A Year in a Life - II

Continued from Dec 27th 2011

Walk in London - London, UK

October 21 2011 - To be Happy 

To be happy

To live in the moment not wanting to be anywhere else, not wanting to change a thing

A state that seemed so rare and unattainable at times

Yet here I am felling happy for just being

Realizing that so many, in fact most of the aspects of my life are far from perfect

But still falling asleep with a grin

November ? 2011 - Untitled

Fact, the human body forgets pain

Physical, but mental/emotional pain too

When you get hurt, you think you've never been hurt like this before

But maybe you have

The good part?
You got over it and can't even remember what it was like to hurt so much

I guess that's what makes us take a leap of faith again
And again

A year in a Life

Sunset - Jervis Bay, NSW, Australia

A year can go by so fast, but yet so slow. So little can have time to change, but sometimes it seems everything changes. I gathered a few stories I had written throughout the year but had never shared. Put together, it illustrates how things can change in only a few months...

Clichés

Cliché - Here's a word that I believe is very often misjudged. 

What's so bad about clichés? Why does everyone make them sound so negative, like they're a bad thing? 

Well, I like clichés. And I do want to include them in my adventures.... it doesn't mean I never get off the beaten track...

Typically Greek - Santorini, Greece

But why wouldn't anyone want to:

Eat gelato in Italy
Go rafting in the Grand Canyon
Go bungee jumping in New-Zealand
Go for an African Safari
Try surfing in Australia
Spend Oktoberfest in Munich
Attend a Luau in Hawaii
Attend a yoga class in Bali
Ride an elephant in Thailand
Ride a camel in Egypt
Listen to La vie en rose in a Paris café
Share a gondola in Venice
Have tequila shots in Mexico
Order Cosmos is New York City
Have sushi in Japan
Learn to tango in Spain (or Argentina) ?

If that's what clichés are about, all I have to say is: Bring it on!

Biggest Challenge

Deep Blue - Santorini, Greece

I take a deep breath. I've worked hard for this, for over 10 years actually. And it's still a burden now. Nowhere near as hard as it used to be, but still it would be too easy to fall back to what it was before, to what I used to be. It's all about never stopping, always pushing my limits. 

So I take a deep breath. Close my eyes for half a second and make it up the stairs, into the semi crowded room. Ready to be looked at, to be questioned, to be judged. Ready to face the unknown. Ready to defend my presence, my purpose there and in life.

Some times are harder than others and it takes longer to settle into a new comfort zone. In those times I do think about giving up. I wonder why I'm doing this to myself. Why I keep fighting for something that so clearly doesn't come easily to me. I consider hiding back in what I used to be. A shadow?

But soon enough, after I've pushed through the wall, it all becomes worth it. I remind myself that I can chose who and what I want to be. And I smile to myself... thinking of how far I've come.

Did they tell you so?

Funny how you can get your head around an idea, a hope, that seems uplausible for everybody else but you. No matter how much you want to believe that you're right and they're wrong, you end up giving up.

That's until things turn out differently and you realize you would have been right all along.

You shouldn't have to change your mind if you don't want to.

Don't let others bring down your hopes and dreams, no matter how small they are. 

Just believe whatever you like!

Hidden Rainbow - Quebec, Canada

What if

The more you do in a day, in a week, in a month... the more you wanna do. The more energy and will you have.

The less you do, the less you can be bothered to do...

If I stay here long enough, will I just settle for less? Manage to be content and let my urges, my needs for adventure fade away...?

A nap on the beach - Oahu, Hawaii, USA

Everyone needs to realize...

Reflection of BC - Canada

To everyone who thinks I've actually been around the world or who believes I've been away too much, seen or done enough... think again and consider this:

I've never been to: South America, Africa, Eastern Europe or Asia
I haven't seen half the states of the USA, half the countries of Western Europe
I haven't seen more than one place in Central America, more than one place in the South Pacific
I haven't seen the highest mountain, swum in the deepest water, gazed at the brightest night sky or photographed every wonder of the world

There will always be more to do and more to see - And hopefully never a reason to stop

Careful What You Wish For

Smooth River - BC, Canada

Subconsciously, or maybe consciously, we send our thoughts and requests out in the universe every now and then.

More often than not, we think that we should believe, and deserve to believe in our hopes and dreams... instead of simply having faith; no doubt.

So it almost always comes as a surprise when something we've asked for actually comes true...

And when it happens, we're not necessarily ready for it... or we even secretly changed our mind. 

So we think that maybe we should have been careful what we wished for, as we may just get it

Not yet

To find myself alone with myself

After not having time to stop and think

Don't think I can handle it

Take me back to the busy time

When breathing was the only thought I had about myself

Not ready to put things into perspective yet

Don't wanna analyse the present

Think of even glance at the future

Not yet

Lost in the Blues - Santorini, Greece

Une constatation

I put the song on - Fearful

The one I have lisened to so many times already

The one song that made me cry every time

I just put it on again 

And listen

And then for a change, I don't feel sad

I feel nothing

Then I realise the change - Surprised

I almost cry, but of joy

The song just got a whole new meaning - Survival

Light through the dard - BC, Canada

Geographically unstable

Some may be emotionally unstable, perhaps physically or mentally unstable... I'm definitely geographically unstable.

I have an unexplained fear of being in one place for too long. I used to deny it and blame it on my hunger for adventure, but it's about time I face the facts: Too often I get the "anywhere but here" feeling. It's not because I don't enjoy the present and the place I am at the time. It's not because I believe the grass is greener elsewhere. I just subconsciously panic if I spend too much precious time in one place. As if time was running out - and maybe it is...

On the Road to Hana - Maui, Hawaii

Dear Life

Flowing Thoughts - BC, Canada

Dear Life,

I thought I'd take a minute or two to write what's been on my mind.

Prince for one day

Trees in the Spring - QLD, Australia

Everything happens for a reason. Everybody who comes into our lives play a role; big or small; important or unnoticed.

A little while back, a prince charming came into my life for one day. Probably never to be seen again. But he served his purpose in my life. In a day, in a short encounter with a stranger, I came to believe in fairy tales again. And that was it. No more. But no less. A small change it seems. But one that could influence many of my future choices.

Thank you stranger for giving me faith in something I was afraid I had lost forever.

And I hope I can do the same for many other people's lives...

As simple as simple

Waterfalls - Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia

There are so many things I wanna do

So many paths I'd like to try and take

But somehow I know

Whatever happens

I will not be disappointed with life

Just trust

Travel Break

Sky's the limit - BC, Canada

When someone is thinking about travelling for the first time, I always recommend them to just do it and go see what is out there.

But when I really think about it, no matter where you'll go, you'll discover unbelievable things, which you'll end up missing and reminiscing about... 

What if you never go for that sort of adventure? Wouldn't it be easier to fully appreciate what you have here? Never knowing how things are elsewhere, not being able to compare..

But then again, it's like those people who don't let themselves fall in love, by fear of getting hurt.

I always think it's worth falling in love... and so undeniably worth travelling and falling for all the amazing places out there!

Freedom on Wheels

Horses in the Wild - Rockies, BC, Canada

I always considered myself a free person. With little commitment, I always felt free and confident with my choices. A lot of things I did, I did because I wanted to and because I could.

We can always do what we want, when we want, as long as we believe we can. Unfortunately, not everyone realises everything they can do and not everyone believes that dreams do come true.

I found a new kind of freedom. Who would have thought I'd take on the biggest commitment of my life so far, to experience the freedom that a car has to offer?

This new liberty just goes to prove that things can always get even better! And of course, nothing's too good... I could only settle for the best! Like everyone should.

A new kind of adventure, a new kind of freedom. All possible with this ironic commitment...

SummerTime and the Living is Easy

It seems that only in the summer being is an activity in itself.

Just being outside is satisfying. Being around a fire. Being on a campsite. Being in the sun. Being on the beach. Being at a BBQ. Being on a roadgtrip.

It all sounds better in the summertime. Drink in hand, with family, friends or by yourself... there's no need for much else.

Easy living - Royal National Park, NSW, Australia

On the Other Hand

Sunset - Palm Beach, NSW, Australia

Is being positive always actually being positive?

Saying Well this could have been worse is usually perceived as being positive.

But what if one says Well this could have been better. Aren't they the positive one? The one who actually believes that things can and should be better, who has faith and is not affraid to seek positivity?

The person who says something could have been worse is actually seeing the negative, the bad in a situation or in the world, no? So does that give them negative energy?

But then again, that might just make myself and a lot of positive people seem negative more often than not... I guess there's just no right answer. See the good in life. Say and do what makes you feel a positive way. The rest is just technical details...

Before the Moment's Gone

Grab opportunities

Seize the day - Seize the moment

Live everyday like it was your last

Lahaina - Maui, Hawaii

We've all heard one, if not all, of these sayings. I think they're all good and true however for me, none express the intensity of the meaning as much as:

I close my eyes

Only for a moment

And the moment's gone

Dust in the Wind - Kansas

Voir Grand

Voir Grand - Seeing big. Two words to describe the French.

Eiffel Tower - Paris, France

I asked what you thought about when you thought of the French:

2 Eiffel Tower/Paris

2 Bonjour

1 Cigarette Smokers

2 French Baguette

0 French Alps

Besides making me realise that that my polls aren't very popular, these results also illustrate my own thoughts of the French. Nothing, but everything, stands out for them and their beautiful country.

Random

Sunset - Zancudo, Costa Rica

When your heart is broken in a million little pieces

It doesn't matter how hard you try to put it back together

There will always be a few missing bits

The Thing About Regrets

Stream - Jasper, AB, Canada

I once heard someone say: Don't have any regrets. At the time, every decision you made was yours, it was made by choice and you decided on what was best for you back then.

It was probably not those exact words that I heard, but I remember the meaning, the message.

I thought it was such a nice, and true, thing to say...

But then I realised: What about the decisions we were so unsure about? What about the times we acted on something, already wondering if we'd regret it?

First Impressions

What is it that makes us love (or hate) a city, a town...?

Harvard - Boston, MA, USA

Waterside - Boston, MA, USA

The first impression usually comes from the people, the weather and the architecture. Smiling people make you wanna smile back, sunny weather makes you want to go explore and the architecture sometimes even makes you want to live there! 

I arrived in Boston on a sunny late afternoon. The air felt warmer than back home, the sun was more than welcoming. I found a city full of happy, lively people. It made me want to  get some trainers and go running along with Harvard students, by the waterside, where rowers smoothly conquered the river. As for architecture, I must have fallen in love with a dozen different appartments and houses within the first few minutes...

Go explore!

"I hope this old train breaks down" - Jack Johnson

Pebble Beach - Nice, France

In search for the unexpected.

Sometimes, the best things in life are unplanned. 

Often, they're the uncalled adventure.

It's about turning something that seems negative into a surprisingly positive experience.

One of my favorite games

It starts by asking yourself: Where was I this time last year? (My answer: Sydney, Australia)

Rainbow Beach - QLD, Australia

And then think of all the things that you managed to do from that day on, up until today... 

My answer: Got a new position at work, visited the East coast of Australia, quit my job, went to Fiji, met my sister and then a friend in Hawaii, when to California for the first time, ended a long term relationship, started a new job... all the while making new friends from around the world!

And if I added the things I learned: Diving, driving stick, how to listen to my intuition, learned about different cultures, the list could go on and on.

It makes me realise that a year goes by really quick. But I can still make the most of it, I can still do a lot of pretty amazing things!

My Canadian cliché

Canadian Rockies - BC, Canada

I asked what comes to your mind when you think about Canadians:

1 Maple Syrup

3 Ice Hockey

1 Eh!

2 The Rockies

I can't say I'm surprised with the winner here. But my own favorite is definitely Maple Syrup. I could eat it at anytime and with anything! Yes, I say Eh, I learned how to snowboard in the Rockies and I have dated a hockey player, but for me, nothing speaks Canadian the way Maple Syrup does. When I'm away from home, I crave Maple Syrup, not a hockey game... You can give me maple butter or put it in a recipe, but I'll be offended if you try and give me maple-flavoured syrup!

I don't mean to brag but Canada produces most of the world's supplies (Quebec being the largest producer!!) so next time you're around this time of the year, make a stop at the Sugar Shack and understand the true meaning of the Canadian flag!

Materialism? Or Therapy?

A hole in the world.
A hole in the mind, in the heart.
A hole in my pocket.

 California, USA

I bought a pair of shoes because I needed it.
But while I was at it I thought I might as well spoil myself and get the One pair of Red Shoes.
It felt so nice and I was excited at the thought of wearing them.
Wore them for a whole day...and I needed more.

My #1 value

Why do people lie?

This is one thing I probably will never understand... Isn't it so much easier to simply tell the truth? Instead of spending energy trying to make up a plausible lie? 

If you do or say something, you need to be able to face the consequences and this includes facing the fact that other people should and will know the truth.

Innocent butterfly - Costa Rica

It's one thing to lie to a stranger about things that are just none of their business, but why lie to the people you love and care about? I have enough respect for my friends and family to let them know the truth. 

Home is where the heart is

Of all the places I've been to lately...

I felt at home wherever I was, as long as I was following my heart and as long as I was with the one I loved.

His arms became my home. My home became his arms. 

They felt safe, but also a lot of fun. 

It's where I could live and dream without a worry.

No matter where I was or what I was going through, it felt right, it felt comfortable.

The magic words

Say please and thank you. Who hasn't been told?

But what is the true meaning of being polite? A simple word? You can throw insults and swear at someone, saying please won't make it polite... So the question is, is it always necessary?

London Tube - London, England

I asked in a poll, which sentence would you use with friends and family members:

16% Pass the salt

0%   Pass the salt please

66% Can you pass the salt?

16% Can you pass the salt please?

The answer seems clear. But then again, it always depends on your culture and the way you were brought up.

They say...

French Alps viewed from Aiguille du Midi - France

My favorite quote:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Everyone seems unsure as to who really is the author of this quote but nevertheless, it has stayed with me since the first time I heard it, many years ago. I decided I'd rather live a short, passionate life, than a dull, long one. Unfortunately, I know that a lot of people would agree with this, not realising that even though that's what they think, that's not how they're really living their lives.

Shocking Culture Shock

I have always found it easy to travel and adapt to different cultures. So much, that I rarely felt homesick.

But one day, something weird happened: I think I had a culture shock. A serious shock where I had to fight my tears back and didn't immediately understand what was happening to me...

London Bridge - London, England

First Time Abroad

Big Ben - London, England

We landed in Gatwick.

Everything felt a bit unreal and a boost of energy came out of nowhere to convince us to go out, looking for adventure. 

I forgot how tired I was from the night flight and put on whatever non-matching clothes I had packed in a hurry, back in Vancouver.

Where are you from?

Varadero, Cuba

Without getting into the difference between where you're from and where your home is... I found interesting to compare people's answers to Where are you from? whilst travelling.

I decided to ask my "readers" and got:

4 Home country

2 Home state/province

3 Home town

1 Lie

I personally answer Canada. Simple. Everyone knows where that is. Sometimes I also specify my province, Quebec, just so they know I actually speak French or if I'm in North America since there's more chance they'll ask Where in Canada? anyways... but don't mention the city unless asked. And I certainly wouldn't lie! I do wonder who is the one person who voted A lie to my poll...

I can understand people who answer New York, Paris, Los Angeles or Tokyo for example. All big and well known cities around the globe... but I don't quite understand an answer such as Nantucket.

My definition

If I had to describe travelling....

A travel experience is all about the memories we create, based on events, the people we're with, the taste of food, the different smells, the overall feeling and so on. Sometimes, when all those elements come perfectly together, we believe we've found paradise. Sometimes, the scenery and everything else is so overwhelming that we never want to leave, by fear of never finding the same experience elsewhere... 

A Simple Hello

From Bula to Aloha. Sometimes it's harder to get used to your own culture than someone else's...

I arrived home from a year abroad, but really, it was more like i was back from being away for 5 years with a yearly visit to check on my loved ones. I was feeling the travel vibe, feeling good, eager to share my new experiences and catch up with everyone.

Flags on beach - Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

Walking down the streets, I would almost say Hey! or How u doin'? to passerbys, forgetting that I was now back in frenchie land... so I went in for a cheerful Bonjour instead. It came out all wrong and the stranger looked confused, obviously wondering if we knew each other, and then annoyed with my pointless intrusion. If saying Bonjour didn't sound so odd all of a sudden, I might have tried it on someone else, but I decided to stick to smiling, hopefully saving me sore embarassment. Even that tured in a "hit or miss" game. I'd either get a hesitant smile or a What's so funny? look.

I found myself wishing everyone would just say Hey, like I had gotten used to whilst away from home!

An icicle

Icicles - Lake Louise, AB, Canada

This is a Valentine's Day Special since "love" almost won the poll last week and love is still in the air today.

Some people are compared to onions, because you have to peel their layers to get to know them. I dated an icicle. And I really loved him...

A city I have visited: Sydney

And the winner of the poll is: A city I have visited. Thanks for your interest!

I chose to write about Sydney, because it's one of the places where I have spent the most time and one that I have fallen in love with. But it wasn't love at first sight, here's the story...

Downtown Sydney and Opera House - NSW, Australia

This is it! I am standing here, camera in hand, facing the water with the Harbour Bridge to my left and the Opera House to my right. This is what it's all about. Discovering everything I could only see in documentaries or pictures before. This is being at the total opposite side of the world. I was impressed... for about a day or two, then it wore off. But it was already too late to change my mind, I was settling in Sydney, looking for work and hoping for the experience of a life time. Surely there had to be more to this city...  And there was, there definitely was. It took me a while, but I fell in love with Sydney, with Australia.

Back to Reality

We've all heard it before: "I'm now back to reality..." or "I need to get back to reality..."

Road to Hana - Maui, Hawaii

It usually comes from friends, family members, colleagues... anyone who's just back from vacation. Any time we hear this, we know the person has been somewhere nicer or has been doing something better, which has simply come to an end.

But what does it actually mean, to get back to reality? Were they actually living a dream or a fictional life for a while, and now it's over? Or is their life such a pain, that a small getaway seems unreal to them?

I guess this is one way of looking at reality... I think it's the wrong one...

My Winter Wonderland

A "Photo shoot" in my backyard

February 7th 2011

Just a little thought

Clouds in the sky - Costa Rica

Time does fly...

I was thinking back at the time when I used to live in Vancouver, it feels like yesterday. And although I know it wasn't actually yesterday, it shocks me to realize it was 4 years ago. It now seems like such a long time, 4 years is a lot... And it has gone by really, really quick. Way too quick! It seems that it's not too long ago I was flying around, carelessly... exploring a beautiful city, going on roadtrips as much as I could... falling in love with Whistler...

Great Expectations

Before hitting a new destination, we always have expectations, preset ideas of how great it's going to be. So much that sometimes we think it's not good to expect it to be too great, as if we'd only be asking for disappointment. But when we hear a lot of good things about a place, and when the pictures look so perfect in our research, we can't help but expect a magical experience...

Nacula - Yasawa Islands, Fiji

The best surprise? When everything you've heard and seen about the destination turns out to be exactly, perfectly, undeniably true.

Colours of the World

Hyams Beach - NSW, Australia

The world is like a beautiful photo album... The more colours there are, the more interesting it is; same as the more diverse it is, the more surprising it becomes. Pictures with similarities tend to be grouped together... but I think it's all the more exciting when you mix it up!

I'm sure that anyone would agree that a photo album would be very boring if all the pictures were the same. We need colourful pictures, taken from different angles, in different places, to make it worth looking at. 

You know it's a very good album when each picture has its place and is equally remarkable as every other one.

But unfortunately, some people would admit to loving the white sand picture showed here, and would actually be proud of it... but then would not recognize the beauty of the red sand photo or the depth of the black sand one.

New Life - New Things

As I said, I'm starting a new chapter in my life: back to my roots, new job, new lifestyle, new priorities etc. So I also need to explore and/or develop new hobbies that I already like, hence me starting this blog. And I also decided to take on photography. 

Like many others, I enjoy admiring pretty pictures, but I also want to decorate my future home with my own travel pictures (as big as they can print!). I want to be able to capture, not only the beauty in the world, but most importantly the emotions each picture emits, so that my home shows my own journey through life. Like art, I want each image to be my own interpretation of the moment. I need to learn how to master each special effect and secret trick so that I can share my experiences with everyone around me...you know what they say: Une image vaut mille mots!

My First Blog

I've been writing for years.. about my personal experiences, feelings, thoughts... and I've always kept every word to myself.
But now, I'm starting a new chapter in my life, so I thought I'd change my writing habits as well! This is actually quite stressful! I have never had anyone read and judge my stories...
I'll do my best to keep you entertained and updated on a regular basis, but please do let me know what's working or not...