Random Channel Surfing

Tomorrow is my first day at a francophone temp agency. I never wanted to be without a job for this long, but I didn't want to apply for any longterm positions lest the job interfered with my plans to go to Guatemala. 'Cause this trip? Oh. It's happening. I'm going to fly out on November 7 and I won't be back until December 18. That's 41 days of exploration and (dare I say it?) self-reflection. Whenever I think about this trip, I'm overcome with happy feelings and thoughts. This just goes to show how much I've longed for travel these last months. I'm excited and jittery--in a good way!--and I'm curious to see what happens to my life. Will things feel more centred? Will I have a better sense of what I want out of life? Will I finally grow that spine I've been lacking since infancy? Because I can be brave when I have to be, but that's not my permanent state of being. When it comes to feeling vulnerable and raw, open and exposed, I need...

This is a picture of the last plane ticket I used. It was for my return flight from Frankfurt on December 28, 2015. In 2015, I took a LOT of trips. I flew to Orlando with Tamara, Sean, and Joe. I flew to Vancouver to spend some time with Mel. I flew to St. Louis to visit Cristiane, Brad, Patrick, and Claire. I flew to New York City with Tasha to explore the city. And, finally, I flew to Frankfurt to spend Christmas with the fam. In total, I took 23 flights that year to take me from Point A (YEG) to Point B (my many destinations). Eek. I took a picture of this ticket because I wanted to commemorate it. I wanted to commemorate it because I swore to myself that I wasn't going to fly in 2016.   I made this promise in order to be more conscientious about the environmental strain my many trips was putting on the planet.  Since this flight, I haven't boarded a single plane and, while I've missed flying and exploring, it's been a good break.  Today is Guatemala...

This year, I was very lucky to be able to take several trips. I went to Orlando in February. Vancouver in April. St. Louis (and Chicago!) in July. New York City in October. And, next month, I'm going to Frankfurt for Christmas. So, after a someone on Twitter posted an article on the impact of carbon emissions from planes and jetliners, I was appalled at how I had contributed to the carbon emissions in the air. I factored in all the flights that I took (over ten throughout the year!) and, after some soul-searching, realized that I couldn't -- in good conscience -- take any more flights for a year. It was a hard choice to make. I love traveling and had already made plans for trips I could take in 2016. There was Prince Edward Island in June. Possibly Las Vegas in the fall. And, if I was lucky, a trip to see my older sister in the States again. Sure, it was only three trips, but three trips I had already semi-decided on taking. Now, after realizing that all the fligh...

It's a new soundtrack  I could dance to this beat  Forever more  The lights are so bright  But they never blind me  Welcome to New York  It's been waiting for you  Welcome to New York

I decided to visit Mel in Vancouver this past weekend. We met at a bar (the Black Frog) where I met her friends Tona and Mac. We didn't stay at the Black Frog (whomp-whomp) 'cause we had to head out to a grad show at this very awesome venue a few blocks away. Mellie so smelly.  I really dug the decor there: cartoony monkeys and humans hanging off the walls and from the ceiling; plushy couches and high bar stools; accent lights and twinkle lights. It was beautiful inside! It seemed like a very fit venue for such a diverse and creative bunch. Animators are artists who, I feel, grew up wishing that they lived in the world of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, where humans and zany cartoons coexisted. Animators are hilarious and friendly and weirdly shy and very enthusiastic about the media (magazines, television shows, movies) they consume. Animators are, for lack of a better word, interesting. After the grad show, Tona went with us back to Mel's place, where we sat and chatte...

Tonight's the night before I fly out to Montreal with the girls and their fellas. Half of me is restless and anxious and fighting the hiccups, while the other is blissfully aware of how blessed I am to be going on this mini vacation. Seven days of mischief and laughter. Seven days of music and feasting. Seven days in the one other place on the planet where I truly feel at home. I can already smell the rain on the pavement and I can already imagine how wonderful our time there will be. How did I ever get so lucky?

There's too much I don't understand about my heritage; too much I want to understand about my heritage. And this seed has been germinating since my entire family (sisters, brother-in-law, parents, and niblings) went to Guatemala in December 2009, where Cristiane's best friend Ceci and her husband explained to me how you can rent bungalows in Flores, near the Mayan pyramids, for a pretty fair price; has been germinating since I realized that so much about the way I behave -- polite to the extreme -- is a mix of my two cultural identities. Canadians are known for their polite, over-apologetic nature, but Guatemalans are the same way. So when you think about it, my behaviour is an effect of those  two cultures. I am  two times more likely to go out of my way to help a stranger; two times more likely to over-thank someone for a favour. And it's not that I don't want to be in Edmonton. It's not that I've given up on my idea of moving to Montreal. It's not...

Every time my friends bring up Osheaga and Montreal and our upcoming trip in August, I feel as though I'm in a dream. The fact that these lovely six people are willing to go on a trip that means so much to me fills me with awe; I'm so lucky that my friends want what I want. Granted we've wanted to take a big trip somewhere together since Jenn and Dave were first engaged and Janis was with Joe (this was eons ago, obviously), but we could never settle on where we would go. Jenn suggested Cuba or Mexico, or hey! How about the Dominican? But it wasn't until August of this year when I went out with Nicole, Rylan, Janis, and Wyatt and we decided that a trip to Montreal's Osheaga would be amazing  as a group trip that anything concrete was decided on. When we mentioned it to Jenn, she was a little hesitant because it's pricey... But now Jenn and Dave have flight vouchers from West-Jet, so their trip to Montreal might be covered! Huzzah! I still feel like I need to ...

I've made a list of cities I want to see next year. Montreal, Toronto, New York, Flores, Guatemala... I think it's doable, too. If I go see Mel in Ontario for my birthday in March, and I go to Montreal with the girls and guys in August, I could potentially go to New York after our stint in Montreal. Cut to October/November 2014, when a trip to see the old familia is doable. Yes. Yes. I quite like this plan o'mine.

I will actually achieve my dream of going to Brazil. That is if the world doesn't end this year. ;)

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT

I mean, NBD. Not like anything will come of it... but still. I iz excited.

I MISS BRISBANE

Scary hostel, deadly mosquitoes and dingoes. Those are a few defining things from the Isa. That and creepy Swedes...

I'm obsessed with mountains. And also trees.

Holding a koala is like holding a sleeping baby. You hold it lightly, as though you're afraid of waking it, but you can't help but feel awestruck by how adorable it is. Koalas are my newest obsession.

Going to Australia has always been a dream of mine. Watching Wicked LIVE has always been one of my "secret hopes". Having realized both of these things...? It feels like I accomplished something life altering. Y'know?

So, in my hurry to post on Muse, I forgot to mention that I've finally bought my ticket to Oz! :D Hahaha! Yep. I'm officially going to Australia with Tamara and Sean. It will be amaze-buckets. Une autre chose, le "gars" est en traîne de décider s'il va faire un voyage au Costa Rica, à l'Australie ou en Europe. Moi j'espère qu'il n'ira pas à l'Australie.

Having worked at a theatre, I'm exceedingly spoiled when it comes to movie prices. I'm not used to paying... AT ALL. So, last Thursday when I went to watch (500) Days of Summer , I was elated that my former manager let me in free of charge. Oh, how I love freebies! Anyway, this quirky, insightful and deep movie has been added to my list of favourite movies... Joining movie greats like Lars and the Real Girl, Little Miss Sunshine, Juno, and Little Miss Sunshine. It's one of those movies that has a million-and-one meanings... that is to say, that while certain themes are more prelavent to you, the person next to you might see others. It's one of those optimistically realistic movies that make your heart smile. In short, I found that it was believable and true. Even if I had paid $12.50 to watch Zooey Deschanel work her cuteness and Joseph Gordon-Levitt charm his way back into my heart (10 Things I Hate About You, anyone?), I know that I would have adored this movie. In ot...