I hop on a plane in the morning, heading home.
Home.
You really appreciate it when you've been away.
I miss my TV.
My cellphone.
My bed.
Mostly I miss family and friends.
Driving on the RIGHT side of the road.
NO ROUNDABOUTS.
Seriously, I know some neighbourhoods are leaning this way but, I swear, if they start implementing them full-scale, I'm running for office.
Roundabouts are freakin' insane. There was this huge one in Albany, WA. It scared the hell out of me.
They make no sense.
There are no real rules because different people believe different things.
As far as my understanding of driving goes, and correct me if I'm wrong, you yield to the vehicle on your right. But only if vehicle on the right was there before you were.
The first person to the intersection goes first. Roundabouts are the lazy way of having 4 way stops.
But you'll have EVERYONE going at the same time and you wonder if you should go, not go, curl up in a ball and cry.
You take a deep breath and just go.
Maybe it's because there are so many roundabouts that Aussies forget what lights are for.
Red lights, for example, are a mere suggestion that maybe, perhaps sometime, in the future you might entertain the thought of STOPPING.
They claim that yellow means to only warn you that you have to SPEED UP EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN STOP, so you can drive through the red pretending like you couldn't stop.
And they don't yield to pedestrians here.
Ever.
EVER!
If you die trying to cross a street, it's bloody your own fault.
Remember.
This country is made up of genes from criminals.
Their rules are only loosely followed.
Have I said lately that petrol is around $1.51 a litre? I swear if it's anywhere near that in Vancouver when I return, I'm going to SCREAM.
You know what made me happy today?
Really, REALLY HAPPY?
I was on this boat cruise of the harbour.
We docked to drop some people off.
I was looking up at the buildings, seeing all these big expensive buildings.
And for whatever reason, a homing beacon or whatever, I spotted it. Flapping in the wind, waving it's majestic wave.
A Canadian flag.
For a brief moment, a glimpse, a blink, I felt like I was home. And it was embracing.
I don't know what it means to be "Canadian". I mean an international concept. I love being Canadian. But people have different ideas on what it entails.
We have so much freedom. So much to be grateful for. So much to love.
On the flight from Perth to Sydney, I was a little sad. Who knows when I'll see the lovely Jodie again. She has a great life there, wonderful husband, wonderful friends, and wonderful family for the most part (no family is perfect). Who knows when I'll come back down here, when they'll make the trek to Canada, etc.
So it was a nice diversion. I pulled out my papers to organize. I'm keeping boarding passes, etc., as souvenirs/momentos of this trip. I had to put my latest boarding pass in with the others and found them in my Canadian passport, which was in my international driver's license. The address on the front of the driver's license showed "Vancouver, BC".
The gentleman sitting beside me said, quite proudly, "that's where we're going." I said, "Canada?" He said, "No, that exact place." They were on their way from Perth, to Sydney, to Vancouver. I was insanely jealous. They were going to see the North Shore mountains before me. The lovely and majestic Pacific Ocean. They were going to Banff and Whistler and Jasper and Lake Louise.
To me, that's Canadian.
Australia can have their "Blue Mountains". Nothing will ever compare to returning to BC and knowing you're almost home when you fly over the Rockies.
Nothing will ever compare to being down on the beach watching the sunset from English Bay.
The world is a wonderful, spectacular, magnificant place and, granted, I haven't seen enough of it. Not even a 10th. There are so many other places to explore and discover.
But nothing will ever compare to home.
In 24 hours, I'll be there. And I'll be more appreciative of it when I get back.
The Rideau Canal in Ottawa.
The 401 in Toronto.
The Highway to nowhere (if you're travelling south) between Edmonton and Calgary.
The ferries to Victoria.
Kicking Horse Pass.
Fraser Canyon.
Seven Sisters Mountains.
Sure. We have problems. A significant amount. A government that thinks that in order to be taken seriously on an international stage means directing funds to the military.
Lack of planning for homelessness.
Not spending enough on mental health.
The list is endless.
But being Canadian, carrying the Canadian passport. It's a source of tremendous pride. We really are a great, progressive country.
The second we stop.
I'm moving to New Zealand.
My parents, my sister, her kids, will all be in Vancouver this weekend.
And I'll be complete again. I felt a big hole in my heart when Jodie got married. Not because of anything other than seeing her surrounded by family and those who loved her. And knowing that those who loved me were thousands of miles away.
I miss my friends. More than I thought I would. There were countless people I could have invited on this trip if I wasn't so bullheaded to want to travel alone.
Next time I'll definitely do that. As liberating as being on your own is, it's always good to have a piece of home with you that isn't an object, a picture, a thought.
Ah.
Sentimental fool.
I was on this tour bus and I was sitting close to the driver. He was French and asked me where I was from. I said, "Canada". He said, "where's that, south of Mexico? I never heard of it." I am never arrogant enough to believe that some people see Canada as the beacon of freedom and the oasis of all. So I started explaining to him where Canada was. Turns out, he was just joking. He said he did that to some Americans before and they got pissed off. HOW DARE YOU NOT KNOW THE COUNTRY THAT SAVED YOUR COUNTRY'S ASS mentality.
Nice enough bloke.
I can't wait until blokes are "guys" and "g'day" is "hello" and "no worries" is "no problem".
Ahh. Canada.
I can't wait to get back.
Rest up.
And start planning the next journey.
Home.
You really appreciate it when you've been away.
I miss my TV.
My cellphone.
My bed.
Mostly I miss family and friends.
Driving on the RIGHT side of the road.
NO ROUNDABOUTS.
Seriously, I know some neighbourhoods are leaning this way but, I swear, if they start implementing them full-scale, I'm running for office.
Roundabouts are freakin' insane. There was this huge one in Albany, WA. It scared the hell out of me.
They make no sense.
There are no real rules because different people believe different things.
As far as my understanding of driving goes, and correct me if I'm wrong, you yield to the vehicle on your right. But only if vehicle on the right was there before you were.
The first person to the intersection goes first. Roundabouts are the lazy way of having 4 way stops.
But you'll have EVERYONE going at the same time and you wonder if you should go, not go, curl up in a ball and cry.
You take a deep breath and just go.
Maybe it's because there are so many roundabouts that Aussies forget what lights are for.
Red lights, for example, are a mere suggestion that maybe, perhaps sometime, in the future you might entertain the thought of STOPPING.
They claim that yellow means to only warn you that you have to SPEED UP EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN STOP, so you can drive through the red pretending like you couldn't stop.
And they don't yield to pedestrians here.
Ever.
EVER!
If you die trying to cross a street, it's bloody your own fault.
Remember.
This country is made up of genes from criminals.
Their rules are only loosely followed.
Have I said lately that petrol is around $1.51 a litre? I swear if it's anywhere near that in Vancouver when I return, I'm going to SCREAM.
You know what made me happy today?
Really, REALLY HAPPY?
I was on this boat cruise of the harbour.
We docked to drop some people off.
I was looking up at the buildings, seeing all these big expensive buildings.
And for whatever reason, a homing beacon or whatever, I spotted it. Flapping in the wind, waving it's majestic wave.
A Canadian flag.
For a brief moment, a glimpse, a blink, I felt like I was home. And it was embracing.
I don't know what it means to be "Canadian". I mean an international concept. I love being Canadian. But people have different ideas on what it entails.
We have so much freedom. So much to be grateful for. So much to love.
On the flight from Perth to Sydney, I was a little sad. Who knows when I'll see the lovely Jodie again. She has a great life there, wonderful husband, wonderful friends, and wonderful family for the most part (no family is perfect). Who knows when I'll come back down here, when they'll make the trek to Canada, etc.
So it was a nice diversion. I pulled out my papers to organize. I'm keeping boarding passes, etc., as souvenirs/momentos of this trip. I had to put my latest boarding pass in with the others and found them in my Canadian passport, which was in my international driver's license. The address on the front of the driver's license showed "Vancouver, BC".
The gentleman sitting beside me said, quite proudly, "that's where we're going." I said, "Canada?" He said, "No, that exact place." They were on their way from Perth, to Sydney, to Vancouver. I was insanely jealous. They were going to see the North Shore mountains before me. The lovely and majestic Pacific Ocean. They were going to Banff and Whistler and Jasper and Lake Louise.
To me, that's Canadian.
Australia can have their "Blue Mountains". Nothing will ever compare to returning to BC and knowing you're almost home when you fly over the Rockies.
Nothing will ever compare to being down on the beach watching the sunset from English Bay.
The world is a wonderful, spectacular, magnificant place and, granted, I haven't seen enough of it. Not even a 10th. There are so many other places to explore and discover.
But nothing will ever compare to home.
In 24 hours, I'll be there. And I'll be more appreciative of it when I get back.
The Rideau Canal in Ottawa.
The 401 in Toronto.
The Highway to nowhere (if you're travelling south) between Edmonton and Calgary.
The ferries to Victoria.
Kicking Horse Pass.
Fraser Canyon.
Seven Sisters Mountains.
Sure. We have problems. A significant amount. A government that thinks that in order to be taken seriously on an international stage means directing funds to the military.
Lack of planning for homelessness.
Not spending enough on mental health.
The list is endless.
But being Canadian, carrying the Canadian passport. It's a source of tremendous pride. We really are a great, progressive country.
The second we stop.
I'm moving to New Zealand.
My parents, my sister, her kids, will all be in Vancouver this weekend.
And I'll be complete again. I felt a big hole in my heart when Jodie got married. Not because of anything other than seeing her surrounded by family and those who loved her. And knowing that those who loved me were thousands of miles away.
I miss my friends. More than I thought I would. There were countless people I could have invited on this trip if I wasn't so bullheaded to want to travel alone.
Next time I'll definitely do that. As liberating as being on your own is, it's always good to have a piece of home with you that isn't an object, a picture, a thought.
Ah.
Sentimental fool.
I was on this tour bus and I was sitting close to the driver. He was French and asked me where I was from. I said, "Canada". He said, "where's that, south of Mexico? I never heard of it." I am never arrogant enough to believe that some people see Canada as the beacon of freedom and the oasis of all. So I started explaining to him where Canada was. Turns out, he was just joking. He said he did that to some Americans before and they got pissed off. HOW DARE YOU NOT KNOW THE COUNTRY THAT SAVED YOUR COUNTRY'S ASS mentality.
Nice enough bloke.
I can't wait until blokes are "guys" and "g'day" is "hello" and "no worries" is "no problem".
Ahh. Canada.
I can't wait to get back.
Rest up.
And start planning the next journey.
Labels: Go Oilers Go, I love Ryan Smyth, Obama 2008
About me
- Grace
- British Columbia, Canada
- jealous, insecure,narcissistic, paranoid, and delusional
- My profile