Things they say in Thunder Bay

 

Flag of Thunder Bay

Dart - At first I thought a lot of people just enjoyed the game with the bulls-eye. I started to get suspicious when you could get 'a pack of darts' from the convenience store and "go out for a dart". So Dart here means cigarette. 

Seen - "I seen it happen", "I seen that", "I seen this thing the other day." This made my eye twitch at first. Then around month 5 I started to accept it as a part of my surroundings. Then last month it happened, it became ingrained in my vocabulary and I said it... seen. Steph was the only witness but I'm fessing up, I used seen in the grammatically wrong way.

Inner-city - One of the first malls in Thunder Bay, Intercity connects Port Aurthur and Fort William. The T just gets vacuumed out, like the second T in Toronto for Toron-o Locals.

P.A. - Stands for Port Aurthur, the city although called 'Thunder Bay' is still divided in two parts.

Wes Fort - The West Fort part of Fort William... lets not go there.

Shag -  "Please come to my Shag." is something you're bound to hear every week in Thunder Bay. It's basically a Jack and Jill (for you Southern Ontario folk), a joined bachelor/bachelorette themed party to raise money to cover the expense of a wedding. They are usually themed. Because I work most every Saturday I have been saved from going to one, but I have already bought or been given many a ticket.

Persian - Not to be confused with a person's nationality, this is a type of very gross pink doughnut that people fawn over for a reason I still have not uncovered. Amazing for doughnut lovers maybe but I can't really imagine it.

Camp - Instead of the Southern Ontario word for cottage people up here in Thunder Bay say camp even though they clearly mean: a solidly formed structure on a designated plot of land (usually including a sauuu-na), not to be confused with a tent in a campground.

Right ______ - "It's right cold out there", "That's right horrible", "He's right crazy" There's a lot of 'right _____' going on in this town.

Sauuu-na - The proper way to say Sauna here in Thunder Bay is a little 'cat got your tongue' when you get to the u. The Finnish/Dutch pronunciation is rampant here.

What a doozy

Wow, today, September 24th marks the two year anniversary of jumping on that first one way plane ticket. I'm closing that chapter, the two year long journey, and I feel like I'm losing a part of myself. I accomplished things I desperately wanted, I found things I didn't know I needed, and made connections that will last a lifetime. To anyone who's considering dropping everything to chase a dream, I support that decision and wish you the time of your life. 

Sunset in Panama, Bocas del Toro

For a sense completion to this period I bought a round trip ticket for a visit to Toronto. I may take other short trips but I will stay living in Thunder Bay for a time, to live a quiet life and write. Write about my travels, some short stories, and other such things. I still have some blog posts to catch up on, like moving to Thunder Bay, the epic road trip with Jenn, and what it's like to move to Northern Ontario.

stand up paddle boarding with Angus

I can't help but feel a little startled by this pause. Just five months ago I was living in Panama with 'snorkeling' and 'jungle walk' on my to-do list. Now it's 'laundry' and 'clean the kitchen'. Three months ago I was living in a tent with my nightly check for ticks and night by a fire. Now it's checking that the door is locked and blowing out a few candles. A month ago I was on a road trip and didn't know where I was going to sleep or what State I was going to be in next. Now it's a trusty bed and a scheduled work week.

Sunset in Panama

It's true about the human condition, we can become accustomed to anything. I normalized the traveling lifestyle such that getting back to the norm is foreign. It's nice though, and Albert Einstein said "a quiet life stimulates the creative mind." which is just the environment I was seeking to focus on my writing.

Paris, photo credit Jenn

So far it's been a battle to write and set up a new apartment. My mind already wandering to living in Italy, backpacking in Thailand, and exploring New York. Spain calls, France tugs at my heart, Panamanian sunsets sit behind my eyelids...

So my friends, this two year stint of only buying one way tickets is officially at a close. It's a time to replenish funds, relive through writing, enjoy having my own apartment again and who's kidding who - planning the next adventure.

Canadians Travel

        If you have a trip planned outside Canada it's good to give a look at http://travel.gc.ca/. There are many helpful tips for your next trip. Easily getting legal details of where you need a visa and where you don't, depending on the duration of your stay. As well as what cities to avoid in certain countries, based on crime rates. There is also an easy registration form, that takes maybe two minutes, to let Canada know that you're leaving the country. I also had fun trying to stump the Quick searchable guide of what you can bring on an aircraft.

Let it snow!

It has been a hard transition coming back to Toronto. With my arrival I seemed to bring a week of warm weather, which I was not fond of, and a hockey truce, which I was pretty thrilled about. This week though, when I looked out the window of Cafe Novo, and saw a guy peddled his unicycle up the hill like it was no big deal, while it was snowing, I felt pretty at home. 

I was probably one of the only people in Toronto made blissfully happy by the new fallen snow and drastic cold temperatures. It was -18C which felt like -23C with the windchill factor. A radio broadcaster warned, "I don't care how pretty you are, cover your face, it's really that cold." Luckily in my quick pass through Panama City, I found an awesome winter jacket on sale and couldn't pass it up. It might be the best I've been layered in all my Canadian winters.

Going to a hockey game was a whole other homey feeling. The CN Tower was blue and white in support of the Leaf game. Since it was the opening game everyone was given a nice "Welcome Back", with free beer, t-shirts, scarves, and food. My Grandfather used to take me to the Maple Leaf Gardens and going to a few games a season is always a treat. It was a great atmosphere, I loved being surrounded by Canadian accents, talking about Canadian things.

I was checking out of my favorite Canadian comic's, Jillian Thomas, and this is what she had to say about the cold...

"Dear Teenagers walking down the sidewalk bitching about how cold it is, zip up your coat, wear a hat, try on a scarf and some mitts."

"Actually to all you bitching about the cold, wear some f*cking layers and remember most of you are Canadian. We don't bitch about the cold we apologize for it."

"My brother is a life long Winnipeger, he just wrote "Watched the first Jets game back, it's been snowing for 2 days straight, it's -38 with a high of -20 today, going to order a pizza and get a slurpee." That's how you deal with the cold."

Samantha from Panama to Canada

I'm sad, a little heartbroken. I miss the jungle and the simple island life. When I got out of bed this morning I put on a long wool sweater and wool socks to take myself downstairs to breakfast. I'm back in Toronto and although there's no real snow yet, I could still see my breath when I went for a walk outside. I miss the jungle already. I have a nice desk in my room that looks out to a leaf-less tree... What happened to all the green I just saw? Culture shock is in motion.

I can't break the habit of using the waste bin in the bathroom for toilet paper instead of the toilet. I was so confused when I just turned the nob on the stove and didn't have any gas to light. I've been asked to not open any windows. After living with half walls, this is very hard for me, but it makes sense, we don't want to let all the cold air in and the hot air out. I feel like my skin has been sapped of all moisture. I was in 89% humidity and now down to central heating. I wake up in the middle of the night because it's too quiet, no fan, no chirps. 

Once I see my best friends, and my little cousins, and more family, I'll know I've made the right decision of coming back. I also came back to be responsible and make some money. I've spent all my savings, and gone into a bit of debt, nothing that a few months hard work in Toronto can't replenish. I'll probably get into my normal 'three jobs workaholic grind' in no time. I have an art studio and apartment to check on Monday, and at least two possible jobs I can start right away, but my mind keeps wandering to flight prices back to Panama.

Then I watch this video, all shot in Toronto. I know a trip downtown to my favorite places will also make this trip back North worth it. There are so many things I absolutely love about this city, I know in a few weeks it will all feel like home again.

Sometimes I just miss everywhere I've been... ♥

No matter how much I may enjoy where I am, I'll get a wave of missing where I've been. As a traveler I've been asked over and over, "Where's your favorite spot?". That's the hardest question to answer. Like when someone asks, 'What's your favorite movie, book, song?" How do you pick a favorite song when there are so many great ones? I don't think I'm the only one afflicted by this.

When I want constructed beauty with secret spots, I miss Paris. When I want loud laughter, sunshine and instant friends, I miss Barcelona. When I want to walk for miles from sun up to sun down, I miss the Camino. When I want to refuel on love, good food, and easy living, I miss the South of Spain. When I want to sit on the floor drinking wine, chatter over coffee, and laugh till I pee my pants, I miss Toronto.

I have one month till I return to Toronto. Ask me a month ago and I had very solid reasons for returning. I was very firm in why I was going back. I knew myself so well though that I bought a ticket then... because if I didn't, I'd get caught up in the moment, and who knows how many months it would be before I felt the pull to go back. I have important people to see, jobs to attend to, a life to 'get in order'. Right? Well, listening to the waves of the ocean, that all seems impossible. I've made promises that I need to keep, but otherwise I feel like everything else can wait. Maybe I have Bocas fever and a case of Hotel California Syndrome but I think it's safe to say, the 'live by the seat of your pants' is the lifestyle for me. I don't think I'll be grounded in one place for too long, even a place I've missed so much. I give myself three months before these itchy feet are ready to roam again. I cringe and smile to start the ticking clock, 30 days till I touch home snow.

  

WEBSITE COUNTDOWN WIDGET

Photo credit starting from top, Paris by Jenn, Barcelona by Nat, Camino by Alex, South of Spain by Alex, Outside Toronto with Jus by Kate.

Meanwhile in Canada...

I recently stumbled upon Meanwhile in Canada a Facebook group, here are my faves:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Oh, Canada...

Living in Paris

So it's been a little surreal to realize I've been here for a month. Having met a great group of new friends at work I'm getting to dive right into the city. I've been to an art exhibit of a famous Parisian photographer, been introduced to some nice vintage shops, not to mention a great sangria place and a Canadian bar for poutine when I get homesick.
I am already practicing my french every day and have an art class and dance class in the works to start once my pay check comes in.
All I'm missing is a yoga mat but I feel pretty set up.
Even though I've been working full time since I landed I've been able to visit the louvre twice already as it's only a fifteen minute walk from work.

I get asked a lot at work,

"What, you're not a student? Why Paris?"

Since seeing a documentary on A&E about the Louvre when I was a teenager I've always wanted to come to Paris and explore it. I've been to the Louvre countless times now with different people always promising myself I would come there alone and 'absorb the art' I don't really care how silly it might sound now because I'm actually doing it. When I saw the documentary though, explaining how during the war all the paintings were hidden away all over the world and then all paintings were returned I thought it was an amazing testament to humanity. During a time of war art was preserved and people worked together putting themselves at risk so we could appreciate these masterpieces ages later. The Louvre itself is also a work of art and the documentary made claim that if you spent something like five minutes in front of each piece it would take a lifetime to see everything. Other sources say it takes five full weeks to appreciate and three months for hard-core arty's. Thankfully my EU passport and age allows me to visit the Louvre for free instead of the 10€ per visit.

My second reason for 'Why Paris' (if another reason is really needed) is to learn French! I learn language best by jumping into the deep end and being forced to practice daily. Making a million mistakes, having an abundance of people to ask questions of and have constantly correct me speeds up the process. It makes me feel like I'm always making progress no matter how laboriously my sentences come out.

***
Last night, Michel Gondry was a big subject of conversation (and I wasn't the one to bring him up!). He is one of my favourite directors and an inspiration for having a life filled with art, magic, constant playfulness and inspiration while having a career. Even though I have a minefield of inspiration that I rely on I'm also looking for people I may have never heard of. If you know of someone inspiring and amazing the way Michel Gondry is, please send their name my way.

ps. Hope everyone had a Happy Valentines Day! ♥ xox

"...this is not about guilt. It is about taking responsibility for the damage we have inflicted upon others."

As a Canadian I enjoyed reading the following article on the David Suzuki Foundation blog.

Canada a moral guide to no nation
By Dale Marshall

There is a family of birds found mostly in Africa called honeyguides that will deliberately lead humans to bee colonies. After its human followers have found the hives and harvested the honey, the honeyguide will feed on the wax and grubs left behind.
A few years ago, a colleague with vast experience in international development said that historically Canada's role in international negotiations was to be the world's honeyguide. Any nations unsure of what position to take on an important multilateral issue could look to Canada to lead them—inevitably—to the moral equivalent of the honey pot. Continue Reading...