A Country In Reverse

First of all I'd like to start by saying Hello to anyone who would somehow stumble upon this first of (hopefully) many to blogs to come. Although late in the story it may give some insight into some travels and help me to keep on top of my blogging skills in the year away from the tiring studies of public relations.

It is February the 23rd and I am currently living at Panorama Mountain Village in the Kootenay Rockies, British Columbia: Canada. I arrived in Vancouver on the 15th of November 2009 and fell in love immediately. As you can imagine, most of world travelling, as scary as it is; requires a lot of "winging", and my trip has been no different. At first, no computer, no phone, no car and no idea. Now, a bit over three months into it, I've only managed to acquire a phone, but have made so many friends that I don't really need car's or computer's (until they go their ways...then more winging). Another part of the winging is my decision to extend this trip to the great white north. My original flight was meant to return on March the 9th, 2010, and has now been extended to November 14th, 2010. Big extension right? But seriously, have you read my other blog? Who wants to go back to that if they don't have to?

This country, as similar as it is to Australia in so many ways, is completely in reverse. Everyday we pray for the sun to go away and for the clouds to spread across the mountains. Spending $70 at Lake Louise in the Alberta rockies is no way worth it unless theres some good snow (which there wasn't!). At the moment everyone is really pissed and why wouldn't they be? We're all making a tiny fraction of the money we would back home, for the sole reason of snowboarding every chance we get, and there's not even any snow to board on. Well...there is, it's just crap!

Even though the snow was terrible, we always can make the most out of a situation...you know what that means...PARK LAPS!

Ok, so I've had the last four days off from the terrible job of janitorial work in which I get paid $10.33 an hour to basically fill time by mopping floors and dancing to my Ipod when noone's looking. I think this is the first set of days off I've had yet where I have done basically nothing except for the Lake Louise trip, and I still don't feel like it's a waste. Since I came to Canada I don't think I've gotten to bed before midnight, and I haven't slept in later than 10am, it was a good breather.

Saturday was intense though, my friend Martha's mate from Vancouver was in town to visit so naturally we all go to the bar. What started out as an awesome night ended up in stress as a gentlemanly stranger named Quinn sporting a ridiculous looking tiny cowboy hat on top of his enourmous head tried to use me to get him in with the girls. A few free drinks later he realised I wasn't helping his cause much and started to get a little annoyed; if anyone reading this knows me well then you don't have to guess too hard to figure out that I left the bar not long after I downed my fourth free pint of Kokanee. Unfortunately for me, a comfy bed and a long sleep in hardly ever fixes the painful result of half a bottle of scotch and a long ass bar tab (what the hell was I thinking...bar tab?). Hense my lazy days off to recover from not only what has been an incredibly tiring trip so far, but also a string of narly nights followed by an overly unappreciative body.

It may come as a bit of a dissapointment that my first blog of the trip comes so late and in such a dull point. But as the winter season comes to an end be sure to stay glued to your programs; we've got banff, kelowna, seattle and vegas and the much anticipated move to the beautiful Vancouver city where there will be a hell of a lot of "winging it" involved.

Stay classy and enjoy this picture of me dressed as Hulk Hogan at Alex's Sporting Icon themed Karaoke birthday.