Coulda Woulda Shoulda

Everyone needs that one friend, that will let them just ramble on. Everyone needs that one friend, who, no matter what the day, what the time, what the place, can make you feel all cozy and comfortable, like you're back in your parents house listening to Jesse and Jean in the morning and trying to decide which movie to go see on a Friday night. Everyone needs one friend who just gets you, totally utterly completely, from the moment you open your mouth (to ramble) until the minute you (eventually) finish your thoughts, and as strange and random and most likely unorthodox they will tend to be, she just totally gets it anyway. No matter how much time has passed. And even, no matter how much you're not making sense and even that exact moment everyone else on the planet is looking at you like you're an alien and have four heads, she'll STILL get you. Everyone needs one. I'm lucky to be sharing some moments with mine this week.

I'm spending the morning with 10 little dudes under the age of 5. That should be just like teaching 12 kindergartens right? I'll keep you posted.

Alright, for all you people who wanted me to get a haircut and get a real job, well, you may have had your wish come true. Well, sort of. I have just spent the day reasearching, reviewing and re-writing my resume and I feel as though it's been a full days work. Part of me even has me scratching my head wondering if I ever really travelled anywhere but this basement computer. I can't really say I've come any closer to making any official decisions. I found a lot of information that will help me and a lot of information that will not. But I also found this: Seen Reading - http://seenreading.blogspot.com This is the coolest concept I've seen in awhile. And since my brain is fried, take a look at this fantasically funky concept, while I try to find sift through all of this data I've imported today. Oh my.

I feel a bit sheepish about the fact that there has not been that much written in this space over the last little while. As a person who is constantly nattering on about current plans, future plans, even past plans, I feel a bit strange not having put something here. And it's not just on virtual paper. I can count on my fingers the number of people I've actually spoken to in the last week. I suppose this is a semi-apology for those I've not yet gotten in touch with - and also those who may not realise we were home. I did have visions of writing about our last night in England and then our first day back in Canada, but the thing is, it's all a bit stranger than expected. In a TOTALLY good way. But strange all the same. I'm still processing the past 18 months - a year in Korea, 6 months on the road. And I guess, finding it all a bit too much to really communicate about. Which is why I haven't written. Or emailed. Or called. So, I'm sorry, I wasn't expectin...

Our journey across the border from Russia to Helsinki came without any issue. Not one question. Not one query. Even with a joke and a smile. And while I can confirm now, after going through many MANY customs and immigrations around the world, so far the U.S. and Canada are the most strict, this fact did nothing to alleviate feeling of doom that lingered leading up to the days before we left Russia. As I've mentioned before, the visa process in Russia is confusing and mostly filled with convoluted information. I'll get into it another time but let me just say, that we were not filled with any sense of confidence that we wouldn't have a problem at the border. Our last few days in St. Petersburg were spent wandering around to beautiful museums and lovely cafes. We enjoyed recovering from the most wonderful New Year's Eve and popped in and out of our favorite pubs and restaurants. And as hard as we tried, there was always in the little gremlin in the back of our minds, worr...

2007 has come and gone and like everyone else on the planet, D and I have been spending some time reflecting on the past year. It's quite awesome (awesome in the true sense of the word not that totally-radical-dude-way) that for almost HALF of 2007, I have been living out of a backpack. I have been finding places to sleep. I have been wandering around temples. I have been beached-out on beaches. I have been learning new languages. I have been trying every kind of food your can imagine from grass pancakes to live squid. I have been exploring the world. Suffice to say, I'm very happy with my 2007. There were some triumphs (mostly involving D) and some mistakes (mostly involving alcohol or exhaustion) but for the most part, it was a year I will look back on with great fondness. We started 2007 off in Tawain, on Green Island, a small little place with some of the most beautiful underwater coral inthe world. It was warm. It was cozy. It was romantic. 2008 began a bit colder, a bit...