I’ve been back from Australia for a few weeks now, but have been finding it really hard to sit down and write my thoughts and experiences on the things I’m doing. I guess that is a sure sign that I’m having a good time!
Before Kiwiburn, there was Rainbow Serpent. I had gone last year with Stephanie, Alex and Tim. This year, Steph and I had a new and fantastic crew to run with. Our experience this year could not have been more different than last years — where in 2009 …

I’ve finally reached the point where I am close enough to exciting travels that I feel like I can touch them. It’s been a long haul, these last six months, and I’m super excited that in about six weeks I will  FINALLY be playing tourist in the country that has been my home for the last year. It’s taken a few weeks to sort everything out to a place where Im confident sharing my plans, but I think I’ve everything in order. Now all I need is money to pay …

Last January I went and visited my friend Stephanie in Melbourne. She’d moved down from Toronto, and after my friend Alex had convinced me to go to Rainbow Serpent with him, it only made sense that Stephanie come too. She wrangled another expat Canadian friend, Tim, and the four of us had a fantastically dusty weekend in the bush. Of course, the week I was there was when Victoria had the hottest heat wave in 100 years. Tram tracks were buckling under the intense heat, and people were collapsing from …

I’ve been sitting on the fence about whether or not to go back to Australia next January. In a year that will see me travelling through New Zealand, Thailand and South Korea, adding in a fourth destination seemed a little gluttonous. I was also balking as the lineup wasn’t thrilling me.  But then I had a chat with my friend Stephanie (in the purple).  Things Tend To Happen™ when I talk to her, so I really shouldn’t be that surprised that I’m sitting here writing this post.
I realized a few …

Hi all — sorry for allowing so many weeks to go by without an update. I keep promising to myself that I will post every other day, but then life gets busy and I forget. I swear I used to be so much better at this.
The last few weeks have been a bit of a mash-up. First, shortly after my last post I was struck down with The Illness™. While not as severe as The Swine Flu (of which a reported 80% of Cantabrians will catch this winter), it still …

In a land of Aussies (okay, and maybe a few Kiwis), we four intrepid expatriots danced, celebrated, got a little ridiculous and generally, had a fantastic time.
Stephanie is one of my best friends, and ultimately, it’s because of her that Im living in New Zealand. It was her RELENTLESS encouraging that got me to investigate SWAP, pack up my life and move south. Ironically, Stephanie packed up and moved to south (to Melbourne, Australia) about a month after I left Canada. Alex is another really dear friend. We met …

Sorry for lack of posts! Ive been in Australia for most of the last two weeks, and am only now getting around to catching up on my blog.
For the first part of my trip, I went to a festival called Rainbow Serpent (along with 8 000 other people!). It was very hot, very dusty, and very fun. More photos to follow soon!
When I returned to New Zealand on Sunday morning, the NZ Customs Guard asked me if I had been to NZ before. I said, “yes, I live here …