Post Travelling Murmurings

Now that I’m back though, it almost is quite hard to fit in again. I’m really glad to be back and to see everyone, but it’s very difficult to express what my time in Canada meant, even to Richard.

In many ways Canada was one of the most important, and probably the most fun episodes in my life, but in a way that’s difficult to adequately sum up in words. I went through such a huge range of emotions throughout my time, from the sheer joy and happiness of being there with so many people who I could truly call my friends, to some of the most difficult emotions I’ve had to deal with when I lost two friends. That’s why I’ve found it difficult to fit straight back in to my mind, as I know it can be boring when people go on and on about their travels, and so I’ve tried not to do this, instead just reducing the whole experience down to the phrase “Yeah, it was really fun”, or “It was an awesome time”. This, of course, is belittling the whole experience, but perhaps that doesn’t matter cos I know what it was like, and it really is a lit easier saying that than going into huge detail about it.

But it has been slightly difficult talking to people since I’ve been back in a way. As I’ve said before I’ve tried very hard not to go on and on about the last 9 months and the experiences I’ve had, and I have been slightly self conscious about not doing so. But it is hard, after all, no matter how regularly you see people, you normally chat about what your life has been like and what you’ve been doing since last time you met. Of course, in my case my entire life has been the collection of experiences in Canada, and that even if you have a more general chat about the state of affairs in the country, again I have no idea and can only talk about what was happening in Canada. I guess it’s my own fault for feeling self conscious about. Perhaps people are willing to listen to me chat about it, and do want to know more about what life was like, even in life was way more mundane than they might expect.

I guess it is quite easy to think that the life I’ve been leading is more exciting than it probably was. As I’ve told numerous people my life was still mostly going to work, enjoying the weekend and going out with friends for a few drinks every now and again. Of course it’s always going to look more glamorous when it’s just seen through carefully hand picked photos sent home, and some equally carefully chosen words written in the blog. In many ways it was just like life back here, just somewhere different. Again though, I think I’m belittling my experiences. It was normal life, but I think you can describe it as a very special normal life. I really am lucky to have been able to have done it.

I may have no money now, and desperately need a job, but the rest of my life can be spent chugging along if necessary. I have a feeling though that before too long, something, somewhere will be calling me to go away again. Perhaps another snowboarding adventure before my knee’s pack up? Who knows, but whatever happens, I’m sure it’ll be fun!

The Last Hurrah

After getting to Toronto, I knew it was only a small matter of time until I could actually get to Guelph, and I could say a thankful goodbye to the confines of a bus seat.

First drive through Guelph on the bus, and I was very impressed. As I’d said before, this side of Canada certainly seemed a whole lot more like England. The general landscape was rolling and green, and was definitely reminiscent of Norfolk. The actual town of Guelph was pretty similar to a typical English town, complete with a proper old looking church and English style parkland.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect for my time in Ontario. I knew that my friend Claire who I was staying with had taken the week off as some of her annual holiday, so I had a feeling we may have a fair amount organised, and we sure did!

Almost as soon as I’d got off the bus, I was whisked away to Claire’s house, and with a quick turn around (Just time for a shower – aaah, my first wash after 3 days on a bus!) we were out the front door again and heading down to the local bar to meet up with some of Claire’s friends. This was the first round of introductions in what proved to be an amazingly sociable week, and it was almost overwhelming meeting so many people, especially cos a fair few were drunk as skunks (Especially one guy whose name I can’t remember, but I seem to think he was Afghanistani!). Luckily everyone I met were pretty cool people, and so it wasn’t too much effort to fit in and get on with them!

It really was a pretty crazy week as it turned out. I knew I had relatively little money left, so it was a case of trying to get as much done for as cheap as possible. Luckily this entailed lots of stays at friend’s houses, and thankfully little money changing hands.

It was quite a different experience this week, compared with the time I’d spent in Whistler. This time it really felt like I was “travelling”. In Whistler, I was there, I was working and I felt like a local, whereas here I felt I was doing what is expected of you as a traveller – meeting lots and lots of new people, and sharing random experiences, such as watching people you’ve known for only 2 hours snort cocaine from a cd case, share a boat ride and a fishing lesson from people you’ve only known for a similar amount of time, have huge slabs of meat cooked on a bbq, sit round a bonfire, surrounded by the smoke of the wood and the numerous joints being passed round, be a guest at someone’s birthday party who again you’ve only know for a few hours, and have a genuinely fantastic night out, listening to an accomplished but unexpected reggae band!

I think in a way it was quite good to round the trip off in this way. When leaving Whistler, although I was obviously excited to be heading across the other side of the country and meeting up with Claire again, I almost felt I wished I could just head straight back home, so I could just settle down and get some normal living done again! However, I think this would have been a little bit of a waste, and I’m glad I had the chance to carry on experiencing new things right up until I left. After meeting so many people in this last week, and just seeing a different part of Canada, it rounded things up nicely, and at least me feel like I had seen the country, rather than just visited one place and stayed put there.