CANADA

---

Hey to Canada!

Leaving London was a special moment; mixed with delights and then the emotions of hesitation! I left Tooting with a special gift; i was given a taxi by Paty and Luke (flatmates of 18 months), who had refused to let me do my last venture on the tube and national express bus from Victoria to Gatwick airport. Nerves had arisen as i met my friend, jodes at the airport, awaiting yet another epic. I left London on one of my life's biggest highs. Thinking back on the day i rocked into Heathrow from Kenya.... that feels so long ago! In that crazy place called the UK, I had made some beautiful memories and the most memorable friends.

My crazy life has become the beginnings of Canada. This new adventure started with a 2 day brief stop in Vancouver with family - the morrison relations; Trish and Fred (dad's 2nd cousie'). It was two days of wow, 'how nice are canadian's!' and bank accounts, cellphone purchasing and sim numbers (for employment). On top of this was good food, and a tiny tad of babysitting, its the least we could do after the wonderful hospitality.

From Vancouver it was a 6hr bus journey to the thriving town of Kelowna, which has become my sanctuary when the mountain living gets in to the blood too much! It is the place where life becomes a reality again; where phenomena is larger than large; its big food and big trucks. And lots of snow!
Kelowna is 1 hr from where I live on the mountain resort called 'Big White.' Kelowna is where i purchase groceries for at least 8 weeks, as i am reluctant to get off the moutain. One day off is one day lost, being off the powder.

Big White Ski Resort, is known for its 'grey cloud.' But hey when the sun comes out, it really shines and you really appreciated those days with exceptional powder. I have never seen so much powder. I'm talking knee high dumps of the most beautiful powder. Boarding it; is simply natural highs all around. Big White has ski-in and ski-out access which is simply bliss. Theres a deli, a couple of boarding shops, a couple of cafes and two pubs. Its just a little village on a mountain.

Big White Hostel of 150 is where i live. The hostel has a great crowd of long-termers. Its fulled of random and quality fun! Mind numbing work, but fantastic. More time to think about crap! I live at the moment in a wicked room of only 4 of us. Two ozies, one english and me. All working as staff here at the hostel. We are really lucky and that we have a little extra space, a bathroom and a kitchen. So i am not complaining!

Jodes moved out for a while, and recently returned because she missed it way too much. It sounded like it beats a lot of the random worker's-accommodation that is out there, up here on the mountain. But has now found an amazing sanctuary on the mountain which will be a new beginning for her (A condon with a hot tub). I simply just can't leave the crazy life of the hostel, well at least not yet! Life up here on the hill is pretty fast-paced. Mixed with riding, working and just simply drinking! Thats all we seem to do. In the hostel you especially get drawn into this world that you have to force yourself to leave. But i love it, in the sense that its family!

My boarding has been pushing and pushing me. Everyday i'm being pushed to be better. So far ive chipped my board with a savage chip on the front, due to tree collisions. I now religiously wear my helmet. Jodes hasn't been so lucky, she has dislocated her shoulder, a repeated event over the years for her. There are always people walking around home with injuries of some sort. I felt my riding was really hard to progress with for a long time, but feel like its jumping up more now. Learning to ride switch (the other way), little 180 jumps, basic jumps...but thats about me done. Im not a speed monster and im not a park girl! Wish i was, but i thrive in the moguels, trees and back country.

Working for me; consists of cleaning at the hostel, 5 hrs a day, but just 5 days a week. This means i can at least get a couple hours of boarding in the afternoon, and get first tracks in the morning. 'Big White' is great also, that it allows night boarding under the lights on some of the runs, which is fantastic. I'm also nannying, at this stage i look after a 10 month old 3 days a week for 4 hours in the morning. It limits my boarding but the money is so much better than cleaning and at least i have all the options at the end of the season.

The social side of things is crazy, drinking. Loads of activities and competions. Boat-skulling beer races, one of them, which i have got myself a name for, being up with the boys in this. Every weekend there is a theme dress-up party here at the hostel. Australia day was massive, due to the fact that most are australian. It is after all, an australian owned resort. There is only two kiwis here at the moment in the hostel, me being one of them. Xmas and new years was amazing. Theres ice skating, tobogoning, pool comps, huskie rides, horse rides, cheap food nights, the list just goes on......

But 'Big White' hasn't all been happier times. Recently, we sadly received a crippling avalanche here which wiped out a few of our runs, on piste. That day was a terrible moment for Big White, we lost a fellow worker. A 21 year old from Sydney who had been with us in the hostel working as a housekeeper at a nearby hotel. It awakened me to remember that we are here, only because of mother nature.

I hope this has fulled you in, as i havent been the most up to date with communication recently. I miss home so much, but i love this little new adventure. Im not sure what happens next for me. I feel i would love to venture back to Vancouver for a little while. I know that i need to experience a lot more of canada. My ideas are working on a cattle ranch or head east. But ill figure that one out soon i hope.

Take care. Safe travels and lots of smiles, from me.

---