Backpacking Adventures | London Day 1

hello there,

We spent two days in London and had a ton of fun. We had planned on only spending one day there but with all the Olympic festivities going on one day just wasn't enough, plus London is huge! There's so much history in London and being there during the Olympics only enhanced the experience. Also, the shopping is fantastic! The first day we walked non stop all day. Avoided the tube all day because there was a couple million extra people in London and I didn't want to be stuffed in a subway when I could just walk in the midst of phenomenal scenery. It was exhausting but worth it.

I love London and will let the photos say the rest!

-m.o

Backpacking Adventures | Downton Abbey Visit

hello there,

From Northern Ireland to England! We were blessed to be able to stay with my Dad's cousin in Crawthorne, an hour outside London. Such a lovely time spent with family I wouldn't regularly get to see. AND! They took us to Highclere Castle! For those of you who are not obsessed with the hit British Drama, you won't know what Highclere Castle is. So let me inform you. Highclere Castle is the set for Downton Abbey. Now, I admit when I went I had never seen the show but I am now a huge fan so all is well. It was pretty spectacular experience. We enjoyed lattes and scones in the servants quarters so basically I am Anna Bates. We weren't allowed to take photos inside the castle but I snapped a few around the stunning grounds.

This was also the day I learned that England is B-E-A-utiful and I want to go back. Like, right now... I've mentioned that there are four places in the world I would be willing to live (Sydney, British Columbia, or Ireland). England is the fourth.

That's all I have to say at the moment, it was just an excellent day!

-m.o

Weekend Getaway | Whistler, British Columbia

hello there,

This past weekend posed an excellent opportunity to escape life for a mere 24 hours. As I mentioned in my Sydney post, whilst backpacking Australia I was blessed to be able to stay with an incredible family in Sydney. That was over three years ago now and we finally got reunited this past week. They were enjoying a family ski trip here in Canada and invited myself and my best friend whom I travelled with to come and spend some time with them over the weekend. What a treat!

I absolutely love Whistler. Every time I go there I am always taken away by the astonishing beauty that surrounds the village. Everywhere you look are snowy mountain peaks or luscious forests of evergreens. The sun was out in its full glory the entire weekend and although a deep cold covered the town the weather was refreshing. Seeing as we only had 24 hours there we wanted to visit as much as possible and for the most part that's what we did. However I was on a quest to see a moose (as I always am when I head out of the Lower Mainland) so my friend and I set off to the cross country ski trails in search of my favoured animal. Unfortunately, as it turns out, walkers are not welcomed on the cross country ski trails, and we were asked to reroute. So I did not get to see my moose, much to my disappointment. It's been a hard journey, but I refuse to give up on my dream of seeing a moose. It was not two hours wasted though. I got to take some photos and it was all around a beautiful walk.

The weekend was perfect. It was fantastic getting to just spend time hanging out with good friends I never get to see. If I had my way, the next time I see them will be me visiting them back in Australia (preferably sooner than later but according to my bank account that doesn't seem likely). I am so blessed to have such amazing friendships in my life, and this weekend was a wonderful reminder.

Also, for those that have never been to Whistler, it's a must see place and you don't have to ski or snowboard to love it. As long as you appreciate the beautiful outdoors, you'll love Whistler.

-m.o

My Monday Music | Commercial Tunes & Others

hello there,

Every once in a while I hear a song I like on a commercial. Sometimes I like it so much that I search for it until I find it. Curtesy of Shazam and YouTube, it's not actually that hard to do anymore. But I also know what thanks to PVR and fast forward people don't watch commercials as much, which means we could miss out on some good music.

The first song is a commercial that triggered me into doing another My Monday Music because it's been a while. The rest are random goodies!

Happy Monday!

-m.o

These Are A Few Of My (new) Favorite Things

hello there,

I heard on the news tonight that today is statistically the saddest day of year. And I get it. The holidays are officially over. Reality is in full force. The weather in Canada is dreary, to say the least. The next holiday time isn't till summer. The future seems grim to some.

Because today is the first day of the new semester I feel as I though I can relate all too well. But, as I mentioned in my previous blog, 2013 wasn't spectacular and I want to make up for it in 2014 by trying to have the most positive attitude possible towards whatever may or may not happen. So this morning when I woke up I tried to do just that. It was a day filled with setbacks and for lack of a better idea, I will just take you through my "saddest day of the year".

(slight forewarning: although I in no way, shape or form endorse using material goods as a means for coping with sadness or any other emotion, I admit I am a comfort shopper and appreciate the odd indulgence to lift my spirits from time to time. Today was one of those such times. Sorry bank account...)

My morning started at the barn, as it often does. Instead of being discouraged by the frozen ground that prohibited me from riding I chose to admire how beautiful the mountain looked covered completely in frost (I snapped the above picture on my phone driving home, naughty naught me, I know).

Back home I stared at my mom's cat, Grace, while she sent me death glares through the slits of her eyelids. I pondered how lovely it would be to be a cat. She spends all day laying on my bed, doing nothing. In retrospect, sounds exactly like what I did for the last two weeks...

After a hardy workout, shower and lunch I readied myself for school and reality finally set in. I had class in an hour and a half. But it was a new semester, new year, new beginnings. The impending doom of sitting on a plastic chair for the next five hours was not going to get me down. No sir. Not today.

And I knew just the thing to help.

Shopping.

Oh dear...

Backpacking Adventures | Northern Ireland [Belfast & Giants Causeway}

 hello there,

In case you're wondering; four days in Ireland is not enough. What does this mean? Well, I am simply going to have to go back again one day. After a week in Paris we flew to Belfast and we spent four days in Northern Ireland. What a beautiful country. We saw all of Belfast, including Belfast Castle, the museum and city gardens, then the famous Giants Causeway, Carrik-A-Rede rope bridge (talk about terrifying, I have no photos of it because I was to scared to even think about holding a camera), and the breathtaking country side. It was incredible but not long enough. I think I have mentioned that of all the places I have been there are only four I would even consider living in; Canada and Sydney Australia. Ireland is the third. Possibly my Irish roots are reminding me where I belong? That, and Irish accents make me happy.

Here are the photos from my brief time in Northern Ireland.

-m.o