On day one we landed at 3:00 PM and got a ride with Benjamin from Yonkers. He gave us a tour and some history as he took us to the hotel. We settled in and then wandered over to Blue Note to see Tank and the Bangas. It was jam-packed, and they were absolutely incredible. Their latest album is nominated for a Grammy for Best Global Music Performance.

Day two was a HUGE. DAY. The dogs are TIRED. We started with breakfast at a spot close by, wandered around, and stumbled upon the Friends apartment.

Then I took my first subway trip to Central Park (with Terry, but he’s a pro). Central Park wasn’t a place I really got to see last time I was here (2004), so I was very excited to explore.

Popped back to the hotel to freshen up, then grabbed a New York slice at Lucia. We hit Times Square on the way to see the longest-running Broadway play… CHICAGO!!!

It was honestly so incredible, soaking in every moment!

Started day three with some shopping, then made our way to the INSANE Katz’s Deli. If you’re ever in NYC… GO!

Hit up The Friends Experience and got to see the set of a show we both love. Saw a bit of the Veterans Day parade before making our way to Grand Central Station.

Went up 91 floors to SUMMIT One Vanderbilt for an absolutely stunning view. Stayed until dark. It was… Incredible.

Wandered around Bryant Park for some Christmas shopping before heading to L’Artusi. Terry worked hard to make sure we got a reso, and it. was. WORTH IT!

Called it an earlier night and went back to the hotel to watch Friends.

On the last day we started with a delicious brunch at Bubby’s in Tribeca. T got a flight of pancakes, and I went for a classic breakfast. We shared a bit, and it was spectacular!

Afterward, we wandered around Brooklyn, exploring DUMBO before walking across the historic Brooklyn Bridge.

We made our way to the Financial District to check out the Oculus and the Freedom Tower.

Then it was back to the hotel to prep for the big game! We headed to MSG and got fired up immediately upon seeing so many Jets fans! A bunch of us went down to ice level for warm-up, and then we absolutely CRUSHED it! Took the subway home with some sad Sallys.

GO JETS GO, 15-1-0.

Travelling solo was something I never really thought about. School, relationships, and work held me back. Then I got laid off, took a year-long term position at a dream organization, but that ended too. I felt a little lost, and solo travelling felt like a fresh start.

The day I left, I woke up with nothing but knots in my stomach. I texted a friend who has solo travelled lots before, and he told me that the nerves are normal. I hugged my sister goodbye (my parents were in New York City at the time) and got in the car with my grandma to head to the airport. There was a union strike going on at the time, and I totally support their fight for fair wages, but it only made my anxiety spike even more.

We made it to the drop-off, I hugged my nanny, and set off to the country where her mother was born. Nervous as I was, I was hungrier for change.

Galway

It was literally a planes, trains, and automobiles situation to get me, at last, to Galway.

I was a bit early to check into my hostel, but I was able to drop my bags. I took some time to wander cobblestone streets and look for some lunch that my anxious stomach might let me eat. I stumbled across a band busking in the street, and as I made my way through the crowd, I realized there was a river dancer as well. I don’t think I could have dreamt up a more perfect Irish welcome!

I stumbled upon a pub called The Dáil for dinner and met a couple on their honeymoon. I asked where they were from (I’d heard them mention Canada), and the bride said Saskatchewan. I said, “My condolences.” She then asked where I was from, and when I replied, “Manitoba,” the “my condolences” were reciprocated.

The city itself is incredibly charming—cobblestone streets, historic buildings, and very friendly folks.

Salthill

After a free hostel breakfast and a stop at Coco Café for Irish Breakfast Tea, I went shopping and bought myself a sterling silver shamrock necklace and a braided ring—tiny souvenirs for my big adventure.

The walk along the Atlantic was unplanned and tiring—but beautiful. This was the day I figured out that distances on a map are much smaller than they are in real life! I wanted to get to Salthill Promenade to see the big diving boards into the Atlantic Ocean. It ended up being a 4 km walk—one way—but the sound of waves crashing and the salty wind made it worth every step.

I dipped my toes in and had trouble believing that people swim in there. I saw a couple taking wedding photos, which felt really special.

County Clare

Travelled north up the Wild Atlantic Way today. It was my first bus tour on the world’s narrowest roads—like, one-way roads, stone fences you could touch out the window on one side, and a long drop into the ocean on the other. It truly was wild.

They say you never forget your first… castle. Mine was Dunguaire Castle. Truly incredible to see. Something I didn’t really think about until I saw it was that we truly don’t have anything still standing in Canada that’s as old as that castle. Dunguaire Castle is still used today for banquets from April to October in the tradition of King Guaire—folks can enjoy a four-course dinner on the shores of Galway Bay. We only got to explore the courtyard and exterior, but even that was still very cool.

The Cliffs of Moher… OOF! Equally majestic and terrifying. Particularly today, the wind was moving at 47 km/h. I tried my damndest to make it out onto the cliffs, but the wind was so strong that the line out to the cliffs wasn’t moving and people were turning back. As I headed back to the bus, they were even closing access to the cliffs because it was too dangerous.

That stop felt special because they’re situated in County Clare, which is where my great-grandmother grew up—which explains why the dramatics of the landscape felt comforting to me.

Next stop was Aillwee Cave, discovered in 1944 when a farmer named Jack McGann followed his dog, who was chasing a rabbit. The farmer did not explore very far into the caves and didn’t tell anyone about the find for nearly 30 years. We toured through the dark, damp space, learning about stalactites and stalagmites. We got to the deepest part of the cave, where they turned off all the lights, and it was the darkest of dark—you couldn’t even see your hand an inch from your eyes. The tour ended at an underground waterfall, which was never something on my bucket list, but pretty neat.

We had a beautiful bus ride back into town with some roadside stops to see sheep and a rainbow—no pot of gold, though.

Kylemore Abbey & Connemara

Kylemore Abbey (Irish: Mainistir na Coille Móire) was built in 1868 as a private dwelling for the family of Mitchell Henry, a wealthy doctor from London whose family was involved in textile manufacturing in Manchester, England. Also referred to as Kylemore Castle, it was designed by Irish actor, architect, and novelist James Franklin Fuller. Mitchell moved his family there after he and his wife, Margaret, honeymooned there in the mid-1840s.

When Margaret passed in 1874, Henry had a chapel and family mausoleum built on the grounds where he and his wife were laid to rest. A beautiful piece of land with a great love story. I was able to have lunch there after we toured the castle, chapel, and mausoleum grounds.

Instead of heading back to the hostel, I went into O’Connell’s to write in my journal. As I was writing and enjoying my second pint of Guinness, a clear regular plopped down at the bar beside me. He introduced himself as Jimmy and asked where I was from. We chatted for a long while—he was kind and very funny. As soon as I told him Canada, he got on the phone to call his boarder, who was also a woman from Canada. I just felt very at ease. Someone opening a conversation with a stranger and helping her make connections was a very kind gesture that I’ll never forget.

Cork

I spent the first day in Cork wandering and fell in love with it quickly! It feels a lot older than Galway, and it feels bigger… but it’s not. Galway’s population is almost double, but Cork is a college town, so there’s more hustle and bustle versus the laid-back vibes of Galway.

I stayed at Brú Hostel—it had a bar on the main floor. It turned out to be a great way to meet people and just come to chill out after a long tour day.

My first night, I was in the bar reading a book. The bartender, who had just suggested and poured me a fresh pint of a local stout called Murphy’s, was singing and dancing behind the bar. I struck up a conversation with a girl standing at the bar waiting for a drink. She told me to join her and some other girls at the table behind me, so I ended up with another pint and met some amazing new friends from Boston, Texas, and France.

We eventually went our separate ways, and I went to get ready for bed. After coming back from the washroom, I walked into my room to see all the girls I’d just met in the bar—turns out I’d met my bunkmates, which was quite funny.

Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle was extremely cool. Not all of it is intact, but it had plaques describing what belonged where and what the empty, sometimes crumbling rooms once were. I loved the spiral staircases and was in awe of how the windows were just long, skinny slits—no glass, just open.

I made it to the top of Blarney Castle and kissed the Blarney Stone, so now I have the gift of the gab—or more of the gift of the gab than I already had, I suppose.

After making a new friend on the bus, we toured the grounds together. We visited the Poison Garden, the fern garden with a waterfall, and the Wishing Steps—where, if you can go down and up with your eyes closed while thinking of your wish, it will come true.

Cobh

Cobh (pronounced “cove”) is a beautiful port city on the south coast of Ireland. This is the last town where the Titanic docked. There were 123 passengers who boarded the Titanic at the Cobh harbour on April 11, 1912, and only 43 of them survived and completed their journey to New York City. I would have loved to have spent more time there and toured the heritage museum and Titanic memorial, but the town was too cute and colourful not to explore.

After missing one of my tours, I made my way west of the city for the Cork City Gaol (pronounced “jail,” not “gay-ol”). I paid €2.00 for the audio tour, and there were different jail cells where they told the stories of real-life prisoners who were imprisoned there.

County Kerry

I’m SO glad I rebooked the tour I missed because I had the best tour guide. His name was Rory, and he was from County Kerry, which is the area we were visiting. He looked 18, but I think he was in his early 20s, and he was very funny.

Our first stop was Killarney, and it was a beautiful town. I almost wish I’d stayed there instead. Everything was close by, and there’s a huge national park not far away—just beautiful.

The Dingle Peninsula was incredible. There’s a reason Star Wars chose it as a filming location for the eighth movie—it looks otherworldly! Ballyferriter and Slea Head were where they filmed. I could’ve spent all day there. Dingle Town was very charming and right on the water, with some beautiful views.

Dublin

I found my first slice of home in weeks when I met up with my friend Hayley at the hostel. I walked 30 minutes from the train station to the hostel—Dublin is bigger than I thought.

We wandered around and ran into a horse-drawn carriage filled with Dubs fans yelling and screaming. The Dubs are Dublin’s Gaelic football team. I figured out pretty quickly that it was the end of the season and Dublin had made the final.

The 2017 Gaelic Football Final ended up being between Dublin and Mayo, and there was a lot of talk about the “Mayo Curse,” which I had learned about before landing in Dublin. Legend goes that the victorious Mayo team of 1951 failed to stop and pay respects to a funeral procession as they were passing through Foxford after winning the final.

The presiding priest cursed the team so they cannot win an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final until every member of the 1951 team has died. Since there is still one remaining member of that team, the curse has held true, and Mayo lost by a single point in the 2017 final.

Guinness Storehouse

We toured the Guinness Storehouse, and like a couple of marketing communications nerds, we spent the most time on the marketing floor of the museum. You do a self-guided tour through seven floors, all the way up to the Gravity Bar, where you get a view of the whole city.

We also stopped at the Guinness Academy, where we learned how to properly pour a Guinness—now Hayley and I are certified. It was the freshest Guinness I’ll ever drink, at only a week old!

Gardens at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham

We wandered over to the Gardens at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, and they were beautiful. I felt like I was in the Triwizard Tournament navigating all the hedges. It’s a 17th-century, French-influenced formal landscape.

Kilmainham Gaol

We toured another jail, this time Kilmainham Gaol (Irish: Príosún Chill Mhaighneann). We had a really great tour guide who was passionate about Irish history. It was a wild experience to stand in the spot where Republican prisoners from the anti-Treaty IRA Dublin Brigade were executed by firing squad.

Trinity College

We fell in love with the Trinity College Library—the smell of old books was BEAUTIFUL! I could have stayed there all day. The Trinity College campus was alive as students were back for their first month of school. Incredible grounds with stunning architecture.

Dublin Castle

We had a really great tour of Dublin Castle. The castle was originally developed as a medieval fortress, with four corner towers linked by high curtain walls and built around a large central enclosure. The site was once occupied by an earlier Viking settlement. In April 1684, a major fire caused severe damage to much of the building. Despite this, parts of the medieval and Viking structures survived. In the late 17th and 18th centuries, the castle was transformed into a Georgian palace. The end of British rule came in the wake of the Easter Rising of 1916, and in 1922 Dublin Castle was handed back to the government of the newly independent Irish state. It was really neat to connect the history of the castle with what we’d learned at Kilmainham Gaol.

Jameson Distillery

We toured the Dublin Jameson Distillery, the original site founded in 1780 where Jameson Irish Whiskey was distilled until 1971. Now it serves as a visitors’ centre. We did a tasting alongside Scotch and American whiskey, and the Jameson was noticeably better. I’m not a whiskey girl at all, but it was something I wanted to try.

The Brazen Head

How many people can say they’ve had a pint in the oldest pub in Ireland? The Brazen Head, which opened in 1198, was packed. We lucked out and found a corner spot to sneak into. A few women joined us from Arizona, Washington, West Virginia, and California. We ended up on a bit of a bar crawl, ending the night with a coupon for a Canadian special—a Molson Canadian and some sort of green shot.

Northern Ireland

On our last day, Hayley rented a car and drove us up to Northern Ireland. Our first stop was the Dark Hedges, which most people recognize from Game of Thrones. In about 1775, James Stuart built a new house named Gracehill House after his wife, Grace Lynd. Over 150 beech trees were planted along the entrance road to the estate. According to legend, the hedges are visited by a ghost called the Grey Lady, who flits across the road from tree to tree. She is believed to be either the spirit of James Stuart’s daughter, known as “Cross Peggy,” or one of the house’s maids who died mysteriously.

Next stop was the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. The views were stunning. I’m not scared of heights, but I can’t say I was a fan of the 66-foot-long bridge suspended 98 feet above the rocks and ocean below. It’s said that salmon fishermen have been building bridges to Carrick-a-Rede Island for over 350 years. The bridges took many forms before this permanent bridge was built in 2008.

We couldn’t go to Northern Ireland without visiting the Giant’s Causeway. It’s an area of approximately 40,000 interlocking basalt columns formed by an ancient volcanic fissure eruption. But if you ask the Irish, there’s always a legend. The story goes that the Irish giant Fionn mac Cumhaill was challenged to a fight by the Scottish giant Benandonner. Fionn built the causeway across the North Channel so they could meet. When Fionn realized Benandonner was much bigger, his wife Sadhbh disguised him as a baby. When Benandonner saw the size of the “baby,” he imagined Fionn must be a giant among giants and fled back to Scotland, destroying the causeway behind him. Across the sea in Scotland, identical basalt columns can be found at Fingal’s Cave on the Isle of Staffa.

Our last stop was the gorgeous Dunluce Castle. It’s all in ruins now, but that only adds to its beauty. It was closed, so we couldn’t take a tour, but we were able to walk the grounds. After raining all day, the weather finally let up, and it was so worth it.

We got back to the hostel very late and had to repack in the hall. Off to Spain next!

This post has been a long time coming and it still stings a bit to write about because I still miss it so much. If you get along with your siblings and have the opportunity to do a road trip with them, DO IT!

So I meant to post every day of my trip, but the day before we left I was debating on whether or not to pack my laptop. As I put my laptop back on its shelf, I decided not to write every day and try to be present in every moment of this trip.

Our schedule was TIGHT, and I don’t mean “tight” as in “cool” (though it was), I mean we didn’t spend more than three nights in one place. Even my dad said after we got home, “I’m proud of you, I honestly didn’t think you’d do it all!” He taught us well!

My dad was always so good at finding neat places to stop on the side of the road, so I’m going to go through our trip city-by-city and stop-by-stop.

Winnipeg to Regina

We set out on July 29th at 12:00 PM, said goodbye to my sister’s pooch, and hit the road! Unfortunately, my sister was quite sick, so when we made it to Regina we just lazed about before setting off to Calgary the next day.

Regina to Calgary

Made it to Calgary through some thunder and rain. Had some great visiting time with my aunt, uncle, and cousins. We were pretty happy to have a couple days off the road. It was really stormy while we were there and we experienced some golf ball–sized hail! And a little damage to my car…

Calgary to Vancouver

This was by far the longest day. I don’t know that we were fully prepared for all the winding through the mountains, and we certainly didn’t account for slower speeds when taking corners and such, but the Coquihalla was a damn blessing—120 km? YES PLEASE! It was a long day, but the stops we did on the long trek made it so worth it.

Lake Louise

I was thinking about cutting this from our itinerary because we’ve been so many times, but my sister was having none of that. We parked probably half a kilometre away from the site because EVERYTHING was full and walked uphill to get that money shot. Obviously, this view never disappoints and will ALWAYS be worth the trouble. We ended up stretching our legs with a bit of a hike up the right side of the lake, but we were pretty eager to get over the British Columbia border!

3 Valley Gap

The coolest hotel I’ve ever stayed at is 3 Valley Gap. Luckily my parents stumbled upon it when we were kids, and we made sure to stay there every trip out west. If I had to describe it in one word, that word would be “hodgepodge.” It’s homey but also cottagey; it’s got a wreck room in the common area, a Titanic mural in the pool, a beautiful garden out front facing the lake, and a ghost town hiding behind it in the shadows. One of the most interesting places I’ve been. Unfortunately, we didn’t stay there this time, but we did get our feet wet in the lake, so that was nice!

Vancouver

We were on the road from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Luckily our family is super amazing, and my aunt, uncle, and cousins were waiting with warm hugs and ravioli when we finally arrived! We had a few days in Vancouver, and two of my beautiful cousins were gracious tour guides. They took us to Gastown, Granville Island, and Kitsilano Beach!

Gastown

Gastown has always held my attention and has always been somewhere I wanted to go. My dad and I love to go out on excursions in Winnipeg to admire the architecture around the city. Gastown is much like Winnipeg’s Exchange, and there is beauty on every corner.

Granville Island

I’ve been to Granville Island quite a few times, and it reminds me a lot of The Forks in Winnipeg, but ON AN ISLAND. We did some wandering around the market, got some ice cream, and checked out the marina a bit.

Kitsilano Beach

I had never been to Kitsilano Beach before, at least not that I can remember. It was a cloudy and rainy day, which was disappointing, but it was still beautiful! We ran around the beach looking for tiny crabs and got an amazing, removed view of downtown Vancouver!

Grouse Mountain

When I peeled myself off the ground at the top of Grouse Mountain in 2012, I swore I would never put myself through that kind of suffering again. It. Is. The. WORST. Alas, my parents beat mine and my sister’s time from 2012 (allegedly), so we had to take back the win. We managed a time of 01:26:18, beating my parents, thank God. Here are pictures of my suffering…

Vancouver to Whistler

This was a beautifully quick jaunt along the Sea-to-Sky Highway, so we had to spice it up by making a few roadside stops. We hit Britannia Beach, Shannon Falls, and Brandywine Falls.

Britannia Beach

Britannia Beach is a small town along the Sea-to-Sky Highway. It was built as a residential area for the staff of the Britannia Mining and Smelting Company in the early 1900s. The mine eventually closed in 1974 but left a stunning wreck, if you will, on the shore of Howe Sound.

Shannon Falls

This place was in-cred-i-ble. Once we forged our own path away from the rest of the tourists, it was a complete stunner. We swam in the creek with the fishes and did some tree climbing.

Brandywine Falls

My sister admitted she wasn’t super thrilled to go on another trek but soon changed her tune and said it was worth it. We even caught a beautiful rainbow in the waterfall!

Whistler

Here’s where the extra fun begins, especially for a couple of 20-somethings. Last time I was in Whistler, I was only JUST 19 (legal drinking age in BC) and I longed to be one of “those” obnoxious young adults who woke me up at 3 AM galavanting around the village… We succeeded. We sampled lots of beers, went ziplining with Ziptrek Eco Tours, and had a really fun final night in Whistler.

Longhorn Saloon & Grill

Super sweet patio right at the base of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains with live music on the weekends, fire lamps AND fire tables for the cold grandmother such as myself.

Ziptrek Ecotours

My sister and I tackled the Eagle Tour, which is 2.5–3 hours long and has five ziplines, including one that’s 2,400 feet long with a 30-storey descent. Second time with Ziptrek Ecotours, and the tour guides have always been fun!

Black's Pub

The waitress we had at Black’s Pub was awesome and actually gave us a solid answer when we asked her where to go on a Saturday night for fun. We listened, took notes, and executed in flawless (ahem) form.

Whistler to Victoria

The trip to Victoria was quite uneventful, though there was a ferry ride and that was nice—except for the 3-hour wait, especially when our morning began like this…

Victoria

We stayed with my dad’s besties in Victoria—they’re more like family. We got the local’s tour, which was super cool. We took the day to see cute seals, Fantan Alley, and we FINALLY got to experience TacoFino!

Willow Beach

Our hosts were out when we showed up, but we had a key and a hankering to stretch our legs. We got my car unpacked and headed down to Willow Beach, which is only a few minutes away.

Oak Bay Marina

SEALS! OMG! They are so cute and they’ve got the tourists in their pocket. They pop their head outta the water (tourist throws fish), clap their flippers together (tourist throws fish), or roll over (tourist throws fish)! In any case, they’re terribly cute and very entertaining.

Walbran Lookout

A cool little trek to get to this spectacular view. Behind me while I took this photo was nothing but lush green trees! My uncle could even point out where his house was.

Fantan Alley

I had one task when I was in Victoria for my mother: get to Salt Spring Soapworks. It moved, and no one knew where. Luckily, my uncle decided on a shortcut down Fantan Alley and lo and behold, there she was. The alley as a whole is really neat, very narrow, and sort of feels like Diagon Alley from Harry Potter. We also stepped into a little bubble tea place so we could snap a quick pic of the dragon made of pennies on the floor!

Big Bad John's

Small and seedy, but it ain’t creepy! This place is hilarious. My pictures don’t do it justice, so definitely check it out online. There are bras hanging EVERYWHERE! This place only has about 10 tables and 8 seats at the bar. We went on a weeknight, so there weren’t many people there, but it’s one of those must-see places for sure.

Victoria to Tofino

Winding roads! When I used to be a passenger on these windy roads, I would be nauseous beyond belief. As the driver, however—THE. FUNNEST! I felt like I was in real-life Mario Kart! I know that sounds super unsafe, but I promise you I’m a great driver. Man, was it fun, zipping up, down, and around. Two stops on this trip: a mini shopping trip in Coombs and a roadside rock-climbing expedition in Clayoquot Plateau Provincial Park.

Coombs

Even as an adult, the fact that goats live on the roof of the Coombs Market—aptly named Goats on the Roof—is incredible to me. The market is home to grocery items, a roadside ice cream treat, beautiful ceramic kitchenware, and a whole section for kids’ toys! If you get the chance, be sure to check it out.

Clayoquot Plateau Provincial Park

I would spend a whole day in this place! I almost didn’t stop because I was coming around a turn so fast and this breathtaking view just popped out of nowhere. I checked my rear, and there was no one behind me, so I responsibly slammed on my brakes and pulled to the side of the highway. The natural beauty of this place was just amazing. My sister and I had to jump in the water when we found this neat, secluded spot. And boy, is that glacier water a shock to the system!

Tofino

Okay, we stayed at the beautiful Bella Pacifica Campground just down the beach from the cabins at Ocean Village that we used to stay at with our parents when we were kids. We spent most of our time on MacKenzie Beach rock climbing and exploring, but we made sure to take a walk into town and went whale watching too!

Tacofino

Before we could even think about setting up a tent, we needed FOOD! We had just had our first taste of TacoFino in Victoria and we were hooked. We also wanted to experience the original! Then we got our tent all set up, cracked a beer, and set fire to a lot of kindling…

Mackenzie Beach

A beautiful beach with neat places to explore on both sides of the inlet. My sister and I did some rock climbing, and I managed to wreck my feet on the first day, but that didn’t stop me!

Jamie's Whale Watching

I love whales. I’ve been in love with whales since my first visit to the Vancouver Aquarium (wrong now, I know). How are these things so big?! How are they so majestic?! They are just all around incredible, and what better way to experience them than in their natural habitat? This time around, I put us on a zodiac. My sister was not even a little bit happy, but her mood changed as soon as the wind was whipping through our hair and the sea water was smacking our faces! We saw five gray whales in total, and they are still amazing.

Tofino

We walked into town—almost 4 km. We went to Tofino Coffee Roasting Company for a morning caffeine boost, then we went into the Roy Henry Vickers Gallery, and I got my first piece of Indigenous art! All that walking got us hungry, and the sun even came out, so we decided to hit up The Schooner Restaurant patio for some Long Island Iced Teas and tacos!

Well, this has been incredibly painful to revisit such an amazing trip with my baby sister. A HUGE thank you to all of our family—Parisiens, Mays, and Franzes—for opening up their homes to a couple of weary travellers. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Today was a lot of driving and a lot of sleeping through the prairies. The picture above is probably the highest point between Winnipeg and Calgary, and we stopped here for some lunch. We left at around 5 a.m. (Winnipeg time) and made it to Calgary at about 5:30 p.m. (Calgary time). We are staying with my darling cousins at my aunt and uncle’s house and currently watching some 21 Jump Street.

Anyhoo, more exciting posts to come, but I promised to write every day of my trip, so stay tuned for mountains!

Calgary

So today involved some Ikea shopping, stocking up before the Winnipeg store opens, and mall shopping. We are currently experimenting with how to take off gel nails. My darling sister just graduated high school and got gel nails for grad, and she decided to enlist the help of our cousins (who have no experience with gel nails) to take these bloody things off. The room is filled with “OW!” as you can see in the picture above.

Another low-key day. Tomorrow we are going to take our time getting to Golden, BC, by going through Banff, visiting the hot springs, and taking in some hiking trails. So expect a more exciting post tomorrow. Day 4 will involve white-water rafting in Golden.

Calgary to Golden

The May clan does this trip every three years. This tradition began before I was born, when my parents went with their friends to Tofino. As friends started getting married and having kids, the Tofino “brood” grew to a very significant size. As the kids got older and started working, the brood began to dwindle, but my sister and I tagged along for one last trip.

Every time we usually gun it to Calgary, stay a night, then gun it to Vancouver. This time, we have decided to meander. Plus, we are going white-water rafting tomorrow. So today we managed a hefty two-hour drive in about eight hours. We stopped in Banff and went to the Banff Springs Hotel, where my old friend Marilyn Monroe stayed while filming River of No Return. I also found this sweet lamp made out of a fire extinguisher.

We took in a farmers’ market where my mom bought some glass-blown dishes, my sister and I bought matching bracelets (cute, I know), and my dad bought a tie-dye shirt.

After Banff, we drove down the highway a little further to Lake Louise, and after driving around the parking lot for quite some time, we were able to take in the beauty that is Lake Louise. There were many canoes out on the lake, and it was very overcast, so the pictures are alright. I dipped my feet in, and my foot cramped within 30 seconds. We walked around the grounds of Chateau Lake Louise, and I took some lovely flower pictures. Tonight we are resting our heads in Golden, BC, and tomorrow it’s off to white-water raft and 3 Valley Gap.

What does it mean to be family?

To me, family means cherishing the time you have with your grandparents and listening to all of their stories because one day they won’t be there anymore. It means spending time with your little cousins and watching them grow up right before your eyes. But it also means driving 16 hours home to get to the family who needs you.

Sadly, while in Golden we learned that my great-grandmother passed away at the age of 96. Mary Gordon was admitted to the hospital about a week before we left on our trip. At first, things weren’t looking too well, but things turned up a few days before we were to leave on our three-week trip to BC when Mrs. Gordon asked the nurse if she was allowed to have a shot of whiskey. You can take the girl out of Ireland, but you can’t take the Ireland out of the girl. She was always making everyone laugh with her quips. One thing is for sure: she had her wits about her right until the end.

My favourite memory was whenever I asked, “Grandma, where were you born?” she would always reply, “I wasn’t born, I was found under a rock by a leprechaun.” And you better believe I bragged about that to all my friends. I have always loved Ireland, but I think I loved it more because of that little bit of fairytale.

My great-grandmother will be dearly missed, though I am lucky that she gave birth to my grandmother, who I am very grateful for and wouldn’t know what to do without. So I will continue to honour my great-grandmother by spending as much time with her oldest daughter, my wonderful grandmother, and cherishing every damned moment of it.

Rest in peace, and may you be dancing with grandpa in heaven.

What I Have Learned on My Trip So Far:

• They love Jack in the Box—there’s one about every mile.

• If you blast Katy Perry’s California Girls in your rented car with the windows down, the locals WILL stare.

• Around Mother’s Day, they sell bouquets of flowers on the street.

• Putting sand on your sister’s tongue WILL make her stop talking.

• Kelp fights are hilarious to watch.

• You can ride a mobile hammock.

• I must own a beach cruiser or a quike.

So I made it to California with my family, my clothes, and two fully inflated lungs. Yesterday involved a lot of travelling and resting, so I am going to count today as Day One. We went to Huntington Beach to soak up the sun. The day began pretty cloudy—all you Winnipeggers are laughing—but the sun prevailed despite what the KTLA newsman said this morning.

We lounged for a bit, then decided we wanted to get a little exercise, so we took out a quike, and it was hilarious. We raced with a few other families… and we won, no big deal. We walked out to the pier and found some street performers doing flips and asking for my money. We did some shorefront shopping and then went to Ruby’s for dinner.

Ruby’s made another one of my dreams come true: eating in a 50s-style diner. It was really cool, right on the end of the pier in the middle of the ocean. They wore red-and-white-striped dresses and diner caps, with Coca-Cola memorabilia littering the walls, checkered floors, and black-topped bar stools. It was a very quick “get in, get out” kind of place, but the food was good nonetheless. We ended the day with a walk along the beach and a view of the lovely California sunset. It’s off to bed for me soon—tomorrow we are taking on Disney California Adventure Park: Paradise Pier Roller Coaster, Hollywood Pictures Backlot, Golden Gate, Cars Lot, and “A Bug’s Land.” Tyler and I are going to take on all the rides, and we’ll try to get Courtney on some too.

California Adventure Day

Today we spent our day at California Adventure, which is an extension of Disneyland and home of Paradise Pier. If you do not like rides, don’t waste your time, sailors. California Screamin’, the roller coaster, literally takes your breath away. It counts you down, then shoots you into a series of drops, twists, and turns, and you don’t catch your breath until you hit the deck. Another awesome ride—fun for most, unless you don’t like getting wet—is the Grizzly River Run. You take to the rapids in an eight-seater raft and get soaked along the way. After MUCH convincing, we got Courtney onto the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and this is what she looked like…

Yeah, some chick is covering my face… thanks! We had dinner at Downtown Disney just outside the park at the ESPN restaurant. We closed the night with World of Colour, the water show that plays every night. The water moves along with the music, and projections are shown on a fan of water—the music is fantastic.

Tomorrow we will be Hollywood swingin’, and I will finally get to see Marilyn’s star!

Hollywood Swingin’

Most people these days go to Hollywood to see their favourite celebrities of the new millennium. I went to Hollywood mostly to explore the past. I am a HUGE fan of the 50s—Marilyn, Audrey, and one of my favourite 50s comedians, Lucille Ball. Some Like It Hot, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and I Love Lucy are some of my favourites from the silver screen. If I weren’t born in the 90s, growing up on the Spice Girls, I would definitely have wanted to be born in the 50s.

We did a star walk, where I found Marilyn’s star—not Audrey’s or Lucille’s (maybe Friday). But I snapped so many pictures of stars like The Muppets, Shrek, and Kermit the Frog—they all have their own stars, which was pretty cool. Hollywood Boulevard is full of wannabes: “Buy my CD,” singing songs like, “Pay me or I’m going to stalk you,” or “Hey, want a picture with Jack Sparrow?” NO! …Wait a second… yes, I do!

This guy was unreal—even his mouth moved like Jack Sparrow’s did. Made me wonder if Johnny Depp just dresses like Jack for fun and strolls down Hollywood Boulevard, and no one ever knows… Anyway, moving on.

We went on a tour of celebrity homes: Katy Perry (her window was open), Justin Timberlake, Jim Morrison, Al Pacino, Drew Carey, Borat, Jennifer Aniston, Ringo Starr, and quite a few more. The tour also took us down Sunset Boulevard and Rodeo Drive.

After the bus tour, we got free access to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Lucky for my sister, they just made a Justin Bieber wax figure… Oh. Em. Gee. Lucky for me, they always have Audrey, Marilyn, and Ginger. For my dad, they had Raquel Welch; my mom, Colin Farrell and John Wayne; and my brother… well, he was cool with Obama and the Godfather.

Some of you may be saying, “Uh, a wax museum… woo… hoo…” Seriously, you will be giddy. It’s the next best thing to actually meeting them, I swear.

Surfside Dinner

I told my dad about Bubba Gump’s before we left, as I heard it was great from my BFF Vicki B. My dad asked a local for his input, and guess what? He said the same—so that’s where we went. It is the ultimate Forrest Gump experience: they quiz you and have signs for the waiters. If you want them to come to your table, you flip it to “Stop Forrest Stop,” but if you wish to be left alone, flip it to “Run Forrest Run.” Only my parents had watched Forrest Gump—in 1994—so us kids were S.O.L., except I knew one.

“My momma always said, ‘Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.’”

Boom. Done. Next. Brittany is the winner! Anyway, food and service were great; my dad and I agreed it was the best service we’d had since arriving.

Disneyland tomorrow, sailors… See ya REEEAAAAAL soon!

Disneyland

Walt Disney—a beautiful, imaginative, and magical man. Honestly, who doesn’t enjoy Disney? Today was for my grandpa, who went into surgery yesterday, and for my grandma (Rest In Peace), who, with my grandpa, took my father and his brothers to this magical land in the ’70s and made them ride It’s a Small World twice after they made her ride the Matterhorn. It’s a Small World was fantastic, though the song does stick with you. The Matterhorn was closed today, to my dismay, but my family took solace in Splash Mountain—we rode it three times.

The first ride we gravitated toward was Thunder Mountain Railroad. Since Space Mountain and the Matterhorn were closed, it was a pretty darn good rollercoaster. We took some easy rides, like the train around the perimeter of the park and the Jungle Cruise. Some of my favourites were Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Tom Sawyer’s Island, where you take a raft to an island and explore pirate caves and secret hideaways. All in all, it was a tiring day. If you go, wear good shoes and write down where you parked your car—we forgot.

Universal Studios

Alright, I want to be honest… the magic has been left in Disneyland. The rides at Universal Studios were a wee bit lacklustre. I heard rave reviews about rides such as Jurassic Park, The Mummy, and The Simpsons. I would say only one of the three was excellent, and that would have to be Jurassic Park—we rode it twice. Universal’s more interactive approach worked for them. I highly recommend the Backlot tour, which alternates between a tour of movie sets and interactive adventures (I will not spoil it).

The House of Horrors had me screaming at every corner, and my 18-year-old sister screamed, “Mommy, make it stop!” as she gripped my mother’s hand and pulled me back while I was trying to run out. World of Water was awesome, with a story unfolding before your eyes like live theatre, mixed with stunts, pyrotechnics, and hydrotechnics. The special effects show was fascinating—they show all their Hollywood movie tricks, past and present, from King Kong to Coraline.

This was the first time I danced on a stage in about two years, and it was fantastic. There is a Blues Brothers show three times a day, and my dad is a big fan, so we went. Midway through the show, they got everyone to stand. Elwood marched right over to my sister and me and said, “You two, come with me.” WHAAAAAT?! …So I did. We were ushered on stage to dance to Shake Your Tail Feather, and it was way too fun.

The day was short—10 AM to 6 PM (park hours)—but it was nice, giving me time to come back to the condo, blog, hot tub, and have some wine.

We drove all day to get to Carbon, Alberta, just outside Calgary.

We stayed with my dad’s cousin Deanne, her husband Cam, and their twin girls Tavia and Kiara — they are SO cute! Tavia has curly hair and Kiara looks like her aunt, my dad’s cousin Shannon. We played with them and helped them with their walking.

There were also two dogs, Rudy and Brandy, and they had puppies in the winter. Rudy is a GIANT golden retriever; he looks like a big lion.

Deanne is really into theatre and teaches some theatre classes, so she was really excited when she got to see mine and Courtney’s dance video. After that, we watched Cam and Deanne’s musical that they were in called Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat.

Their house doubles as a bed and breakfast, and all the rooms on the top floor are themed — three of the bedrooms are winter, summer, and fall, and the bathroom is spring.

Deanne took us to Horseshoe Canyon, where we walked through a lot of really tall grass and there were a BAJILLION mosquitoes, but the canyon was really pretty.

We left Deanne and Cam’s and headed to Calgary.

We shopped at IKEA. I got organizers for my scrapbooking stuff, bamboo for my room, and a little table.

We went to the girls’ house (my cousins) and hung out there. Courtney, Maddie, Kirsten, and I went to get a Slurpee.

We went to Kirsten’s soccer game. They lost 2–0, but Kirsten played the whole game except for maybe the last three minutes. She played really well.

We went back to the house and watched So You Think You Can Dance. Then we played some board games called Mall Madness and Guess Who until bedtime.

It was my dad’s 43rd birthday, and we travelled to Sicamous, BC.

We went to Lake Louise and canoed around the lake. Tyler and I were in one boat, and my mom, dad, and Courtney were in the other. Ty and I called ourselves the pirates.

We ate lunch and walked around.

When we arrived in Sicamous, we went for dinner and then for a walk where we saw these crazy cool boats — triple-decker with a twirly slide that shoots you off the back.

We went for a swim in the lake. It was cold but refreshing. We met some locals, Jamie and Ariel, and they were really nice.

When we got back, we went in the hot tub, then went to the hotel room to watch Super Nanny. There was a huge brat who would scream at her mom and bite her, scratch her, and hit her.

It was Canada Day and my birthday — sweet 16 — and we headed to Vancouver to stay with our cousins.

When we arrived, we went to the condo my aunt and uncle rent out and went swimming in the pool. It was fun and I got a tan.

When we got back to the house, we played Ello and Courtney sang me a birthday song with Nikita.

After that, we had dinner and cake, and then it was time to open presents. From my parents, brother, and sister I got a Lululemon gift card, a Garage gift card, and — wait for it — A RAZOR CELLPHONE!

I don’t get any of it until I get back home, but it will definitely be worth the wait. YES!

Then we pretty much went to sleep.

It was the anniversary of my mom breaking her ankle, and the whole family went to Englishman River Falls.

We climbed on rocks in the river. My mom did it all. It was so much fun. We went swimming in lagoons (it was cold).

I almost broke my face, lost my glasses, and had a horny beetle on my foot.

Before that, we went to a beach for lunch and found so many tiny crabs, sand dollars, and cool shells.

We stayed at the Travelodge in Parksville, went swimming, watched some TV, and went to bed.

We arrived in Ocean Village on Vancouver Island.

We stayed in cabin #47. It’s oceanfront and has one bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom.

Our neighbours were the Franz’s and the Parisiens.

We went swimming, got settled in, and walked over to the left side of the beach.

We saw sea anemones, starfish, and climbed rocks.

That night, we had a bonfire, roasted marshmallows, and made jokes. We ran around on the beach in the dark with a big yoga ball and it was really fun.

There were seven families: the Hammond’s, the Carroll’s, the Parisien’s, the (Darren) May’s, the (Jeff) May’s, the Franz’s, and Uncle Jeff’s family friends.

We went rock climbing again in search of starfish and caught lots of crabs. We kept them overnight.

We had another bonfire and roasted more marshmallows and made more jokes.

Kirsten, Madison, and Halie slept over in my cabin. We went straight to sleep because rock climbing really wears you out. We also went swimming until the pool closed, which probably helped.

We did more rock climbing, walked in the ocean, and hiked to the beach next to us. All the families came.

When we got back, we went to the pool until it closed and then had a campfire where Uncle Al got drunk. It was so funny.

First, he jumped over a log and fell over. We got him to go sniper bird hunting — Tyler even gave him a call.

He was sitting by the fire and suddenly said, “Holy mother of pearl, it’s hot down here.” Then he went up to his cabin to shave and came back soaked.

When we asked why, he said, “There’s a sprinkler system up there and you have to work your way around it.”

That night, Kirsten and Halie slept over.

We also went whale watching and saw three grey whales and a humpback whale. Their names were Herbert, Stewart, Burt, and Ernie. Whale watching was so cool and I would definitely do it again.

We went to Long Beach, jumped waves, and got completely soaked.

After that, we visited a small marketplace near Ocean Village with really nice jewellery. We went to Tofino and I bought a West Coast Long Beach shirt.

Back at the cabin, Uncle Daryl started our traditional sandcastle. We built walls and moats to keep the tide away.

Maddie and I built a village called Beach Village with huts and landscaping — it was pro. Then we let the tide take it away.

We went swimming and had a bonfire that someone shut down because “we’re not supposed to have fires after 11 PM.” Whatever. All the other fires that week went past 11 PM, so we went to bed.

It was our last day at Ocean Village, and we left at 11 a.m. for Salt Spring Island.

The drive was long, winding, and nauseating. We took a ferry.

Once we reached our cabanas, we went out for groceries. I spent the evening reading.

That night, we had a campfire with Mom, Dad, Courtney, Tyler, Erin, Daniel, Uncle Al, and Auntie Arlene.

We went to the market and shops in town. I bought two stamps and some postcards.

Back at the cabana, I read most of the night. Later, I went swimming with Erin and Courtney.

We had a campfire, went to bed, and I finished my book.

We explored Salt Spring Island by car and stopped for lunch in a gazebo picnic area.

Tyler got a weird rash on his foot called stinging nettle, and Courtney’s face was blotchy.

After dinner, Tyler and Dad went golfing, so Mom, Courtney, and I stayed back and played cards. Mom won Crazy 8’s, Golf, and all the War games except the last one — which I won.

Courtney and I went swimming. I swam all the way to the docks and back, but she stayed at the first one.

When I reached the big dock, she asked if Tyler could bring her out in the paddle boat, and he did.

We showered and went to bed.

We left Salt Spring Island and headed to Victoria.

We missed the ferry and waited two hours in the car playing cards.

Once we arrived, we played soccer most of the day, walked to the beach, and then went to bed.

We played more soccer and went shopping in downtown Victoria.

In the afternoon, we made fusion beads while watching Narnia, then went to bed.

We played more soccer and went shopping in downtown Victoria.

In the afternoon, we made fusion beads while watching Narnia, then went to bed.

We drove to Calgary — it was a long day.

I cried during my very first movie, A Walk to Remember. It was so sad but really good.

After arriving, we walked to Husky and watched So You Think You Can Dance. Musa got kicked off and he was so good — Dimitry should have gone instead.

We relaxed and went to sleep.

We went to Edmonton and visited West Edmonton Mall and the water park.

I rode the Sky Screamer five times, and so did Court. We went on Nessie’s Revenge four times. I also rode the Sun Runner, Raging Rapids, The Howler, The Twister, and the Blue Thunder wave pool.

We rented a cabana, which was really neat.

That night, we checked into the Comfort Inn, had dinner at Boston Pizza, went shopping, and went to bed.

The next day was spent driving to Winnipeg.

That evening, we went on a Montréal Ghost Walk. The haunted walk is a guided tour through Old Montréal. We started with a guide dressed as a ghost, who took us to different buildings and shared their stories before handing us off to another guide along the way. It was really cool, and we learned a lot about the history and ghost stories tied to each location.

We returned to Olympic Park to ride the gondola, which gave us an incredible view of the entire city. Another highlight was visiting St. Joseph’s Oratory, a HUGE church. We climbed over 280 steps to reach the main entrance — it was exhausting, but I did it! After visiting the Oratory, we headed to the airport and boarded the plane home, marking the end of the trip.

Another day was spent exploring some of Ottawa’s most iconic landmarks. We visited the Rideau Canal and saw how all the water is held in place, which was pretty cool. From there, we toured the Parliament buildings, including the Senate, with its red décor, and the House of Commons, which is green. We were even able to watch a debate. Later, we visited Rideau Hall, the Governor General’s residence, before heading out for dinner and some shopping.

We also spent time at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, where we learned about the evolution of Canada through a variety of exhibits. A return visit to ByWard Market followed — the shops there are always fun to explore. We then visited the Mackenzie King Estate; he was Prime Minister for 22 years, in two separate terms, and built his own estate there. The day wrapped up with some mall shopping and a round of laser tag.

One of the final stops was the National Gallery of Canada. Out front stood a HUGE spider sculpture that apparently cost a lot of money. After that, we went to the Aviation Museum, which I didn’t enjoy much — I found it pretty boring and I was exhausted. We eventually boarded a bus to Montreal, and I slept the entire way. That evening, we went out for dinner at a really neat spot. Laura and I got pretty loud and managed to annoy some of our friends, but honestly, I had fun.

After grabbing our luggage, we took a bus to the hotel and checked in. I got to room with Amirah, Michele, and Stephanie! After dropping off our things, we visited Ground Zero. It hadn’t hit me that we were in New York until I saw that. We also rode the Staten Island Ferry and saw the Statue of Liberty, which made for some great photos. The NYPD and FDNY were visible as well, adding to the city’s energy.

That evening, we went to Broadway and saw Wicked. It was AMAZING! Glinda (GA-LIN-DA) was my favourite—so funny and stylish. Many people were crying when it ended. I was able to buy a t-shirt and an official program and take pictures with all the performers. Afterwards, we went to Howard Johnson’s for a midnight snack and met a REAL New Yorker—she was in high school like us and very cool!

At the New Dance Centre, some dancers taught us an actual dance from Hairspray. Tyrick led the advanced group, and Cameron taught the beginners. Tyrick is an incredible dancer, and I even got his autograph!

We also had a musical theatre class, singing One Short Day from Wicked while learning the real choreography. Afterward, lunch was at the Food Emporium, followed by a matinée of Hairspray. It was a fantastic musical, and I got autographs from all the main performers.

Later, we went shopping at Capizeo and the big Hershey store. I thought I only had $17.00, but later I found $20.00 in my pocket! That night, we saw Avenue Q, which was hilarious but a bit X-rated. The funniest song was The Internet is for Porn.

The next adventure included visits to the New Amsterdam Theatre and Radio City Music Hall. It was incredible to see the architecture and history of these iconic venues. Dinner was at Planet Hollywood, where we even met a real Rockette choreographer!

Back at the hotel, Michele, Amirah, and I attempted to watch a movie with friends, but someone accidentally bumped the remote, and we couldn’t get back to our film. Afterward, we put on plastic ponchos and ran around the floors “flapping our wings.” Later, we heard a knock at the door—no one was there. Strange noises in the hallway made us call the boys to check it out, but they got bored and left.

Some kids were playing truth-or-dare nearby, so Amirah and I played a joke on them. We listened under the door, and every time a truth was told, we phoned Michele, who repeated it back to the room. It was hilarious!

Workshops included puppetry and mock auditions. In puppetry, the teacher demonstrated how to make a water bottle “cry” and explained how shadow puppetry is used in Wicked. The stage even has an elevator for Elphaba—once, when it wasn’t in place, Shoshana (who plays Elphaba) fell into the hole and broke a rib!

The audition workshop allowed participants to practice mock auditions, which was fun and educational. After lunch, we headed to the airport and flew home, exhausted but thrilled by the entire experience.