First Class on A Long Haul Flight to Japan

I don't usually write about flights, since we all know that you get fed, try to sleep or watch copious amounts of television and hope that when you wake up you are being fed again whilst you patiently waiting for your descent.

This time was different, we got the 'wide' seats. We were on stand-by thanks to an ex-delta pilot and reaped the rewards of someone no showing for their Delta One flight. Since they only had one seat available when we first arrived I was prepared for us either waiting for the next flight to Tokyo.

As you can tell by the title, we made it on and, what a ride! Unlimited drinks, snacks and fancy meals with more than one course. Without a doubt we were elated and ready to make this haul with fully reclining seats. That is right folks they fold all the way down with pillows, blankets and a little box packed with all the daily fixens in it to make our flight as comfortable as possible.

Adam read his book, watched movies and napped at his leisure with ample cups of tea and mini salted dark chocolates we could eat.

I ended up vegging out and catching up on regular TV shows in a binge fashion as I played with the electric seat that had a massage option. Note to self: Get a massage chair. I didn't end up sleeping at all but it was by far the comfiest ride I have ever had in my entire life on a flight, even when I book economy and get a row to myself. I have been in business class once from Toronto to Seattle but this was the bees knees. I checked online and it equated to $4700 for the both of us! Talk about honeymoon luck :D

Victoria To Seattle

If you have been to Victoria, BC you already know that it is a lovely area to be in. When the weather is sunny and loving you sure can feel it in everyone around you. People are smiling and the ocean banks seem to glimmer a bit brighter than usual.

Anyone else think that Peacocks in the park is awesome?

The art in this capital city arises beyond my imagination, it seems to flourish everywhere I look. From artist drawing on the ferry, graffiti on the streets and even down to the art shops down by the docks. I was inspired to draw, paint and express myself in as many ways as possible. Even I picked up my pencil a more times than usual to see what one could create when surrounded in such lovely atmosphere.

Our purpose for being here during the early September times is for a festival called Rifflandia. The 10th year celebration of 10 venues with musicians rocking out every stage, an ample amount of music provided by the city. I highly recommend going if you have the opportunity in the years to come.

Full on 4 days and 4 nights of amazing artists preforming throughout with little tidbits of activities and many other events happening in the city. I couldn't imagine a better place to live, then again I do love coastal cities as much as mountain towns.

There was a 10 year anniversary called One Wave the international indigenous arts and culture celebration at the legislative grounds which was really informative. Most of all eye opening to see how elders and modern day society have flourished together.

After visiting some friends and family we were ready for a quick departure to Seattle. We were ferry bound to Port Angeles and from there we took a bus to Seattle airport (SEATAC). A lovely rainy evening in with a bath and take out, to prepare ourselves for the long haul journey ahead of us. 

The Wedding and Beyond!

To continue on from the previous post, if you can call it that since it was mainly for me to get back into the groove of things.

I got married! <- Click for Album

After all these years of seeking the perfect mate and traveling around the world I really thought that I would get hitched to someone that didn't speak English as their first language. After all of that I ended up with someone from my own country, who would have thought? 

I am super thankful because what I have learned after all these years of traveling and relationships is that you really have to be on the same wave length as your partner in all things you do. From our mistakes we obtain lessons to make us ready for the person we are meant to become and most of all be with. As long as we know ourselves we can make a difference in all that we do. 

Now where was I?

Right... after a wedding many people suggested that we buy a house, move into an apartment and get one of those jobs which I am quite good at avoiding. I dabbled in the idea for awhile and seriously at that, visited an apartment and even applied for jobs so much that I got myself an interview. 

When push came to shove, moving into the apartment didn't really jive with me and even saying no to the interview at the end of it felt like the right thing to do. There was no need to rush life, I am not saying that it isn't ideal to have some stability and start building a marriage in a financial sense. I can value the importance and most of all the sensibility. I ain't knocking it, honestly I should probably be doing it.

Raise your hand if you think you know what I am about to say. :P

I decided that the trip wasn't over, the wanderlust in me wasn't about to retire quite yet or ever.

"People ask, when do you think you will stop traveling? Would you ask an artist or a musician when they will stop creating? No, it is just a part of who they are. Sometimes we set it aside to do other things that require our attention but it never goes away, we adjust it accordingly."

So here I am riding the high of the wedding and most of all ready for a honeymoon. Adam surprised me with a short weekend camping trip at Serenity Harvest Music Festival in between cleaning up from the wedding before taking off to Victoria, BC. 

Thanks for reading it has really been awhile since I have written much, I sure feel out of practice. :P

Back From Haitus!

It has been a helluva long time since I got guts to get back onto the blog, I wanted to do it many times over and never got around to it. I will have to take a little bit of your time to explain what I have been up to or you have the option to skip ahead.

Excuses are just procrastination revved up to the max, as time goes on I always seem to eventually end up back at the computer thinking to myself how much I wish I was writing....so here I am. 

TADA!

Life became 'hectic' after the move to Vancouver after decided again Edmonton wasn't for me, that is right folks I moved out west again. lol A place called Burnaby for a little while. That lead us straight into April 2017 where I got another opportunity to travel again with my now husband Adam ( I am going to be name dropping him from time to time, like I said a lot has happened this year thus far.)

We packed up our bags, hopped on a plane from Kelowna -> Vancouver -> Taipei, Taiwan -> Tokyo, Japan. I thought that it would be different with a partner and it was, it was tougher than I had imagined at times and easier too. I had someone to react to and sometimes that is just more fun, to have someone to bounce ideas off of and relive experiences with in the future. 

I will make and attempt to keep the recap short, we traveled throughout Japan on the infamous JR rail pass and I finally got to see parts of Japan that I had been dying to during all these months gone by. I was really home sick for JapanLand for those who know me well enough. Unable to shake the Asian homesickness I was back and in full force where I was able to ride the rails just the way I like it, on a bullet train. 

After the two weeks of unlimited travel which is now about mid May 2017, I was ready to attempt another workaway after a bad experience in the past with Wwoofing. We found a place called Nozawaonsen home to a whopping 3400 people, a quaint ski mountain town about an hour out of Nagano. (If anyone remembers it was where the winter Olympics were once.)

Using the last day of our pass we were able to make it to Nozawa shaving off an extortionate rail prices if we weren't on the pass. I will skip the finer details and just say that we made ourselves a contact here and worked for room and board. I ended up staying here for 5 weeks total doing interior painting, sanding, oiling trim and general cleaning. 

During this time here we were able to hitch a ride to the top of the mountain and to train stations into Iiyama and Nagano city. Including discovering a free croquet course on the side of a ski hill where we eventually decided to get married. *insert awesome sound effect*

Before getting hitched in Japan, some family emergencies took us by surprise and eventually we both returned to Canada cutting our trip short. I traveled onward to Hong Kong to visit my grandmother in the hospital for 4 days before returning home. 

Back in Canada we did some camping to help us regroup near Gibsons, BC after touching down in Vancouver. The weather kissed us with the perfect camping spot at Smugglers Cove, which is still one of my favorite camping memories to date.

Of course I headed home to Edmonton, AB to visit with friends and family. Don't forget Jamtron, a music festival worth going to if you are ever in the area at the right time.

With a minor detour mini road trip to Drum Heller to learn about the underwater river which is now a dinosaur rich lands. We very quickly learned that the prairies are not ideal for camping since they home some of the strongest winds I have faced in a tent. So much so we had to tear down and to sleep in the tent before finally making our way back to the Shuswap, BC. 

This leads us to WEDDING IN 30 DAYS.

So Long Edmonton

The fog that rolled in and out of Edmonton

January started off a bit rocky and unbalanced but it can't always be smooth sailings. Furthermore, a lot of people think of it as an arbitrary day to mark change. In some ways I have to agree since that truly means any day is a day for change.

Sometimes I feel it when I am walking past the gate of my house, when I have a list of things I need to get done and tomorrow is already a better day.

Other times I feel it when I am in a car watching a sunset from a place I didn't know I would be coming from the day before.

It can be as simple as a friend giving you a piece of something sweet to remember years of friendship and a birthday.

Sometimes we are given something we cannot work with and we have to just change our perspective. Or blame them :P

Or even an ice cream cake that I am not destined to eat but there comes a time when one just has to go. The road has been calling my name for awhile, I have tried to keep myself busy and happy for long enough without it. It is time for this bird to fly and when she returns with stories of adventure please share the beautiful events of your life whilst I was away.