the Ramblas has to offer so we'll see where I end up.

Buenos días!

3PM - Paris : Day 4

Hopefully no one is worried. WiFi in Europe is touch and go that I had to find a Starbucks to get internet. I did have WiFi at my hotel but the very next day it stopped working. When I went down to ask / tell them about it, they shrugged and shook their head.

It's ironic that Europe is more established than North America and yet it hasn't caught up with the technological advances but I get why that may be. There seems to be a certain kind of pride the city takes in keeping with tradition and history. Whether it's the brick apartment buildings with false balconies and wooden shutters, the cobblestone streets, and the shop owners who sweep the shop entrance before opening, everything has character. Old, yes. Dirty, to some. Yet absolutely beautiful. I think we have a lot to learn in not modernizing and upgrading everything. If it ain't broke, why fix it?

After spending the day in Montmartre, I fell in love with the pace of life there. The shops, the cafes, the Dali museum...but of course! And to come back to a place filled with tourists, makes me cringe a little. Not that I mind being a tourist but the monotony in doing the same thing, taking pictures of the same thing, experiencing the same thing as everyone else, is what makes me cringe. I take great joy in finding the unique and unexplored which is maybe why I really enjoy the understated and quieter part of Paris. To me, that's where the stories are. That's where the treasures lie.

Only being here 4 days, I feel like I've settled in quite nicely. I wasn't quite sure what to expect on my first day considering I had a confusing and frustrating start - getting lost and all. Now that I know it a little better, I have to say I'm sad to leave it. I enjoy speaking French when I can, waking up to freshly baked bread and coffee, taking the Metro to where I need to go, wandering the streets day and night.

But more adventure awaits.
Time to wander & savour Paris just a little longer before I head off to Barcelona.

See you there!

8PM - Paris : Day 1

Here is my first room in Paris.

It's got a false balcony with windows that open wide to view the building across the alley. The warm breeze gently makes it's way in while the sun sets it's head down for the night - which is something I really need to do. After 30 hours of being awake, travelling, not to mention getting lost many times over, I could say I'm completely beat!

My first impression of Paris so far - overwhelming! And feeling completely out of my element.

When I first touched down at the airport I managed to easily make my way to the tourist information to pick up my transit and museum pass. After that, it was all a blur. The metro system is so complex yet so efficient at the same time. It's amazing how high off the ground the trains are. I wasn't able to make one because by the time I was ready to haul my suitcase up on to the train, the doors were closing. Luckily I packed light!! One really has to pay attention to where they're going or they'll end up on the wrong train going the opposite direction. Didn't happen to me, thankfully but it was a worry for a little while.

I finally made it to my stop and found my way out on to the street. I knew my hotel name, the street is was on, and that it was SOMEWHERE near the Eiffel Tower and of course I didn't print directions or a detailed map so I had no choice but to wander. I walked up a main street on one side of the Eiffel Tower (wow by the way!) and found a map. After which, I thought I knew where I was going but I was clearly lost so I asked a local - in French :) Of course she gave me an answer in French but was clear enough that I could understand. "Rue Columbie et gauche" Sure! Awesome! I was set. Until I couldn't find the street she was talking about. So I asked another local - in French. They sent me in the opposite direction. I was still lost so I asked a traffic cop - in broken French. He dished it out in the fastest French you could ever imagine. Each road these locals told me to take took me to a street I had just been on and I felt as if I was caught in a Bermuda triangle! Needless to say at this point I was frustrated, not to mention, tired, extremely hot, grossly sweaty, and crabby. Where the hell is a cab when you need one?!

I finally stopped into a market as I was thirsty and had been walking around in circles for about an hour. An English speaking Parisian told me where to go but unfortunately, I was just there. Finally, I decided to stop into a souvenir shop to ask one more time - in English. He spelled it out very plainly..."straight, 1, 2, 3 blocks...turn left, then 1, 2, then left again." His directions were perfect! I made it!

I check-in and lugged my suitcase up 4 flights of steps - to only later realize the lift was actually working! Another oversight due to a tired brain.

After showering up, I made my way downstairs to ask for a restaurant recommendation - a local brasserie / cafe and for dinner I had the Croque Madamme :) When dinner was all done I wandered the streets a bit and came across a really busy alley way that was full of markets, cafes, restaurants, and bars so I stopped to get a baguette, some macaroons, and some fruit for tomorrows breakfast. I got the finger wag bringing it back to the hotel though.

"This is not a restaurant."
"So you want me to eat it all now?"
"Manger!"
"Ok well I can just leave it here because I can't eat this all now."
"Fine. Fine. But just be careful. We just renovated."
"Je comprend." (Geez!)

Tomorrow is the Eiffel Tower tour and some museum-hopping. Atleast now I know where everything is! Time for some shut-eye.

1:51AM - Amsterdam Layover

Touched down in Amsterdam and am awaiting to board my next flight on to Paris. It feels like I got here in no time at all yet my body and mind are feeling the effects. I'm sweaty, exhausted, crabby, yet so far...I'm loving every minute!! :)

My flight was nice and smooth but I was surprised to notice that the person sitting in the middle of our 3-seater never went to the bathroom once, yet she was drinking just as much as I was. Her poor bladder! And the flight attendants (yes, I am consciously being politically correct here), were super nice yet a little snobby about the curtain that closed off the business class from economy. [insert Seinfeld moment here]

For dinner we had a nice salmon pasta with a side salad and a warm bun. For dessert, I had Amarula liquer - mmmm, creamy! Breakfast came surprisingly quickly and was a spinach & cheese omelette with yogurt and fruit. Not bad! KLM rocks tha house!

To pass the time I threw on The Rum Diary but wasn't all that impressed. Now that I mention it, all I really remember was Johnny Depp. My sleep session was a total bust so I'm running on empty having been up at the crack of dawn yesterday morning just itching to get going and my grammar and flare for forming a sentence is dwindling quickly.

Next stop...Paris!

Let the creation begin!

Airports excite me.

The sounds of rolling suitcases, the multitude of languages flying around, the crazy motorized carts, arrivals, departures...it gets my fires burning and travel bug jumping.

From the time I can remember, I was always venturing somewhere. When I was 5, I went on my first plane ride to Edmonton. Not exactly exotic but a fresh, new experience for my young self.

Another cherished memory is being with my dad on his boat. He was a commercial fisherman so there were many summers spent boating up the coast of BC, hanging out at the docks in Prince Rupert, and working hard as a deckhand on the wide open ocean. If we weren't fishing, we were road-tripping every chance we got. Whether it was driving up to the Interior of BC to see family, flying to Disneyland, Vegas, or Ontario, touring Vancouver Island in an RV, and spending Spring Break driving along the West Coast down to California and back.

It's not a wonder why I can't sit still for too long, whether it's short travels or long ones. I'm at my happiest when I get to venture because travel is (and has been) a big part of my life. It's only now I realize how important it is for my soul and why I need to do it more often.

Speaking of which, it almost time to board!

Time to say au revoir.
Let's do this!

Ready...Set...

...almost time to go!

I'm exhausted as hell right now. Had an extremely long and busy day at work today, followed by a very late dinner so I technically should be off to bed. Instead, I'm finalizing my packing.

I decided to take the smallest suitcase possible after starting with my largest suitcase and only using a third of the space in it. It's as light as air and will be great to travel with! My carry-on, however, is extremely heavy. With my camera, laptop, journal, and accessories, it's truly ready for any adventure.

Is it weird that as much as I love to go, I hate to leave? Saying goodbye to routines and habits are great but what kinda fun will I miss? Then again, how much more fun will I experience being away? I will find out soon enough!

Anyways, would love to chat more but I have lots to do tonight. My kitchen is a mess and there are many guide books and language apps to be downloaded.

See you at the airport!

F**k It

After a good few glasses of Cabernet on Friday night, I was able to get some quality shut-eye and reset my sleeping clock. This time next week, I may need a bottle or two in order to calm myself enough to get me some rest for Wednesdays flight. In the meantime though, my suitcase is out, the "To Do" lists are being chipped away at, and I'm tying up loose ends at work and at home.

As ridiculous as it may sound, there's a very miniscule part of me that hates to leave the momentum happening in my life right now; Work is continuing to get more exciting and fun, new acquaintances have been formed and there is great interest in getting to know them better, and plans to move to Vancouver are in the works but will be on hold until I return. The upside to having so many positive things happening right before I leave is that there will be lots waiting for me when I get back. 

Now as much as this very small part of me doesn't want to leave, the rest (a very LARGE part) of me can't wait to get off the ground. As you've figured out, this trip isn't just a vacation for me. It, already, has a significance that is indescribable. 

I'm sure most of you can relate to such moments in life where you feel like you have nothing to lose. Where that one seemingly irrational thing seems to be the only thing that makes sense and everything seems to ride on that one moment as if it was a crux to which everything else would follow. This is such a moment for me. I like to call them, "Fuck It" moments. 

I picked up the "Fuck It" book almost a year ago in the hopes to find a new way to go with the flow, let go, and enjoy life. Since this trip will breach all my safety zones, the Fuck It "way" reminds me to just let go, let things be, and have an adventure. My savings account will be spent, the fear of being in a foreign land by myself will be faced, my daily routines will be interrupted, and friends, family, and home will be missed. Previous to this moment in life, all of these "breaches" would have be considered complete and utter chaos - and may have been the reasons I never ventured beyond it before. But now all I say to that is, fuck it. Life's too short to stand still.