What Moving from my Canadian Country High School to a European International School Was Like
My hometown has always been quite conservative. This farmer lived near the Tim Hortons in Manotick and this sign became the talk of the town when it was put up.
Picture this: you’re in a bland cow field with a bland burger joint that has bars in the windows. Across the big country road is another field but instead of cows in the field there’s a bunch of teenagers in and around a dusty, 2 floor high school surrounded by old, dusty portable classrooms because the school is overcrowded. You can’t drive. In fact the only place for you to go is the dusty, old high school. You pass by the student smoking section to get inside. As you go inside 3 bullies surround you and remind you about how worthless you and your life are. All your friends took French Immersion and got put in separate classes. Nobody is there to protect you from the bullies. You go home. You go home and watch tv for hours which is a great escape before getting into a fight with your mother about watching too much tv. Dad comes home at around 6 or 7 pm. He breaks up the fight to give you what seems like heartbreaking news. Little did you know that this opportunity would only change your life for the better.
Manotick, 2021
“We are going to move to Europe. You’re going to an international school in Brussels. But you will have to go by yourself because my job will cover the cost of high school but won’t pay for your sister’s university”.
Now picture this: you’re in front of a European forest. There’s a driveway going into the forest up a hill and next to the driveway going up the hill is a black metal staircase going up the hill to the left side of the driveway. You climb the stairs into the lush, green forest. When you reach the top there’s a parking lot with security in front of a posh, European vintage style white manor. You thought this was the school but it’s only the administration office for the school. To the left is a primary and elementary school. You keep going down the trail to the right of the posh, white building. There’s a series of multi story buildings beside a track and field and tennis court. All surrounded by the lush green forest. These series of multi-story buildings. In the beginning there are no bullies, no dust. Nor are there cows or barred burger joints. This is the beginning and rest of your high school experience.
This was me as an old lady in the school play in Grade 12. I had a love/hate relationship with my high school theatre teacher. Thank you to whoever took the photo. I think you were one of the parents.
Everything felt amazing at first. And it generally was. Other students were generally open and friendly. The toughest year though had to be the first year though because in grade 10 I had no friends. I had acquantences and the clique I was trying to fit in with clearly did not want me there and I was desperately and needily clinging to them trying to fit in. Socially I was struggling. Academically I was struggling too and I remember my grade 10 English teacher with good intentions set me aside one day and asked me how she could cater her teaching for me because the report I submitted was really bad and she said it could’ve also been the standards of my old school.
In grade 11 I was able to make some friends and I had an amazing science teacher. She had created an amazing class called, “Science and Society” which was as the name implied about science and society. She made science both fun and practical and her classes pushed us to think critically. Some of the things we learned then I still try to do now like vermicomposting. I am so grateful for the resources this school gave me. The academic standards were really high and when I got my first report card it was all Cs and Ds (I think my math teacher took pity on me and gave me a D instead of an F). My last report card in grade 12 was all As and Bs. I also won the “Most Improved Student Award” upon graduation.
I will likely post more articles about this as I cannot write everything that had happened there in 3 years in one article. I can say though that throughout the pain and the happiness it gave me the ability to grow as a human and I accumulated skills that I’d never be able to have otherwise.
How I Added a Dose of Luxury and Pleasure to my Crappy Trip
My memory of the celebrity hotel with the rooftop bar.
It’s not the combination of lodging and an itinerary that you would expect for your average trip. I was in London (again) and I was staying at a hostel. I liked the social aspects of being in a hostel but it definitely was not my first choice of accommodations. There were only 4 toilets in the washroom on my floor which only 2 worked really on a floor of over 100 people. Not forgetting to mention there was no privacy in the stuffy room of 12 women and one woman decided to come all the way from Taiwan to infect us in our dorm with her cold. (Honestly it was gross not only was she sick and not wearing a mask but she flat out wouldn’t cover her mouth when she hacked up a lung coughing). I was also 29 and the staff were treating me and other guests like high school students with these stupid made up rules about no talking outside in front of the building and no entering the smoking section unless you smoke.
Secondly, technically I was supposed to be studying. I was at a bartenders school which was a good school but how the hell am I supposed to memorize 6 cocktail recipes a day using milliliters instead of ounces all which learning alcohol history and flare bartending at the same time all within a week? In one of the best cities in the whole world. I wasn’t having it. My trip though my rules. Even if that meant failing the week long bartending class. If I sucked there I most likely would suck on the job too.
So I decided to cheer myself up. I was only a few blocks away from Leicester Square when I saw an Instagram post from Tom Felton (a favourite actor of mine) drinking a cocktail at a celebrity bar close by. Now, I didn’t mean to stalk him but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to potentially play it cool and meet him casually at a bar. I looked at menu prices (Which were wickedly expensive) and headed over to the hotel.
Now I didn’t actually see him there. I did however, befriend the staff at the hotel. It was only a few doors down from the movie Dune premier and a bunch of people who worked on the movie were staying at that hotel. In fact, there was a whole film festival going on that I didn’t know about. I somehow got talking to an older British couple at the next table over. I was telling them about the Amish and Mennonite people in Canada as I’m about 1/8 Mennonite by heritage. It just so happened they were doing a movie about the Amish in Pennsylvania. They gave me a festival magazine, wrote a link to a video they were pitching to Netflix and told me it was okay to tell people that I had met them.
Long story short, if you’re travelling and things suck you can sometimes make it better. Because ultimately your happiness is your own responsibility. You may have to face the consequences of your choices (like flunking the bartender class) but ultimately you have the power to have adventure if you have the guts to try things alone, change your situation if you can and break societal norms like only doing thrifty things because you are at aa hostel or only doing expensive things if you’re at a 5 star resort hotel.
The Travel Bachelorette Guide on How to Plan a Trip
Me at McCarren Airport in Vegas coming home after a fun trip!
Calculate how much accommodation and transportation will cost. Do this by looking at their website or apps. I like to use Airbnb and my credit card travel perks program to book flights and a hotel if I decide to stay in a hotel. If you’re travelling last minute, the “Hotels Tonight” app can be a good choice because it gives you some really good last minute deals on hotels when the hotel has unsold rooms. And no, this post is not sponsored by anybody. Next, planning in advance is a good thing. For overseas trips I like to plan at least 3-4 months in advance.
Budget. Can you afford this trip? Are there any adjustments you need to make to help it fit your budget like shaving off a few days or staying at different accommodation? What will your day to day expenses be? What are your goals for the trip? What do you want to do? What about food and entertainment?
Lookup what visas or other travel documents you need if travelling internationally. If you don’t already have a passport get one asap as the wait times to get a passport in Canada take forever and if you wait until the last minute you may not get it in time.
Prepay for any priority activities or things you want to see or do. This could be tickets to the concert you’re dying to see or a tour that you want to do.
Book accommodation and flights, trains or buses. Always make sure you pay the extra insurance fee. You never know if you’re going to have a medical emergency or have to cancel your trip due to unforeseen circumstances.
Get cash in destination currency at your bank. It’s a lot more affordable than anywhere else.
Pack your bags.
If you’re flying go to the airport at least 2 hours early. If your airport is a big busy one like Heathrow, arrive at least 4 hours before your scheduled flight.
Tips For Packing for an International Trip
1) Always keep your passport wrapped in plastic.
2) Keep medication, medical equipment and other valuables in your carry-on luggage.
3) Pack an empty water bottle for your purse or carry-on bag.
4) Consider how much shopping you’ll be doing. Make sure to leave space in your luggage for the items you want to buy.
5) Always pack underwear first!
6) Check to see if you have access to laundry at your accommodation. If not, make sure you have plenty of clean underwear.
7) This is optional but Tide-to-Go sticks are really handy when going out. Chances are your clothing will stain one way or another.
8) Pack your tampons or other feminine hygiene products second. You don’t want to be without them in an emergency situation.
9) Put all your liquids in a plastic Zip-Loc bag in your suitcase. Do not keep them in your carry-on bags as they will not get past security.
10) Avoid packing aerosol containers. They could explode under the pressure of being in the air.
Talking to Ghosts? The Time a Medium Connected to My Dead Former Fling
“I have a man here in Spirit who looks super yummy!” the woman said as she stood at the front of the chapel at Arthur Findlay College in Stanstead, UK. Our group at the college was doing platform mediumship which is a form of mediumship where the medium stands in front of an audience and gives messages to audience members from loved ones in spirit. I had known 2 very handsome men in spirit, so I had raised my hand to let her know I could take her description.
As soon as I put my hand up, a few other young women put theirs up too. So she continued to say that he had been sort of a lover, that he had a son that was from a previous marriage, was a rebel, he died very young but he died from an accident not a suicide, and that he had dark curly hair and dark eyes. I then knew who she was talking about. My neighbour who I used to hook up with who had died in a kite surfing accident a few years prior.
The message was for me but not actually for me. I had been happy though knowing he had passed onto the other side peacefully. The message was for his son who would have been younger than 10 years old at the time of his father’s passing. The medium told me that he wanted to apologize to his son for not being able to father him growing up and if I could tell his son this.
Though I know I am probably not the right person to tell him this as I never really knew his son, I just hooked up with his Dad occasionally. Part of me is kind of hoping that by posting this story it’ll somehow reach his son in an appropriate way. And that his son and loved ones know that he is at peace and that he’s sorry he can’t be a fatherly figure in his life.
Fame or Fortune? The Time I Visited The Walk of Fame Alone in 2019 As a Solo Canadian Tourist
Hollywood is a place where you imagine celebrities and glamour. That wasn’t the case so much amongst the stars along the dirty sidewalks of The Walk of Fame. Sure the celebrity hot spots are nice once you get inside. And Runyon Canyon nearby is nice. But when I was on The Walk of Fame as a solo Canadian Woman Tourist, it was DANGEROUS. There was even a red carpet event happening. But what isn’t filmed and shown on TV so much is the amount of poverty that you see literally in front of these venues and events. Often with a line of security and bodyguards.
That day I started chatting with a security guard because I’m Canadian and can befriend strangers easily. I’m pretty sure Brad Pitt walked by and smiled at me because I’m quirky and I stuck out like a clown amongst a sea of goths. I kept running into Daniel Radcliffe that day but he looked like he was super pissed off that whole time. Once at a coffee shop, then passing me on the street and while crossing the street. Finally when I had a drink at The Hard Rock Cafe across from the red carpet event I had a chat with someone at the bar who said, “You don’t know who I am do you?”. I might have even said “Hello” to Penelope Cruz and shook her hand but I don’t know if it was her.
Then nighttime fell. Despite seeing all of these celebrities I also saw a lot of homeless and poor people. I was getting a little nervous. I had trouble finding a spot to get picked up by an Uber. Just outside of the red carpet event there were a group of tough-looking men behind me. They started getting into an argument and I heard one guy threatening to stab the other guy. Luckily there were some cops nearby who looked into the situation.
I crossed the street and met a homeless man with long dark hair tied in a long ponytail, a moustache and a worn-out leather coat. He had a large but skinny black dog. He had 2 lawn chairs and a cardboard sign advertising his tarot card readings. Hell, this man was running a business! I can admire that. I read tarot too and I had a hunch that if I befriended him and hired him that I actually might be a little safer on the dirty streets.
And he was good! I don’t remember if the reading was accurate or not but it was certainly an experience. He even drove away some of the people who were bothering us. So I bought him 2 packs of smokes in addition to payment.
Thanks to his help, I was able to find a spot a street over from The Walk of Fame behind the Jimmy Kimmel building where I found a spot to get picked up by Uber. I had had quite an adventure that day and was incredibly thankful to have gone to bed in my Airbnb in North Hollywood that night.
The Generous Gentleman and a New Drunk Friend: My Wild Night in Vegas as a Solo Canadian Woman Tourist
A Memory Painting by me.
It was Vegas. The night was young. I had flown to Vegas from Canada to practice social and dating skills I had learned in England. I went solo and I know as a solo woman in Vegas I'm more vulnerable than a man solo in Vegas. I didn't want to go clubbing alone. So I went on bar tours so I could meet and mingle with other tourists. That's where I had met a woman whom I'll call Joyce. Early on in the tour I said to Joyce, "Wow! There's a lot of hot guys here!".
"Yes! Just leave the tour guide for me though," she responded. She had driven from a small town outside of LA all the way out to Vegas to meet this guy who was working as our tour guide. I saw him. He was okay to look at but I didn't find him THAT charming despite the fact that she later told me he also worked for a pickup artistry company and I follow that stuff a lot too. She was super invested in this guy and was going to have a hot date with him after the tour the next day.
The following night I went on the tour with the same company. I didn't know that Joyce was going to go on a hot date with the guide whom I'll call Adam. I swear there were over 100 people on the tour that night. I saw Adam but didn't pay that much attention to him. I got tired early so I went back to my Airbnb in Henderson with the host who had had 7 rescue cats. (I love cats so the fact that there were 7 of them was paradise to me)
That night Joyce called me in tears. She asked if I had seen Adam. I'd only seen him briefly with some chicks but I hadn't paid him that much attention. He had stood her up. Didn't show up on their meeting after she had driven over 2 hours to go come see him! I told her that he can go f*ck himself while we go out and meet better guys.
We did meet a MUCH better man. I'll call him Tom. We were at the MGM Grand Casino and were having a drink at one of the lobby bars while waiting to go to Hakkassan night club in the basement of the MGM Grand. Normally she doesn't drink and I found out why later. We had maybe had 1-2 drinks together at this point.
Then, at the next table over, the most beautiful man I have ever seen in my life sits down. He had caramel skin and was tall, muscular, well dressed. If I didn't use the dating techniques then I would have never have met this amazing man. I went over and asked him to take our picture. Tom went and put lots of effort into the shots. I flirted a bit and we got talking to him. He had been waiting for friends to go to the same club. But he generously bought us a round of drinks. Actually I believe at that point it had been 2 rounds of drinks.
We then got in line to go to Hakkassan. As women on the guestlist we didn't have to pay to get in. We were allowed to bring a guest so we were going to add him to as our guest. I felt like a dope when I had lost the ticket and he had to pay to get in. While we were in line, the worst thing during this amazing moment had happened.
Out of the blue, Joyce start crying heavily out of nowhere. She was still thinking about Adam. Normally I am empathetic and understanding but I started to panic because I didn't want this to ruin our chances with Tom. "Distract him!" she whispered to me. But it was super obvious. And clearly Tom is a smart cookie. "Don't have to be awkward," he told us once we had got in. This was because I was frozen trying to help Joyce but still part of me wanting to leave her and be with him to myself as bad as that sounds. "Let me buy you another drink to cheer you up," said Tom. This made things worse.
Soon Joyce was falling over. Clearly either the alcohol was reacting badly to her medication or she had been drinking earlier since together we only had 2-3 drinks. The bouncers at the club said if she can't walk she has to go to the hospital. So Tom took her one arm. I took her other arm. We walked her upstairs. "I HATE HIM!" she was shouting in reference to Adam.
Eventually we were on the bridge between the New York New York Casino and the MGM Grand. I guess I take for granted that in Canada we can just call an ambulance without thinking about the price. We were hesitant at first because we weren't sure if she could afford the medical bills but then we figured that it would be better to be alive, well and broke rather than dead but have saved money. So he supported her physically while I called an ambulance. They took her and because we were family we had to stay behind. The next morning I Ubered to the hospital to go pick her up after the hospital phoned me. That night though, after the paramedics took Joyce, Tom turned to me.
"My friends will be here shortly. You can join us but don't mention any of this to them. I want this to be a good night!" he said firmly. I agreed and we went back into the MGM Grand into one of the lobby. Turned out it was his sister and brother in law I think. He introduced us and then bought a round of shots. I remember making out with him before he asked if I had a room we could go to because his sister and brother in law were sharing his room. I didn't really have the money to stay at a hotel room there and I didn't want to ask him to pay for the whole thing. The Airbnb I was at listed "no guests" in the ad. So we exchanged social media and went our separate ways. I wanted to see him again but he flew to his home city the following morning.
The next morning I told my Airbnb host, whom I got along with well and whom I assumed didn't allow guests, about the previous night and about this beautiful and kind man. "Why didn't you bring him home? I would have made an exception for you!" she exclaimed. Crap. It COULD have happened!
5 Cultural Courtesy Tips to be Aware of When Visiting London, England from a Canadian Tourist
Covenant Garden, London, England. 2019
London. An exciting place full of adventure, culture, art, science, and social activities. But being a guest in a new country means being mindful that courtesies and simple everyday practices in public may be different from what you are used to at home. So here are 5 things in London that are important to look out for when visiting the UK.
Escalators
London has a lot of people. And many of those people have places to be in a rush. That’s why when you are on an escalator, especially on the tube, it is important to keep to the right side while leaving space on the left side for passengers that want to move ahead of you. This way you’re not seen as a jerk who is blocking a pathway for everyone else on the large escalators on the tube.
Talking on The Tube
I love to make friends and talk. Even with strangers. But with the exception of a few busy stations in London, I was surprised by how quiet it was. So make sure you speak in a soft voice and if you’re listening to music put on headphones when riding the tube. (Actually, I think we should do the headphone thing in Canada too because I too find it really annoying when passengers listen to their music out loud on the subway)
Look Both Ways Before Crossing the Street
This might already be common sense but this is especially true when visiting London. Because London drivers drive on the opposite side of the road, make sure you check both ways before crossing the street because they’ll be coming from the opposite side of the street from which you are used to checking.
Bags on Seats
Something that is common in North America that isn’t in the UK and Europe is putting your bag or purse on the seat beside you on public transit. The population is much more dense over there and so there isn’t as much space to put your bags on buses, trains and streetcars as there is in North America. And doing this you are taking away a seat from someone else. So when you are taking public transit in London, be sure to keep your bag or purse on your lap or on the floor between your legs to keep seats available for other people.
Wine is Acceptable in Parks
Now that we’ve covered the stuff that isn’t all that fun, here’s something that is fun. YOU ARE ALLOWED TO DRINK PUBLIC! So get that bottle of wine from the British grocery store and enjoy a glass (or two) in the nearby park.
5 Practical Ideas for Meeting New People When Traveling Solo
Travelling solo as a women is an incredibly powerful thing in my opinion. Not needing to wait for friends or a boyfriend to expose yourself to different cultures and seeing how other people live in the world can really broaden your perspective and help you grow as a human being. In 2019 I did lots of solo trips: London twice, Arizona, Las Vegas, LA, Toronto and Montreal. I had a blast and the following are tips I have for those of you looking to travel solo!
1. Google Bar Tours in Your Destination
This is great if you like clubbing but don’t want to do it alone. You get to meet other tourists which can be really interesting and fun. If you’re super extroverted like me then you’ll probably meet people who are both on the tour with you or who are at the same club that your tour is at. A perk is that many of these tours will offer complimentary shots!
2. Lookup Airbnb Experiences in Your Destination
I went on rescue dog walks in LA to speakeasy bar tours in Montreal. Airbnb experiences offers you a new perspective from local people in your destination. You can even find hidden gems that you’d never have discovered otherwise through Airbnb experiences.
3. Sign Up for Meetup Website and go to In-Person Events
Meetup is a great tool for meeting new people in your home city. But you can also use it when you travel! Just sign up, choose your interests then join groups and go to in-person events. Most events are free to go and unless you are hosting events there is no sign-up fee for most groups.
4. Enjoy Hotel Lobby Bars
Honestly, probably not the first place you’d think of but it is a great place! When I couldn’t afford to stay at a hotel, I got dressed up really nice in my hostel then I went to luxury hotel bars to meet people! Just make sure you sit at the bar or mingle around to encourage conversations.
5. Lookup Events on Eventbrite
There’s everything from networking events to speed dating on here. You can pay for these events on the site itself. It’s not usually the first place I look however it is still useful when planning to go to events ahead of time.