My year abroad

My love for travelling started at a very early age, I thank my parents for this addiction! They would take me on many vacations as a child! Mexico, Portugal, Florida, to name a few. It instilled such a desire in me to see as much of the world as I can, while I can! When I was nineteen I wanted to move abroad to New York for fashion school, my mother didn’t like the idea of her only child moving alone to the fast paced city New York, which now at an older age I understand! My longing to live in another country never subsided and almost exactly 10 years later I finally took the chance. I applied for a working holiday visa, packed my bags and took my best friend with me for a year of much longed for adventure!

First up, Thailand for a month…

Oh Thailand! I’ve been to many beautiful places in this world but nothing has yet to beat my love for Thailand (other than New York, of course) If paradise was on earth, Thailand would be it!! From the Rain forest like nature, to the beautiful other worldly beaches, to the fresh hand grown meat and vegetables and all the different spices! Curry in Thailand is like nothing else!! Just the spiritual presence that fills the air is indescribable! Peace encompasses you no matter where you are.

We spent two nights living in a hill tribe village with the locals. Bathing in a bucket, going to the washroom in a hole in the ground, sleeping in cots on the floor with mosquito nets covering us so massive spiders wouldn’t get in. No lights, no television, none of our first world articles we so take for granted and still the locals were the happiest people! So content with life, when really they didn’t have much, that’s what made Thailand even more special to me!!

We travelled from north to south on sleeper trains, visited the most beautiful islands with massive tree covered mountains protruding from the ocean… just breath taking!! From the spiritual rituals to their gorgeous monuments. The fresh home grown food to the immense love of life from their people, it was definitely the best experience I’ve ever had to date! Thailand for all you world travellers is truly a must!!

Next up, Sydney Australia for eight months…

I never really had the biggest desire to go to Australia, i’d definitely go anywhere once but it wasn’t at the top of my list! I had a few family friends who lived there and a couple of clients who had just recently moved to Sydney so I thought why not, at least i’ll know some people when I arrive. I was pleasantly surprised!! The beaches looked like screen savers. The people were so friendly. The food was amazing and standing on the steps of the Sydney Opera house made my whole experience! Seeing it up close was like nothing else, aside from the Eiffel tower nothing will top that monument for me! My best friend and I rented an apartment, worked part time and lived such a great eight months there! Road tripping for two weeks in a campervan with a cartoon Charlie Sheen on the side. Celebrating my 30th birthday in the indescribably gorgeous Whitsunday Islands, which no offence to my favourite place Thailand, was the most beautiful beach I have ever seen! The whitest sand swirling through the bluest water. Eating kangaroo and crocodile. Experiencing christmas in the summer, which to this Canadian girl was very odd but also lovely. Living in the red light district of Sydney. And of course, the many Australian animals you’d never even imagine existed! Makes sense why the magical island of Oz is on the other side of the world! I had the most incredible time and made some truly life changing memories. I will never forget my home away from home!!

Lastly, one week in Bali….

Bali, even the name itself sound so dreamy! That’s exactly what it is!! Bali was at the top of my bucket list.. Eat, Pray, Love was the cause of that. Indonesia is mystical and charming. The air is fresh and you feel like you’re in a magical city, straight out of a fantasy novel! The spiritualism in Bali is unreal. Buddha is everywhere!! The Balinese believe in balance. Love, work, fun, food… everything in balance and you definitely feel balanced there! Thailand and Bali are very similar in visuals, everything is green green green. The food is to die for! Pad Thai in Bali is incredible! My goal was to see the Tegalalang rice fields, and I did! What a view! We went to a monkey forest where monkeys are trained to steal for their owners. Went to a factory where they handmade anything and everything. Ate well and drank the huge $1 beers called Bintang that made me so happy. Bought beautiful handmade jewelry, went to Ketut Liers home (for those of you who watched Eat, Pray, Love) For this lover of the novel, that was my full circle moment. Watched a ritual of the Balinese bathing in blessed water, which was so incredible to witness… Bali if I can describe in one word is undoubtedly, spiritual!

This year long experience is something I will cherish for the rest of my life! I am so proud that I took the leap and the memories I look back on always make me smile!! To anyone contemplating a trip like this, do it! Don’t worry about money, you’ll always earn it back.. Don’t worry about your friends and family, they’ll be there when you get home. The journey you will take is worth every second! Experiencing new cultures, connecting to your own spirituality, trying new foods, just being out of your comfort zone! That’s what I love!! I’ve appreciated life so much more since this trip and after all of it, you come back and realize home is truly where the heart is <3