Leaving Neverland

There comes a time in a woman's life where she must grow up....


YA RIGHT LIKE ITS NOW! HAHA

I plan on travelling for the next little while. The sad fact of this is that on my quest for greatness I must leave behind the people I have grown to count on like family. If you would have told me this time last year that I would be in two wedding parties in the next 8 months, applying to teacher's college and moving to Australia for 6 months I would have told you that crack is whack.

I used to love blogging, but then my computer started to have the same traits as a moody senior citizen - frequent naps, loud buzzing nagging , and the volume being stuck on loud (I think it lost it's hearing...). Now, I have a snazzy mini HP laptop and I feel a renewed interest in sharing my thoughts with the world.

I am preparing to leave Whistler. I have 4 days left...tomorrow is my last day cleaning hotel rooms. I feel a mixed bag of emotions as I pack up my new/old home and shed the lifestyle I've maintained over the past 10 months. HC Hailey (Hardcore...) is in retirement for the next two months HAHA No more being at the bar 4 nights a week dancing my face off. The weird thing is I'm ok with taking a cooling down period to see family, old friends and just spend my time planning my new adventure.

I am bringing home a friend from Whistler (Albs) to show around my B-Town hood and Toronto in a crash course of two days - then back to my Ol Faithful haunt of employment for 6 weeks. I'm really stoked actually! Rent free for 2 months! Riding my bike everywhere...I'm actually really excited for that.

November 6th - I fly out to Brisbane to begin another chapter in my ever evolving quest for wholeness. I can't wait!

I am looking forward to bringing back the blog.

Lots of love,
Hailey

Everyday I Fall in and Out of Love.

Everyday I fall in and out of love with this place...at the end of the day there are always more reasons to stay than to leave. Thank you for helping me grow. All of you.

Hails x

Momma I'm coming home!

Since I am coming home for a short visit in less than 2 weeks, I have been thinking more and more about what a miss about home, what I don't and what I've learned. I have compiled a list of things I miss from Ontario and things I love about B.C.

What I Miss:
* Dollarama.
* Long car rides with music blasting and singing at the top of my lungs.
* Being able to just pop around the corner to see my friends.
* Being in the same timezone with my loved ones...three hours really does make a difference.
* JC's Bagels and ACE bread.
* An oven.
* Not having to walk up a huge hill to get home...(but who are we kidding...I only walk down that hill..not up it - thats what buses are for!).
* Hugs from my mom and dad.
* The Follicle to get my eyebrows waxed. I do not trust anyone else!
* McMaster. As eager as I was to leave, I won't forget that place for the opportunities it gave me, academic and not.
* Marilus... I will be pissed at myself for admiting this...but that place was such an important part of my life.
* Having a proper working camera.
* 45 minutes to get to Toronto, for only $16 return.

There have got to be more...

What I Don't Miss:
* Looking out my window and seeing Duchess. Now I look out my window and see building 2...but beyond building 2 is MOUNTAINS!
* The power that I gave other people to make me feel small. It hasn't happened in 6 months...and will never happen again. You are the one that allows others to treat you this way, and now I refuse.
* Having to check in with anyone about where I am going, who I'm with and when I'll be back. I had a lot of freedom at home - but there was always a common courtesy I had to give of my whereabouts.

Can't think of anything else at the moment.

What I Have Learned About Myself:
* I am pretty funny - and HNH is now gone.
* I am a strong independent woman. I have the power and choice to do whatever I want with my life.
* I am happy right here working my 55 hr weeks, partying and saving for whatever I want.
* I do not have to go to Teacher's College if I don't want...no one has the right to tell me what I should do. However, if I do decide that is what I want... I know it will be the right decision because I have taken the time for myself to reflect about it.
* I am able to take care of myself without anyones help.
* I am motivated. I knew I wasn't getting enough hours at my job so I got off my ass and made sure I can afford to stay here. I am whittling down my OSAP loan, saving money and did it all by myself. I am a completely autonomous adult. It feels good to take responsibility for my life and everything that comes with it (good and bad).

I can't wait to see what the next 6 months will be like. Life is exciting :D

Thanks for reading!
Lots of love, Hails

And just when you all think I've forgotten....

Things have been pretty crazy here lately. My life has been a bit money driven the past month or so, but I'm ok with that! I got a new job at the IGA in town as a cashier (can't run away from that even if I try HAHA) but its only 3 times per week - just to supplement incase the hotel slows down again. My Fairmont money now is split up between two investment accounts and paying off OSAP! Crazy being an autonomous adult!

My focus lately has been to create a nestegg for myself, so when I do decide to leave Whistler, I can have something to fall back on when I go travelling. It will allow me to just pick up and GO! Not planning on it anytime soon, but its a nice security to have.

I haven't really been going out much lately as I'm finding it to not thrill me as much anymore. Drinking and partying just isn't really doing much for me right now LOL Wow I sound like such an old bird. I still go out, I just don't get hammered HAHAHA

I have some more news too: I'm coming home from March 31st-April 8th!! I can't wait to see everyone!

I have also been researching about a thousand different VISAs and places to go after here. Nothing is for certain, but it is really exciting to me to know that I have a thousand possibilities... I love being such a freebird :D

Nothing else really earth shattering to report...Don't worry I won't forget about the blog even if it takes me a month or so to make a post LOL

Thanks for reading!
x Hails

Vancouver Experience Continued

After an incredibly rainy Tuesday, we decided that since none of us have to work until atleast Saturday that we should stay another day! This time our Destinations rate was $69 - it ended up costing with taxes and all $65.24 each for two nights...not bad at all. Our hotel is RIGHT downtown in the financial district with a mall about a 1 minute walk away....needless to say bargains that NEEDED to be bought were!


In the morning we went to Fairmont Gold where we were treated to a free breakfast...it was lovely! They had a spread of breads, cheese platter, fruit platter, meat platter, oatmeal, parfaits, desserts, cereals...anything you could want! We were in a celebratory mood because we were not attacked by ghosts at all...so we sure ate UP! Here is Tiff and Justin enjoying the spread, but not enjoying the fact that I felt I needed to document almost every meal here HAHAHA


Here is my meal - it looks pretty posh I think! I haven't had berries since being home and I miss them A LOT...they are like $5-6 a small container which I cannot afford! Certain foods that I used to eat at home I find I am giving up...but I'm not hard done by or anything...its just you need to economize.


Here I am in Coal Harbour on a piece of art using my Fairmont umbrella (which by the way..if you lose or decide to take home...its $30 plus tax....hells no would I pay that!).


Coal Harbour again - but the reason I took this picture was because of the yellow house boat. My camera doesn't have zoom....long story....so I couldn't really get a close up but I thought it was just the coolest!


At the beginning of the day I sent Erica here a quick facebook message hoping we could meet up. She went to St.Raph's in Burlington and Olivia is in the same grade as her brother Scotty. Her mom had given me her email at Marilus - and we had messaged through facebook a bit. I figured what did I have to lose so I asked if she wanted to get together for a few drinks (she has been living in BC since the summer). We went to a neat place called "The Cactus Club" - I had an amazing drink that had crushed up kiwi in it...for the life of me I can't remember what it was called...Brazillian something! Anyways I'm really glad I asked to meet b/c we all got along famously! We are planning a road trip to Seattle sometime before the spring for a little state side shopping and to stay the the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle!

Home safe and sound now. I originally had thought my computer had died...but I think it is just the power cord (THANK GOD!) which I've ordered online so hopefully it doesn't crap out again...definitely cannot afford the $1000 to get a new one...HAHA

For those of you who had sent me letters, presents over the holidays will FINALLY be getting your thank you cards in the mail over the next week! Thank you all so much!

Time to head down to the post office and grab some more movies from the library! It seems a bit surreal that I am no longer in vacation mode but living my life anyway I see fit mode. Teacher's College is something in my future that I want to do, but definitely not for a while. I know people probably think I won't go back...but I'm sure there are more important things for them to worry about concerning whether I'm going to get another piece of paper of post-grad or not. I am completely enjoying my life. The travelling and life experiences I want to achieve before I settle down are completely worth not starting my RRSPs or planning my distant future. Thank you everyone who has nurtured my ability to connect and explore different situations and meeting new people. I don't think I need to name off names or anything because those of you who have helped me know the special place you hold in my heart. I am positive that these journeys which I am travelling through will only make me a better mother and wife when I do choose to settle down....likely when I'm 58 HAHAHA

Love you all lots,
Hails

Vancouver Experience

Currently I'm sitting in Hotel Vancouver - a lovely Fairmont property relaxing after being a bit of a tourist here in Van, walking around enjoying the city life at night. It is dead outside and I love the feeling of the cold city and the bright lights. When I first got here 3 months ago I was in Vancouver for about 2 hours and only stayed at the airport then drove through it for about 20 minutes to get to the highway!

Today sort of ended in a strange way. Yesterday my roommate Tiffany said she had to go into Vancouver for a doctors appointment and would I like to come. "WOOOOOO hells yeah!" is what I said, and now here we are in our hotel room. Justin, Tiffany's friend from Scotland who worked at the Fairmont in Whistler over the summer is here with us too. I've got a whole bunch of pictures we took tonight and there will be more tomorrow too.

We are going to stay here tonight and tomorrow as well. It is relatively cheap - $99 /night split between three of us...and any of the food and beverage outlets we get 50% off...so needless to say...I had a big steak meal tonight and a lovely martini for only $25 plus tip! It pays to work for Fairmont! I have a week off (because the hotel isn't too busy right now) so I thought I might as well make the most of it as I had been working A LOT the past two weeks!


Here is Tiff crashing out on the bed before going downstairs for our HUGE meal!


Justin creeping through the curtains after checking out our view.


Our mini bar which is billed to the room as it is weight sensitive and knows when you've taken something....kinda creepy I've got to say....


This hotel was one of the original Canadian Pacific Hotels and this is a picture of the mail chute! They say this place is haunted....we'll have to see in the morning....


Our martini's - Tiff got a Lychee one and Justin and I both got something called "Million Dollar Legs"- which is chambord, malibu and pineapple juice - it was DELICIOUS!


My steak ....didn't like the steak or the Yorkshire Pudding...but the mash and veg were great! (Tomorrow we get to go to Fairmont Gold for FREE and have breakfast there...oooh the perks of working for Fairmont. They REALLY do treat their employees well! - Thanks Tiff for hooking that one up!)


Justin in front of another Fairmont hotel in Van - the Waterfront (there are 3 hotels currently in working order for Fairmont in Vancouver and one more on the way).


The countdown to the Olympic Opening Ceremonies clock!


The Vancouver Art Gallery at night. Really really interesting spin on the Canadian flag.


This is sort of an inside joke...I actually thought this was a store that sold rocks...turns out it was some sort of museum HAHAHA It boggled my mind in the short span of me thinking that it was a rock store of how this store could make enough money to be open!

Thats all for tonight. More tomorrow!

Thanks for reading!
Hails

Reminiscing about Christmas

This entry will only be about Christmas because I'll post pictures and such of New Years in a couple of days.

The BEST news ever is that I finally have Telus internet! Instead of having to pay $26 a month for internet that NEVER works, I now only pay $7 a month for internet that is AMAZING!

Christmas was a little strange being away from home, but Whistler is feeling more and more like my home as the days go by. Christmas Eve was spent at Buffalo Bills for locals night and the Fairmont crew was out in full force!

On Christmas Day, after being woken up with a phone call from the family, we started off by making a HUGE breakfast (pancakes, eggs, bacon - on the George Foreman of course!, and flat breakfast sausage)! It cured all the hangover that ailed us!

This is my roomie Tiff and my friend (and neighbour) Leah slaving away on our feast!


The rest of the day was followed by a nap, doing absolutely nothing, and probably some more sleep HAHA At around 6pm we did a Secret Santa with 14 of us - everyone was Aussie except for me...actually that describes a good majority of my friends here! We had $30 each to spend, exchanged the gifts, opening them one at a time, and then we had to guess who it was from. I was so excited for my friend Albert to get his gift from me - I got him a sled! It is a big deal because he had dislocated his shoulder from boarding - and this present was an incentive one so he can use it when he gets better! He looooved it!

After Secret Santa some of us came back to our place and we played Twister and ate the cookies my Bobcha had sent me!


Two Aussie friends being spinner happy!

Renaud and I taking a break from Twisting.

Petey and I enjoying Bobcha's delicious cookies!
I am pitiful at Twister... I can admit it! Note: Mom, see Petey is wearing one of the hats you've sent! Everyone wore them throughout the night, we all loved it.


A view from the front door!


My Kiwi friend Emma and I at Maxx Fish enjoying some post holiday drinking and dancing!


My twin Jordan and I at Maxx Fish!

I tried to focus more on the pictures for this post - so you can all actually see what I'm up to! Hopefully now that the internet is going I will be able to post more often. My New Years goal is to save more money and only go out 2x a week...instead of 3-5...HAHA

Feel free to leave comments on things you'd like to hear and DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE!

I will post again soon, thats a promise!

Lots of Love,
Hails