Wet and wild west coast

After 15 hours on a greyhound bus through the Canadian Rockies and the Okanagan region we arrived to a cloud covered, wet and rainy Vancouver. It was the start of our 2 week holiday to Alaska and a pretty restless, uncomfortable overnight trip. The last thing we wanted to see was shit weather but you can't have it all I guess. We were mostly just glad to be off the bus and headed for unknown territory really for the first time since moving to Airdrie. We jumped in a cab and to the car rental agency in downtown Vancouver before making our way through a rush hour traffic to the ferry and across to Vancouver Island.

The landscape on this side of the country was very different to the prairies and rocky mountains in Alberta. It was much more green with rolling hills and reminded me a lot more of the Australian coastal landscape. It had been over 7 months since we had seen the ocean and it was nice to feel close to the coast before, it's very weird to be landlocked!

Our hotel was in a central location in Victoria and despite the rain we ventured out and walked the pretty streets surrounded by blooming gardens and English style buildings. The Fairmont Empress was a gorgeous structure with vines growing up the exterior and the government buildings were also in keeping with the old English feel of the city. We had dinner at a dockside restaurant and followed up with a few beers at a local pub where we found out one of D's favourite bands, Fear Factory, was playing that night. After a huge shit fight about whether he would go or not he finally left and I spent the rest of the night in the apartment watching TV.

Victoria had a very distinct English feel - even a red double decker bus

The beautiful Fairmont Empress, and Dale making it look even more classy

Flowers everywhere!

Victoria Government Buildings

We had to leave relatively early the next morning as we were picking up mum from Vancouver and had to catch the ferry back in time to be there to meet her. It was still miserable outside but that was the only thing on the cards for the day so it didn't matter too much. After about an hour of waiting at the airport mum emerged and we made our way through Stanley Park and over the Lions Gate Bridge to North Vancouver where our hotel was located. After a quick dinner at Denny's we were all ready for an early night.

The weather had cleared a little the next morning as we headed out of North Vancouver on the Sea to Sky Highway headed for Whistler, a resort town made famous recently by the Winter Olympics in 2010. The road was really scenic and we stopped at Brandywine Falls in Squamish to stretch our legs for a bit before arriving in Whistler village mid morning. I found Whistler to be a lovely little town but didn't think it was as nice as other places we had been. Everything was fairly expensive and probably the fact it poured rain the whole time we were there added to the frustration. We walked around looking through the many gift shops, got some pizza and an ice cream and by mid afternoon we were ready to leave. On our way back to Vancouver we spotted a black bear right beside the highway and pulled over to take some very close up photographs - we stayed in the car though so we could make a quick getaway if he got angry! This was the most exciting thing to happen so far and we were glad we left when we did to spot this amazing animal!

Trail to Brandywine Falls, Squamish

I've always wanted to do one of these railway shots, the trail led straight over

The black bear - we were literally that close

Scenic overlook heading out of Whistler

After checking out and driving back into Vancouver to return the car we made our way on foot to Tim Horton's for breakfast and to waste some time before we could board our cruise ship. As luck would have it Tim Horton's was located at the bottom of the Vancouver Tower so we went up to have a peek at the skyline before walking to the cruise ship terminal ready for our Alaskan adventure.

Birdseye view of Vancouver streets from the tower

A little seasoning is all you need!

With summer well and truly upon on its way I've been in such a good mood thinking about how easy things have become for us here now. We both have solid jobs working for great companies and with awesome people, we live in a lovely little city in a downtown apartment (which is something I've always wanted to experience), we have a reliable car that is taking us all over the place, we have enough money to do all the things we want and buy anything we might need... It seems such a contrast, a complete 180 degrees to where we were 6 months or so ago. However one thing we lack is time.

In Canada employees are generally only entitled to 2 weeks vacation, and although our work schedules allow us a 3 day weekend every week together we have already seen pretty much everything around us that a weekend that long will allow in one trip. So now what do we do....? That coupled with the fact that winter is in the back of my brain and just around the corner really we need to try and fit a whole years worth of activities into 3 short months.

The rainbow after the storm in Airdrie - just like our first 6 months in Canada

I know now that during our first winter here I was suffering depression. I was crying all the time saying that I missed everyone and that I wanted to go home. There was probably also an element of SAD (seasonal affective disorder) that a lot of people experience for the duration of the long, dark, cold winters. We had no money, no house, no car, no real course of direction or action and somehow in this short amount of time, like the changing of the seasons we have come into full bloom. I don't feel that way anymore and it sounds silly to say it but I feel like I've grown up a lot and become a lot more independent. We are comfortable here. We are happy here. We are familiar with our surroundings but not so much that we are bored of them. This is the life we dreamt of and although I still miss Australia it has become so much easier to be away with every day that has passed.

Happy Anniversary

This week on the 9th May we celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary and 13 years together. I can't believe that next year we will have been together for half of our lives! I really can't imagine sharing my life with anyone else but D. We are so lucky to have found each other so young and our relationship is the one thing in my life I have ALWAYS been sure about, even when others didn't agree or thought we were just stupid kids who knew nothing about love or life.

For the most part we are total opposites and fight like there is no tomorrow, but we always forgive and forget and are able to move forward yelling and laughing all the way.

D and I on our wedding day and our first dance song lyrics above. It's true.

We usually don't get up to much on this special date as we always have something bigger cooking (mostly overseas holidays) and this year was no different. Our trip to Alaska was coming up fast and due to my gums still healing from the wisdom tooth removal an expensive night away or dinner wasn't really on the cards. KFC was the order of the day (it usually is, well that or pizza hut) and I pretty much had to suck the chicken as I still couldn't chew anything.

Almost our anniversary tradition, I am an avid KFC fan although not so much the Canadian version. Australian KFC is MUCH better.

We just sat out on the balcony enjoying the sun and the solitude. Finally feeling like we are on the right path and have a good plan for our future. The weather is getting warmer and leaves are coming out on all the trees our anniversary really is at a nice time of year, as it is back on the Gold Coast - I think the best time of year. Life is good.

Almost can't believe my eyes the leaves are starting to come out and summer is on it's way. The summer of love!

No more wisdom for me...

About 10 hours from now the pain in the ass that are my wisdom teeth will be removed.

I have never had any form of surgery so i'm pretty apprehensive about it but glad that it's finally happening at the same time. I'm getting general anesthetic so I won't be awake but it's still scary for me as it's the unknown. D has arranged to be home with me for the next few days to look after my sorry ass and probably laugh when I swell up all chipmunk style. I will do a post surgery entry too and if D can sneak any photos of my state I may include them so we can all have a good laugh.

Wish me luck......


UPDATE (8/5/13)
Well I survived!! The horrid wisdom teeth that have plagued me for years are goneskiiii!!! I'm feeling awesome. The general anesthetic was nothing to be worried about at all. Very painless and zen, not scary or uncomfortable. All I remember is asking for some of their disposable gloves for my fake tan and then waking up looking at the clock hahaha. My recovery so far has been really good. I'm just eating mashed potatoes and yogurt but even managed a few m&ms last night.

Honestly i'm not experiencing ANY pain, just a little discomfort at the extraction sites and certainly nothing and I mean NOTHING in comparison to what I experienced when the teeth were abscessed in the past. Can't believe I endured so much pain in the fear of having them pulled when having them out was the much less painful way to go! I was expecting some more swelling but I don't look any different, no chipmunk style for me yippeeee! The wisdom teeth saga is finally over for me, now I just need to look after the teeth I have left -  i've now had 8 pulled in total!

This was a few hours after the surgery - no swelling! I just love my old fashioned ice packs too - they made recovery pretty and fun :)

Well helllooooo Spring we thought you'd never arrive!

So it seemed the grips of winter didn't want to ever let go! Although there were a few nice warmer days of late they were immediately and constantly overshadowed by the swift return of cold and snow. Considering the stuff began to fall back in October and hadn't really let up since it's became increasingly difficult to hold on to a positive mindset amid the less than enjoyable conditions. At first it was new and a bit of a thrill but the deep freeze definitely started to affect my feelings towards living in Canada - with the added factor of settling into a routine life here the excitement of our big adventure had certainly died down... Until this week.

D was approached by a friend at work to do crowd control at a Motley Crue concert in Lethbridge this week and because we hadn't had the chance to visit that far south in the province yet we decided it would be a good opportunity to go. So we packed up the car and drove 2.5 hours south to the 4th largest city in Canada that is famous for the tallest and longest working railway bridge in the world. I wasn't really expecting much from Lethbridge as it's not somewhere I have heard a lot about but upon arriving I instantly felt at home. The day was stunning and the grass was noticeably green - something we haven't seen since our arrival in October last year!

I was initially roped into the crowd control job but piked out at the last minute so spent the night watching the sun set over the viaduct and watching Seinfeld reruns in the hotel room.

Lethbridge Viaduct at sunset

The next day after our buffet breakfast - oh yeah waffles with bacon & maple syrup - we hit the road headed west for Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo Jump which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This place documents the native people who lived and used the cliff face to drive herds of Buffalo to their deaths for food & fur. The centre was very interesting and we both really enjoyed our time there. On our way out we spotted a flying squirrel hovering above our car which was freakin' hilarious!

Naughty people have been shooting at the sign!

Gorgeous Southern Alberta

The 'Jump' where the Buffalo fell to their deaths. Doesn't look like much of a drop but the bones go down 10 metres into the ground from 6000 years ago!

Back on the road and further west for another hour we drove to the Crowsnest Pass and to the small mining town of Frank that was buried under Canada's biggest and deadliest rock slide in 1903. It was unbelievable to see the sheer vastness of rock that crumbled off Turtle Mountain and covered the valley below. What a reminder of mother nature's power!

Photos don't do this massive rock slide justice

'The mountain that moves' - Turtle Mountain

The rock slide covered the valley all the way to the bases of surrounding mountains

Finally we headed north on one of the loneliest highways i've come across that followed the rocky mountains and passed countless ranches. A short stop at a 'world famous' jerky shop for some Buffalo & Turkey Jerky (I didn't partake in the tasting) then onwards to the Okotoks Erratic - the worlds largest glacial erratic.

Apparently their jerky was awesome

Giant rock brought here by glaciers thousands of years ago

Finally we arrived back home to Airdrie. The sun is shining (it's up until around 9:30pm now), the grass is green, the squirrels are out and life is good! Spring has FINALLY sprung!