while on an 8 day road trip through the united states, i have learned many things that i will take with me for the rest of my life. for example....
-america really is a fast food nation. hamborgers, whataburgers, bbq... located approximately every five metres.
-girls sometimes do drive faster than boys.
-best western really is best.
-texas is really big. and texans LOVE texas. did i already tell you dean had a waffle in the shape of texas?
-north america isn't really that big. no excuse not to see more of canada and the us.
-you can fit WAY more than you think into a mazda suv.
-birds are really dumb. two got killed by plowing straight into our car. (one into the front grate, the other into the windshield wiper) you think they would learn from watching their friends die.
-there is no us equivalent to timmy's in taste, price and location.
-there are a lot of creepy motels in the world.
-i don't get bored in the car: choosing music, knitting, reading magazines... i loved every second of doing things i never have time to do!
-it is really hot in southern texas. scorching. my glasses fogged up when i left my hotel this morning.
-americans think you are insanely nuts for driving from canada.
-texans can't believe you would ever want to move to mexico. "good on you for making the move. there aren't a lot of people who would do that" - guy at eddie bauer. and he was being totally serious.
-foreign id's are not accepted everywhere. i got turned down at sac n pac trying to buy a six pack of beers!
-texas is much greener than you would expect.
-there is a dairy queen in every single small town... even when there isn't a hotel!
-it is important to always have a full gas tank... because we are in hurricane season. it is also important not to pick up hitchhikers in southern texas, because there are prisons.
-mexican men gawk a lot. i had kind of forgotten that. i guess i better get used to it.
aside from all these new wisdoms, i have also gained a true appreciation for the united states. almost everyone we have met has been SO friendly. holding doors open, excited about our trip, making jokes... i haven't met any stuck-up americans. i have discovered cute little small towns that i would want to stop in one day for a beer and have a list of cities to return back to. a day in each of them just wasn't enough to get a true sense of their atmosphere. there is so much diversity in the united states -- a few more road trips will definitely have to be planned in order to discover it.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
the lonestar state.
texas is HUGE. we have been driving in texas for two days, and we still haven't reached mcallen. to be fair, we have been taking it pretty easy: sleeping in a bit, taking long breaks and SHOPPING! we entered texas in texarkana, slept in sulphur springs (at the best best western we have found!), passed by dallas (it is huge and we would need more than a few hours to explore) and went on to austin.
since austin is known as the 'live music capital of the world', i think i expected to be bowled over more by a music vibe. the city is big, and fairly spread out, and there was no one around! we were there on a sunday, so maybe everyone was at church; or maybe everyone was still hung over from the night before? we went straight to sixth street, which has a reputation for quite a tourist scene. after stopping in for a quick visit to the tourist office, they suggested that we walk across the water and down to a funky area called south congress (or 'soco'). and i am SO glad that we took their suggestion. we found music, colour, funk, and the best retro shopping in the world. one store, called uncommon objects, was literally bursting at the seams with old school junk and kitsch. it was like a museum of objects from lives gone by. tons of vintage clothing stores, boutiques, cafes and (apparently) star sightings. really captured the austin-hippie-music-vibe that i had heard so much about.
we were both getting a bit worn out from the pace of our trip thus far, so after a few beers at a bar on sixth street, we decided to leave austin a bit early to have a relaxing evening at..... SUPER EIGHT MOTEL. we have refused to pay more than 80 bucks for a hotel, so we were stuck with the 'class' (and cloudy swimming pool) at super eight. we played scrabble, watched some tv and generally did nothing. our plan had been to spend the day in san antonio, but since we will have many opportunities to come back to visit, we bypassed it for a full day of san marcos outlet shopping. we slept in -- did you know that housekeeping in texas just comes in in the morning without checking to see if you have checked out? then we proceeded to have an EPIC breakfast at the infamous IHOP (international house of pancakes) which dean had been wanting to check out. your breakfast comes with a 'side' of three buttermilk pancakes. WHAT? what human could eat that much food? we tried. i failed. i discovered bath and body works and the uber-cheap target and then we discovered every shopaholic's (and rich mexican's) dream: outlet shopping heaven. kenneth cole, banana republic, puma, aldo.... everything under the sun! dean and i have proved that we did have room in the car for more stuff, you wouldn't believe me if you had seen how full our car was when we left the cottage. i purchased hot kenneth cole shoes for 29 bucks and a ralph lauren down pillow for the same! great success.
we shared mussels and a margarita at the olive garden (mmmm breadsticks) in celebration of our shopping successes and then drove on to find a place to sleep on the way to mcallen. given our trip so far, we never imagined this would prove to be a problem. however, the map (and our friends) failed to tell us that after san antonio there is literally.... a WASTE land. absolutely NOTHING! no hotels for miles and miles (save the 'kuntry motel'). an hour later then expected we FINALLY found a vacancy at the dodgy days inn in alice, texas. construction, dust, dirty windows... but beds to sleep in!
so. that leads me to today. it is tuesday, and we are less than two hours away from mcallen, and less than five from monterrey. this afternoon we will be meeting up with the others who drove down before getting up early tomorrow morning to cross the border... and into my new life.
since austin is known as the 'live music capital of the world', i think i expected to be bowled over more by a music vibe. the city is big, and fairly spread out, and there was no one around! we were there on a sunday, so maybe everyone was at church; or maybe everyone was still hung over from the night before? we went straight to sixth street, which has a reputation for quite a tourist scene. after stopping in for a quick visit to the tourist office, they suggested that we walk across the water and down to a funky area called south congress (or 'soco'). and i am SO glad that we took their suggestion. we found music, colour, funk, and the best retro shopping in the world. one store, called uncommon objects, was literally bursting at the seams with old school junk and kitsch. it was like a museum of objects from lives gone by. tons of vintage clothing stores, boutiques, cafes and (apparently) star sightings. really captured the austin-hippie-music-vibe that i had heard so much about.
we were both getting a bit worn out from the pace of our trip thus far, so after a few beers at a bar on sixth street, we decided to leave austin a bit early to have a relaxing evening at..... SUPER EIGHT MOTEL. we have refused to pay more than 80 bucks for a hotel, so we were stuck with the 'class' (and cloudy swimming pool) at super eight. we played scrabble, watched some tv and generally did nothing. our plan had been to spend the day in san antonio, but since we will have many opportunities to come back to visit, we bypassed it for a full day of san marcos outlet shopping. we slept in -- did you know that housekeeping in texas just comes in in the morning without checking to see if you have checked out? then we proceeded to have an EPIC breakfast at the infamous IHOP (international house of pancakes) which dean had been wanting to check out. your breakfast comes with a 'side' of three buttermilk pancakes. WHAT? what human could eat that much food? we tried. i failed. i discovered bath and body works and the uber-cheap target and then we discovered every shopaholic's (and rich mexican's) dream: outlet shopping heaven. kenneth cole, banana republic, puma, aldo.... everything under the sun! dean and i have proved that we did have room in the car for more stuff, you wouldn't believe me if you had seen how full our car was when we left the cottage. i purchased hot kenneth cole shoes for 29 bucks and a ralph lauren down pillow for the same! great success.
we shared mussels and a margarita at the olive garden (mmmm breadsticks) in celebration of our shopping successes and then drove on to find a place to sleep on the way to mcallen. given our trip so far, we never imagined this would prove to be a problem. however, the map (and our friends) failed to tell us that after san antonio there is literally.... a WASTE land. absolutely NOTHING! no hotels for miles and miles (save the 'kuntry motel'). an hour later then expected we FINALLY found a vacancy at the dodgy days inn in alice, texas. construction, dust, dirty windows... but beds to sleep in!
so. that leads me to today. it is tuesday, and we are less than two hours away from mcallen, and less than five from monterrey. this afternoon we will be meeting up with the others who drove down before getting up early tomorrow morning to cross the border... and into my new life.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
arc and saw.
greetings from texas, where everything is bigger! we reached texas city limits after driving through FIVE dry counties in arkansas. FIVE! i didn't even know that dry counties still existed.
the drive from corner to corner of arkansas was done easily in a day. known as the natural state, due to its hot springs (which we skipped, i'll have to remember it for next time!) and beautiful lush outdoors. i convinced dean to take a crazy risk and stop for a few hours in the state capital, little rock, even though we knew nothing about it. what a hidden gem!
little rock was cute and approachable, almost feeling like a small town... but there was certainly not a shortage of things to do. the primary reason that little rock has been put on the map, is that it was the hometown of president bill clinton. apparently, before him, no one had any reason to drop in for a visit. testament to how much the folks of little rock love their ex-president, they built a HUGE modern-looking glass museum on the banks of of the arkansas river that is dedicated solely to clinton's tenure as president. videos, audio tours, schedules, letters written to the clintons... everything under the sun was included. while it was certainly a celebration of clinton's successes (note: there was no mention of his infidelity, of course), it was impressively informative and unpretentious. just a town that is proud of their main man.
afterwards, we wandered along the river, checked out the local farmer's market and wandered along president clinton avenue. the cafes were unique and cute - in fact they reminded me a lot of similar ones in the glebe or westboro. after a sandwich and delicious chocolate silk PIE (to die for) fromt he local bakery, we were off.
the rest of arkansas consisted of stops at a burnt down truck stop, a drive through hope (where clinton was actually born) and most notably, the town texarkana on the border between - you guessed it - arkansas and texas.
we have come quite far, but yet in many ways, the journey has not felt incredibly long. the drives between the major towns are easily done in under six or seven hours, and there have been lots of interesting little detours along the way. i am enjoying both the driving time and the passenger time. we have listened to dozens of cd's, learned some spanish, read the paper and i have even done a few lines of knitting. we haven't even arrived yet, but already, i can't wait to drive across the country again!
the next three days will be in texas. and i can already tell the motto is true: you don't mess with texas.
the drive from corner to corner of arkansas was done easily in a day. known as the natural state, due to its hot springs (which we skipped, i'll have to remember it for next time!) and beautiful lush outdoors. i convinced dean to take a crazy risk and stop for a few hours in the state capital, little rock, even though we knew nothing about it. what a hidden gem!
little rock was cute and approachable, almost feeling like a small town... but there was certainly not a shortage of things to do. the primary reason that little rock has been put on the map, is that it was the hometown of president bill clinton. apparently, before him, no one had any reason to drop in for a visit. testament to how much the folks of little rock love their ex-president, they built a HUGE modern-looking glass museum on the banks of of the arkansas river that is dedicated solely to clinton's tenure as president. videos, audio tours, schedules, letters written to the clintons... everything under the sun was included. while it was certainly a celebration of clinton's successes (note: there was no mention of his infidelity, of course), it was impressively informative and unpretentious. just a town that is proud of their main man.
afterwards, we wandered along the river, checked out the local farmer's market and wandered along president clinton avenue. the cafes were unique and cute - in fact they reminded me a lot of similar ones in the glebe or westboro. after a sandwich and delicious chocolate silk PIE (to die for) fromt he local bakery, we were off.
the rest of arkansas consisted of stops at a burnt down truck stop, a drive through hope (where clinton was actually born) and most notably, the town texarkana on the border between - you guessed it - arkansas and texas.
we have come quite far, but yet in many ways, the journey has not felt incredibly long. the drives between the major towns are easily done in under six or seven hours, and there have been lots of interesting little detours along the way. i am enjoying both the driving time and the passenger time. we have listened to dozens of cd's, learned some spanish, read the paper and i have even done a few lines of knitting. we haven't even arrived yet, but already, i can't wait to drive across the country again!
the next three days will be in texas. and i can already tell the motto is true: you don't mess with texas.
walking in memphis.
Nashville severely kicked my butt. We left this morning (late morning) still reeling from the effects of the pint-sized shot of Jack Daniels I was served last night. I danced hard, drank hard, and paid for it HARD this morning. In fact, one of my shoes had fallen off in Marcus’ car, and I had to go and pick it up at the security stand outside of his office/factory on the way out of town – talk about embarrassing – picking up one shoe from a random dude... how do you explain that?! We had intended to set off a bit earlier, but it took both Dean and I a bit to get up and at ‘em this morning.
We drove the three hours to Memphis and headed directly to Dean’s number one destination, Graceland. My Dad has considered disowning me for visiting, but I was really excited to see this iconic place. The Graceland mansion itself was unexpectedly modest, considering what I was expecting from the King. The property was massive and sprawling, but the rooms in the house were of average size. The décor was certainly unique (purple velour, jungle themed, mirrored hallways) but it felt like a home. However, the Elvis theme park that has emerged surrounding the mansion is tacky, overdone and excessive. We both decided that we would commit suicide if we had to work there every day with non-stop Elvis music, throngs of tourists and 5,000 gift shops.
After three hours of Graceland, Dean and I had had reached our quota of Elvis, for, huh, our lives. We headed downtown for a quick look at the Lorraine Hotel (where Martin Luther King was assassinated) and some traditional Memphis ribs on Beale Street. My impression of Memphis was two-fold: in many parts of town, it was in shambles, deserted and dirty; while on Beale Street it was lively, loud, and full of personality. Compared to Nashville (which had a distinctive country feel), Memphis was full of jazz and blues. It had more of a southern feel, Beale Street feeling similar to a smaller version of Bourbon Street in New Orleans. People were talkative, friendly, singing in the streets… really loving their life. Unfortunately, we had to leave after a quick look at the mighty Mississippi in order to get a head start on the journey through Arkansas. Never enough time!
I can feel the air getting more humid and the weather feeling warmer. We’re getting closer to Mexico!
We drove the three hours to Memphis and headed directly to Dean’s number one destination, Graceland. My Dad has considered disowning me for visiting, but I was really excited to see this iconic place. The Graceland mansion itself was unexpectedly modest, considering what I was expecting from the King. The property was massive and sprawling, but the rooms in the house were of average size. The décor was certainly unique (purple velour, jungle themed, mirrored hallways) but it felt like a home. However, the Elvis theme park that has emerged surrounding the mansion is tacky, overdone and excessive. We both decided that we would commit suicide if we had to work there every day with non-stop Elvis music, throngs of tourists and 5,000 gift shops.
After three hours of Graceland, Dean and I had had reached our quota of Elvis, for, huh, our lives. We headed downtown for a quick look at the Lorraine Hotel (where Martin Luther King was assassinated) and some traditional Memphis ribs on Beale Street. My impression of Memphis was two-fold: in many parts of town, it was in shambles, deserted and dirty; while on Beale Street it was lively, loud, and full of personality. Compared to Nashville (which had a distinctive country feel), Memphis was full of jazz and blues. It had more of a southern feel, Beale Street feeling similar to a smaller version of Bourbon Street in New Orleans. People were talkative, friendly, singing in the streets… really loving their life. Unfortunately, we had to leave after a quick look at the mighty Mississippi in order to get a head start on the journey through Arkansas. Never enough time!
I can feel the air getting more humid and the weather feeling warmer. We’re getting closer to Mexico!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
the windy city and the music city.
we have come quite far since my last post. on tuesday, we woke up early in kalamazoo, made the drive to chicago and spent a busy and full day exploring as much of the city as we could fit in.
the highlights:
-making a list of trip goals which included finding harpo studios, getting a meal for free and faking our ages.
-getting sent in four different directions en route to finding a restaurant.
-finding out we were an hour early. and in a different time zone. oops.
-the delicious food at an immensely popular mexican restaurant. there is a lineup to get in even for lunch!
-meeting a nice lady for lunch who was apparently a guru on everything in chicago.
-going to her ritzy apartment building... we found out later oprah lives there. could be a lie, but i believed it.
-stumbling upon a photo shoot for a commercial.
-renting a bicycle in a skirt. then falling off said bicycle when i tried to bike on the sand. really cool.
-biking along navy pier. one of the most visited attractions in all of the united states.
-looking at the view of the chicago skyline.
-visiting a free zoo. with lions that looked like they could jump out. and visiting the snakes even though dean was a scaredy cat.
-listening to live jazz over a pint.
-trying to find a hotel in downtown chicago... and discovering we are cheap bastards.
-eating deep dish pizza. WOW. definitely worth the wait.
-taking pictures of millennium park at night. trying to learn to use the night settings on my camera. i was mildly successful.
-trying to find a hotel. being foiled by a little league competition that decided to take over every hotel on the interstate leaving chicago. me convincing dean to stay at the creepy sunset inn. he was hesitant, but i think the fact there were beds won over.
next stop was nashville. we booted it for about six and a half hours to dixon, tennessee, about thirty minutes from nashville to stay with my good friend marcus from university. he is a big shot down in tennessee, but was nice enough to open up his beautiful home AND tour us around the city. the music city was a HUGE highlight for me, and my quick point form will not to the experience justice. i highly recommend you check it out for yourself!
the greatest moments:
-seeing the amount of chain restaurants, money lending agencies and cheque cashing stores in dixon. i learned a lot about small town living!
-going running around the little lake near marcus' house.
-trying on cowboy hats on the main drag. seeing three for one sales on cowboy boots!
-visiting the country hall of fame. including a visit to studio b, where many of the greats recorded. i got to play a piano that elvis recorded with!
-seeing my old friend jason play live at a seedy/cool bar with his new band.
-visiting the full scale model of the greek parthenon. why nashville? good question.
-drinking copious amounts of alcohol, dancing to incredible LIVE country music and finding my favourite bar in the world, tootsies. basically getting the full broadway street experience. meeting marcus' dad the next morning, feeling and looking great, i'm sure. also realizing i had lost my shoe. classsss, i tell you.
-getting a backstage tour of the ryman auditorium, which used to house the grand old opry radio show.
-getting the music lowdown from marcus. he is my music go to guy.
-getting to stay TWO nights in the same house! what a treat.
-learning to drive a driving lawnmower! in flats. wearing a cowboy hat. now that's nashville.
the highlights:
-making a list of trip goals which included finding harpo studios, getting a meal for free and faking our ages.
-getting sent in four different directions en route to finding a restaurant.
-finding out we were an hour early. and in a different time zone. oops.
-the delicious food at an immensely popular mexican restaurant. there is a lineup to get in even for lunch!
-meeting a nice lady for lunch who was apparently a guru on everything in chicago.
-going to her ritzy apartment building... we found out later oprah lives there. could be a lie, but i believed it.
-stumbling upon a photo shoot for a commercial.
-renting a bicycle in a skirt. then falling off said bicycle when i tried to bike on the sand. really cool.
-biking along navy pier. one of the most visited attractions in all of the united states.
-looking at the view of the chicago skyline.
-visiting a free zoo. with lions that looked like they could jump out. and visiting the snakes even though dean was a scaredy cat.
-listening to live jazz over a pint.
-trying to find a hotel in downtown chicago... and discovering we are cheap bastards.
-eating deep dish pizza. WOW. definitely worth the wait.
-taking pictures of millennium park at night. trying to learn to use the night settings on my camera. i was mildly successful.
-trying to find a hotel. being foiled by a little league competition that decided to take over every hotel on the interstate leaving chicago. me convincing dean to stay at the creepy sunset inn. he was hesitant, but i think the fact there were beds won over.
next stop was nashville. we booted it for about six and a half hours to dixon, tennessee, about thirty minutes from nashville to stay with my good friend marcus from university. he is a big shot down in tennessee, but was nice enough to open up his beautiful home AND tour us around the city. the music city was a HUGE highlight for me, and my quick point form will not to the experience justice. i highly recommend you check it out for yourself!
the greatest moments:
-seeing the amount of chain restaurants, money lending agencies and cheque cashing stores in dixon. i learned a lot about small town living!
-going running around the little lake near marcus' house.
-trying on cowboy hats on the main drag. seeing three for one sales on cowboy boots!
-visiting the country hall of fame. including a visit to studio b, where many of the greats recorded. i got to play a piano that elvis recorded with!
-seeing my old friend jason play live at a seedy/cool bar with his new band.
-visiting the full scale model of the greek parthenon. why nashville? good question.
-drinking copious amounts of alcohol, dancing to incredible LIVE country music and finding my favourite bar in the world, tootsies. basically getting the full broadway street experience. meeting marcus' dad the next morning, feeling and looking great, i'm sure. also realizing i had lost my shoe. classsss, i tell you.
-getting a backstage tour of the ryman auditorium, which used to house the grand old opry radio show.
-getting the music lowdown from marcus. he is my music go to guy.
-getting to stay TWO nights in the same house! what a treat.
-learning to drive a driving lawnmower! in flats. wearing a cowboy hat. now that's nashville.
Monday, July 23, 2007
great lakes great times.
i am in kalamazoo, michigan. seriously. it is hard to believe a place with a name like this actually exists, but it does.
we left early this morning from my cottage after a weekend of AMAZING weather, waterskiing, margaritas and trivial pursuit. there were a few tears (surprisingly not shed by me), but i felt good as we pulled out of the driveway. we were both a bit tired as we had had a late night trivial pursuit match, but shared the driving and the day went off without any trouble.
the car is packed full. and i mean full. my biggest fear was that we were going to get stopped at the border and it would have taken us five hours to get everything back in. poor dean had no idea what he was getting himself into when he offered to drive me to mexico! luckily, crossing the border took all of fifteen seconds. we only got asked if we had food or booze. do homemade cookies count, i wondered?
we flew to sarnia, but i was really excited to get into the states, because i felt that would mean my adventure had really begun. however, michigan looks JUST LIKE southern ontario! trees, some rolling hills, some flat parts. apart from some ugly billboards, and signs that say FOOD, GAS, LODGING at every exit you wouldn't even know we were in the US. we were packed in so tightly into the car - i felt bad (again) for dean because all of his leg room is taken up by my handbags full of books, cd's, knitting etc. i'm going to have to work on that for tomorrow. except the lack of any free inch of space could cause a challenge.
we'll spend the evening in kalamazoo, probably just having dinner, watching a movie and getting an early night so that we can get up bright and early to hit the highway for chicago. more tales from the road soon!
we left early this morning from my cottage after a weekend of AMAZING weather, waterskiing, margaritas and trivial pursuit. there were a few tears (surprisingly not shed by me), but i felt good as we pulled out of the driveway. we were both a bit tired as we had had a late night trivial pursuit match, but shared the driving and the day went off without any trouble.
the car is packed full. and i mean full. my biggest fear was that we were going to get stopped at the border and it would have taken us five hours to get everything back in. poor dean had no idea what he was getting himself into when he offered to drive me to mexico! luckily, crossing the border took all of fifteen seconds. we only got asked if we had food or booze. do homemade cookies count, i wondered?
we flew to sarnia, but i was really excited to get into the states, because i felt that would mean my adventure had really begun. however, michigan looks JUST LIKE southern ontario! trees, some rolling hills, some flat parts. apart from some ugly billboards, and signs that say FOOD, GAS, LODGING at every exit you wouldn't even know we were in the US. we were packed in so tightly into the car - i felt bad (again) for dean because all of his leg room is taken up by my handbags full of books, cd's, knitting etc. i'm going to have to work on that for tomorrow. except the lack of any free inch of space could cause a challenge.
we'll spend the evening in kalamazoo, probably just having dinner, watching a movie and getting an early night so that we can get up bright and early to hit the highway for chicago. more tales from the road soon!
Thursday, July 19, 2007
feels like home.
i'm leaving odot tomorrow. not forever, but as i pack up literally all my favourite stuff, sometimes it feels that way. and i was just beginning to LOVE ottawa. growing up, i think i felt really sheltered living my suburban existence. i craved more then bbqhaven, and was convinced i would never, ever settle in ottawa. now i'm not so sure.
after three months back in ottawa, it definitely feels like the kind of city i want to settle in. it is big enough, but not huge; it has culture and great food; it has a history that lives on in the present; it has diversity, language, hiking, and lots of green space. it doesn't have traffic like toronto, it has personality (not so much in the suburbs, but certainly in many neighbourhoods) and it is full of (mostly) friendly people. i wish it had more diversity in employment (so much government!) and was in a more central local, but in beauty, it can't be beat by much (except maybe vancouver and sydney!). i can't stand the winter, but, well, i don't think i'll like it anywhere that i go.
there are so many things that i have gotten used to in ottawa these past few months, and i am really sad to leave them! i'll miss perfect books on elgin, the greatest little indepedent bookstore that i have found. they write little reviews of their favourite books on recipe cards, and make suggestions! i have never disliked any book i have been recommended there. i'll miss my weekly coffee dates at bridgehead, a fair-trade coffee shop located in all my favourite neighbourhoods around town (westboro, the glebe, elgin)... i had almost tried all their teas! i'll miss gatineau park, which i have rediscovered this summer in a hiking revolution. i can't believe i have lived so close to it for years and have barely visited at all. i'll miss weekend trips to merrickville, my favourite little gifty-shop town where they serve tractor beer, SO worth the trip. i'll miss the market, rama lotus yoga, the construction, beers at the fox and the feather, burgers at the works, and the kids that return emma when she goes for a walk without us. i'll even miss the tree-lined streets in the glebe, the HUGE curb at the end of our driveway and our neighbours that scare the crap out of me!
ottawa will always be a home that i feel comfortable returning to. even though i have lived here almost my whole life, i still discover new things every day. for example, ginny and jessie took me to the green door, a lovely vegetarian cooperative restaurant today for lunch. teaching internationally is a great move for me right now, but i hope i return to ottawa in the future for longer than just a visit.
i'm off to the cottage for the weekend, so the next time i write, i will have embarked for mexico! dean and i leave bright and early monday morning, and we'll start with a full day of driving so we can make it as close to chicago as we can.
finally, my adventure is about to begin.
i'll update from the road.
after three months back in ottawa, it definitely feels like the kind of city i want to settle in. it is big enough, but not huge; it has culture and great food; it has a history that lives on in the present; it has diversity, language, hiking, and lots of green space. it doesn't have traffic like toronto, it has personality (not so much in the suburbs, but certainly in many neighbourhoods) and it is full of (mostly) friendly people. i wish it had more diversity in employment (so much government!) and was in a more central local, but in beauty, it can't be beat by much (except maybe vancouver and sydney!). i can't stand the winter, but, well, i don't think i'll like it anywhere that i go.
there are so many things that i have gotten used to in ottawa these past few months, and i am really sad to leave them! i'll miss perfect books on elgin, the greatest little indepedent bookstore that i have found. they write little reviews of their favourite books on recipe cards, and make suggestions! i have never disliked any book i have been recommended there. i'll miss my weekly coffee dates at bridgehead, a fair-trade coffee shop located in all my favourite neighbourhoods around town (westboro, the glebe, elgin)... i had almost tried all their teas! i'll miss gatineau park, which i have rediscovered this summer in a hiking revolution. i can't believe i have lived so close to it for years and have barely visited at all. i'll miss weekend trips to merrickville, my favourite little gifty-shop town where they serve tractor beer, SO worth the trip. i'll miss the market, rama lotus yoga, the construction, beers at the fox and the feather, burgers at the works, and the kids that return emma when she goes for a walk without us. i'll even miss the tree-lined streets in the glebe, the HUGE curb at the end of our driveway and our neighbours that scare the crap out of me!
ottawa will always be a home that i feel comfortable returning to. even though i have lived here almost my whole life, i still discover new things every day. for example, ginny and jessie took me to the green door, a lovely vegetarian cooperative restaurant today for lunch. teaching internationally is a great move for me right now, but i hope i return to ottawa in the future for longer than just a visit.
i'm off to the cottage for the weekend, so the next time i write, i will have embarked for mexico! dean and i leave bright and early monday morning, and we'll start with a full day of driving so we can make it as close to chicago as we can.
finally, my adventure is about to begin.
i'll update from the road.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
all that you can't leave behind.
as my leaving day approaches (up to the cottage on friday, leave for mexico on monday), i have been more observant of the people/places/things that i will miss the most while living abroad. i have moved away from home before; but this is different. not only am i moving houses, but i am also moving countries, lifestyles, languages... the list goes on. i am not worried about missing family and friends, because i know i will be in regular contact over the phone and e-mail. it is the little things that frighten me, that will create voids in me that i am not sure can be filled in mexico.
i will miss...
conversations with sales associates and cab drivers.
being able to sit in chapters for hours and buying english books.
red heads.
cheap, addictive coffee.
my dad bringing me cheap, addctive coffee.
my car. or, perhaps i should say, freedom of movement and transportation.
having my golden retriever greet me at the door. and her little puppy dog eyes that trick me into giving her treats.
reading the paper every morning.
tall people.
a (fairly) efficient and reliable mailing system.
downtown ottawa.
however, i will not miss...
my single bed.
the price of gas.
the winter.
the box stores in barrhaven.
things are gradually coming together for the trip, and i have been relatively worry free. dean, on the other hand, (the other teacher that i am driving to mexico with) was rear-ended yesterday and spent the day dealing with the logistics of getting his car fixed in time for us to leave. luckily, dean (and his car!) should be in good shape to leave bright and early monday morning. four days left. yowzers.
i will miss...
conversations with sales associates and cab drivers.
being able to sit in chapters for hours and buying english books.
red heads.
cheap, addictive coffee.
my dad bringing me cheap, addctive coffee.
my car. or, perhaps i should say, freedom of movement and transportation.
having my golden retriever greet me at the door. and her little puppy dog eyes that trick me into giving her treats.
reading the paper every morning.
tall people.
a (fairly) efficient and reliable mailing system.
downtown ottawa.
however, i will not miss...
my single bed.
the price of gas.
the winter.
the box stores in barrhaven.
things are gradually coming together for the trip, and i have been relatively worry free. dean, on the other hand, (the other teacher that i am driving to mexico with) was rear-ended yesterday and spent the day dealing with the logistics of getting his car fixed in time for us to leave. luckily, dean (and his car!) should be in good shape to leave bright and early monday morning. four days left. yowzers.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
premium dancing and a rigid pack.
i just watched the movie 'everything is illuminated'. it was a small road movie that had me laughing hysterically for the first half, and pondering deeply for about 15 minutes after the credits had rolled. if you want a thinking movie, you should definitely put up with watching elijah wood for two hours, and i guarantee you'll leave thought-provoked.
it has been a week of errand running and putting off other errands. it has been full to the brim with a road trip to southern ontario, sampling all of the mexican cuisine in greater ottawa area and hitting up bluesfest. last week, i felt like i had TONS of time until i left but now as a i lie in my bed on a sunday night seven days later, i realize that is not really the case! i have been running all the necessary errands slowly, so as not to disrupt my relaxed state. but right now, i am biting my nails, and that is always a bad sign. i have seen almost all the people i wanted to see, and i have had more than enough time to relax and catch up on six years worth of sleep. no more excuses, this week is crunch time!
however, before i move to productive mode, i am going to reflect on the weekend's events.
friday night mom took me out for mexican food on the market. along with incredible food, we were graced by the presnce of a mariachi-style band! then new hundreds upon hundreds of songs and even humoured me by playing my requests of colombian pop stars. erin way would be proud.
elena had a BBQ party that began at 3 saturday afternoon, and i didn't actually get home until 3am on sunday morning! somehow, i got convinced to go downtown (against my better judgement) and the next thing i knew tequila shots were flying, pictures were being snapped, and i was teaching katie how to salsa dance. let me tell you, this morning was ROUGH. wake up, pop two tylenols, chug a waterbottle, go back to bed kind of rough.
i was temporarily productive this afternoon, but it was quickly interrupted with my dad's car breaking down and my second mexican meal of the weekend. elena, ryan and katie took me out for a lovely dinner at feleena's on bank street. while the food was not as delicious as azteca, out waiter/owner charmed us and i would definitely be back. for the next few days i am going to shy away from mexican food because it is what i am going to be stuck with for the next two years... i better take advantage of selection while i still have it!
with that, i am going to hit the pillow and wake up productive and illuminated. let's hope.
it has been a week of errand running and putting off other errands. it has been full to the brim with a road trip to southern ontario, sampling all of the mexican cuisine in greater ottawa area and hitting up bluesfest. last week, i felt like i had TONS of time until i left but now as a i lie in my bed on a sunday night seven days later, i realize that is not really the case! i have been running all the necessary errands slowly, so as not to disrupt my relaxed state. but right now, i am biting my nails, and that is always a bad sign. i have seen almost all the people i wanted to see, and i have had more than enough time to relax and catch up on six years worth of sleep. no more excuses, this week is crunch time!
however, before i move to productive mode, i am going to reflect on the weekend's events.
friday night mom took me out for mexican food on the market. along with incredible food, we were graced by the presnce of a mariachi-style band! then new hundreds upon hundreds of songs and even humoured me by playing my requests of colombian pop stars. erin way would be proud.
elena had a BBQ party that began at 3 saturday afternoon, and i didn't actually get home until 3am on sunday morning! somehow, i got convinced to go downtown (against my better judgement) and the next thing i knew tequila shots were flying, pictures were being snapped, and i was teaching katie how to salsa dance. let me tell you, this morning was ROUGH. wake up, pop two tylenols, chug a waterbottle, go back to bed kind of rough.
i was temporarily productive this afternoon, but it was quickly interrupted with my dad's car breaking down and my second mexican meal of the weekend. elena, ryan and katie took me out for a lovely dinner at feleena's on bank street. while the food was not as delicious as azteca, out waiter/owner charmed us and i would definitely be back. for the next few days i am going to shy away from mexican food because it is what i am going to be stuck with for the next two years... i better take advantage of selection while i still have it!
with that, i am going to hit the pillow and wake up productive and illuminated. let's hope.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
at the cottage.
i am lying awkwardly in my bed following a painfully long drive back from the lake. the drive was actually quite quick, but was overshadowed by the fact that i cannot move my neck. damn those wakeboarding falls. it was an amazing loooong weekend (six days to be exact) full of as much reliving my childhood as i could possibly fit in. more specifically, my time at the cottage consisted of...
2 delicious ice cream cones. one from the cornball store and one from the restaurant in downtown mag.
3 slalom ski runs.
2 wakeboarding runs.
0 slalom ski falls.
5 wakeboarding falls. ouch.
3 people knocked off the tube. (2 of them were 7 years old. oops.)
5 sleep in's out of 6 days.
1 full book read. and 2 magazines!
1 breakfast on the dock in the sun.
4 drinks at the infamous schmeller house in "downtown" magnetawan.
2 hours of dancing at the schmeller house to a live band who had the "best night of their lives" and i believed them.
1 downtown magnetawan t-shirt purchased by friend alex who was visiting. will try and reach total of 2 by the end of the summer.
1 game of yahtzee lost.
1 game of trivial pursuit lost. 3 to 1 and we still lost to my dad!
1 game of cribbage won!
1 new successful slalom skiier: alex stayed up for 20 seconds!
5 kids ages 1 to 7 running around with sparklers singing oh canada.
many hours spent swimming/escaping the water beast, solving 'the secret door' and celebrating opposite day with oldest four kids.
2 sunny days.
4 cloudy/cold days.
10 hours in the car listening to a book on tape.
1 tired puppy. and i'm not talking about emma!
2 delicious ice cream cones. one from the cornball store and one from the restaurant in downtown mag.
3 slalom ski runs.
2 wakeboarding runs.
0 slalom ski falls.
5 wakeboarding falls. ouch.
3 people knocked off the tube. (2 of them were 7 years old. oops.)
5 sleep in's out of 6 days.
1 full book read. and 2 magazines!
1 breakfast on the dock in the sun.
4 drinks at the infamous schmeller house in "downtown" magnetawan.
2 hours of dancing at the schmeller house to a live band who had the "best night of their lives" and i believed them.
1 downtown magnetawan t-shirt purchased by friend alex who was visiting. will try and reach total of 2 by the end of the summer.
1 game of yahtzee lost.
1 game of trivial pursuit lost. 3 to 1 and we still lost to my dad!
1 game of cribbage won!
1 new successful slalom skiier: alex stayed up for 20 seconds!
5 kids ages 1 to 7 running around with sparklers singing oh canada.
many hours spent swimming/escaping the water beast, solving 'the secret door' and celebrating opposite day with oldest four kids.
2 sunny days.
4 cloudy/cold days.
10 hours in the car listening to a book on tape.
1 tired puppy. and i'm not talking about emma!
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