I`m a frightened itty bitty snail being pulled off her rock...

"Is there anything as horrible as starting on a trip? Once you`re off, that`s all right, but the last moments are earthquake and convulsion, and the feeling that you are a snail being pulled off your rock."- Anne Morrow Lindbergh

I am sitting in the Halifax airport with 10 minutes remaining before I board the plane. Considering I was huddle on the couch in the foetal position beginning 16 hours prior to my flight to South Korea, I`d say I`m handling things pretty well right about now... haha

Thanks Mom & Dad for having put up with me for the last two months and for driving me anywhere and everywhere. In two years time, I promise I`ll drive you to the airport when it comes your turn... Thanks to everyone else for the Christmas gifts! I`ll bring everyone home something nice! (and of course I`ll be making a stop at the Mount.... (grrrr)

Also- Mom and Dad: Don`t think you`re in the clear just yet. I`ll be home in a year`s time for another session of bumming---- and maybe just maybe I`ll make it three months this time! (Just kidding!)

Cutting Edge

Remember the movie "Cutting Edge" about the figure skater who goes through partners faster than pantyhose and the hockey player who is so desperate for any kind of a job after he busts his knee in hockey that he actually agrees to be her partner? Remember how despite being on the ice were the best times of his life, Doug was as sick as a dog every time he was about to take the ice?

Even though those thoughts of running through airports, browsing local markets, and job and apartment hunting in a foreign land excite me, with 24 hours remaining until my departure every little ache or pain is sending me into a state of hysteria. This time, the travel countdown has turned me into a bad hypochondriac! " Oh no! What does this backpain mean?" "Quick! Take my blood pressure!- It`s high? Oh Good- at least that means my organs aren`t bleeding out!"

It will soon be time to break out my breathing exercises! (haha?)

My Journey unfolded: Desired destinations

My Journey: December 11, 2007 to December 5, 2008

So here I am- preparing myself for a year- long journey around the world. Though I have a broad itinerary tacked to the refrigerator which outlines my most basic plans for the upcoming year, there are numerous factors that will ultimately dictate its course. Availability of accommodation, work prospects, weather, time, & money are just a few of the many possible factors that could affect my travel plans. Australia, Fiji & Vanuatu are a done deal, but the following international destinations may see me passing through their immigration booths!

1). New Zealand: Apparently New Zealand is one of the world`s most breath- taking destinations. Not only is its scenery a supposed "must see", but it is a relatively inexpensive (and close) destination from Sydney.

2). Ecuador: I have signed up for a volunteer stint of 2-3 months in Quito, Ecuador for this upcoming Fall `08(following work in Australia). I have yet to commit myself by filling out the final paperwork and forking over the $400 deposit since September is still many months away, but it is more or less "a go."

3). Singapore &/or Indonesia (Bali): I hope to make it over to Broome on the west coast of Australia for a few months of work once I`m finished in Sydney. If this pans out, Singapore &/or Indonesia (Bali) are just a hop, skip & a jump away (okay a hop, skip & a jump over a fair distance of water, but close enough!)

4). Nepal: Flights to Ecuador from Sydney may be more expensive that I had anticipated. An unaffordable ticket to Ecuador may mean my having to change my volunteer destination; Nepal would be my second choice.

5). Other South Pacific island countries like: New Caledonia, the Cook Islands, Tonga, Samoa : all relatively close to (and destinations from) Sydney with an excellently priced airline, Virgin Blue.

Now I know I`m jumping the gun by creating a list of only "possible" destinations for this upcoming year, but this is what I do: I strategize, I brainstorm, I hope, I plan & I make lists (even if they never come to be anything more than a word on a list. My lists are the incessant ramblings of a real "Vagabond")

Only 4 days to take off... How do I feel?

Next week at this time I`ll be loafing in a bikini on this exact white sand beach, shadowed by luscious palm trees, and peering out at the breathtaking aqua waters sprawling out before me. Fiji has always been my dream destination, and my fantasy is about to become my reality. Why Fiji? I remember sitting around Tanya`s Moncton apartment a few years back in the company of a friend of the family`s. This friend had traveled all over the world. At the time, I would not have even been able to fabricate the idea of ever leaving the Maritimes, let alone leaving to explore an international destination. I was utterly in awe of the image of traveling to so many foreign destinations. When asked what her preferred destination had been, there was no need for contemplation. It was simple: Fiji.

Throughout all of these years, this point blank response has stayed with me.



So how do I feel knowing that I am only a few days away from my very own chance to jump into the Fijian culture & scenery? For a second time (much like the way it was in waiting to leave for Korea), I don`t feel anything at all. I have made so many arrangements, pondered numerous itty bitty details about Fiji, searched through dozens of different accommodations and sites, and yet it still hasn`t dawned on me that I am going there.

I guess sometimes things just seem "too good to be true."

Things I`d like to accomplish on my journey...

Last year in Korea, I had carefully drawn up a list of 14 things I wanted to accomplish in the country before returning home in a year`s time. I am saddened to say that I wasn`t successful in accomplishing a single one of those priorities. I got caught up in the "social life" aspect of the expat culture, and thus neglected the things I would have really liked to have experienced. Mind you- I don`t have any regrets. Looking back, I was suffering from a mild to severe case of stage two culture shock and it would have been difficult for me to have accomplished the goals I had set out to accomplish at the beginning of my journey (in that frame of mind). Let me tell you- you read about culture shock and couldn`t imagine it ever getting ahold of you---- until you live it. It wasn`t until I removed myself from the situation months later by coming home that I was truly able to distinguish the symptoms of culture shock I had been experiencing. It`s unfortunate that I never did visit that Korean Folk Village, learn the basics of the language, or wade in the purifying baths of a "jim jil bang." However, at the time, frequenting "Whitey" bars, tanning in Itaewon salons, and shopping in the international markets were what I needed to cope with living amongst a culture so different from my own.

Regardless of my past failures, I am going to lay out a set of objectives for this upcoming year of mine on the road. I will use them as a guideline for the type of things I would like to see myself accomplish. If I stick to them- GREAT! If I don`t- that`s okay, too. Life does not always unravel the exact way we may like it to.

Things I would like to accomplish this year abroad:

Fiji & Vanuatu:

1). Padi Open water scuba diver certification (to be able to dive independently, up to 60ft, and rent equipment anywhere in the world)---4 days of study & dives
2). Witness a Kava ceremony (& some traditional dancing)
3). Snorkeling
4). Take a Fijian cooking class
5). Visit a traditional village/tour a school
6). Glass bottom kayaking tour

Australia (& general objectives):

1). Volunteer in an Australian social project
2). Complete distance courses
3). Visit Sydney Opera House (show)
4). Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef
5). Visit Broome
6). See a Kangaroo
7). See a Koala
8). Visit the Taronga zoo
9). Visit the Australia zoo (Home of the Crocodile Hunter)
10). Obtain 3 references
11). Complete a volunteer social work stint abroad
12). Try Tim Tam (highly recommended by Aoi)
13). Get a new tattoo?
14). Visit New Zealand (for Mom)
15). Visit Bondi Beach

Christmas in Fiji/Vanuatu

It amazes me the number of people who have never heard of the island of Vanuatu and who knows--- years from now I might even forget where it is myself (haha).

Thus, here is a basic map of the South Pacific/Australia:

And a breakdown of the individual South Pacific islands/countries I`ll be visiting this Christmas:

In Vanuatu (9 nights), I will be staying on the main island of Efate since it seems as though chartered flights are needed to get to any of the country`s outer islands (and they`ll be booked up for Christmas). In Fiji, I will be also be staying on the country`s main island of Viti Levu for the entire duration of my Fiji stay (12 nights).

My South Pacific Travel Itinerary:

December 11: Flight departs from Halifax (3:30pm)- Toronto- Los Angeles-Nadi, Fiji (18 hrs)

December 13: Flight arrives in Nadi, Fiji (5:15am Fiji time)

December 13: One night`s accommodation in a hotel near the Nadi airport (to recuperate from the flight/recover from jet lag)

December 14: 1 1/2 hours on a city bus from Nadi to the flashpacker resort (hostel) I`ll be staying at on the Coral Coast of the main island of Vitu Levu. (December 14- 24)

December 24: Take the bus back to Nadi and check in at the same airport hotel (another splurge night in my own hotel room--- hey, it`s Christmas eve!)

December 25: Flight Departs Nadi, Fiji (8:15am Fiji time)---> Port Vila, Vanuatu (1hr40mins)

December 25 & 26: Accommodation at a brand new flashpacker resort in Port Vila (dorm).

December 27- January 3: Accommodations TBA (depending on whether or not I meet up with other backpackers, I may venture out to the other islands. If not, I may just stay at this same flashpacker resort/hostel for my entire stay)

January 3:Flight departs Port Vila,Vanuatu(1:15pm Vanuatu time)--Brisbane-->Sydney,Aust. where I meet up with my friend Shaina, and settle down to work for the next 8+ months!

The Preparations are ongoing...

With 5 days remaining until my departure, the travel preparations are ongoing. Perhaps it is because travel was the focal point of my university studies that I am so methodical when it comes to its planning.

I would love to be able to tell people that I`m one of those travelers who randomly books a flight, carelessly throws some things in a bag, and boards a plane, but I`m not. I am the biggest travel freak there ever was---- down to the last insignificant detail! For example, this afternoon while I was on my walk all I could think about was how I needed to bring a pencil with me in addition to a pen in case I need to erase something while studying for a scuba diving course I intend to take while in Fiji. A roll of toilet paper in case I come across a public washroom that doesn`t provide it, photocopies of travel documents, my own locks in case someone tries to scam me with theirs, a backup sheet in case I encounter infested linen, spare batteries for every gadget imaginable, hand sanitizer for situations where soap is absent, bank account statements, detailed itineraries taped to the fridge in case something should happen, photocopied proof of vaccinations, 50 typed resumes post dated January 1st in the event that I am unable to locate a printer (in all of Sydney), and the list goes on...

I`m embarrased to admit that a week ago I set out on Theresa`s vacant bed virtually every item that I am contemplating taking with me so that I can better contemplate their importance. Every day, I take a few moments to stand back and stare at the items, gradually taking away those that "don`t speak to me." I can`t remember if this packing strategy was suggested in a travel guide I once read, or by that backpacker Tourism professor of mine--- but it`s actually a pretty effective way of downsizing your luggage!

Time flies!

Time flies!!! Wouldn't you say so?

One minute it is October 4th & I am being met by my dad at the Halifax International Airport to head to Margaree for a some R&R AND somewhere within the normal travel planning hustle and bustle of applying for a work visa, booking flights, stalking trip advisor and eventually submitting accommodation requests, formulating resumes, purchasing medical insurance, obtaining the necessary vaccinations, researching travel destinations, & ordering last minute trip essentials, I look up and it's December 5th! :)

The last 8 weeks of rest & relaxation have been a real treat. These weeks in review:

- Observing what most believe is "the best of Cape Breton"- the fall foliage
- Sneaking a brief peak at some snowfall (I`m still not convinced that a Korean winter should be classified as "winter" seeing as how I lived in my vest for the majority of it)
- My leisurely walks "up the road"
- Healthy meals consisting of fresh vegetables (and not something nuked from a frozen box)
- Getting reacquainted with some of my favorite television shows like ER and Survivor
- Reading a total of 11 books (an activity I hadn`t had the time for in the prior months)
- Weekly coffee breaks at good `ol Tim Hortons
- Soothing bubble baths (something I probably wouldn`t have attempted in the places I had been staying)
- Not ever waking up to an alarm clock (God knows that those daily 6am wake ups were getting to me. Then again- waking up at 1pm every day has probably been pushing it! :P)
- Getting updated on all of the "Margaree News" (I`m still extremely lost when it comes to keeping up with "who lives, who doesn`t"...)
- A real bed with linen (and not a half deflated air mattress wedged between two walls)

I admit that from time to time I have felt a slight (***meager) twinge of guilt over my "vacation/retirement" days when considering that I could very well be out in the world working, but I like to think that I had earned them. A typical day for myself in Banff involved waking up at 6am to be at work for 7am, working until 3:30pm, getting home at 4pm, and then leaving at 4:30pm to walk down to my second job for 5pm, to be finished at 10pm, to get home and go to bed only to relive the same routine day after day! I worked overtime during the months so that I could afford to take a little bit of time out of life for myself. And it`s like Elizabeth Gilbert (the author of the inspirational biography "Eat, Pray, Love") points out: "Taking time for oneself is not selfish. In asking ourselves "Is what I`m doing directly hurting or taking away from someone" we learn that making time for ourselves is not a selfish act.

Having this extended time to finally sit down and breathe is probably exactly what I needed to be able to evaluate the grand scheme of things: my life. Over the past few years, I have been preoccupied with work and studies, or both. What I probably really needed was to remove myself from both situations to be able to gain some perspective on things.


This being said, I have learned the following things about myself:

1). That I don`t need to be afraid to admit that my Tourism & Hospitality studies weren`t for me (and that it`s time for me to accept it, forget about it, and move on...)
This past year, I struggled to regain my footing because I was only allowing myself to contemplate future studies in an area at least somewhat related to business. Since being home, I`ve come to learn that my past "Mount" mistake doesn`t have to dictate my future path.

2). I would like to help people in my own way.
I was having difficulty "looking outside the box." When I thought of people helping others, I drew up images of nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers which I could never in a million years succeed at (seeing as how I`m afraid of my own shadow). I`ve had the opportunity to branch out and research some careers which might better suit me.

3). I would like to be a better person
Maybe it is the influence of Oprah or maybe it is the influence of all of those third world biographies I`ve been reading. Let`s face it- I am the the "me" generation at its best!

4). I would like to be more Subjective and less Objective
This statement speaks for itself.

5). Fictional works no longer get a spot on my bookshelf.
I can no longer be bothered absorbing literary information that isn`t "real." I guess reading the biography, "Infidel" was my true turning point. (Strangely enough- this realization has no bearing on my love for fictional television)

My weeks of rest & relaxation will soon be over. It will soon be time to pull out the bookmark and continue on to the next chapter of my life---

Chapter 2: "World Travel (x2)- Marcella once again sets out to attempt to find herself on a year- long journey around the world"