Sarah's Welcome Back to Canada Cross Country Tour!

My cross country tour started in Vancouver and stayed with Gus and Sarah, my friends from Taiwan. It was so great to see them and to see Gus finally in Canada! We had a great weekend of hanging out and catching up. I managed to do a bit of work on my thesis and Gus and Sarah continued going to school/work. Later in the week I went to my flat mate from Oz. Katie picked me up from Sarah & Gus' and I moved onto my next friend for some chill time, more catching up and a lot of laughing. Again I did more work on my thesis.

THEN...the trouble trio drove in and shook things up. Laura flew in from Toronto, Mel flew in from Alaska and Cathy drove up from Whistler. The weather was beyond gorgeous so we jumped in the jeep and drove out to Whistler. However Cathy thought I was still a tough outdoors girl and we went for a small hike on top the the mountain called the chief. Well, it was nice, all up hill because we were hiking a mountain! There were stairs, ladders, logs anything and everything you can think we had to climb it. I was doing good until i thought we were at the top and it was only our lunch break! So another hour up. Flat rock we shuffled up with chains to pull ourselves and once we reached the peak...my god! it was so beautiful. You could see all the mountains surrounding you, the ocean to the right, bright sunny clear blue sky and the gasps of breath from everyone around me, they were trying to steal the oxygen I so badly needed!

Heading back down was another story and my legs were shaken so much, although it was hard I was laughing the whole way which of course made it tons easier to breathe!!!
Back down and heading to Whistler, Cathy lives in a 1.2 million dollar log house which is nicer than any hotel Ive stayed at. We made dinner and had a great catch up. The rest of the weekend was full of canoe trips, hikes, and sun bathing...I'm telling you it was the nicest sunniest days Ive seen in about 3 months! It was almost 30 everyday!

Saying goodbye to those girls was hard knowing it might not be until the first wedding that I see them again (of course i don't think the weddings are too far off now) I got back on another plane and have landed in Calgary. I walked in the door said a quick hello to Erin and went straight for baby Jane. My god, she is so cute! Erin is an amazing Mom, as if I had any doubts, and Jane is just the nicest, cutest, happiest kid ever. Tim is very pleased with himself that he made such a cute baby and whenever he walks in the door from work Jane's face lights up. I cant even imagine how big she will be the next time i see her. I'm guessing she will be walking and talking! I almost don't want to go just because I'm going to miss everything about her growing up! (I know its not my baby....but i can at least be the crazy aunt who smothers her in kisses and presents cant i?)
Well I got a lot done on my thesis here, I think my Lit review is done. Now i have to move on to the other aspects of the paper. Only 6000 more words to go!
Ill be in contact after June 4th (D-Day) Oh and trust me Ill be posting tons of pics after that.
If your in Southern O, ill see you soon
xoxoxox

Baby Jane

Erin and Jane in the UGG boots I brought her....she is soooo cute!

So Funny

I swear, too funny. This guy follows me to the clubs and steals my moves!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg

Somthing to think about

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't
supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have
your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder
every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it
felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best
friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did.
You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll
eventually lose someone you love.
So take too many pictures, laugh too much,
and love like you've never been hurt because
every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of
happiness you'll never get back

Leaving on a Jet Plane

My bags are packed and ready to go, I'm standing here outside my door, I hate to wake you up to say goodbye....

But I will!

Right, so I'm outta here and I'm signing off now as I travel Canada for the next month. I might be able to put up an update from here to there but we will have to see the access I can get to a computer.

2 weeks in Vancouver, 2 weeks in Calgary and then home to Toronto.
Canada are you ready for me again?

I hope to see you if I can on my trip and wish me luck with all my flights.

Goodbye NZ its been well worth it!

If you know me

If you know me at all you know how much I hate goodbyes. I don't deal well with them at all so I usually always avoid them, but when you are leaving a country for good and you know your not coming back, then the 'goodbye' is inevitable.
I've started my goodbyes this week and I know now that when I say goodbye to someone its forever, a very unsettling feeling. You would think I would be really use to this leaving people thing...But Im not.
I cant believe Im here already, its come and gone so fast.

2 years of school-check!
Head home to get a job-check!
Finally grow up and get back to the reality of real world- don't ever want to check that off.......

This week is going to go by so fast and my suitcases aren't even close to being packed yet. *stress*

To Catch You Up

Lets see, a lot has been going on. Last weekend I went away to Lake Bruner. It was an awesome weekend however it piss poured rain the entire weekend and on top of it all the boys’s broke their boat. We never got to go out on the lake or go water skiing (which secretly I wasn’t going to do anyway) but everyone else was really bummed about it. I was just sorry we didn’t get to go for a speedboat ride!

So we sat around, drank a million bottles of wine and played cranium (my new fav game, Im an expert at humdinger!)

As you can guess, pretty much a dream holiday weekend for me! There were 6 of us, 2 couples, a baby and Greg and I the singletons, although Im pretty sure Greg had other ideas! Ill tell you more about that when and if I see you.



Check out the pics in my photo album link. I know they are not that exciting but give me a break; it was raining the WHOLE weekend.

Too Funny

David Gray!

Let me just say....

Front row center. David Gray was amazing...truly amazing.
Plus I have a new boyfriend, Pete Murry. He opened for David and he is from Australia and Im in LOVE!!!
awesome awesome awesome concert!

More to tell you but im out the door for a long weekend away in cottage country!

I swear this country is trying to kill me!

That’s it! I’ve had it! I swear!

Since I have been in NZ I have
-Fractured my arm
-Had a severe cold for almost 3 months
-And now.... now I have officially thrown my back out.

I spent the morning at the chiropractors and I have an inflamed joint or something.
The doctor had me all over the table: sitting, standing, and bending, everything. This sucks. She said that all I can do is rest and ice it. But resting is the problem, I can’t rest, I can’t sit and I can’t lay down, basically Im an old woman that is falling apart.

I need to get back home where my body might act normal for once. Im so sick and tired of being, well, sick and tired!

Rugby Girls!

As it was Karen's last night here we all went to the Rugby game. Jacqui also joined us, because she knew we would be causing trouble and that means fun!
Ive actually been able to follow the game and I really like it. This is one sport that makes sense and it moves fast so there is always action. Plus the guys arent bad looking either!
Our seats were so great we were only 2 rows off the grass. Everytime the ball was kicked through the goal post it would land in the crowd. We were ducking balls all night. Never got hit though thank god!
The Christchurch Crusaders (black and red) creamed the South Africian Cheetahs 53-17. It was awesome!
After we went out to the bar and had pizza and drinks. We of course went to the rugby bar and low and behold half of the team showed up! And we didnt reccongnize them so we just kept staring at them saying I swear he should be on the team he's huge. It wasnt until the next day when we watched the highlights of the game did we see the guys from the bar on the TV. Yep huge fans we are. Didnt even know it was them. I mean I could have gotten an autograph or something!
It was a fun match no matter, and our seats were awesome. A great way to end off a weekend in NZ. Anyone up for a match when I get home? I can explain it all to you.

Schooools Out for Everrrrr!

That's it. School is done. The kids are off driving their parents nuts now and I am free to sleep in until noon if I could!
Now I only have a Thesis to write, a house to pack up and my luggage to ship. Life is busy but good. Sometime in doing all that I am also heading out the Muskoka of Christchurch Lake Bruner. It will be a sweet weekend with lots of drinking and relaxing on the deck.
I can’t wait.

Time is flying by

Okay everyone,
Here is the low down on my flights home.

May 4-16 Vancouver
May 16-27 Calgary
May 27 Toronto.

Any questions?

You Spin me right 'round baby right 'round

Did my first spinning class today. Oh My Gawd! Okay i was told it was a great workout, I dont know what is wrong with people but they are messed up if they think this is the most fun class. I was puffed out within the first 3 minutes and then I had to keep going for another 40!!!! By the end of the session I couldnt feel my toes and my legs were so tired they were shaking. I loved it!
Hopfully this will take me through to the end of my time here. I need another class to pump me up so Im going to start getting right back into them all.
Ill keep you up to date, but man is my butt sore already, I dont think Miss Downes will be walking upright tomorrow. Time to rest these bones of mine.
Sleep, ahhh good good sleep. zzzzzzz.

My pills

These are my herbs that I have to take. This is one day's dose! I can't wait till I get better!

Just Hanging Out

A weekend trip to a local town that is famous for.....um, well maybe the ocean and cafes. Im not sure now that I think about it. But they did have nice cafes and lots of shopping.
Anyway it was a nice day and well worth the long drive. Its only an hour and a half away and everyone we talked to couldn't believe that we would drive it there and back in one day. They think things are so far away here, an hour and a half, ha! That's nothing in Canada.

Easy Breasy

How does a work week like this sound?
Saturday off
Sunday off
Monday teach all day
Tuesday off
Wednesday off
Thursday Teach all day
Friday Teach all day
Saturday off
Sunday off
Monday off

Sweet as! Only 2 weeks left and my working for free is finished, Jolly good!

Nothing like a good weekend

There's nothing like a good weekend out with good people to get yourself sorted again. Its funny how sometimes it takes a stranger to remind you of all the things you want in life, and why your doing it, and what you are aiming for. Sometimes you need someone, anyone just to say it like it is and to think its great.
Right, so into my 2nd last week. Man it has flown by. Before I know it ill be on a plane home, and I don’t even have a ticket yet. Priorities Sarah!

What is in the air?

So in the last few weeks I have found out that one of my best friends is pregnant, another got in engaged and Faye (if you know her you know her, if you don’t she was one the girls I went to Taiwan/Thailand with) well now she is engaged!

Oh and me? Yah well, I have $60,000 in debt.

Im so excited for everyone and all these life changes. But Im also so gutted that Im missing it all and that its not happening to me.

Jealous anyone?

Right, okay

Right so I have given up on modern medicine for now and I headed to the naturopath. Miss Vicki was my consultant and she spent over an hour chatting with me about all my symptoms, my diet, my body functions, everything! I am now on a bunch of pills and a liquid form of herbs, which I might add is the worst tasting thing I have every tried to drink. Actually it reminds me a lot of the anti-cold herb vile I use to take in Taiwan, but worse, much much worse.
However she does promise me it is all to up my immune system because I’ve had this cold/cough for almost 2 months my immune system is hugely weak. We shall see how well it works but at this point Im thinking....it has to work, it just has to!

Wish me luck swallowing it all down!