On the Road ... and other reads

Today was my last day at work and what a glorious feeling that was!

Ahhh, realizing as I locked the door for the last time that I would never have to step inside the cupcake shop again was a sweet, sweet feeling (no pun intended).

So here I am, unemployed with a RTW ticket in hand and my backpack ready. All that stands between me and my globetrotting dreams are 10 days of last minute errands and some laundry.

I have been a reading MACHINE over the last month, having finished 6 books in as many weeks. All the free and BORING time at work allowed me to accomplish this.

Recent Reads are:

Three Cups of Tea

A Continent for the Taking: The Tragedy and Hope of Africa

A Rainbow In The Night: The Tumultuous Birth Of South Africa

Do Travel Writers Go to Hell?: A Swashbuckling Tale of High Adventures, Questionable Ethics, and Professional Hedonism

Playing with Fire
Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity

Long Way Down

All of them have been excellent reads and I recommend picking one if not all of them up. Some were intense and emotional, others were fun and engaging.

I've grabbed a few new books to read while away (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), as well as some classics (On the Road, Catcher in the Rye and Heart of Darkness) that lend themselves perfectly to my travel ahead. (Something tells me that reading Heart of Darkness while traveling down the Mekong would be rather fitting no?)

I'm hoping that I will get through all the pages that I am bringing with me and maybe even some more over the next 4 months. Hammocks, trains, planes, buses and lazy beach days lend themselves nicely to burying ones head in the pages of a well written book.

Now, off to finish my tome: Generation A

Valedictorian .. who? ME!

Well I did it!

Last night was my formal convocation. It was an amazing evening, full of pride and electric energy. Everyone was so excited to have made it to this moment and proud of all their hard work culminating at this event.

I made it trough my speech and when it was time to walk across the stage, I was more than ready to accept my Travel & Tourism Business Management Diploma.

I was lucky enough to have my Mom come in from Ontario to attend the event and my WONDERFUL man P was there to show his support and love.



For your reading enjoyment, below is my Valedictorian speech:

When Lori asked me to say a few words tonight I was flattered. And then I was speechless, which as some of you know not at all in my character.

I wasn’t sure what to talk about or where to start so I figured I should start at the beginning.

My beginning was when I decided to walk away from a comfortable 10 year career in real estate and pursue my dreams of working in the travel industry.

That was a scary day, almost as scary as walking into the first day of class to a sea of unfamiliar faces, truly unsure if I had made the right decision.

But as I looked around, something told me I was not alone with my feelings of uncertainty mixed with excitement and anticipation.

All our fears were quickly cast aside by the warmth and welcome our amazing teacher Lori and all the staff at CTC:

Gwen who always has time to listen to anyone who steps into her office.
Lisa who keeps all us on track and organized
Krista the smiling patient face of CTC
And let’s not forget Ryan, before he was scooped up by WestJet

Strangers quickly became friends.

Over the last eight months we spent days and hours studying & reading & learning every aspect of the business imaginable (GDS and train schedules make anyone else a little crazy? And I know PAT and I have developed a long standing love/hate relationship).

Over the last eight months we also bonded, forming strong and meaningful relationships, while growing and defining ourselves as individuals. Every day our passions were engaged and dreams bloomed. We were inspired and encouraged and our desires to excel and learn became more pronounced than ever before.

And here we are today. We now stand tall with confidence, armed with knowledge ready to follow our dreams maps, routes, trails and flight paths.

So what’s next?

Well, our futures will depend on timetables, rules, regulations and tariffs. Our actions, our decisions, will determine out success.

While we may be somewhat scared about leaving the comforts of the classroom and nervous about what our futures may hold for us, I know we are all eager and well prepared to jump in with both feet and see where the ride takes us.

I wish all of you good luck on every path that you choose, with every voyage you embark on. I know that we have the strength and knowledge to tackle and be successful at anything we take on.

I thank you for being the wonderful people that you are and not only for having, but for giving me the strength to chase my dreams

We have come full circle.

It is time to turn the page and start the next chapter

In the words of Jack Kerouac:

“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.”

Family and Long Weekends

Well the May Long is now over and what a weekend it was.

Really it was a extended long WEEK of fun as my amazing Mother had been out to visit for the week and sadly I saw her off this afternoon at the airport.

We strolled along 4th Ave in Kits and shopped till we dropped, we explored Steveston Village and the Richmond Night Market and had some great laughs and we had a true adventure taking the ferry to Gibson’s Landing, staying at a lovely B&B and walking the beaches of Sechelt.

And all of that in just 5 days! It was a whirlwind and so much fun!

It was an amazing time and I am so sad that my Mom had to leave, but that’s the reality of living on opposite sides of the country.

If only I could win the lottery and move my family out here …

Iceland Ash Still a Problem

Volcanic ash from Iceland is still causing massive travel complication throughout Europe and North Africa, with airports in Morocco, Spain, Turkey and halting flights.

And while most of these closures and delays are over, BBC reports:

Most of the ash cloud is above the Atlantic now, meaning transatlantic
flights are longer and there are many delays as pilots fly around the
hazard.

Bangkok: Back to Business

As reported by CNN and other media outlets, the anti-Government protesters known as the Thai Red Shirts have come to an agreement with the Thai Government which includes new elections to be called for in November.

Bangkok has been inundated with aggressive protests and demonstrations for the last few months, with Britain and the US issuing travel advisories to the region.

Now it would seem that the city is moving back to a sense of normalcy and tourism is back on track.

Read the full CNN article here: Thai Red Shirts 'reach deal to end protests'

BBC report here: Thai PM promises 'road-map' to solve mass protests

2010 World Cup: Spotlight on South Africa

Cape Town, South Africa

“Sport has the power to change the world,” Nelson Mandela once said, “the power to inspire, the power to unite people in a way that little else can.”

That is the lead line for a recent article in the Toronto Star, entitled 2010 World Cup Preview: High-stakes game for South Africa.

Touching on the historical and current political and racial tensions, as well as the expected effects of the massive influx of tourism and exposure South Africa will be facing over the next month, the writer highlights the countries diversity, from its people to its geography.

Tourism is a vital element of the South African economy and this summer will be its true test. What happens during and to a more important extent after the 2010 World Cup will be the true indicator of the events success.

32 Day to Go

That's all the left till Part I of the The Adventure begins!

Part I - Southern Africa

The Sanctuary Thailand

Bliss ... this will be my home for a while while I'm in Thailand ...

We are a small beach resort, spa, and detox center on Koh Phangan, Thailand. Feast on healthy mouth watering vegetarian and seafood specialties. Stay in unique island style accommodations and experience our wonderful yoga and meditation offerings. Discover life at The Sanctuary

Life offers a range of holistic classes within The Sanctuary, from one-hour meditations to week-long trainings and workshops. Some of the classes are specifically designed to compliment the existing fasting and yoga programs, such as raw food preparation, nutrition and yoga theory. Other workshops and trainings will be on offer for self-transformation and holistic studies. Life is unique in the wide range of options available, from beginners introductory classes to intensive trainings and retreats. Covering a wide array of areas in mind, body and spirit, we offer a comprehensive selection of possibilities, to assist you in finding the tools that work for you. From a one-hour class to a six-month membership, you can choose your own level of commitment. You can dip your toes in, or dive deep!

Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour

Here is another addition to the South Africa list of adventures to be had. And this one is totally up my ally for engaging in outdoor adventure activites that are ECO FRIENDLY!

Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour is located in South Africa's Tsitsikama Coastal National Park, about an hour and a half from Port Elizabeth in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province. Tsitsikamma NP stretches from a rocky stretch of the Indian Ocean coastline to 90-foot high pines in temperate forests

The Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour is a unique eco-wilderness adventure that takes place in the magnificent Tsitsikamma indigenous rainforest.

The first of its kind in Africa, the canopy tour involves traversing from one platform to another along a steel cable suspended up to 30 meters above the forest floor.

Construction of the Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour has been done in accordance with strict civil engineering standards. The system was designed and created by an adventurous civil engineer who constructed a similar canopy tour in Costa Rica. The safety standards have been significantly enhanced and the Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour uses state of the art equipment and has been rated as the most sophisticated of it's kind in the world. Concept to completion took fourteen and a half months.

Table Mountain Abseil

OK, this got my juices flowing ... add it to the list of MUST DO's while in SA

Table Mountain Abseil - Step off the top, at 1000 metres above sea level, and rappel into pure vertical space. This is the world's original highest commercial abseil. You are surrounded by awesome views and the deep blue Atlantic at your feet

BTTV - Brazil

Todays BRAZIL BTTV Episode showcases the experiences of RIO DE JANEIRO. Our Brazil guide Ravi will take you on an adventure hang gliding over Rio and later visiting the Christo monument and a little peek at a Rio nightclub: