For the first time in 2011 I am broadcasting to you from the motherland. Yep, that’s right, I have returned to England!
For the most part, these first few days after getting back from traveling can be a real downer. Time to face reality; utterly daunted with the prospect of having to find a job in the big bad working world. But, and I feel a touch guilty about saying this, I had no qualms with returning. As much as I enjoyed my time in Canada, I felt like I had got all I could out of my stay there with the money I had. Now it’s time to get my save on once more, a race to summertime to see if my financial situation will whisk me away yet again.
Looking back, I can’t say I loved every second of my Canadian experience; I don’t think my traveling spirit it set for the ultra-Western world of North America. I longed for the beautiful simplicity of India or the bohemian tea houses of Budapest. I think there’s a charm about not knowing the native tongue of the country you’re visiting and having to find other ways of communicating. It forces you to strip down to the bare essentials, using hand gestures to get you by. Using physical communication like this brings people together, something that can be difficult between two people from entirely different countries and backgrounds.
I wasn’t thrown by any bizarre acts of culture specific only to North America (other than being dumbfounded at them making almost anything a drive-thru, I’m pretty sure drive-thru hospitals are only a year or so away.) Other places I have visited, even by just hopping over the channel, have caught my attention more so just because their practices seem to alien to me, which is perfect writing material of course.
Having said all of this, I don’t think I would take back a single second of Canada, the trip itself has done wonders for my soul. I’ve learnt so many things about myself that were once unknown to me; these will not be divulged here until I get to grips with them myself! I’ve learnt more about my friendships back home and who I missed more than I expected. I’ve learnt about how I react to being utterly alone in a big city.
I will miss the views of the mountains no matter where you are, even in the heart of Vancouver. I will miss the buddies I’ve made, and wish them all well as they’ve barely made it a quarter of the way through their long journeys. I will miss baby Jennica at Goat’s Pride who I looked after for quite some time, I wish I could see her grow up! And, of course, I will miss that Canadian charm of every shopkeeper I ever came across, wishing me to have a great day.
However, I have to say, I’m excited for the next chapter. Whatever that may be…
Friday, 28 January 2011
Monday, 24 January 2011
Hooray For Community!
One more thing I have to add about Roberts Creek is their artistic talents. As I've explained in previous posts, it's a quaint litte creative place, where you can do yoga by the sea and shop organic to your heart's content. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, I came across this beauty:
 |
| The Mandala as it was finished in 2008 |
I'll let the picture speak for themselves...
Saturday, 22 January 2011
Tuneful Bowls
When I arrived in Roberts Creek last week, my mind was all over the place; hence the confused post! I felt like too much was going on in my head and it needed to get out of there, fast. I was in the perfect location, a quiet and peaceful seaside town. And it seems someone up there heard my cry for help, and along came Jay with his singing bowls.
Any of you who have been to Tibet or the surrounding countries may have heard of these creations. Basically they're bowls of varying heights and depths, which are struck and stroked with wooden bats wrapped in suede. They can be made of varying materials; the ones I witnessed were made of varying precious stones such as quartz crystal, and others were gold plated. They are played with the hopes of soothing the soul, drowning out all the chatter in your mind, and lining up your internal chakras.
And there he is; Jay! Originally from Arizona, Jay has been on the road for six years now (lucky bastard) and has made a living from performing his singing bowls to various different groups ranging from paedophiles, prison inmates or your regular John Smith's and Jane Doe's. And making a very good living off it he is too.
As it so happens, Jay was staying in my hostel, and had a performace down at the yoga centre a few days after my departure. So, he decided to give us all a little taster of the action. I like to think I'm fairly open-minded, so decided to start of having faith in him that they would actually help me, with just a tiny shred of doubt bubbling under the surface.
And I have to say, whether you believe that they line up anything in your soul or not, they certainly soothe you. The sounds and vibrations from each bowl joined together in harmony, along with Jay's comforting voice, sent me off in a little peace-trance. That annoying chatter that went on in my mind for days previously was deafened by the bowls and brought to its knees.
I'm not one to have too much belief in fate or luck, but it was a pretty sweet coincidence that Jay was in Roberts Creek at the same time as me. He was exactly what I needed to get my head straight when all I could think was stressful thoughts. His general outlook of life, with his sometimes struggling financial situation, really helped me to take a step back and realise the important things. My chakra feels a little bit more in line too...whatever that means.
Any of you who have been to Tibet or the surrounding countries may have heard of these creations. Basically they're bowls of varying heights and depths, which are struck and stroked with wooden bats wrapped in suede. They can be made of varying materials; the ones I witnessed were made of varying precious stones such as quartz crystal, and others were gold plated. They are played with the hopes of soothing the soul, drowning out all the chatter in your mind, and lining up your internal chakras.
As it so happens, Jay was staying in my hostel, and had a performace down at the yoga centre a few days after my departure. So, he decided to give us all a little taster of the action. I like to think I'm fairly open-minded, so decided to start of having faith in him that they would actually help me, with just a tiny shred of doubt bubbling under the surface.
And I have to say, whether you believe that they line up anything in your soul or not, they certainly soothe you. The sounds and vibrations from each bowl joined together in harmony, along with Jay's comforting voice, sent me off in a little peace-trance. That annoying chatter that went on in my mind for days previously was deafened by the bowls and brought to its knees.
I'm not one to have too much belief in fate or luck, but it was a pretty sweet coincidence that Jay was in Roberts Creek at the same time as me. He was exactly what I needed to get my head straight when all I could think was stressful thoughts. His general outlook of life, with his sometimes struggling financial situation, really helped me to take a step back and realise the important things. My chakra feels a little bit more in line too...whatever that means.
Thursday, 20 January 2011
Peace At Last
So, my head is a little more clear now. I have had times of reflection since my last post! In the lovely little towns of Gibsons landing and Roberts Creek along the Sunshine Coast of BC. (No one seems to know where this is, Google it.)
When my guide book stated that the population of these two were around five thousand each, I knew i was in for some relative solitude. I didn't quite anticipate that in Roberts Creek, you can walk from the first store on the main road to the last, in around fifteen seconds. Perfect!
It took me a while to find a hostel here. Hostelworld.com shed no light on the place; as far as they're concerned, it doesn't exist. So Google it was. After some digging I finally came across Up The Creek B&B and Backpackers. Having not found any Couchsurfing hosts available, I had no choice but to stay here. And my oh my did I hit the jackpot. Up the Creek is basically some dudes house. This particular dude (who, may I point out, hails from England, huzzah!) just decided to open up his house and tranform it into some affordable, comfortable, relaxed accomodation. Within 10 minutes of arriving I had more of less met everyone staying there, as the total only reached five. After the chaos of the farm with no less that ten people at dinner every night, this was just my cup o' tea.
On my first day there, I took a stroll around Roberts Creek and down to the pier. The sun was just starting to set, no one was around apart from some straying dogs and their owners off in the distance. This was the space I needed to get my head straight. I didn't feel like I was in the best state of mind after the past month, and it's hard to explain why. But, onwards and upwards, and this view certainly set me on my way. (Pictures to be added soon, I conveniently lost my plug adaptor in Seattle, so preserving camera power for now!)
On my second day, after a lovely sleep-in and a chance to just slowly ease myself into the day, I headed into Gibsons to mooch. As it's coming towards the end of my trip, most of my shopping is now focused upon gifts for loved ones back home. After digging round in the beautiful antique shops, I found some stellar presents for my Dad, some that will hopefully bring him screaming back to his boyhood. (Yes Dad, cryptic ey?!)
It was a beautiful day in Gibsons, and made me feel fully refreshed. I also had a pretty zen experience the night before, one that I owe a seperate post to, because it was just that good. I then sat in a little cafe called Truffles near the marina, sipped tea (I actually doing that as we speak also, the total has now hit around six cups a day...) and listened to jazz. What more could I want from the peace I had craved for so long?
So, if you're in the BC area, and want a retreat, these wee towns are the place for you. As I was waiting for the bus, with my huge backpack on, a woman started talking to me about her travels twenty years ago, and how jealous she is that I'm on the road as we speak. Whilst on the bus, a man with a luscious head of long red hair sat and played his mandolin for us. Whilst waiting for a bus the previous day (why do all these revolve around buses?!) a man pointed out the rainbow shining in the sky above us and all four of us stood there, basking in its glory.
When my guide book stated that the population of these two were around five thousand each, I knew i was in for some relative solitude. I didn't quite anticipate that in Roberts Creek, you can walk from the first store on the main road to the last, in around fifteen seconds. Perfect!
It took me a while to find a hostel here. Hostelworld.com shed no light on the place; as far as they're concerned, it doesn't exist. So Google it was. After some digging I finally came across Up The Creek B&B and Backpackers. Having not found any Couchsurfing hosts available, I had no choice but to stay here. And my oh my did I hit the jackpot. Up the Creek is basically some dudes house. This particular dude (who, may I point out, hails from England, huzzah!) just decided to open up his house and tranform it into some affordable, comfortable, relaxed accomodation. Within 10 minutes of arriving I had more of less met everyone staying there, as the total only reached five. After the chaos of the farm with no less that ten people at dinner every night, this was just my cup o' tea.
On my first day there, I took a stroll around Roberts Creek and down to the pier. The sun was just starting to set, no one was around apart from some straying dogs and their owners off in the distance. This was the space I needed to get my head straight. I didn't feel like I was in the best state of mind after the past month, and it's hard to explain why. But, onwards and upwards, and this view certainly set me on my way. (Pictures to be added soon, I conveniently lost my plug adaptor in Seattle, so preserving camera power for now!)
On my second day, after a lovely sleep-in and a chance to just slowly ease myself into the day, I headed into Gibsons to mooch. As it's coming towards the end of my trip, most of my shopping is now focused upon gifts for loved ones back home. After digging round in the beautiful antique shops, I found some stellar presents for my Dad, some that will hopefully bring him screaming back to his boyhood. (Yes Dad, cryptic ey?!)
It was a beautiful day in Gibsons, and made me feel fully refreshed. I also had a pretty zen experience the night before, one that I owe a seperate post to, because it was just that good. I then sat in a little cafe called Truffles near the marina, sipped tea (I actually doing that as we speak also, the total has now hit around six cups a day...) and listened to jazz. What more could I want from the peace I had craved for so long?
So, if you're in the BC area, and want a retreat, these wee towns are the place for you. As I was waiting for the bus, with my huge backpack on, a woman started talking to me about her travels twenty years ago, and how jealous she is that I'm on the road as we speak. Whilst on the bus, a man with a luscious head of long red hair sat and played his mandolin for us. Whilst waiting for a bus the previous day (why do all these revolve around buses?!) a man pointed out the rainbow shining in the sky above us and all four of us stood there, basking in its glory.
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
Back On The Road...
So, I have been relatively silent once again for nearly a week. My heart really does go out to you, I know it's been difficult. I jest! My heart goes out to my poor addled brain; starved of writing therapy it has gone somewhat crazy for the last seven days. Goat's Pride, you were bloody good fun. However, I need the sweet sweet sounds (or not so) of solitude and silence to ease me.
But before that, Squamish! I had been told by a fairly reliable source that Squamish is the place to be. This man, however, is an avid climber, and his hunger is easily satisfied by the surroundings of Squamish, with it's rocky terrain. I, on the other hand, got utterly smashed on my first night there, meaning my first full day in Squamish was a complete write-off. Hooray! Luckily it was raining all day. Looking back I feel guilty, but at the same time I felt like I deserved a day of complete nothingness.
There's something to be said about being back on the road after a long stay in one location. Your initial lung-filling hopes and dreams come whirling back to you, and you feel like the fresh-eyed clean explorer you once were at the beginning of your trip. But just that smidgen more wise of what to expect from your future destinations.
For me, getting back on the road was a necessity for my mental health. As the time draws in closer when I'll be hopping on that plane back to Blighty, I felt like I must make the most of my final precious seconds. I say, precious...I'm totally ready to go home. My brain is skipping ahead and weighing out the chances of me finding a job and saving up more dollar the hit the road yet again. It breaks my heart when I must grind it to a hault in order to knock some sense into it.
But focus! And you can tell by the funny little post that focus I cannot. This is the last week of a trip I'd been so looking forward to for over a year. So, I have more things planned than my money can afford, a factor I will figure out later.
I left Squamish this morning, and I'm now calling Roberts Creek on the Sunshine (dubious name) Coast home for the next two days. And I will tell you all about how soothing it's tranquility is in the next post. Hopefully a little more coherant than this one...
But before that, Squamish! I had been told by a fairly reliable source that Squamish is the place to be. This man, however, is an avid climber, and his hunger is easily satisfied by the surroundings of Squamish, with it's rocky terrain. I, on the other hand, got utterly smashed on my first night there, meaning my first full day in Squamish was a complete write-off. Hooray! Luckily it was raining all day. Looking back I feel guilty, but at the same time I felt like I deserved a day of complete nothingness.
There's something to be said about being back on the road after a long stay in one location. Your initial lung-filling hopes and dreams come whirling back to you, and you feel like the fresh-eyed clean explorer you once were at the beginning of your trip. But just that smidgen more wise of what to expect from your future destinations.
For me, getting back on the road was a necessity for my mental health. As the time draws in closer when I'll be hopping on that plane back to Blighty, I felt like I must make the most of my final precious seconds. I say, precious...I'm totally ready to go home. My brain is skipping ahead and weighing out the chances of me finding a job and saving up more dollar the hit the road yet again. It breaks my heart when I must grind it to a hault in order to knock some sense into it.
But focus! And you can tell by the funny little post that focus I cannot. This is the last week of a trip I'd been so looking forward to for over a year. So, I have more things planned than my money can afford, a factor I will figure out later.
I left Squamish this morning, and I'm now calling Roberts Creek on the Sunshine (dubious name) Coast home for the next two days. And I will tell you all about how soothing it's tranquility is in the next post. Hopefully a little more coherant than this one...
Friday, 14 January 2011
Top Five Ways To Kill Time Whilst Traveling: 5) Facebook
Oh ye of little faith. Of course I was going to mention Facebook on this list of killing time activities. How could I not? As much as we all pretend to hate it, let's not forget that it has become an almost essential free resource for the modern traveller to keep in touch with home. If you ever find yourself a little homesick, a moment or two on Facebook will bring you crashing back down to the reality that home never changes, and you are in fact missing out on nothing whatsoever.
To be honest, it was pretty hard to find my top fives things I like about Facebook. I could, quite easily, find the worst things about Facebook, and probably go further than five. But, with the aim of keeping a positive outlook, let's not lie. Facebook is useful, and we all find ourselves on it far too much from time to time.
1) Curiosity: I'm starting wit ha brutally honest one; one which some people don't care to admit. I've also put it in a more polite way, so in other words, curiosity means just being down right nosey. We all have friends of Facebook that we added when in school, or maybe at an old job. But, in recent years, have lost touch but still find them popping up on our newsfeeds. On several occasions I have dished out a bit of gossip to current friends of mine, about friends long gone. The question 'How did you know that?' pops up, and shame passes over the face of the divulguer; 'Errmmm....Facebook.' But don't lie, you bloody love it.
2) Keeping in touch: Of course, the main purpose behind social networking. However, it works all the more sweeter when you're a few thousands miles away from your most precious ones. When I first arrived in Vancouver and struggled a little with missing home, totally unlike me whatsoever. If I hadn't have had the people at home to tell me to stop being silly, it would have gotten worse. However, keeping yourself fully informed about home gossip can make you lose focus of your travels, so beware.
3) Reconnecting: Similar to the last point, but ever so slightly different all the same. I recently noticed more and more pictures of travels from some uni friends of mine, Katie and Sam, popping up on my newsfeed. I hadn't spoken to either of them since we finished Uni back in May 2009; regardless of the fact we all lived together, we just lost touch. But I just had to talk to them when pictures from India appeared, as it was a place I thoroughly enjoyed. After a long conversation, I found out that they had just recently decided to settle in China. I have to say, when I find myself heading that way, I can't wait to catch up in person.
4) Parading your achievements: Don't lie, we all do it. Especially to let the people we dont talk to anymore know that we're actually doing something with our lives.
5) Birthdays: One of the reasons we can all agree on why Facebook is amazing; it helps us remember people's birthday. For all of those out there who don't have their birthday displayed of Facebook, you are cruel, give people a chance! Also, I quite like to say a Happy Birthday to someone I haven't spoken to in a while. Such a simple gesture but a kind one nonetheless.
So there we have it, then end of my series of time wasters. However, I encourage you to use these wisely. They could lead you to utterly waste the precious time you have spent so much money and energy to make it to. But used wisely, and they can be your saviours.
To be honest, it was pretty hard to find my top fives things I like about Facebook. I could, quite easily, find the worst things about Facebook, and probably go further than five. But, with the aim of keeping a positive outlook, let's not lie. Facebook is useful, and we all find ourselves on it far too much from time to time.
1) Curiosity: I'm starting wit ha brutally honest one; one which some people don't care to admit. I've also put it in a more polite way, so in other words, curiosity means just being down right nosey. We all have friends of Facebook that we added when in school, or maybe at an old job. But, in recent years, have lost touch but still find them popping up on our newsfeeds. On several occasions I have dished out a bit of gossip to current friends of mine, about friends long gone. The question 'How did you know that?' pops up, and shame passes over the face of the divulguer; 'Errmmm....Facebook.' But don't lie, you bloody love it.
2) Keeping in touch: Of course, the main purpose behind social networking. However, it works all the more sweeter when you're a few thousands miles away from your most precious ones. When I first arrived in Vancouver and struggled a little with missing home, totally unlike me whatsoever. If I hadn't have had the people at home to tell me to stop being silly, it would have gotten worse. However, keeping yourself fully informed about home gossip can make you lose focus of your travels, so beware.
3) Reconnecting: Similar to the last point, but ever so slightly different all the same. I recently noticed more and more pictures of travels from some uni friends of mine, Katie and Sam, popping up on my newsfeed. I hadn't spoken to either of them since we finished Uni back in May 2009; regardless of the fact we all lived together, we just lost touch. But I just had to talk to them when pictures from India appeared, as it was a place I thoroughly enjoyed. After a long conversation, I found out that they had just recently decided to settle in China. I have to say, when I find myself heading that way, I can't wait to catch up in person.
4) Parading your achievements: Don't lie, we all do it. Especially to let the people we dont talk to anymore know that we're actually doing something with our lives.
5) Birthdays: One of the reasons we can all agree on why Facebook is amazing; it helps us remember people's birthday. For all of those out there who don't have their birthday displayed of Facebook, you are cruel, give people a chance! Also, I quite like to say a Happy Birthday to someone I haven't spoken to in a while. Such a simple gesture but a kind one nonetheless.
So there we have it, then end of my series of time wasters. However, I encourage you to use these wisely. They could lead you to utterly waste the precious time you have spent so much money and energy to make it to. But used wisely, and they can be your saviours.
Thursday, 13 January 2011
An Artistic Snippet
I'll admit, I have been neglecting my blog somewhat over recent weeks. I apologise! You have still been reading it however, and for that, I thank you. So a bigger post is planned for tomorrow. For today, I would just like to share with you a recent achievement of me of which I am a little proud.
Around two weeks before Christmas, after having been at the farm for a few days, I decided to make sure I gave the family a gift at this festive time of year. I figured it would be a nice oppotunity to say a thank you for having me. So, to kill time in the evenings, I thought it best to take on a creative project in order for me to stay sane. Plus, homemade gifts are always the best, right?
I hadn't done any painting in a while, so hunted down some resources in the house; a house which has anything in it you could possibly imagine. Seems a little bit of a contradiction that I'm giving them something made fom their own canvas and paint, but hey ho...sentiment!
Of course I had to paint something vaguely resembling an experience I've had here; something goat related. I figured a picture of a goat in a field was too average. All you would have to do is look out the window to find something like that. And so, from the depths of my psyche, came this..... Merry Christmas Dykstra's!
Around two weeks before Christmas, after having been at the farm for a few days, I decided to make sure I gave the family a gift at this festive time of year. I figured it would be a nice oppotunity to say a thank you for having me. So, to kill time in the evenings, I thought it best to take on a creative project in order for me to stay sane. Plus, homemade gifts are always the best, right?
I hadn't done any painting in a while, so hunted down some resources in the house; a house which has anything in it you could possibly imagine. Seems a little bit of a contradiction that I'm giving them something made fom their own canvas and paint, but hey ho...sentiment!
Of course I had to paint something vaguely resembling an experience I've had here; something goat related. I figured a picture of a goat in a field was too average. All you would have to do is look out the window to find something like that. And so, from the depths of my psyche, came this..... Merry Christmas Dykstra's!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)