Lucerne

Switzerland stole my heart, and my money, but mostly my heart. I could not believe the beauty of this country and just how imaginative this beautiful place is. Also, Switzerland is incredibly expensive and I was somewhat thankful that we only spent about eighteen hours here, although I do wish that we could have stayed maybe one more day. And again we stayed in a converted jail and it was, umm, interesting to say the least. We also took a lake cruise around Lake Lucerne which was a lot of fun. We got a lot of photos together and a lot of memories were made. I loved the lake cruise because we started it when it was light out and finished it while watching the sunset and the hotels along the lake starting to light up. Really, really beautiful. 

Going up to the top of the Swiss Alps was so beautiful. I loved going up on the train it was really cool experience. And of course actually going up to the Alps by the only roofless motor car. It was really awesome to stand up at the top and see the Alps as we moved closer and closer. One of the girls on our trip, from Australia, had never seen snow before and so I am very glad to have been able to be a part of that memory with her. She was very excited about seeing snow for the first time, especially when we were heading up to the Alps and it started to snow a little bit and she finally saw snowflakes fall in real life. 

The hotel was really cool, although at first everyone was a little creeped out by it. We were staying in a jail that literally had been closed down in the 90s. It was a women's prison who had committed petty crimes. The doors for the room were still the old jail rooms and you needed a passcode to get into each room. The WIFI situation was not that great, but it created a funny environment for us, we would spend a lot of time hanging out in stairwells and down in the lobby trying to stay connected. 

Random point: the top of the Alps has excellent cell phone service and the WIFI is impeccable up there. 

Florence

Oh gosh, what is there to even say about Florence. It was so hot that day and sunny and perfect that it made walking around the small and beautiful city even better. What I liked the most about Florence was it wasn't too busy and yet there were still a lot of tourists. It wasn't as congested as Venice and Rome, especially Rome, but it still had a lot of people. I liked the views and easiness of getting around. I liked just walking around and seeing the architecture was really beautiful. I think the best part, again, was the walking tour. I liked that we were walked around the city with the tour guide and she was able to give us little tidbits of information (none which I can remember now of course!).

The one thing I absolutely loved, which I'm sure everyone else did as well, is the view from Piazzale Michelangelo. Just seeing it was absolutely beautiful. How amazing is the view, how amazing is it to see absolutely everything in Florence and to be able to see it all in one look. Panoramas do not do this place justice. One of the unique things we were able to do here was get a group shot, which is one of my favourite things that we got on this trip. It's a way in which I can have a photo with every single person from our trip. It's a very nice memento to have.

St. Goar

I had never heard of St. Goar before this trip and I didn't realize we were actually staying somewhere that was so off the beaten path that we barely had wifi service or anything at all. There was barely any vehicles driving around, absolutely no emergency vehicles (unlike London) and it was so quiet and peaceful. There was a point where a few of us just sat down by the water and listened to what was going on around us and there was literally no sound, just the chirping of crickets and mosquitos flying around. I think it was one of the most beautiful and picturesque places we visited, and we went to a lot of beautiful places. It was definitely really nice to go to a place to calm and quiet compared to the bustling and busy cities of Amsterdam and London. It was a nice way to sort of see what was around us and just to take it all in. It was also really nice to breathe fresh air that literally came off the turquoise river right in front of us.

One of the things I particularly enjoyed about this place was our ability to walk around the town and not have to worry about being hit by cyclists or cars. The streets were completely empty aside from us and there were no other tourists around. It was perfect. The night was cool, but nice to walk the town. It wasn't too hot which made site seeing that much more enjoyable. One of the things we noticed was how all of the stores were family owned and the cafes were kept open later then usual only because the owner was socializing with people who were sitting outside. They were so nice and greeted you as you walked by.

St. Goar is a place in which I had never heard of but now I will never forget.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a beautiful and free wheeling country. I had never thought Amsterdam was like this and I even have family who lives here! Unfortunately I did not get to see them, but the trip somewhat made up for missing out (though I will see them this summer). The day we were there was so hot and sunny it made our day there even better. We spent a mere 20 hours in Amsterdam and it was a beautiful way to start the trip. We had a walking tour with our trip manager and even went to visit the Red Light District.

Now because we were in Amsterdam on a Friday it was incredibly busy. I had never felt so claustrophobic in my life and it was definitely tough to walk around. We walked all the way around the District and learnt the history of prostitution in Amsterdam, which to every single person on the trip was a bit eye opening. We couldn't believe how proud these women were standing in their rooms showing everything off. But, hey, kudos to them! The one good thing about the walking tour with the entire group was that we were able to get to know people who were on the trip. Which was really nice because the next day we ended up spending our free time with a majority of the friends we had made the night before. We even had a beautiful canal cruise and were able to see the city from the canals that are used oh so much in such a small country. I think what I loved the most about Amsterdam is that you can literally tie up your boat in the canal and then drive around, in your boat!! It's crazy! And houseboats!? They are crazy popular and some of them were so intense and beautiful and super modern. So surprising.

The next morning we had a few hours of free time where we went to the Van Gogh museum, which showcased his work from his sane days until he was deemed insane. The paintings changed so dramatically and it was really different and amazing to see how they progressed. We sort of walked around the canals, which were just absolutely stunning and it was so nice out that it made the day that much better. Amsterdam was an incredible place to visit. I cannot wait to come back and visit.

A Place of Paradise

Treasure Island has been in my family for so long that it is hard to try and gather a memory that does not include the island in some way. My great aunt and great uncle bought the island a long time ago and my grandfather worked on the island as a child. He actually met my grandmother at the island, so it really does have very special meaning to us. I remember going to the island and the beautiful boat ride we would take to get there is one of the best. It's just the anticipation of coming over to the island to see everyone and spend an entire week together.

There is so much to say about this irresistible place that I just don't even have the words to explain it to you. It is the reason I look forward to summer, it is the glue that holds my family together (aside for love of course), and it is the history that continues to grow with every trip back to it.

It is a part of my family and no matter what happens to the island it will continue to be a member of this family.

Harry Potter and Pottermore

As with a lot of people my age we have grown up reading and re-reading the Harry Potter novels until the covers no longer stay on the book. We have grown up with not only the characters of the novels but also the actors who portrayed these characters on the screen. We have cried for our lost favourites (mostly Fred) and we have laughed with the Weasleys, we have rejoiced when the 'good' guys win and we cheer when Slytherin's lose (most of us anyway). We have waited in line for the books at midnight and we have worn our very own robes to the movie premieres. We are the Potter generation.

The one thing that utterly impresses me every time, especially when I go on Tumblr is the amount of people who have come up with extensive back stories for characters or places inside the Potter World.  The stories or even the fan fiction that has come out of this series completely astounds me. It just shows the dedication and pure love us readers and fans have for this series. Pottermore also gives us fans even more opportunity to delve into the world of Harry Potter and being sorted into a house as well as reading histories about wands, other wizarding schools, history of locations and history of other characters, among so much more. It creates this world that allows the reader to imagine that it actually exists. Sometimes people need that; they need that world to escape to and live inside of because they believe their world isn't magical enough.

Tumblr has amazing stories as well as gifsets that are just extraordinary. There is one blog that I absolutely love as it has a lot of different back stories for other wizarding schools around the world (and not just the new ones JK added to Pottermore). Take a look:
http://asheathes.tumblr.com/tagged/gif:hp

We, as a generation, have fallen in love with this story. To the point where we could not even imagine our lives without this series. Even though the books and the movies have ended the story continues to live on in the people it has enlightened.

Mystery Trip

Could you imagine agreeing to go on a trip where you had no idea where you were going or what you would be doing or where you would be staying?

For me that would be an amazing trip. To just pack a bag and get on a place going somewhere you have never been before. Granted it would be scary, but can you imagine the possibilities that would come from it? The independence you would gain from finding places on your own, you would learn a language or at least a little bit of one, you would meet incredible people along the way- some maybe not so great and others you will never forget. And the memories you would create, the moments you would have and the stories you could share are ones that last a lifetime.

I think one of my next trips will have to be something like this.

http://gomistrip.com/en

Summer 2015

European Adventure

As of today my sister and I have officially booked our trip to Europe!!! What an exciting day! Yeah, it was expensive, but it is totally worth it. I am beyond excited to go and visit a brand new continent and several countries I've only dreamed of visiting and now it is finally becoming a reality. We will be travelling to England, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Vatican City, Switzerland and France! 

We decided instead of travelling on our own and booking everything on our own to travel with Contiki. We have both heard amazing things about Contiki and we have had friends and family members both use it and coming back with amazing stories about how amazing their time was. Plus, it was about $4000 cheaper! Crazy how expensive travelling is! 

I cannot wait to fly to a new continent, to experience new cultures (even though Canada isn't much different from Europe), to meet new people, and just to have a brand new experience. This is a once in a lifetime type of trip, one where you can't schedule on a whim, especially with a full time job. Now is the time to travel, eventually it will cost so much money to fly and stay in Europe, and also I'm 24 and now is definitely the time to travel around. 

More information to come on what we are doing!! 

Solitary Being

I am a solitary person. I like my time away from the world to just be inside my own head and not have to carry on conversations with people. Don’t get me wrong, I like hanging out with my friends and going out every once in a while. But, what I really enjoy is just being on my own and people don’t really understand that.

People always ask me ‘when are you going to get a boyfriend?’ or ‘are there any boys in your life?’ because that seems to be the most important thing in a girl’s life right? Getting married, settling down, and having a family. Not that that is a bad thing, I just don’t see it being the right fit for me. Seeing people with kids and homes and roots makes me nervous. I just feel like I would be stuck in that life and not happy. I would be restless.

The boys that I have met and went on dates with have their lives generally together. They have full time jobs and enjoy living the way that they are, whether its in security or construction. But none of them have wanted to travel. None of them want to leave their home, they are content here and I am not. I need to travel, to experience the world, to see new cultures and new places. I find that I am a solitary person and need space to myself. Having conversations with people is difficult for me and I would rather just be on my own.

Solitary life doesn’t mean that I choose to be on my own and not socialize with anyone. It just means that I don’t always need human contact. I can go days without actually speaking to someone or go out somewhere and not have to go with someone. I just enjoy the silence of being on my own. I enjoy listening to my thoughts and not worry about ignoring the person sitting beside me or across from me.