Stepping Out into the Unknown

I leave for summer camp tomorrow! It's hard to believe how fast the past month has gone by! My three weeks in Vancouver were amazing... it was really great to see so many friends again. It's funny, even though I was only back in Vancouver for a 3-week visit, I felt like I was at home again. Leaving again, this time with all of my belongings, was harder than I'd imagined it would be. I already miss Vancouver. I am excited about the summer at Wesley Acres though. I went out on Thursday to see the camp and met some of the staff. It should be a fun summer!
I started putting some of my photos from my trip online. If you're interested in checking them out, here's the link: www.ompahchick.shutterfly.com
I'm not even close to finished yet (it's a bigger project than I thought!)... I'll have to add more when I have some free time in the coming weeks (or months). Stay tuned

The past few weeks have been a good time for reflecting, sorting through pictures (which I hope to put online in the near future for you all to see), and re-adjusting to life in Canada. My time in Florida with Shelly was wonderful... I feel so blessed to have such awesome friends!
I arrived in Vancouver last night. Sometimes it's hard to know just how much you miss something or someone until you're back. Seeing the lights on Grouse Mountain as my plane landed, and stepping out of the car to the wonderful smell of Vancouver, it became very apparent to me that I really had missed this place. It's so good to be back, even if only for a short time. I'm really looking forward to connecting with friends, eating sushi, gorging myself on delicious coffee and much more throughout the next three weeks. I'll be here in Vancouver until June 2nd, at which point I'll be flying down to North Carolina for Laura's wedding!
Then what??? That's the big question right now... what's next?
I've taken a job at a small summer camp in Ontario for July/August. It won't make me rich, but it should make for a fun summer, and it'll give me enough money to pay back the small loan I had to take out from my father to cover the unexpected expenses the past 6 months brought.
Everything beyond August is still up in the air. I would really like to go back to Swaziland to work, but there are many details to work out, conversations to be had, and possibly money to be raised before that can happen. But that's where my heart is pulling me... it's where I want to be... where I feel I need to be. I'm trusting that if it's really where I'm meant to be, it'll come together somehow over the next few months.
For now though, I'm just really glad to be here, in Vancouver.

As though I weren't sick of airports by now, I'm currently waiting in one again. This time just for a week-long trip to Florida! After one week back in Canada, I'm excited to see some sunshine again. Even more than that though, I'm excited to see Shelly again. I expect that it will be, as my time with Shelly always is, a good chance for some very much needed out-loud-processing.

Since my last post, I 'officially' moved back into my parent's house. I had already been using their address as my 'home address' while I was away, but now it's actually my home. I've nested... I've unpacked the entire conents of my bag into their guest room. I've switched my driver's licence to an Ontario licence, I'll soon switch my health coverage, and come election time next week, I'll be voting as a resident of the Frontenac riding. The customs guy at the airport asked me what I do for work. 'Well, Mr Customs Officer, 6 months ago I was a gainfully employed 30 yr old, but now... now I'm an unemployed 31 yr old who lives with her parents'. Awesome.

I want to write more about what I've learned and how this trip has changed me, and I promise I will, but it will likely have to wait another week... my flight is just about to board.
I have been sorting through pictures this week... I should soon be able to post some online.

One other quick note to all my Vancouver friends... I've booked my flights... I'll be there from May 9 to June 1!!!! Yippee!

Home sweet home. After a very long and exhausting day of travel (although, fortunately very smooth), I'm back in Canada. It's good to be back. Right now I'm at Kit and Brian's house in St Catharine's. I'll be here until Thursday when I'll head back to my parent's place. I'm planning to sleep lots tomorrow. The next thing on the agenda after that will be spending some time processing, sorting through photos, and organizing memories. At some point during the week, I'll write more about the highlights of the trip, what I've learned, and what is next. But for now, sleep...

On Wednesday night Sandesh and I arrived to Jaipur. The train ride was probably the most uncomfortable 5 hours of my life. We were in the 2nd class bench (non-AC) seating, which in and of itself is not all that bad, although physically uncomfortable. What made it really uncomfortable were the men. There were a few creepy ones who stared at me the entire time. I promise I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that one man in particular didn't take his eyes off of me the entire trip. I tried my best to just ignore him, but it made the ride uncomfortable.
Sandesh had to take a train to Mumbai at 8:30am on Thursday morning, so I spent the day with my own personal rickshaw driver, darting around Jaipur trying to see as many sites as possible in one day. It was a good day... I visited a zoo, a museum, a temple, a palace, and a few other monuments. I posed for photos 5 times with strangers... A family in the zoo who thought the white lady was just as facinsting as the tiger, a teenage boy who I though was going to follow me around like a little puppy the entire day, a 20-something college guy, a lady with the same colour purse as mine, and finally my rickshaw driver.
When I returned to the hotel to collect my bags and head to the airport, I met Mack... a fellow Canadian who had been staying at the same hotel and also had to head to the train station. We decided to venture there together and soon discovered that not only were we on the same train to Delhi, we were even in the same car! This train ride I was in the AC seating section (airplane style seats rather than hard benches) which was far more comfortable. Upon arrival in Delhi, I quickly became convinced that Mack was a God-send. The Delhi train station is mayhem and the 5-10 minute walk to my hotel was through what felt like the sketchiest streets I've ever seen. Thankfully Mack's hotel was only a block or two from mine, so walking me to my hotel wasn't a terrible inconvenience. If it hadn't been for his help, I'm certain that the whole experience would have been far too overwhelming and I would have cried when I saw the condition of my accommodations (instead I laughed about it over a beer with my new friend). For the sake of my mother's peace of mind and because words couldn't possibly convey how atrocious this place is, I'll spare you all the details. Let's just say I'm glad I have my own sheet, flip-flops, and soap. After sleeping here for two night, I am now certain that I can endure anything!
Yesterday, I spent the day with my new friend... we went to the art gallery and explored the old city. It was a fun day. It was so nice to have company rather than be wandering around on my own.
Today is my last day here in India. My flight leaves at 5:30am tomorrow, which means I need to check out of my 'hotel' and head to the airpot at 2am! My plan today is to go see the Red Fort and then I may try to find a place to have mehndi done before coming back to re-pack my bags one final time (I'm ready to be done living out of my backpack!).