Week 12: May 1st – 7th, 2023 // It’s all a blur

We’re just going to jump right into things this week!

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Monday was spent as a proper “get my life together/organized.”  With tomorrow being my first day back to work after a few months jobless (but thriving I’ll add haha), I had quite a bit of general life admin stuff to check off, with final work forms to fill, grocery shop, computer clean out, van tidying, cooking, emails, etc.

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Initially Tuesday was meant to be the first official day of training, but because work was still waiting on a few other trainees to get into town, myself and another trainee, Jono, got to go on the West McDonnell’s tour for the day!  We had such a fun day with our co-worker, Felipe, leading the tour – getting to visit some really beautiful sites and future swimming locations when the weather gets warmer.  We stopped at Simpsons Gap, Standley Chasm, Ochre Pits, Ormiston Gorge, Ellery Creek Bighole (my personal fave), and Flynn Memorial.    I ended up heading to the hostel my boss owns to get set up for the next couple weeks, and met some other coworkers + fellow tour guides from other companies (Takk (coworker), Tye, Troy, and Ash. All super lovely individuals).

Today was also a spider-experience filled day lol.  It was pretty funny and ironic, and I’m pretty sure I jinxed myself.  During one of the walks on the tour I was telling Jono how I was pretty surprised that in 3 months in Australia, I hadn’t had any notable spider experiences or seen any of the “crazy” spiders you always see on the internet, and how I kept telling family/friends it just really isn’t that bad here. And he was replying “yeah it’s not too bad but you know, you definitely do come across them eventually – like that one right there” then proceeds to point not even a metre above my head, a huge golden orb ___ and I freaked! LOL the timing was just too good and I was not expecting it to be as close as it was.  We had such a good laugh about it before I was finally collected enough to get a proper look at them.  They make those crazy matted messy looking webs that just feel all the gaps between the trees and branches (they look terrifying).

Then, when I was getting ready for bed I found a spider on my pillow (wasn’t anything big or bothersome) and it was beginning to feel like a message being sent by the spider gods because what came next I swear gave me a damn near heartattack.

Once I was ready for bed, I was just sitting on the floor in my van next to my door, organizing things, when all of the sudden, not even a foot away from me was the most terrifying spider emerging from between the door seal.  I was absolutely shook and had NO idea it was just a huntsman (these are quite common and completely harmless – aussies love these guys as they get out all the bugs. Some jokingly keep them as “roommates”).  In the moment I was very certain this thing could kill me if they wanted to because they looked SO scary (and mine was a small guy compared to how big they can actually get…).  Thankfully they didn’t run in to the van, so I was able to open the door a swoosh them out with my shoe, but when I tell you I had troubles falling asleep that night… I mean I spent the next hour worrying I would wake up to at least two in my van around my head somewhere lol.

Thankfully there have been no other spider encounters since (yet).

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Wednesday we had our first training day, and got to meet the rest of our training group (Lynda, Cata, and George).  We spent a full day going through all the super dull, dry, typical onboarding stuff. Afterwards, Takk and I did a quick grocery run, and met up with Cata+Jono back at the hostel for some beers and ice cream.  The rest of the evening was spent making dinner and  hanging out with everyone!

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The rest of the week was honestly pretty brutal.  Thursday we had another full day of dull training and I ended up getting sick with the flu… so the next 3.5 days were spent dying in the van as I burned and slept off the sickness.  Was pretty sad because I missed out on the groups first trip to Uluru and a trip to the climbing gym, but thankfully I’m making pretty decently quick recovery.  Still have a pretty bad cough and some congestion, but managed to start feeling well enough to get out and functioning again Sunday evening – got to meet another new trainee co-worker, Pablo!

One highlight while being sick though was I got to watch the count down for and listen to Ed Sheeran’s new album release on Saturday hehe.

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I’ll be honest in that while this week was a lot of fun connecting with new people, the energy is still real low as I’m finally come out of the woodworks.  I’ve kept this week’s descriptions quite minimal as I’m still recovering from being sick all weekend, and brain fog is still hanging around.  There will be lots more fun updates to share next week!

Stay passionate and curious, Hunter♡

05/08/2023

Week 11: April 24th-30th, 2023 // Ever Flowing

Writing these weeks makes them feel like they’re FLYING by! I can’t believe next week it’ll be 3 months in Australia… I’m SO excited about this week though and what’s coming next.  As I mentioned last week, I got to spend some time climbing in the Grampians with Sam’s cousin, Clae, and his family+friends before making the trek to Alice Springs for work.

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Monday was a full day of climbing in one of the most beautiful spots!  We had about an hour hike to get to the location Tribute, with fun little boulders to climb over, shaded trails, and stunning views the whole way. My body was really feeling it today, so I only climbed a 15 and 16, but I remembered my camera and got to spend a good chunk of time trying out the new lens and photographing everyone on their routes.  

It’s been so nice getting back into photography this year.  It’s been such an important part of my life for almost a decade now (wow…feels like I should know a lot more than I do when putting that into perspective… lol), and getting to capture these moments and share them all with you has been really special for me. It’s had me reminiscing a lot on old dreams I used to have of being a travel photographer/journalist, and I feel like I kind of get a piece of that through this project – so thank you to those who have been following along and sharing your thoughts with me. <3

We had such a special evening with everyone! We had a big fire with the whole camp crew and a handful of some people we’ve connected with the past couple days (probably had at least 15 of us all squished around) and Clae cooked up a huge pot of the most delicious curry I’ve ever had in my life.  We spent the evening sharing stories, laughing, eating good food, and staring at the endless stars above us.

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Tuesday was a reminder that you are capable of so much more than you give yourself credit for.

We went to a spot called the West Flank that had a super quick approach, making it a pretty popular spot, but one that Harriet and Clae had never been to before with lots of really fun routes! My hands were feeling super raw today and I honestly didn’t have much expectation for myself.  I got through a 16 feeling shaky and sore, so when Kayla offered to belay me on a 17, I really didn’t expect to get past the first couple metres.  I stayed stuck at one spot for a good while – everything I tried wasn’t working and on multiple occasions I thought + said it wasn’t going to happen, and I should just come down.  Kayla remained incredibly patient with me, and reminded me that there was no rush, to take a break, then try again.  After what was probably about 10minutes of attempting and failing – I FINALLY stuck the move and flew through the rest of the route with ease!  It was just a matter of taking the time, giving myself breaks, and believing I could do it.  There were so many little lessons in this one moment, that I could easily ramble on for a post in itself, so I’ll leave it with this: “when you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit.” –Banksy.

Everyone was feeling pretty low energy, so at around lunch we headed back to camp, said our goodbyes to Kayla, Graeme, and Christian who all had to leave that day, and spent the afternoon taking it easy around camp.  I got to learn how to play Coup, and made a kickass pasta with Rhys+Maddy for the whole crew and another dinner around the fire.

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Wednesday was quite an eventful day – Maddy successfully led a 17, I got SO close to completing a 19 (the last 1.5 metres was just well above my abilities), flew through a super fun 18 that ended up being my favourite route of the trip, got some sick photos of Clae almost on-siting a mid 20’s route, and had my first tow of the trip… lol so – I left late afternoon to get to Adelaide by around 19:00 and crash at Graeme’s place for the night, but not even 30min after leaving the Grampians, my car just stopped running.  It’s embarrassing and I contemplated not sharing this, but I value transparency + honesty and couldn’t leave this out of the adventure journeys… Long story short I had to call a towing company, was going to potentially have to crash at their property since all mechanics were closed, the guys were great and took a look into things to see if it could be an easy fix, we then came to the conclusion that I am a dumbass and put the wrong gas in 🙃LOL.

In my defense… It’s been a few years since I have driven a gas car nor have I ever driven diesel, and I’ve been fortunate enough to be driving an ev since 2019 back in Canada.  I didn’t realize unleaded wasn’t another type of diesel… I learned my lesson and now clearly check that I’m always grabbing the regular diesel option!  The guys at Horsham Towing were absolutely incredible.  They went out of their way to empty out my tank for me and filled it with enough diesel to get me going.  Thankfully I hadn’t driven far on the petrol, so Peg is totally fine and running as smoothly as ever!

I ended up making the long haul and got to Graeme’s by 22:30 and crashed immediately.

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Thursday I felt revitalized! After not showering since Saturday and climbing every day since, I was in desperate need to get clean – both myself and the van. Got myself all sorted at Graeme’s and had late morning Tea with his lovely partner, Lex.  Made a stop at a laundromat, then was finally on my way to Alice Springs!  Kept it shorter today, driving about 4 hours to a sweet truck/gas stop for the nights.  Cooked up some pasta and spent the evening working on messages, emails, last weeks blog, and filling out job forms.

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Friday was nothing of interest. Had a big 8-9hour drive to get into Coober Pedy where I stayed at a caravan park for the night.  The drive consisted of lots of music, some Stuart McLean stories (highly recommend if you’re ever needing a good laugh!), some podcasts by Cameron Rosin (LOVE his work – podcast called This might be helpful) and Unless(created by Only One), and a lot of very straight, service-less flat roads.  Made it to Coober Pedy around 17:30 and took it easy for the evening.

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The next morning, I woke up with the sunrise and did a little morning yoga sesh in the car park, then got myself ready to check out one of the old Opal Mining Museums!  If you’re like me and had never heard of Coober Pedy before, it’s one of the few towns where opal grows naturally.  The majority of the town still to this day live in homes underground – partly to keep cool, and to continue mining underground in search of opal!  Apparently the law states that if you find opal when building out your home underground, it’s legally yours to keep.

The museum I explored took me through one of the original mines, an original home, and what a modern day home underground would look like today.  Was such a cool experience!  As a lover of daylight and the sun, I personally could never live in a home underground… but was really interesting to see the way it was built.

The next stop before hitting the road again was a Labyrinth.  For those who don’t know, unlike the definition that describes labyrinths as a complex network of passages that are difficult to get out of; these labyrinths are a maze like path formed on the ground, typically using natural materials like rocks, wood, or plants, consisting of one route.  There’s only one way in and one way out; no way of getting lost; just follow the path.  Their purpose is to offer a moment of reflection and contemplation, best approached by clearing the mind, and maybe entering with a question like “what am I searching for/needing clarity on” or “how do I want to show up in the world.” It is a form of active mediation, and one that has been used in many faiths for thousands of years.  I was first introduced to labyrinth walking in my yoga teacher training course this past winter, where we visited one on Bowen.  It’s a really beautiful experience to take your time following the path and reflecting on questions you are seeking answers to, or even just finding some tranquility.  I’ve been wanting to walk one again ever since, so I was pleasantly surprised to come across one in the middle of the outback.   I found some clarity on a bigger project I’ve been toying with since September of last year, and am REALLY excited to share with you all as it progresses.  Updates to come.

I drove about 6 hours today and stayed the night in Erlunda Parks, 2 hours south of Alice Springs, where I got to see a camel and emu up close for the first time and spent the evening journaling, watching the sunset, and editing my photos from the Grampians.

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I took my time getting on the road this morning, and made it to Alice Springs a little after noon.  I stayed at another caravan park just outside of the main town, as Alice Springs has unfortunately become quite unsafe out on the streets at night (I’ll touch on this more another time, as it’s a pretty heavy topic and one I’m not sure is meant to be divulged in this space nor do I have a full understanding of the cities situations).

I took the early afternoon quite slow before getting a sudden burst of creative energy and diving into my bigger project.  I’m really excited about it and can’t wait to start sharing more details with you all as things progress!

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You never really know how your life is going to unfold, but allowing yourself to flow with the changes and opportunities that come to fruition will move your life forward in some of the most beautifully remarkable ways.

Stay passionate and curious, Hunter♡

05/01/2023

Week 10: April 17th – 23rd, 2023 // Change of Directions 

It’s crazy to think how quickly things can change in such short period of time, and how many wonderful opportunities are waiting for you when you least expect them.  This week was one of embracing going with the flow, and really listening to what my heart n soul need right now.  Being on my own has brought about a lot of time to sit with myself and reflect on a lot of things.  One of the key things I’ve come to acknowledge is the realization that I’m heading into a period where I’m craving more community and solid connection.  I realize this comes at a funny time, as I’ve just begun my solo trip, but I’ve also come to acknowledge that I had been spending so much of the previous year on my own.  Don’t get me wrong – 2022 was an amazing year, filled with some of my absolute favourite memories, incredible first experiences, many lessons and brought me a lot of lifelong friends; but I never found any roots in community.  I don’t think that’s a bad thing, nor do I think that was what I was needing this past year.  But, as I move into this next chapter of my life, and after experiencing a handful of strong, connected communities here in Australia, it’s reminded me of some things I’ve been missing since graduating from BCIT.

And this week may have brought me the opportunities and connections for exactly what I’m looking for, in ways I was not expecting.

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Some of you may remember I mentioned getting new runners back in week 8 to finally get back into running again, but you’ll probably notice I have yet to mention going on a run… well guys, be proud because I finally did it!  I woke up Monday morning feeling oddly energetic and with a lot of bounce in my step, and I knew, if I didn’t take advantage of this right away it was going to be a while before I got it back again… so I laced up my runners and hit the road!  At this point, I don’t think I’d run in at least 4, maybe even 5 years, but it felt SO good.  I came back to my camp spot at the beach and immediately jumped into the ocean to cool off.

I spent the rest of the day getting through a fair bit of driving until the last bit of energy wore off and found a nice spot next to a Salt Lake in the Coorong National Park.  I took my time reading in the sun, cooking some dinner, listening to podcasts, answering messages, and working on last weeks blog.

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Tuesday was a very productive and relaxing day!  I decided to stay put and spend my day reading lots, finishing up last week’s blog post, some yoga, and applying to a bunch of guiding jobs in the Northern Territory.

As a little aside – the past week I’ve been looking a lot into visa work and trying to sort out what I want to do, and when I should do it.  With having spent a decent amount of money in my first couple months in just getting to Australia, getting the van sorted, and honestly just on other experiences, I’ve been feeling the pressure of the bank account dwindling.  Initially my game plan was to spent the next few months exploring the interior then wrapping down the west coast and finding some farm work mid-winter (July for Australia).  While I could’ve probably made this work pretty easily with my current savings, the more I looked into options for my visa, the more I started to lean towards guiding jobs in the Northern Territory.  After a lot more reflecting on the types of experiences I’m wanting right now, the more it was making sense to look for work during my time in the interior.

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The next morning, I started with a quick back workout and went for a 4.5km run along part of the salt lake + trails.   At this point, it’s been a while since I’d had a shower, so I found a sweet free one at a gas station on route towards Adelaide.  I ended up staying the night in Port Elliot and spent the evening looking into more stuff for my trip through the interior, applied to more jobs, and read.

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Thursday was a really fun day for me! I woke up wanting to do some touristy things, so I got myself dressed up for the first time in a while, made the last 2-hour drive to Adelaide, and wandered around the city!  I checked out the Art Gallery of South Australia and the South Australian Museum; Both were really cool and free to enter for anyone. They were also right next to the Adelaide University, which is a beautiful little campus right in the heart of the city… it had me thinking about how I’ve been wanting to go back to school again, and wondering what it might be like to study here in Australia in the future…

I spent the afternoon on a little video sharing my partnership with Last Object!  They’re a really cool brand creating alternatives to replace single-use products like cotton swabs, menstrual pads, face wipes, and tissues!  Check out their website https://lastobject.com and use the code LastPlanet for 10% off any order.

Today was also the theatre release date of Bob Brown’s documentary ‘The Giants.’ It was such a beautiful and inspirational film covering the political and environmental history of conservation in Australia’s old growth forests, and direction it’s heading today. I unfortunately don’t think it’s available outside of Australia at the moment, but I highly recommend checking out Bob Brown’s foundation. https://bobbrown.org.au  There are a lot of parallels between what is happening in Australia and Canada’s logging industry, the governments [in]actions, and the lack of conservation for these important biomes.

I also got an exciting email today to schedule an interview the next morning for a Trainee Guiding Job in Alice Springs!

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Friday ultimately decided the next phase of my trip… The interview in the morning went so well that they contacted me later that same day saying they were going to skip second interviews for narrowing down candidates and offered me the job! So in 11 days I will be starting my training as a tour guide in Alice Springs!  It’s going to be a pretty interesting and exciting experience in a lot of ways, and I’m really looking forward to it.  I spent the whole day camped outside of a park in Adelaide, sorting out the plans for the next phase, finding a climbing group in Alice to join, answering messages, looking into living options, etc.

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Saturday was the epitome of “going with the flow” and I could NOT be more stoked for the plans that got presented to me!  Part of the reason I’d been taking so much time to get to Adelaide the past week was largely because I was waiting for my aussie driver’s licence to arrive at Clae’s (Sam’s cousins) place for me to pick up.  Coincidentally the licence arrived the night before, and today was the last day for me to pick it up from Clae (if I wanted to meet him), before he was leaving on a week-long trip with a group of friends+his family.  Turns out it was a climbing trip in the Grampians they were leaving for that night, and they invited me to join them!  Because I had spent the whole day prior mostly being anxious about the interview, and whether or not I was making the right decision, I had a full day of chores to work through but knew this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.  I went into overdrive mode and checked everything off the list from groceries, to laundry, to cleaning out fridge, to buying a new camera lens off marketplace, to going into town to pick up a few items (including my own climbing harness + helmet), to finding a free shower at the beach!  It was a jam packed day with lots of running around, but I managed to time everything PERFECTLY and met up with Clae, his partner Harriet, and one of their friends to begin the 5-hour drive to the Grampians.  It was a long day, as we didn’t leave until 6pm, but I couldn’t be more stoked about the week to come!!

It felt kind of funny knowing that I basically backtracked the distance I just took over a week to travel, in a single night…

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But boy was it so worth it.  Our first day in the Grampians was so good!  We’re a group of 8, and everyone is so incredibly sweet, supportive and just immediately so welcoming.  We started the day with a quick drive and 30min hike into our first sport climb location: the Ravines.  It was a beautiful spot in between two cliff faces, and we had the whole place to ourselves for the majority of the time.  It had been a while since I did any sport climbing, so my arms felt pretty dead pretty quickly (not helping that I started on a hard 19 lol), but it felt so good to get out with a group and watch everyone else.  We went back to the camp for lunch and for Clae + Harriet to put their 1.5-year-old down for a nap, before heading out to a different spot for some evening bouldering.  I had been feeling pretty low energy after that morning, but found a second wind after a quick hike and some really fun boulder projects.   We had the most beautiful sunset and I got to use my new lens for the first time up at the boulders – earning me the nickname ‘JC,’ inspired by famous photographer and videographer “Jimmy Chin” (have got a long way to go before reaching his level, but a nickname I’m happily welcoming lol).   Ended the week with dinner around a camp fire and some really amazing new friends. <3

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This week started with me wondering how I was going to access community while on the road, and ended with me landing a job guiding in some beautiful and historically important locations, 7 new friends, and my first big climbing trip finally under my belt!  Learn to say ‘yes’ more to life, and the adventures will never fail to amaze you.

Stay passionate and curious, Hunter♡

04/24/2023

Week 9: April 10th – April 16th, 2023 // The highs ‘n’ lows

It’s been a week of many highs n lows, physically and emotionally, and it’s bringing out a lot of reflection (seems to happen quite naturally when you’re completely solo).

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Monday finally got a move on! Was feeling super stoked to hit the road and travel through the Great Ocean Road.  I managed to find a free hot shower in Lorne and do a little bit of wandering around.  It’s a really cute little ocean front touristy town – kind of reminded me of a smaller version of the main street in White Rock back home!  My drive involved many stops at little view points and beaches – ended up at Sheoak Falls which then took me from a 15min stroll to a 1.5-hour hike.  Views were pretty mediocre, but felt really nice to get on a trail again. I ended up spending a good few hours of my day just driving until I found a spot to sleep for the night.

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Tuesday really changed the tone… I woke up early, feeling really good, sun was shining, skies were totally clear; Was feeling super energized and ready to cover a lot of ground.  I went down to the beach to do a sunrise yoga flow, and about 20minutes in I ended up tweaking the muscles in my neck REALLY badly… like couldn’t move my neck, hurt to take deep breaths bad… I was feeling SO defeated from this and really worried what this could mean for the rest of my trip.  Thankfully I have pain meds and Tiger Balm, so I just set myself up in bed and did my best to massage things out and not move much.  This meant my day consisted of a whole lot of nothing and mindless scrolling.  I actually ended up deciding to start watching all the Spiderman movies from the very beginning lol. I’ve been wanting to for a while now and figured what better time than when I have nothing else going on and literally can’t do anything else… so I’m now halfway through the 4th…

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I woke up the next day thankfully in a lot less pain but definitely still limited mobility.  I desperately needed some type of win for the day to boost my moral, so I spent the morning getting my van better organized. I sorted through the “pantry” and cut up some boxes to create little compartments in the different drawers to keep things separated and minimize the amount of “free roaming.”  I did this back home with most things, have for years, and it makes SUCH a difference for keeping your space feeling cleaner and easier to sort through.  

The movement was really helping my neck feel a bit better, so I managed to get on the road and make my way to the 12 Apostles! The views along the way were SO stunning.  The Great Ocean Road covers such a variety of landscapes that I really wasn’t expecting – there’s beaches, 100+ metre cliff’s, farmlands, little towns, and a rainforest… the rainforest was such a pleasant surprise and SO stunning to drive through.  There was a nice little trail just off the highway that I made a quick stop to explore (there are other bigger hikes that I definitely want to return and do one day).

I got to the 12 Apostles closer to sunset and it was SO busy… I walked out towards the boardwalk, saw the crowds and said “NOPE.” I got a quick view of the Apostles and made the decision to find a spot nearby for the night and to get up early to spent some time at the Apostles for sunrise the next day instead.

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This turned out to be a GREAT idea! Not only was there hardly anyone there, but the views were so much more magical.  I lucked out with a clear sky and the most stunning cotton candy coloured sunrise.  I ended up committing to a time-lapse and stayed there for about 1.5 hours.  

The day was a lot of stopping at stunning view points, and driving.  I made a little pit stop at a beach to read for an hour, then a restock on some groceries, water and better cleaning some dishes, before driving another couple hours to find another spot for the night.

I think I’ve been really lucking out on my sleep spots, which I’m REALLY trying not to take for granted, because I know it’s not going to be like this the entire time…  There’s been a few spots where it’s debatable on whether I’m allowed to be there or not, but I think because I’m travelling in the “off” season, no one is really checking in on these areas.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed this continues for these coastal spots especially ‘cause there’s really not much better than a free spot next to the ocean!

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Friday wasn’t really anything notable.  I spent the majority of the day just driving, found another free hot shower passing through Portland, then found a spot for the night near a windmill farm and a secluded beach!  It turned out to be a hidden gem for people to walk their dogs, so had a handful of people come and go, but was such an ideal spot for the night!  Had beautiful weather and desperately needed the doors open, but the bugs were insane… so I was forced to finally DIY my bug net I bought a while ago.  I spent the rest of my evening looking into jobs for my visa and learned that I got the volunteer photographer position with Sea Shepherd that I applied for a couple weeks ago!! I’m SO stoked for the opportunity and what this could mean for future opportunities, so I’m now just waiting to get a better idea on event locations to see if I might change up the route a bit (for the billionth time lol I swear the plan changes every week).

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I woke up the next day in a really low mood and decided to allow myself to sit in it rather than fight it.  I spent my time reading, watching friends, and sleeping.  I eventually reached a point where I knew this was going to stick around longer if I didn’t act, so finally late afternoon I dragged my ass down to the beach and went for a nice evening walk. Between the sun coming out and moving my body, it forced me to reflect a lot on patterns that show up in my life, and ones that I know show up for others as well.  When you find yourself stuck in your head, the only way to really cut this and bring clarity to your thoughts and the feelings that are arising are by moving your body.  Writing the thoughts is equally beneficial, but the movement allows you to redirect the energy that is building up inside you and being spent on thoughts, and gives you the momentum you need to pull yourself out of those low spaces to act on the things you really want to.

As expected, the walk did absolute wonders for how I was feeling.

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Sunday I woke up EARLY. Like 3:45am early.  My mind and body were wide awake since I ended up with a solid 7hours of sleep, but it felt way too early (and was way too dark outside) to do anything – so I found myself mindlessly scrolling again.  When I finally pulled myself out of the cycle, I had a bit of a reality check when I realized how much time I’ve been spending on my phone during this time alone.  Don’t get me wrong, I’ve done a lot of productive and fulfilling things for myself, but being completely on my own has made me realize I’m looking for connection and going about it in an unproductive way (will be talking more about this in a separate post).  I ended up spending the morning doing a lot of journaling/reflecting, got myself to finally start working out again (been saying I would for MONTHS), reading, and made myself a good breakfast while listening to some podcasts and taking in the beautiful morning (got lucky with a few rainbows and sun).

I also spent some time setting up daily reminder alerts to make sure I’m drinking plenty of water, making time for intentional movement, checking in with myself, and investing time into creating + learning.   Redirecting my days to focus on the things that matter to me.

I hit the road once again by around 10:30 and made a stop at the Tantanoola Cave!  Normally it’s a $15 entrance fee but the person at the front desk snuck me in at the last minute without charging me!  Highly recommend making the stop if you’re looking for something to do – the cave was really cool and the tour was very well done.

The rest of the afternoon involved a lot more driving, officially crossing into South Australia, getting stuck on a beach (won’t be doing that again lol thankful to all the people that helped me out), caught up on messages from the past few months, read lots, and found a STUNNING spot next to the ocean to stay for the night!

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All in all, it’s been a really rewarding and eye opening week for me with some really exciting updates to come in the next couple weeks.

Stay passionate and curious, Hunter♡

04/17/2023

Week 8: April 3rd – April 9th, 2023 // Let the solo travels begin!

Well folks, the adventures have truly and officially begun this week!  I’ve left the comfort of Hobart and the Fitzy Castle House, and am now traveling the mainland with just myself and Peg.  I’d like to start by saying whoever else has been lead to believe that Australia is always hot and sunny, I’ve got sad news for you.  I figured my timing to more or less “chase the colder weather” because I was worried of how I’d handle the Australian heat would still be giving me at least consistent sunny 15+˚C… It has not lol it’s been pretty comparable to Vancouver seasons thus far – both in Tassie and now along the south coast.  No, I shouldn’t be this surprised; geographically it all makes sense when you actually think about it… it’s just been a rude awakening knowing packing the toque was actually a smart idea and not a waste of space lol.  

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Monday was such a benchmark day for me – I officially completed my first ever van build!  The fact that we designed, bought material, took everything out, and built the whole thing from scratch in just 5 days (realistically only have like 4-6hours at a time) is pretty fucking amazing to me.  I was just adding up the days as I thought we had done 6 or 7… I’m so impressed with how well we worked together after having never met before and SO grateful to Rhys for giving me so much of his spare time (all in the middle of moving houses too I might add).  An absolute legend!  There were a couple minor things we would’ve like to get done that we just unfortunately ran out of time for – but the overall build of the main components we wanted were completed and it looks so freaking good. Like I could not be happier with it.  And after this first week living out of it and having it organized, I feel like I can really live and breathe in this space.  It’s so nicely laid out and organized, I can’t wait to put together a proper video for you all!  After a thank you dinner for Rhys, I couldn’t get to sleep till quite late as I was FAR too excited about the van and figuring out how I wanted to organize it all.

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Tuesday was an emotional day for me as it was time to officially move into my new home, while getting ready to say goodbye to what has been my home for the past 7 weeks.  I got an early start and spent the day putting up my lights, organizing all my gear, cleaning. The afternoon I spent sorting out some electrical stuff (big shout-out and thanks to Ethan and Lauren for your help), writing notes and getting flowers for the house + the couple who let us use their space for renovating the van.  Managed to get in one last climb late night climb with Sam+Annie before giving the house my little thank you gift.  Was really nice to have everyone home for the night, with Alissa having been gone most of the time I’ve been here.

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Wednesday was a pretty successful and eventful day! Early start to cut my own hair, pack the last of my stuff from the house, say my goodbyes to the housemates, grab coffee w/Sam+Sammy, get some new runners to get back into running/working out while on the road (shout out to Sam for the discount!), and finally dropped off the flowers and note to Sean+Megs as a thank you for allowing Rhys and I to use their home for the van build.  Not gonna lie, I got real sappy this week…  I find I often express myself best through my writing, and was feeling a lot of gratitude for a lot of people this week.  I had many complete strangers go out of their way to help me out in some really big ways during my time here, and I can’t help but think about how different my first 2 months would’ve been had I not met Alissa back in Canada last October.

The afternoon was spent on a beautiful 4-hour drive to Devonport, where I found a nice little spot just down the road from the ferry to park for the night.  Was feeling pretty exhausted from the past week, so after organizing some food for the ferry, and blowing out my inverter trying to use my induction stove top (whoops)…I ended on an early night with some reading.

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Ferry day was actually such a dream.  I hadn’t realized how run down I’ve been getting, so the forced RNR was very much needed.  Thanks to Sean’s advice, I went straight to deck 10 and snagged one of the only 4 couches on the ferry and set up camp.  They were surprisingly super comfortable and perfect length for me to fully stretch out and take many naps lol. Bringing a blanket, I think was my best idea.  There wasn’t much for service most of the ride, so my time was divided between napping, people watching, snacking and reading.  The 10hours flew by pretty quickly, and next thing I knew, I was looking for a place to park for the night!  Ended up in a parking lot that I didn’t realized locked at night, so had a cop knocking on my window at 23:30 telling me to park out on the street next to the park… finding free spots is going to be a bit of a learning curve I imagine haha.

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Friday I got to experience my first Laundromat, and I gotta say, I picked a good one to start with… super clean and newer machines.  Got all my clothing and bedding washed which felt SO nice to crawl into that night.  I was back n forth a bunch between whether I begin the road trip west, or back track to Melbourne… I decided that my body still needed some rnr time, so I found myself a beach/cliff spot 20min south of Devonport, called Point Addis, and set up camp for the rest of the day to read and relax.  I managed to finish another book which I realized has brought me to 8 completed books since I left Canada!  I ended up with a beautiful break in the clouds and found my way down towards the beach.  

One of my favourite things I’ve been consciously trying to practice has been “grounding,” which is the simple practice of walking on the earth barefoot.  There’s a lot of benefits to grounding, but my favourites have been noticing the toughness in my feet build up, as well as my attentiveness to where I step.  The increased attentiveness has me focusing more on my body and the present moment, and reducing the amount of random mental chatter and wandering I have when on walks.  It’s been a really useful tool for practicing more mindfulness and meditation.  It also reminds me of all the time I spent barefoot as a kid, playing in the backyard, climbing trees, wandering the neighbourhood – it has a way of connecting you back to your inner child.  I highly recommend reading up on it some more and practicing it yourself!

After today, I decided that spending time in downtown Melbourne is not what I’m wanting right now, and with my route I have planned for this year, I know I’ll have plenty of other opportunities to visit and explore the city another time.  

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So with that, I made the most of Saturday by practicing some yoga on the boardwalk at sunrise, getting some errands in by running to Bunnings and Jaycar (hopefully for the last time finally) to fix my kitchen set up and replace my inverter.  The guys at Jaycar were absolute GEMS! I went in with my inverter thinking I had completely ruined it and was just going to recycle it with them, but the guy at the counter took the opportunity to forfeit a bigger sale and help me open up the inverter and make just a $2 fix!  They also came out to help check on the battery and connections and ended up fixing a piece to make it work even better!  Jaycar has probably been my favourite Aussie store to work with – every location I’ve been to, the employees have gone above and beyond helping me, while making it as affordable as possible.  Can’t recommend them enough for any electronic needs.  Made some grocery shop stops in town, visited another zero waste grocery store ‘The Source.’  Then made my way to Industry Boulders for an afternoon climb! Really loved this gym.  They had some really fun routes and felt really good to focus just on bouldering.  

Made a little impromptu stop at a beautiful art gallery/nursery just off the Great Ocean Highway, and had a really lovely conversation with the resident artist there about how it’s important to remind ourselves that our creations aren’t for everyone.  Create for yourself – the people who resonate with you and connect with your work will follow.  Forcing yourself to fit a mould that wasn’t meant for you, will only disrupt your inner peace and disconnect you from the work you truly wish/are made to be doing.  (artist IG: @saltandpeppergallery).

I ended up heading back to Point Addis for the night since I finished in town a bit later and knew that I wouldn’t have people asking me to move… hopefully.

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Sunday was a pretty blah day for me.  Woke up a bit later not feeling too great (think I’m on the verge of a cold), so I went in and out of napping and reading for most of the day.  Managed to get myself out for a little walk and make a really tasty pasta dish, but decided to continue taking it easy and spend one more night at Point Addis before hitting the road and taking on the Great Ocean Road this next coming week!

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After finishing “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,” I’ve begun “The Mountain is You” and oh boy am I being faced with some hard doses of reality.  It’s been a humbling read that I’m excited to share some bits n pieces with you all in the next week.

Until next time.

Stay passionate and curious, Hunter♡

04/10/2023

Week 7: March 27th – April 2nd, 2023 // Final Count Down

It’s been such an eventful roller coaster this week! Nearing my final days in Tassie I’ve been wrapping up loose ends for van things, making an effort to check off some of the final main “must-sees,” and trying to make the most of my remaining time here.  It’s been a rather emotional one if I’m being honest.  The reality of me venturing off properly on my own is setting in and I’d be lying if there wasn’t a lot of anxieties coming with it. Between the usual worrying I’ll forget something important, to the unknown adventures and mishaps, to the general lack of expertise in so many things.  I feel as though I’m throwing myself into the deep end, and while I’m SO incredibly excited for what has been a dream of mine for years to finally become reality, there’s a healthy amount of “what the fuck am I doing” to keep me grounded? Level-headed? Who knows lol.

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We kicked off this week with a true Tassie must experience!  I brought my car out to a mechanic in Triabunna to get some work done [stuff required for the safety certificate I needed – I’m going to do a whole separate post dedicated to buying a vehicle in Australia], which was coincidentally just a 10minute walk to the ferry that’ll take you to Maria Island!  Maria Island is infamous for its abundance of wildlife (Wombats, Kangaroos, Wallabies, Pademelons, etc.) and endless trails for walking and biking. I mentioned the details in a recent Instagram post https://www.instagram.com/p/CqVZbZvyTO2/ but the island doesn’t allow cars, making it an absolute dream space to properly disconnect and venture into nature (keep an eye out for a detailed post on Maria Island in the future).  Most of the island doesn’t get much service either so it really does force you to be present with your surroundings.  I turned my phone on airplane mode and used the little paper map from the information centre to get around, using mostly just my camera for capturing little moments.

The weather was perfect, mostly overcast but warm, with few breaks of sun.  My favourite moments from this day were wandering across the beach and the painted cliffs barefoot for about an hour – just taking time to really admire the beauty of the naturally formed patterns –

getting to sit with a wombat, and capture a really beautiful photo of a kookaburra.

Unfortunately for the van, one of the parts ordered didn’t arrive… so we were left to hope the mechanic back in Hobart would give me the safety certificate anyways…

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Plot twist… they did!! Tuesday I called them up first thing to see if they could change my appointment to meet with me that day (the girl I bought the van from was leaving the next day for a 9-day trip, so this was quite literally our last chance to get everything officially and properly signed over to me).   Brought it in and 2 hours later was handed the safety certificate!  It was a super rainy day, so I spent most of it curled up in the van outside the Fitzy Castle house, working on blogs, editing my photos from Maria Island, working out some plans for my final week.  Taking it relatively easy after the big win.

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Wednesday is once things really started to kick into gear.  Met up with Stefi (the girl I bought Peg from) in Sorrell to get the registration moved to my name, transferred from Queensland to Tasmanian plates, and get a Tasmanian drivers licence!  I think the woman at Service Tassie had a good laugh at us – she made a comment about how it seemed so funny to be so stoked about getting new plates and a driver’s licence – all we could really say was that it had been such a long time coming to get to this point!  Honestly, everything else for this trip has been so seamlessly smooth – I’ve been lucky to have made some really incredible connections for all aspects of my trip, the support I’ve received here has gone well above anything I could’ve ever expected – but the process for getting the van actually put in my name has for sure been as nail-biting as you could get it.  Quite literally got drawn out to the last possible second, but SO thankful it all worked out!

I’d been in need for a good climb, so once I got settled back, had some food, I took myself to the gym for a good boulder sesh.  It’s been so cool and motivating seeing the progression I’ve been making in my strength and technique.  Working through routes I would never even be attempting back home, even at my strongest.  I feel a different level of confidence building up this time around, which has been a lot of fun to navigate and witness.

Spent the rest of the evening + afternoon applying to Sea Shepherd’s volunteer photographer position.  I got really into it and ended up putting together a proper portfolio, which got me really excited and eager to look into more work and potential opportunities similar to this.  Maybe even some blogging for another company! (Any takers?)

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Thursday morning, I finished up and sent off the application, then made my way to the MONA (Museum of New and Old Art).  I had been told it was a cool experience, but this well exceeded my expectations.  For starters, the grounds and architecture are absolutely stunning! So much thought went into not just a place to hold art, but to physically experience it too from the inside and the outside.  All your senses are activated when you walk through.  You begin by going down 3 or 4 floors underground, and the rest I’ll leave to you to have to experience yourself one day.  Let’s just say, I’ve spent a lot of time in museums, especially in Europe, and I think this is my favourite by a long shot.

After eating some lunch and hanging in the van in the MONA parking lot while the rain went past, I made my way to the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Garden’s.  It’s quite similar to the UBC Botanical Garden’s but is free to park and enter, and a bit smaller.  Super stunning layout and plant life, with lots of really beautifully detailed + informative little signs scattered throughout the park.  My favourites were the signs sharing how indigenous people use the plants for materials, medicine, etc.

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Friday was SUCH a great day. Leah and I had been meaning to connect for a while so we spent the day out at Port Arthur’s visiting the Tasmanian Devil Unzoo, hiking Cape Raoul, and hitting up the infamous ‘Trout Party’ back in Hobart!

I was really impressed with how the Unzoo was set up. The place is meant to help protect Devil’s from contracting the illness that spread like wildfire and wiping out I think something like 95% of the population.  Thanks to efforts like theirs, the Devil’s have been rescued from extinction, but still have a long way to go to no longer be considered endangered. Check out the Unzoo website for more information: https://tasmaniandevilunzoo.com.au/save-the-devil/.

Cape Raoul was a beautiful 15.5km hike out to stunning cliff face views, similar to those of Cape Hauy, but with a lot less “up down.”

For those wondering what a ‘Trout Party’ is – one of the houses in the friend has a little bar room that is decked out to be the ultimate “fisherman bar.”  It’s just a small room off the backyard with exactly what you’d imagine!  This house is known for throwing some pretty fun parties at least a couple times a year, so everyone looks forward to them!

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Saturday I managed to get in a bit of a slower morning before spending the whole afternoon with Rhys working on the van.  The van build has been such a fun learning process, getting to use power tools, brainstorming designs, figuring out ways to make the most use of our material, the many… many… trips to Bunnings (Australia’s version of a Home Depot), seeing my little home come together.   Slowly but surely.  We had a few little hiccups with the original electrical set up, but thankfully the owner of the house we’ve been using to build out of is an electrician and was super willing and eager to help get it back up and running.  I’ve actually really enjoyed the electrical part a lot.  It makes me more excited about the idea of designing a proper van from scratch in the future – one with a functioning sink and shower, and lights on dimmers, with electrical outlets. Actually use my schooling for once lol.

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Sunday I made a point to get out to the Farmgate market one last time.  I really didn’t take advantage of the markets back home, and I know this is something I want to be doing more of. Supporting the small local businesses, buying your produce for the week, trying new products, gathering with friends to sit in the park or going solo and wandering leisurely.

The afternoon was spent much more of the same – meeting with Rhys thinking it was our last day of building, just to find ourselves saying “we probably only need a few more hours tomorrow.”  We definitely made really good progress today though! It was actually coming together – all the drawers fit together (like a glove I might add… every millimeter really does count) and screwed down into the van, electrical fully up n running, fridge properly set up.  The end is truly near…

Then spent the evening hanging out with the house + Sophie for dinner and watching an episode of Alone; this year’s season is filmed here in Tassie!

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The final days have me feeling a whirlwind of emotions, but overall, I’m feeling incredibly grateful for my time and experiences I’ve had.  It turned out to be so much more than I could’ve imagined.  The people I’ve met and the support I’ve received has been truly wonderful.  Now I move into the last days of preparing to leave for the official big adventure, with no one but myself and Peg.  It’s a journey I’ve longed for years, and now… here we are.

Wish me luck.

Stay passionate and curious, Hunter♡

04/03/2023

Week 6: March 20th – 26th, 2023 // Scattered Thoughts

This past week was a [healthy] balance of pure stoke and lazy.

The whole week has felt like such a blur, and if it wasn’t for my calendar or partial daily notes I semi remembered to fill in this week, I’m honestly not sure I’d know what I’d be writing about lol.  I managed to get in a couple yoga classes, (which probably needed to squeeze in a few more with how hectic my brain+body have been feeling), but have been spending a lot of my spare time doing a whole lot of nothing, but also semi-productive? It’s hard because I feel like I could be doing more, but know it’s also important to let me body settle from time to time.  

A reminder that rest is also productive.

I’ll also be honest in that this past weeks post has been a struggle to get through.  I have so many various topics that I want to write about that I’ve had to rethink what I want to share so many times.  I was going to talk a lot about what I’ve learned from traveling and exploring alone the past few years, but I’ve decided I’m going to make a separate post entirely dedicated to this topic, so I can get deep into it without disrupting the flow of these weekly updates.

So… in saying that…

Let’s skip straight to THURSDAY, because OH my GOD (the days prior to that didn’t consist of much interesting stuff to write about tbh). I got to climb a multi-pitch with Sam + Sammy (they both go by both names sooo for sake of clarity, Sam is one of Alissa’s roommates, and Sammy is one of their friends).  For those who may not know, a multi-pitch is a type of outdoor climbing that involves someone trad climbing and setting the gear for the route (typically 20ish metres up), setting an anchor point somewhere safe, belays the second person up who is responsible for clearing/collecting the gear, then that person will climb and set the next part of the route.  These can be from as “small” as 40m to the tallest mountain in the world (talking hundreds of metres).  We climbed a “little” route of just under 60m, and to say I was losing my mind would be an understatement.  Keep in mind, I’ve now only climbed outdoors 3 times in my life, 2 of those being rope climbing, which have both occurred in the last month…

I’m someone who has always admired people’s ability to do such big climbs, even have friends who climb parts/all of the chief back in Squamish, but never did I think that would be something I’d be brave enough to attempt.  But something about getting onto the outdoor walls just clicked, and when Sam asked if I wanted to join him and Sammy for a potential multi-pitch – there was absolutely no hesitation or fear.  We even had a bit of an unconventional method for descending that I’ll spare the details for my grandma’s sake (hehe sorry grandma, don’t worry though, we were still 100% safe <3).  After about a 30min hike to the climb, I was feeling pretty good and SO ready to get up there.  The first pitch felt really good, the views were amazing, the hangout spot was perfect.  The second pitch though… No I’m not someone who fears heights, but when they talk about the exposure panic… let me tell you… the exposure panic is not to be downplayed lol.  I had a little moment where subconsciously my brain realized just how high up we were on this pretty flat face of rock and all of the sudden my body was shaaaaking!  It wasn’t until I consciously noticed how much I was shaking did my internal dialogue start to kick in and think “what the HELL are you doing?!”  I was at a spot that I was struggling a bit with to get up, and neither Sam’s were able to have eyes on me, so I really had to get myself through it.  It was here that I remembered my breathing techniques for calming the mind, and I just continued to talk myself through, saying things like: ”Sam’s got you at the top.  Trust the gear and trust him and you’ll be okay.  You’ve made it through the hardest parts already, just stay focused on the wall and the moves ahead of you.  Trust your feet. And Don’t. Look. Down.”  Adrenaline strength is for sure real because I was grabbing holds I’d never be able to hold onto in the gym!  I finally pulled myself over the top, and I can just imagine the look on my face Sam must’ve seen! Pure shock, exhaustion, disbelief, and a healthy amount of “wtf did I just do.”   The whole thing was so exhilarating, my first thought when we repelled back down was “I need to do that again.” I get it now.  The feeling of truly pushing your boundaries, stepping out of your comfort zone, putting your mind and body through ultimate tests of strength, stability, and balance.  It was an incredible feeling, and I was absolutely exhausted when we got back down.  My mind felt like it had run a marathon, and my body was feeling pretty shocked from what it just experienced.  

After a big day on the cliffs, I got to meet up with my friend Max for a well-earned dinner and drinks.  Max is the NSW local I mentioned last week who’s been biking around the east coast and Tasmania the past 2.5 months without any real prior biking experience!  A very inspiring, kind and humble individual.

-- The rest of the week mostly revolved around organizing things, reading, getting stuff sorted for minor van repairs (I’m going to make a full separate post about navigating car stuff in Australia, there’s a lot I wish I’d known…). But the real exciting part is I finally got some van renos underway!! Thanks to a friend of Annie’s who works in construction, Rhys, we now have what started as a simple “I just want a little shelf and a rollout shelf for my fridge,” has now turned into “optimize storage space.”

When I first brought the van to Rhys and explained my minor changes I wanted, something to make storing my kitchen stuff and accessing my fridge a bit easier, he looked at the van and said “but what about all the unused wasted space??”  I told him that if I had more time, I would definitely be redoing the whole design to be able to maximize every square-inch, but I wanted to be mindful of his time and our 2.5-week deadline.  After a bit of back n forth + some brainstorming, we will be heading into what will be day 4 and [ideally] the last day of what would’ve been just a 3hour project had we gone with my original plan lol.  I’m SO stoked though and can’t wait to show you guys the end results! The amount of drawer space I’m about to have is going to be a dream.

-- On notes of dreams… to end the week I got to hold a rescued baby pademelon before my yoga class Sunday evening!!

-- I’m going to leave this weeks scattered thoughts with you there as I head into preparation of my last 1.5 weeks in Tassie (crazy I know… time is flying WAY too quickly).  I promise the future weekly updates will be back to a more regular structured set up, and keep an eye out for some exciting updates regarding other blog posts to come!

Stay passionate and curious, Hunter♡

03/26/2023

Week 5: March 13th – 19th, 2023 // I Want vs I Should

A common theme of discussions this week was “doing things because you want to and not because you should.”

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My first day of this week is probably in my top 5 favourite days of this trip so far.  I woke up to a beautiful morning on Friendlies Beach, the white sand dusted by a pink hue of the rising sun, eating breakfast and practicing yoga as I listened to the rolling waves of the ocean.  I finished the book “The Happiest Man on Earth” by Eddie Jaku, which is equally sad and inspiring. I did a solo hike up Mount Amos and filled up my water supply.  It was my decision to go back to Friendlies beach for the night which I think just wrapped up this day SO beautifully!  My plans were to make a 3-hour drive to Port Arthurs, but I just wasn’t sure where I’d be sleeping that night, didn’t want to risk being stuck on the side of the road somewhere, Friendlies beach was only 20min out of the way – and honestly, I just didn’t want to nor did I feel like driving a long way that night.  So I didn’t.  

I ended up back at the same spot I nabbed the night before, and turns out a NSW local bike-packing around Australia was setting up a tent, and a couple from the UK had been promised the site by the park manager earlier that day too.  So naturally, we all ended up sharing the spot and had such a wonderful night chatting, watching the stars, sharing stories and tea together.  We then spent the morning watching the sun rise together, and the boys went for a morning swim.  We were all 23/24 years old and immediately felt so comfortable with one another.  Making plans to meet up once our paths crossed again on the mainland.

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Tuesday I initially planned to get to Fortescue Bay early so I could hike to Cape Hauy that afternoon, but along my drive I felt no need to rush anything, or get anywhere by any specific time.  So I made many beach stops, wrote last weeks blog post, grabbed snacks and gas, and reminded myself that this trip is for me and no one else.  The best part about solo travelling is that you don’t have to coordinate with others or make compromises on when and where you want to be.  Your plans are allowed to flow as the day moves and change as you feel is needed.  I didn’t have the energy to hike that day. So I didn’t.

I spent the evening making dinner, watching the possums and wallabies’, reading for hours, eating on the beach, and hanging out in my tent.  Which was also a bit of a reflection moment – the camp no longer had car camping spots available and technically wouldn’t allow me to sleep in the van in the parking lot, so I took this as an opportunity to remind myself that it’s important to have moments of discomfort.  

With all the hiking + staying in the van, I’ve honestly become somewhat worried that I’ll become attached to the comfort and not got out and experience some backpacking during my travels.  Backpacking had become such a favourite way for me to explore back home -- being so fortunate enough to live in such a beautiful province with endless mountain-scapes to explore -- that I wanted to explore Australia in the same way.  Sleeping in the tent was a nice little reminder to how much I love it, even though it’s nowhere near as comfortable as my van mattress…

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The next morning, I had amazing weather and I made sure to get up nice and early to hike Cape Hauy and avoid most of the crowds.  I was incredibly successful – there was no one on the trail on the way up AND I got to read at the peak for at least an hour uninterrupted.  If there’s any one way to read a book (second to laying on a beach), it’s on a mountain peak with panoramic views and the warm sun shining down on you… Made a friend with a solo traveller from Maine and we spent the afternoon hiking out together, going for a swim, laying on the beach, and sharing our thoughts and lessons on doing things/being on your own, and coming back to the idea that there is nothing you “should” be doing, but rather learning how to focus on what you “want” to be doing.

I set up camp next to the water on a quiet street, where I finished another book, and ate toast + chocolate for dinner.  I didn’t feel like cooking. So I didn’t.

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Thursday morning, I was feeling quite slow – it was a cloudy turned rainy day, I felt tired from so much socializing and hiking + climbing the past week, and honestly, my brain+body just wanted a day to reset.  I drove out to Cape Raoul with the intentions of completing the 15km hike, but every time I got out of the car to begin the trail, I’d realized I’d forgotten the parks pass, or couldn’t remember if I locked the car, or had to use the bathroom, or had to unload all the rain gear.  I think I walked back 4 times after getting 5minutes away, and by the 4th time, the sky opened up and the rain POURED down.  I crawled into the van feeling a bit defeated, and decided to accept that hiking the trail just wasn’t something I wanted to do that day anymore. So I didn’t.

Instead, I played guitar in the parking lot for an hour, laid and stared at nothing while contemplating these thoughts, and then made the drive back to Hobart, where I napped outside of Fitzy Castle (Alissa, Annie + Sam’s House name) for a few hours, before joining the house for a delicious lasagna dinner shared with another house of friends visiting for the evening.  It wasn’t how I expected the day to go, but it turned out to be exactly what I needed it to be.

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Friday the slow feeling continued – I made many attempts to work on things I felt I should be doing, like editing photos, fixing last week’s blog post, answering messages, starting this week’s post, measuring the van, buying materials, etc.  But I just couldn’t.  So, again, I didn’t. I sat with the slow feelings, and moved at a pace my mind and body needed and could manage.  I had plans to go for a climb and a yoga class that evening that I really wanted to go to, and I knew that if I really wanted to go, I was going to need to listen to what I needed first.  I ended up having a lovely time with Annie and Alissa’s other fellow Canadian friend, Leah – worked through some challenging routes, didn’t feel as strong or in-tuned with myself this session, but that was okay.  I wanted to be there, and I got there, and to me that was all that mattered.  I showed up for myself, and did what I was able to do.

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Saturday and Sunday were incredibly fun and productive days!  I tackled a huge part of my to-do list on the Saturday, getting all the building materials I needed for my van renos happening the next day, took myself out for lunch to Veg Bar (which has easily become my new favourite [Vegan] restaurant of all time), had a couple calls with some friends I hadn’t spoken with in a long while, cut Sam’s hair, and made dinner w/Sam+Annie.  Sunday I initially only had plans to start van renos in the afternoon, but ended up going for a 2 hour climb with Sam L+Sam M+Annie and wandering the Mayfair Market, having lunch in the park and enjoying the wonderful food and sun!  

The afternoon was also so successful. I brought SUPER basic plans to Rhys (stranger now friend who is helping me with my van reno’s) for the van, just to make organization a bit easier and to avoid taking too much of his time.  But he was such a gem and got super stoked about tackling an even bigger (still manageable) and more exciting reno.  Got to learn how to use a table saw, drew up plans and measurements, and to say I’m stoked with the upcoming “rebuild” is an understatement.  It’s going to make this van function so much more smoothly and I can’t wait to show the end results in a couple weeks!

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With all the things that I didn’t end up doing, I internally battled with myself for sometimes HOURS over what I “should” be doing. I “should” be trying to cover as much ground as I can with the limited time I have in this place; I “should” be getting out and accomplishing something physical like a hike; I “should” be making a proper dinner; I “should” be getting out of the van to explore because I made the trip there; so many “I shoulds” when really I should’ve just been focusing on the “wants,” because it’s the wants that you accomplish or act on that actually end up being the more memorable experiences.  And in reality, who are the “shoulds” even for?  When you put yourself into such a foreign or new experience, like travelling a new country on your own, you’re naturally going to be in a lot of uncomfortable positions, and the idea is to make is as enjoyable and memorable as you possibly can.  If you get too caught up in the “shoulds,” you can easily forget the reasons why you started these journeys in the first place.

Now it’s different if you’re for example working towards running a marathon.  If you really WANT to accomplish this goal, then you absolutely SHOULD be getting out for regular runs in order to set you up for success.  But you need that “want,” that drive, that reason why you started in the first place to help move you through these shoulds that are actually necessary.

In summary, live your life for you.  Live your life doing the things you WANT to do, because they make you feel good, empowered, whole, inspired, and excited about life.   Because really, who do the “shoulds” without the connected desire, benefit in the end?

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I also want to acknowledge how important it is to honour how you’re feeling in these moments of identifying what you want vs what you should.  Knowing that you don’t always have to be showing up 100% to everything.  You’re allowed to show up at 55% capacity and take your time through things that may normally be easy for you.  The important part is that you listened to what you needed, and you showed up in whatever capacity you could.

Stay passionate and curious, Hunter♡

03/19/2023

Week 4: March 6th – 12th, 2023 // Rocks on Rocks on Rocks UPDATED March 20, 2023

This week has been such a fun one! I really made an effort to disconnect more and really focus on being present, cutting down my screen time and moving my body.

During the week, I spent my time in Hobart at Alissa’s place, hanging with Sam and Annie a bunch, getting more stuff together for the van, and exploring around town. The theme for this week though was for sure rock climbing. I got into climbing during university with some friends, and have loved it since the start, but I’ve been out of it for a good couple of years due to injuries and general life stuff. It no longer became a priority for me, so actually investing time into and having people better than me to climb with has been so motivating! I had met people back in Canada that helped re-spark the love just before I left, and I’m so thankful to have some great people out here to keep that going.

I got out to the climbing gym a couple times with Sam this week and some of his friends, and we got to see Reel Rock 17 in a little local theatre! If you haven’t heard of Reel Rock and are looking for some quality inspiration and adrenaline films, I highly recommend checking them out. They’re an annual film festival that goes around the world showcasing 3 new independent climbing short films. They’re so beautifully filmed and cover such an arrange of topics/teachings/lessons that can apply to anyone, anywhere. https://reelrocktour.com

This past weekend was also SUCH a turning point and eye opening experience into climbing. Sam, Annie and I drove out to Coles Bay for some outdoor trad climbing and oh my goodness I had the best time. I’ve spent most of my time bouldering in gyms, so getting to explore outside was such a game changer. You feel a different level of connection with your body and sense of self getting to be outdoors. There’s also a whole new level of adrenaline that really forces you to step out of your comfort zone, trust your body, and trust your climbing partners.

This week also involved a lot of connecting with new people on travels - ranging from middle age married couples making the most of their time between work to Aussie’s taking a year off work to some Brits exploring on the same Visa to a NSW Nomad living off his bike for months. These interactions always remind me + reaffirm why I love this lifestyle. You meet such incredibly interesting, kind and inspiring people who are also going through the process of stepping outside of their comfort zones and really connecting with themselves, from such an array of backgrounds and lifestyles. There’s comfort in knowing and interacting with those who are going through similar journeys to you, and a reminder that these journeys are for everyone, whenever you need and want it.

I have SO much more to share, but I’ll be keeping this weeks post shorter as I’m currently typing this on my phone at a random beach off the highway on my way to Port Arthur’s; I’m in the process of sorting out a fix for charging laptop and camera on the road so photos are a bit limited this week, but I have some that I’m REALLY excited to get up and show you all. I’ve been out of service pretty much since Saturday and will be continuing my trip in and around Port Arthur’s for some camping and hiking, where I imagine service will be limited again, so might be a bit before I get some proper stuff up.

Stay passionate and curious, Hunter♡

03/12/2023

Week 3: February 27th- March 5th, 2023 // Just Be

I think the biggest thing I’m learning through this experience is how to slow down.  Now of course it’s significantly easier to make time for slowing down when you’re not employed and have nothing BUT time to frolic at leisure.  But, what I think I’m really learning is how important, necessary and (maybe?) easy it is to bring into your everyday life – it just becomes a matter of shifting priorities and recognizing the power just 5minutes can have. I spent a lot of time on my own last year, working on myself, growing, healing, learning – but I think I was too focused on “doing” rather than just “being.”  

I think the experiences I had last year were incredibly important, and valuable, and ultimately put me in the direction I’ve always wanted to head, but I think slowing down might be the thing that is the next focus for me as I move through this next chapter.  Taking more time to notice the little things, connecting more to my values, challenging myself in more mindful ways rather than always looking for “what’s next,” becoming more attentive of my mind and body to discover what it’s really capable of.  Ultimately, investing time into my wellbeing.

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I’ve had a really beautiful and adventurous week, filled with solitude in the mountains, and community back in the city.

I hiked the Tarn Shelf loop in Mount Field National Park and my goodness was it ever stunning!  It turned out to be just under 15km and 571m of elevation gain – overall body was feeling pretty good. The first half of the loop was completely uninterrupted views of the surrounding mountains and lakes, while the second half took me through a variety of forests.  Managed to complete it in just under 4.5 hours, leaving me with plenty of time in the evening to relax.

The coolest bucket list item got checked off this evening – there’s a short little trail from the Mount Field Campground to Russell Fall’s, and just before the falls there’s a fenced off section where you can witness glow worms!  This felt like such a childlike magical experience as I reminisced on my love and intrigue for fairies when I was little.  It’s experiences like this that remind you just how beautifully magical this world really is, how important it is that we protect these wild spaces, and how much wonder curiosity can bring you.

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The next morning, I finished my book “Care” by Brooke McAlary (a really beautiful book I’ll definitely be reading again and recommend everyone should read) and took what started as just a little stroll to see Russell Falls in daylight, turned to a 7km round trip to view a few more waterfalls.  I honestly just started walking with no real intentions for anything specific, other than to explore, move my body, and see where I ended up.

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March 2nd I think has been one of my most favourite days so far for such a variety of reasons.

1.     I finally learned how to belay a top rope climb outside AND how to belay a lead climb!

2.     I spent more time existing in the moments and enjoying them as they were, without feeling the need to document all the little moments. (Meaning I have no photos from my first outdoor climb lol)

3.     I was reminded of the beauty and importance of community and connecting with people, being fully present, and the power of cooking a good meal (dessert included) with friends, for friends.

Sam spent a good few hours showing me the ropes of outdoor climbing (shitty pun very much intended hehe) on a rock-face just 5min from their house! It mostly consisted of harder routes rating 20+, but I did manage to complete the 17 and one of the 21’s! I’ve spent the last few year’s gym bouldering on and off, and let me tell you… outdoor top rope climbing is a whole other experience and a sport I may have fallen in love with… (maybe I’ll write a separate post on my experience before I turn this week’s update into a full novel…).

Then Sam and I got groceries together to cook dinner+dessert for the rest of the house! Something I’ve really admired and loved about Alissa’s house is how much thoughtfulness her and her roommates put into their time together, especially for dinners. Schedules don’t often line up for doing big outings, but it’s so normal for someone to say “hey I’m making this for dinner, wanna join?” and they’ll just pool their groceries together and take turns cooking for one another on the nights they’re all home.  It’s so simple, and maybe a lot more normalized in other homes than I realize – but for me, I feel like I’m experiencing it for the first time, and it makes me reflect on how important little moments like this are for your happiness and mental health.  

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I pride myself on how independent I am, my ability to be comfortable/thrive on my own, and how much a value my alone time.  But life requires balance – meaning for me, having these small, intimate moments of connection with people who were strangers just 3 weeks ago, and have now become lifelong friends, is crucial to me living my life to its absolute fullest.   And what better way to do that than cooking (quite possibly the best) vegan burgers and baking delicious caramel chocolate hazelnut banana’s for dessert (it was incredible, I still drool thinking about it lol), and laughing at all the Shrek jokes that went over your head as a kid.

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The next couple days involved more errands, van fixes, quality naps, lots of walking, cutting my own hair, guitar playing, more great food + movies, first yoga class at Equalise studio, and ending the week on a challenging short hike on Mount Wellington with another beautiful sunset dinner.

This upcoming week is looking like much of the same as I make the most of my last month here in Tasmania.  Crazy to think it’s already (and only?!) been 3 weeks here!

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For those who actually make it through these posts, I’d love to know what type of format you’d like these updates in! Do you like the detailed descriptions of my days? More sparknote versions of my week? Would you prefer separate, more detailed posts on highlighted topics + adventures? I have SO much more I want to share, but am of course mindful of what may or may not be enjoyable for others to read.  Your feedback is always super valuable and helps me get a better idea of what you guys want out of these posts and what type of content you’re interested in!

Stay passionate and curious, Hunter♡

03/06/2023

Week 2: February 20th-26th, 2023 // Lions and Tigers and… Lizards?

The beginning of this week has been slow and beautiful.  I drove Alissa and her friend Katy to the start of the South Coast Track at Cockle Creek, and found myself a nice little spot to set up the van for a couple nights.  It’s the first time in a long time where I’ve felt like I can really just “be.”

There’s nothing I have to do and there’s nowhere I have to be, and it feels wonderful.  My days have been filled with hours of reading, wandering around the beach, and staring mindlessly at the view from the comfort of my bed.  There’s no rush, no urgency, there’s just this beautiful feeling of pure existence, for no other purpose than to just exist.

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Feb 22nd I finally went out on my first hike in Australia!  I got up at 6am to watch the sunrise from the beach + have breakfast, then I drove 10minutes up the road back to where I dropped Alissa and her friend off.  It was a beautiful ~16km round trip to Lions Rock at South Cape Bay and oh my goodness – when I say the view took my breath away… was such a beautiful spot to end at!  I’ll let the photos speak for themselves (even though they really don’t do the views any justice).  The whole trail covered a variety of landscape, from spidery archway trees, to vast open plains, to amazon/jungle like dense forests – it was truly a great introduction to Australia hiking.  Got to see my first snake (a black tiger snake) and many lizards, lots of cute birds, and cool plant life.

My favourite thing about this type of lifestyle is the people you meet – always so friendly and a wealth of knowledge for other experiences, always so eager to help you in any way you need!  I lucked out with having this super lovely older couple set up in their van next to me, Rab & Jude, who offered me food and a place to stay for when I’m in New South Whales, a map of the south coast, and plenty of destination recommendations.

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Back in town on the 24th I spent my time at a beach, lots more reading, running some errands, getting some Graphic Design work done for a friend I met back in May who owns the lovely art studio + workshop business Luminous Elephants Studio!   Highly recommend checking out her courses if you’re looking to get (back) into creating and learning, or organizing a corporate event! https://www.luminouselephant.com/socials

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Sunday was a lovely, slow and connected day – spending some time at the Mayfair Market in the morning, and making dinner with Alissa + her roommates.  We made lasagna, garlic bread, and a beet salad (made by Sam, who was inspired after Alissa and I spent the morning stating beets were an inferior vegetable and tasted like dirt lol).  It felt really nice to spend an evening with great company, eating great food, and having great conversations.  Feeling very grateful to these people for making Tassie feel like home and taking such great care of me in my first couple weeks here <3

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Other fun updates: had my first bad stall on a hill... rubber was burnt... smells were bad... but I persevered and managed to get it eventually lol! On the plus side, my parallel parking game is getting much stronger 😎 Had my first van spider! Aaannd finally learned how to belay thanks to Annie teaching me!

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These next couple weeks are going to be a combination of some more hiking adventures, getting back out in the van camping again, sorting out some minor van repairs, and (weather depending) getting out climbing on some real rocks for first time in years!

Stay passionate and curious, Hunter♡

02/27/2023

Week 1: February 12th-19th, 2023 // First Week Down Under; Time to revive the old blog…

Well, I made it!! Managed to stay sane during 32hours of travel time, got to experience running through the airport for fear of missing my next flight, read 1.5 books, slept 8+ hours, and survived my first Australian spider encounter!

I had my first full day on the 15th in Hobart, Tasmania, and it was truly such an incredible way to start off my trip!  My friend Alissa took me all around town while she ran some errands – got myself a phone number and bank account set up, checked out the local climbing gym (it’s 3 floors with the absolute coolest set ups!), explored the multitude of outdoor stores all in just a 2 block radius (I’m convinced DT Hobart is at least 25% outdoor stores), and visited one of the local zero waste stores (where I also got told to apply to their location…might land a job sooner than expected lol).

First full day also included getting Peg, my new home on wheels!! A 2003 Kia Pregio that has been given a lot of love and been on many adventures already; still got lots of adventuring left in her.  She’s pretty minimal right now, so while I’m staying in Tassie for the next couple months I’ll be getting her set up for my adventures on the mainland.

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The 17th was a pinnacle day for me because it involved some trials and tribulations… braving the Aussie roads in the middle of the day completely solo… That was an adventure in and of itself but I managed to get “petrol” (they look at you funny when you call it gas lol), go to a thrift store (up a very steep hill – involved practicing using the e-brake to start + not roll backwards lol) to get some things for the van, and my first Aussie beach – Kingston Beach! It was a HOT day (35˚C) so swimming was very much necessary, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Tassie waters are actually quite cold! Like Vancouver cold… I’ve also learned that the weather + temperature changes more frequently in a day than it does in Vancouver, so if you thought figuring out how to dress for a day in Canada was hard, just come to Hobart haha.

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Some other fun notable things from this week included getting back on the yoga mat for the first time in a month, bouldering at the local climbing gym, meeting a bunch of Alissa’s friends at one of their house warming parties, big 5-hour round trip to a nearby town to pick up some things for Alissa (lots of highway practice), and visiting a cute market called the Salamanca Market that happens every Saturday.  

This upcoming week is going to involve some camping and first time taking the van out for a proper mini adventure, so I’m really looking forward to spending some time really getting to know her and begin drafting up plans to make her more my own!

Stay passionate and curious, Hunter♡

02/19/2023

Austrian Adventures (Part 2)

Stay passionate and curious, Hunter♡

03/28/2019

Austrian Adventures (Part 1)

So it’s been officially a full month since I’ve been in Europe, and that kind of scares me because time is just FLYING by!  Since this is the first month, I wanted to dedicate this post to my first trip since arriving in Europe!

It was actually only two days after arriving in Hildesheim that Doug and I went off to visit one of our good friends, Noah.  Noah is one of the greatest people you’ll ever meet! He has the biggest heart, a great (yet sometimes questionable) sense of humour, and is so incredibly smart!  We actually only just met him in September when he came to BCIT on an exchange for the semester!  From day one him and my friend group just clicked (him and the guys have the same sense of humour, so it was a natural fit). Noah has been working in Dornbirn, Austria, for the past few months, and with Austria already being on mine and Doug’s travel list, it only made sense to make the trip out to visit him!

We had such a great time! Unfortunately, we were only able to stay two nights since our orientation week was starting on March 4th, but it was a great 2.5 days nonetheless.  Our first full day there we spent getting a bit of a tour of the town from Noah, before taking a local bus up to a little town on top of the mountains!  Probably one of the sketchiest things ever… it was just a regular city bus taking the narrowest and windy road possible on the side of basically a cliff… these drivers were crazy impressive! There were definitely some moments where it looked like we were driving right over the edge…and we definitely weren’t going slow either… the weather wasn’t the greatest at the top but it was SO beautiful.  The buildings with the different weathered wood sidings all scattered along the mountain side, along with all the coniferous trees really reminded me of home.  Even though it was raining/wet snowing, it made for such a cool vibe up there, with the clouds travelling in between the trees and mountain peaks.  It was perfect with all the colours and tones in the buildings and landscape.  We also discovered that both myself and Noah hadn’t seen the Sound of Music… so naturally we had to search it up later that night after going to this a-MAZING Indian buffet restaurant that was just a 20min walk from Noah’s, which was tucked away in the farmlands along the base of the mountain.

That’s one of the best things that I’ve learned too about travelling and making friends with new people, is you always manage to get to experience things you wouldn’t have necessarily found on your own.

Our second/last day there we took a train into Bregenz to wander around the city and to check out this REALLY cool and interesting art exhibit by Ed Atkins. The building itself too was amazing.  The Kunsthaus Bregenz was actually designed by an architect that I briefly studied last semester (Peter Zumthor); the details in this building were seriously amazing, and having Noah with us was even better because he actually got a tour of the building itself not too long ago… so he knew all kinds of cool facts about the actual design and design process. Afterwards, since our first train Doug and I needed to take home stopped in Lindau, Noah joined us to show us around. Lindau is this small, colourful and beautiful city that is mostly located out on an island surrounded by the largest lake that is actually shared by Austria, Germany and Switzerland!

Getting home though was an adventure and a half… we definitely jinxed ourselves after commenting on how smooth our trip from Vancouver to Hildesheim was… because we were quickly shown one of the things that could go wrong… this was also when I learned that while your boyfriend is making “fahrte” jokes while reading a message displayed on the train schedule that is in only German, you translate IMMEDIATELY, and not AFTER he’s finished joking around… because the “fahrte” message was telling us our train arrived at a different track than originally scheduled… so what should have been a 6 hour train ride from midnight to 6am, turned into a 30min wait, an hour long train ride, and a SEVEN HOUR WAIT in the Frankfurt train station (midnight to 7am), before we could catch our final train home… I definitely didn’t sleep for even a second in that station and had an AMAZING nap when I finally did make it home!  What I learned in the situation though is that staying calm is the only solution, and the only thing you can do is take action and ask for help when you need it.  Which is exactly what we did, and everything worked out just fine in the end!  AND we got to explore Frankfurt for a bit!  We wandered around the city till about 2:30am just to kill some time, and it was actually pretty fun! Now we just need to go on a day when everything is actually open…

A big thank you to Noah for taking us on our first European adventure; This was just the beginning of many, and I can’t wait to share more with you! Until then…

Stay passionate and curious, Hunter♡

Ps. For more photos from this trip, check out part 2!

03/28/2019

First Impressions

Europe is simply beautiful.  The colours of the quaint little streets that are filled with so much history in every detail; A uniqueness that can never be replicated.

My first impression of Hildesheim has definitely been filled with pure excitement and awe by the new surroundings; and while this still continues today as I wander the streets to get groceries, to visit Doug in the older part of the city, to going to the shops on the other side of town (which is only 2.5km away), I’ve been able to observe and progressively understand this new way of living.  

The town The town itself is seriously amazing.  As I’ve mentioned in my first post and on social media, I’m living in a small city called Hildesheim, located in Lower Saxony (Northern Germany).  My apartment is in one of the newer parts of town, but it still has that quaint and colourful vibe.  My place is only a 5-10minute walk from school, which has been an amazing change from the 50+min. drive I have to take to BCIT every day.  Everything here is so close! You’re at most a 25-30min walk from wherever you need to be.  So I think it’s fair to say that these past 3 weeks have already collectively made up for the lack of movement during my 3 years at BCIT…

There’s so many cute cafés and restaurants and shops which have been really fun to check out.  Definitely already found some favourites, which I’ll talk about in future posts!

One of my favourite walks has been to Doug’s house. The street he lives on is one of the two streets that survived the bombs during World War II, so he is currently living in a house that was built in 1511.  There’s cobbled stone streets everywhere (some which are more fun than others for biking down…), slanted houses, old brick and woodwork, so many unique doors, and beautiful garden spaces all around the buildings.  There’s lakes and forest paths all around the outskirts.  Everywhere I go feels like a new discovery, even when it’s the same street I walk down every day.

The people Honestly, my first impression of the people has been nothing but positive.  Everyone has been so kind, welcoming, and super helpful; and although English isn’t as common as I was told, they still try as much as possible to accommodate, no matter what their level of English is. They’re also very modest, in the way that every time I’ve asked “Sprechen sie Englische?” (do you speak English), about 80% have said a little bit, 15% have confidently said yes, while the other 5% don’t speak it at all – But as soon as that 80% begin to speak, they quite often have more than decent English, and are able to help with almost no problems of communication between the two of us!

Transportation It’s a whole new way of getting around for me which I’ve come to really enjoy.  You never feel like you’re in a rush to get anywhere (except when you’re running late for a train…).  Everyone walks or bikes around town for everything, and what would seem like forever of a walk for back home, seems silly to want to drive to here (even if it’s the EXACT same distance).  It’s made me think a lot about how I live daily back home and how much I’ve convinced myself I need to rely on a vehicle for simple things… I may be bringing home some new habits…

Walking and biking are definitely the most common.  I’ve yet to take the bus around town, because honestly, often it’s faster to just walk.

The train system between cities is also really great! (but make sure you translate the messages on the boards RIGHT AWAY… or else you’ll probably miss your train… because their station was switched…something I’ll definitely tell you all about another time, along with information I’ve gathered about the train systems here!).

Shopping Okay, specifically grocery shopping has been a huge switch for me.  There’s no such thing as buying in bulk, owning a freezer that ISN’T a tiny box in your fridge is unheard of, a separate floor to ceiling closet we like to call a pantry to store food? Nope. Not a thing either. Space is much more limited in most European homes, meaning groceries you purchase are only meant for that week (maybe even only that day…). So when you show up to the grocery store purchasing more than one loaf of bread because you’re going to keep some in the freezer for later on top of all your fruits and veggies, you can guarantee you’re going to be holding up the line. Oh yeah, and the cashiers are LIGHTNING fast when they scan through your items! You bag your own things, so keeping up is near impossible, and by the time you’ve bagged half your things and paid, the things the person behind you is purchasing is now mixed in with yours… it’s like a game you have to master.

Which is another thing, EVERYONE carries their own bags for groceries, which I think is absolutely wonderful! Definitely inconvenient at times when you’re already out but didn’t pack an extra bag with you. But I love it because it trains you to always be mindful of your bag usage while eliminating the need for plastic grocery bags.  It’s something we try to encourage back home, but here it feels more enforced.

The prices are also deceiving…being in euros, you think you’re spending only $20 on groceries but you’re actually spending $31.  I still haven’t quite figured out if the prices are cheaper, comparable, or more expensive as a whole, but I think for the most part things are relatively comparable in price – you’re definitely not finding big bags of anything to last you a month though...

Shopping as a vegan though…I’ve been in dreamland.  I know back home there’s many vegan options of things in the grocery store, but when moving to a smaller town in a different country, I definitely wasn’t sure what to expect… and when I went shopping the first time, it was definitely overwhelming and I felt like I was going to have to survive off just quinoa and sautéed veggies. But let me tell you!! I’ve found so many great vegan alternatives and really tasty snacks (later on I’ll do a post about “travelling as a vegan,” but on the topic of shopping and first impressions, I felt this was important to include), but I can happily say that I’m not living off a stereotypical University student diet of instant noodles, bread, cereal, pizza and peanut butter (except for the bread… bread consumption may have increased…).

A few other surprises:

The weather? If you thought Vancouver weather was strange: visit Hildesheim… within a single day we experienced (in this order): blue skies, down pouring rain with wind storms, sunny with fluffy clouds, intense winds with sun, intense winds with rain, black clouds, white clouds, spitting rain, sun, down pouring rain, cloudy, AND THEN SNOW!  It’s changing constantly, and you’re a fool to not prepare for all for seasons when walking out the door. (Climate change is real guys).

Paying for water! Okay, I was already pre-warned about this one, but it still blows my mind. I’m going to leave it with this meme my boyfriend found which perfectly sums it all up. 

Pedestrians do NOT have right of way. Don’t worry, I didn’t learn this the hard way – but it’s definitely something I’ve noticed when it comes to crossing streets, cars will NOT stop for you at a cross walk, so crossing smaller streets that are filled with cars parked half way on the side walk, you need to always be extra careful when looking around the corners.

 Sundays are for hiding at home. When our friends said everything is closed on Sundays, they mean EVERYTHING is closed on Sundays. So when you’re out of food on a Sunday because you forgot to shop on Saturday, you MIGHT be lucky to find a coffee shop on the other side of town who closes on Mondays instead.

It’s been only 3 weeks since I arrived in Germany, but I already have this feeling of being at home.  It’s a strange feeling to explain, and I don’t quite know whether it’s the town, being here with my boyfriend, or having been excited about moving out for the first time – but everything just feels strangely (and wonderfully) familiar and comfortable. I don’t have a single bad thing to say about it, and every day just makes me more and more excited to be here. I can’t wait to share my adventures with you all.

Until next time…

Stay passionate and curious, Hunter♡

03/20/2019

Let the adventures begin!

Hey Everyone!

It’s been just over two weeks since I left Canada, and I am excited to finally welcome you to ‘Bergen’s Adventure Tours.’  Over the next 6 months I will be using this blog as a way to document my adventures and experiences I have, and to keep you updated on my time studying abroad!

For those of you who haven’t been up to date with any of my posts over the last year, I am doing an exchange through my program at BCIT.  From March till July I am studying Architecture at HAWK in Germany, alongside my boyfriend, Doug, and my friend from BCIT, Carolyn!

With how crazy busy I know life can get, it can be easy to let time pass you by without fully realizing all the things you’ve done. Based on previous personal projects, I’ve learned that blogging is a really fun way to document these things.  Not only have my friends and family (and strangers) really enjoyed my past projects, but being able to go back and scroll through my own work from years ago is always a really fun and rewarding feeling.

I will be covering all kinds of topics in this blog – from travel tips, vegan recipes, places I visit, lessons I learn, to just general “check-ins” – but to categorize all these topics, I’ve chosen food, people, places and experiences.  If you’re ever interested in checking out posts related to one of these specific categories, you can type them in the search bar located in the side menu (click the two lines in the top left corner to open the menu). I already have a list of topics I plan to cover, but I will occasionally take polls on Instagram on which one’s people would be more interested in, and I will always be welcoming any suggestions!

That’s all from me for now! I just wanted to finally get this out there, and I look forward to sharing my first few adventures (and mistakes/lessons) I have had these past few weeks!

Stay passionate and curious, Hunter♡

03/14/2019