Out and About

Life here in London is really starting to take place. I enjoyed fighting dragons, feeding them snakes and battling heaps of baddies. I started a knitting class this week and love being able to learn a new skill. The women in the class are all older than me of course but they are very nice and helpful. I'm currently learning stitches but I can't wait until I can actually begin to knit real things.

Over the weekend I visited Camden Market which is huge, I'm sure many of you will be getting your christmas, birthday and special gifts from there as they had EVERYTHING. I experienced my first London pint. I tried a London Lager which was quite good. I spent more time walking around London and was able to see some great views. You can even see the London Zoo from Regents Park for free. I took a quick tour of Oxford St., no shopping this time! I walked through Leicester Square while on my way home. 

I was reunited with one of my Australia girls to tackle Oktoberfest at Kennington Park. It started off slow as it was a sunday but once the band started and the beer began, it really started to be fun.  

A Few Firsts

This week was a week of firsts; first full week of work, first days of school, first trip to London, first trip on the train, first time seeing a real palace, and first trip to Brighton.

The boys have been great here. We sent the oldest off to school for the first time this week, I spent time finding my way around and taking the youngest to his activities. As per my own habit of loving animals, I've already got the youngest on board looking for cats and dogs while walking and watching multiple youtube videos of cats and dogs! I've really started to adjust time wise but still detest waking up in the mornings!

It was very difficult to organize a bank account here and sign up for a cell phone being a foreigner but its finally all worked out, thank goodness. I've decided that I'm never moving here again, thank goodness I've already done it!

Saturday morning I had set up a coffee meeting with some other au pairs, at Starbucks (so not english!).  It was nice to meet some other girls before organizing my travel card and venturing off to London on the train for the very first time! I was a bit nervous but hey I've travelled before. The trip was so easy, everything was marked, and the city was amazing.

Sunday was supposed to be a bus tour trip to London but most of the route was shut down due to a bike race. So we decided to save that for another weekend and headed to Brighton for a day by the sea! Brighton reminded me a little bit of Byron Bay mixed with old 50's type pier fair attractions and rides. It was very cutesy and I had a great day exploring. 

Wait Up for Me Dear London

I've made it to London, safe, sound and smiling. No real tears were shed this time, just a small leakage, much different from last time. (Did I mention homesickness last time?!) This time I set off smiling and ready for the new adventures life has in store for me.

Thanks for the visit Canada, see you again soon

London welcomed me with open arms

It feels like home already with a farm out my window. I'm settling in with misadventures with the banks and phone companies. I've now organized those this week and have switched over with the time change. 

I'm looking forward to making new memories here and can't wait to tour London this weekend!

Another adventure

Today I finished packing and laundry, 

Tomorrow I leave on another airplane for another adventure in another new country 

A few months ago I accepted an offer to work for another family as an aupair in London England. I will be working for a family of 4 with two boys! I'm excited for castles and farms, historical ruins, and everything else that England offers. I can't wait for lego, trains, cars, superheroes, and boy things!

It's a much different feeling leaving this time. The last time I left I was fleeing a life I wasn't ready for, this time I'm a bit more open to it and it's a scary feeling thinking that I could possibly begin to settle in another country. It could be that I have done this before or I have friends in England already. Either way I'm looking at in in a different view than last time. I'm excited and ready though which is the most important part!

Week 52: Goodbye Australia

Looking back to when I first arrived I thought this day would never come. I felt it couldn't come fast enough. I certainly didn't think I would last 365 days, 52 weeks, 1 year in Australia on my own. At some point in the year I started thinking the opposite way, dreading the day I would have to go home. I was so busy travelling in the end that it crept right up on me. I cried when I realized I only had two weeks left in Australia. 

I'm not sure I can explain how special the people I have met while travelling here in Australia are to me.  I have to say goodbye to Australia for now but I can't wait to come back some day.

TRAVELLING, IT LEAVES YOU SPEECHLESS, AND THEN TURNS YOU INTO A STORYTELLER

- IBN BATTUTA- 

NOT ALL THOSE WHO WANDER ARE LOST

IT'S NOT GOODBYE BUT SEE YOU AGAIN 

Adventuring: Coffs Harbour

DATES: May 29- June 2
HOSTEL: Aussitel Backpackers
TOURS: None

Coffs Harbour was meant to be a stopover in between Byron Bay and Sydney but it turned out to be a place to meet up with a friend who I met in Mission Beach a few weeks before. Coffs is a small little town that is quite spread out. It reminded me of home but with a beach and ocean.

I stayed at Aussitel Backpackers where my friend was and loved it. It was very clean, the staff and other backpackers were amazing. I met lots of new friends and wished I could have stayed longer. There was so much to do at the hostel. I watched movies, played games, won a game of trivia, went surfing twice, and took lots of naps on the comfy hammocks and bean bag chairs.

The weather wasn't great as it was slowly becoming winter but I had a wonderful time in Coffs Harbour. I conquered the jetty jump, much to the surprise of the children and fishermen. I even taught some friends how to surf thanks to my previous lessons!

Adventuring: Byron Bay

DATES: May 25- May 29
HOSTEL: Arts Factory Lodge
TOURS: Go Sea Kayak Byron Bay, Grasshoppers Nimbin Tour

I was skeptical about going to Byron Bay but it was totally unfounded. Byron is my favourite place in Australia. Perhaps I became a bit more hippie/traveller in the past few weeks but I felt like I had found home. It was the most beautiful place I had seen. The waves are amazing for surfing, perfect for swimming or sunning all day. The shopping was everything you could need. Byron Bay had everything.

I stayed at the Arts Factory Lodge. The staff was amazing and I made a few friends while staying there. I couldn't believe how laid back everything and everyone was. It was a bit out of town but very easy walking distance to get everywhere. It was a bit dirty in the bathrooms and there was a deposit for kitchen stuff but otherwise was great. I found the best place to eat lunch called Miss Margarita, honestly I could have died and gone to heaven happy after eating there.

I did an ocean kayak trip with Go Sea Kayak Byron Bay which was an incredible trip. I saw multiple pods of wild dolphins including babies just swimming around me. I went swimming with a sea turtle and missed out on seeing a shark. AMAZING

I did the trip to Nimbin to check it out and it was surprisingly quite cool. I went with Grasshoppers Nimbin Tour . The little town was full of history and old hippies! I checked out the museum and learned a lot about the fight to legalize marijuana. (NOTE: The town of Nimbin recently had a fire which burnt down the museum)