What do we really NEED??

I have written about 10 lists so far on what to pack..... each one
has ended up either crumpled up in the corner or "revised."


I notice a trend though, each time I write this list an extra item is added. The funny thing is, I know I really don't need another tshirt or soap, and that I truly could live off of one t-shirt, a pair of shorts, some undergarments and a package of soap for the entire time. But, lets be realistic...I'm not gonna pack that light!


Why is it so hard to figure out what we need? We all think we know, but I guarantee that if we all looked at our suitcase carefully for our weekend getaway we would think otherwise. Do we really need face soap, body soap, special scrubbing foot soap, and ultra moisturizing hair soap? Isn't it all soap when it comes down to it? I'm to blame as much as the next person when it comes to life's luxuries.


Having to fit all my needs into a small backpack for 7 weeks, has really made me think. Can I wear this as a shirt, nightgown, beach coverup, and dress?? Do I really need mascara or powder?
Could I live without my fluffy slippers?


I'm realizing now that I really don't need all that stuff. I just need some clothing and a couple toiletries. At first the idea of minimal packing scared me, but now I'm excited! I'm excited to let go of all this stuff we collect. I'm excited to break free from societies pressures, and mind numbing ads forcing us to buy this and look like that. I can't wait to just wake up and go, not having to wonder what to wear or what purse to bring. I think that this part of the trip will be rewarding. I think it will help me in life just a little to remind me of what is important in life....some clothing on your back, some food, great company, and of course...a nice glass of red wine.

A Beautiful Place Called British Columbia

I've travelled a bit now here and there, seeing ancient ruins, postcard beaches, and New York's posh streets, but I must say, my recent road trip has reminded me of something so important. My best friend and I made the 4 hour drive to 100 Mile House, British Columbia, which if you don't know, is a cute little town nestled in the interior region of British Columbia. The entire drive is beautiful starting with the expansive green fields of Abbotsford dotted with trees, cows and even lamas. Making your way to Hope, the scenery becomes more lush and dense, and you feel like you are truly driving through a rain forest.

Leaving the lush greenery of the lower mainland behind, you eventually drive through the canyon, over hills, dips and corners. The Fraser river looks beautiful from above, and at some points of the drive you are right at eye level with the furious rapids roaring over the car sized boulders. I find the orange coloured sandstone cliffs to be the most amazing sight to see, as the eroded layers reveal briefly just how old the land is.

Next are the narrow tunnels (remember to hold your breath), which take you through the sides of the mountains leading you eventually onward to Cache Creek, Clinton and finally to 100 Mile House. It is amazing to think how within 4 hours you can reach two such opposite landscapes and climates! British Columbia is such a beautiful province that offers us absolutely everything, from glacier covered mountains, world acclaimed vineyards, sandy beaches and hours of hiking. I am so proud to call British Columbia my home and although I want to travel the world, I know that I am indeed standing in one of the most beautiful places on earth. So, close your Sunquest travel book, close your Cancun desktop screen saver, and take a moment to look at your own paradise, it's right outside your window.

I cannot believe it has been over a week since I have returned from San Francisco already! Where does time go? Well, anyways I am finally able to sit and write about my fun little weekend.

The only way I can explain San Francisco is picturesque. It just somehow felt like you were peeking into a postcard here with all the pastel coloured homes perched on hills with cute little doors and porches. I've seen the pictures and movies with the Golden Gate Bridge, looking so vividly red against the ocean and always wondered how much photoshop was added. The funny thing was, thats not the case. The Golden Gate bridge was brilliant. It was so massive and it did truly "pop" against the ocean just like I had seen in pictures. During my breif 3 day visit, it seemed like everywhere I looked, the cities colours were endulging my eyes.

We first adventured to the Coit tower on Telegraph hill. The hike up the hill I'll admit gets your heart rate going a bit, but the view and the walk itself is well worth the effort. From here, you can see the Bay Bridge and Alcatraz. You can actually go up the Coit Tower for $10, but as we are travellers on a budget, we stood up on a high post and snapped pictures instead.

After the Coit Tower, we walked down to Fisherman's warf which only took about 20 minutes or so. I enjoyed walking around the wharfs and exploring the less touristy end. The so called "must see" Pier 39 was, I will say....unpleasant. I believe we spent all of 20 minutes there before escaping from the crowds. Pier 39 consisted of tacky tourist shops with "authentic" goods (Somehow I doubt this), and massive crowds all standing aimlessly around.

Further down from Pier 39, the crowds die down a bit and you can stop and look at a massive submarine they have on a display along with a fun museum filled with antique wartime arcade games (FREE). We asked a local where he would eat some chowder and he suggested a place called Boudin's. It was a basic concession style restaurant with pretty good chowder (not chunky enough for me), served in a fresh sourdough bowl for around $8.

After filling up, we walked to Lombard street (as pictured above). My first thought was, "Who in their right mind would even think to build a street like this?" The way it zig zagged vertically down the hill made me cringe as I watched cars slowly make their way down. It is definitly a sight to see when in San Francisco. On our way back to the hotel, we caught a trolly! It was so fun to hang off the side with no buckles orrestraints, and the crsip air felt wonderful as we flew up and down the rolling streets.

Later that night we went to Alcatraz and got to explore the cells and grounds of the world known prison. It was amazing! The audio tour which I was hesitant at first about, turned out to be fantastic and the actual guides we had for the Escapes portion of the tour were great too. We got to see the cells, the kitchen, library, showers, the Hole, and where families actually lived on the island. For $60, the tour was well worth the money and was the highlight of my trip.

The following day we rented bikes from Bike and Roll for a easy price of $28 for the day. We rode to the Golden Gate Bridge and back, stopping for amazing crab on the way home. The Golden Gate Bridge was amazing (and windy), and the sights below of the ocean and coastline were beautiful. You could actually continue on up the hill and explore Bonita Point or to Muir Woods, but we looked at the massive climb and distance to get there and thought it was not a good venture for the day.

On our last day, we visited The California Academy of Science centre. It was also very fun and educational and the displays were fantastic. They had tons of marine animals, a gigantic rainforest you could walk through, a planatarium, and the living roof. For a little over $20 it was a fun way to spend 3 hours or so in San Francisco.

Overall, my experience in San Francisco was great. The people were kind, the sites beautiful, and the food was tasty. I would definitly recommend spending a weekend here if you get the chance to.

My day at work was.....lets say busy (major understatement), and this little getaway to San Francsisco was what kept me going through the day. I finally got through it, got home and did a record breaking 10 minute house clean and ran out the door to catch a bus. After the bus ride (which was shared with some "interesting" people), we then took the sytrain to the airport. The flight was quick and pleasant however, still leaving me slightly exhausted. We figured out the BART system, which is the San Francsico local train system, and ended up surprisingly at the correct stop. I must add, it definitly is much more fun and cost effective taking local transportation in comparison to a taxi.

We walked up Market street, took a couple more turns up to our hotel, The Grand Hyatt San Francisco, and proceeded to check in. The friendly man at the counter informed us that for our complimentary stay (from winning the gingerbread competition), we were booked in the Penthouse suite!! I really couldn't believe it!

Anyways, our room is spectactular and beautiful. It is decorated with georgeous historic chinese decor, and I have fell in love with this antique armoire painted delicatly with golden chinese pictures. I will try my best to create an image of this room...You walk in and in front of you is a couple antique couches, a chaise, a gigantic TV on a weathered wooden shelving unit. The curtains are hung proudly around the dazzling views of the city, and along the wall there is a large marble counter with a golden sink to freshen up. Further into the room, there is an impressive marble dining room table with a golden chandalier above. The room feels majestic and so elegant; I feel out of place with my track pants and headband. In this first room there are two things that have caught my attention, the first being a massage chair tucked neatly in the corner and second is this coffee machine looking gadget that comes with little coffee shots alongside in a black velvet case. I look forward to tomorrow mornings coffee.

The bedroom is spacious as well, and the fluffy white bed is calling me as I type. There is a touchscreen computer, a printer, some chairs, a gigantic window and the beautiful armoire i was talking about earlier. The bathroom is spectacular. There is a bathroom area with little "gates" for doors, and there are of course sinks, flowers, a gigantic tub, a shower, and get this... a sauna! Hmmmm..... Dear Hyatt, Have fun trying to remove me on Monday! I am in awe over this room, feeling like I just can't take it all in fast enough.

Along with this room, we get private access to a VIP lounge/club where we were invited for complimentary breakfasts, hor' devours and an evening dessert selection from the chef! Could this get any better? I don't think so, but I haven't even stepped out into the city yet! I promise I will talk more about san Francisco soon, but this discussion about this room had to happen. Oh, I have to sign off now, our room service is here.... I am about to have the BEST midnight snack, Ribs, some green beans, and apple juice. Mmmmmmmmm.

All This For a Backpack???

For the past few months I have been looking at different backpacks at different stores, catelogues and online, finally finding my match. A blue Gregor 50 Litre pack designed especially for women. The first day I walked into Hillsound, a local outdoor supply store, I was shocked. There were walls and walls of backpacks ranging in sizes, colours, brands and of course price. With some help, I came across the Gregor pack and fell in love with it. The buckles and bands fit comfortably and I then realized how different these bags actually were in comparison to your average $10.99 school backpacks. I had no idea that there were so many factors to consider when choosing a bag, like the waist strap thickness, back ventalation and security features. The backpack was cluttered with a dozen or more dangling straps that I later was explained to, were all very important and very much needed. I was then told the price and given a card, promising I would be in to buy the bag within the next few months.

About a week ago, my travel companion Breanna and myself decided to order the bags from Hillsound, in hopes of having them by the weekend. The pleasant Australian man on the phone informed me that the Gregor Bags were no longer in supply as they were last years model and that we would now have to purchase the newer, more expensive model. Even after explaining that I had a card with the quoted old price, I was informed that the salesman no longer worked there and there was nothing they could do. I hung up the phone unsatisfied and upset, but I wanted my bag.

Today, I decided to walk to Hillsound ,on Broadway Avenue, to order these new and improved bags despite the price increase. I was greeted by a bored looking saleswoman who showed me to the Gregor bags, that turned out to be a couple old models in an extra small and an extra large. I asked to order some new models, but she then proceeded to tell me that they could not do that unless I wanted to pay an additional shipping cost on each bag. You've got to be kidding me! They want me to pay for the product to come to the store so I can buy it? It would be different if it was a special order, but it was not! At this point I was beyound frusturated with the disorganization and poor customer service, that I muttered, "Im going to M.E.C" and left.

I walked down the street to MEC, another sporting good store, and headed to the packs. I spotted the Gregor Blue Backpack on the wall and wandered over. I couldn't believe it! There on the hook were two medium, blue, Gregor 50 litre backpacks on clearance! Not only were they what we were looking for, but they were $50 cheaper! I smiled, grabbed both and proceeded to the checkout in a quick and orderly manner.

So, basically it goes to show you that everything works out in the end. Breanna and I got our bags, Hillsounds' poor customer service lost $400 in sales, and MEC's efficient help and stocked shelves got some new customers. So as I write this, I am looking at the bags perched on my bed thinking, all this for a backpack??

Is it an Addiction?

One may wonder if it is possible to become addicted to something such as travel. I myself, have asked this question and have come to the conclusion that yes, it is possible. My body craves the excitment of planning itineraries, flashing boarding passes, and yes, even indulging in questionable meals aboard the plane. When I get a "fix", I feel spectacular, like life couldn't get any better.
My next question is, "Is an addiction to travel a bad thing?" I suppose it depends who you ask. I personally think there are far worse addictions I could have. I do not smoke or drink often, and the idea of shopping bores me. I do not indulge in visits to the spa or nail salon, and my transportation consists of biking and the occasional hop on the bus. Therefore, I feel like travel is my indulgence, my entertainment and my inspiration.
Regardless of whether it is good or bad, I plan on travelling now and in the years to come. My dreams are of destinations I would like to reach, my memories are of destinations I have reached, and my goals are to visit the destinations that people tell me I can't. Slightly cheezy perhaps, however I wonder how many other people feel the same way? I sure hope a few do, as it is truly a fullfilling and rewarding addiction to have.
My plan is to blog weekly, or more if needed, about travels I make and also about preparations for my big 7 week European adventure. I'm new at this so I hope it goes alright.