This. Wild. Life.

GREECE!

Croatia & Slovenia!

ITALY!

SWITZERLAND!

POLAND!

Here I am, basking in the hot summer air of the central Okanagan, settling back into my cozy little home after officially coming full circle around the world. Despite my best intentions of starting up my blog again, I found I could hardly keep up with a simple insta-post in each city, let along an entire blog post in each country! Having so much to discover and explore kept me wanting to be ever present in the moment. I quickly learned that I really had no control over the outcome of my plans, to take things as they come, and expect the unexpected. Above all, time is the most precious currency we have which has fuelled my desire to live intentionally and make my dreams come true! The world is an amazing place, constantly leaving me in awe of its raw beauty and intense vastness. When I confirmed the length of my trip, I had a few ideas of where I wanted to go, and no real reason not to bring those ideas to life. I figured 4 months would give me the opportunity to check out some cool places and wrangle friends into adventuring with me along the way.

HOLLAND!

I've miraculously found AirBNB’s in Greece where house numbers do not exist, went on a date with an 83 year old  Croatian man named Ivo in Split (we’re pen-pals now), left no alleyway undiscovered in Venice, didn’t get kidnapped sleeping in a train station in the middle-of-nowhere-Italy, hiked the Matterhorn with a trio of Mexican backpackers, ate Swiss chocolate with Swiss lumberjacks while hiking the Swiss Alps, laughed until I cried with my cousins in Holland, got a history lesson in Poland while indulging in all the polish treats and sweets (paczki!), discovered Mannekin Pis and met new relatives in Belgium,  had a delectable French picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower, was terribly disappointed by the London Bridge, took in the bagpipers while eating black pudding in Edinbough, explored the rugged coastline of Wales with my sister’s-boyfriends-aunt, drove 2000 kms around Ireland (hiked Croagh Patrick, savoured every bit of 

FRANCE!

ENGLAND & SCOTLAND!

Murphy’s ice cream, kissed the Blarney Stone, drank a pint of Guinness from the original storehouse all while suffering one of the worst colds of all time), wrangled the girls from across Europe to join me for a weekend in Copenhagen (I was a hot mess, complete with cough, stuffy nose, fever and eye infections…), ate my weight in noodles in Thailand, reconnected with old friends in Sydney, experienced my first ‘Steamboat’ night with my Asian/Aussie fam, and ventured up craters with the most incredible views in O’ahu.

STATS:

Continents: 4

Europe, Asia, Australia, North America

IRELAND!

Countries: 18

Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, The Netehrlands, Poland, Belgium, France, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, America (Hawaii)

Days: 131

DENMARK!

March 27^th – July 18^th

Time Zones: 8

Flights: 16

Currencies: 10

Languages: 12

Beds Slept In: 53

THAILAND!

Most Expensive Accommodation: Paris, $51/night

Cheapest Accommodation: Phuket, $4/night

Most Expensive Coffee: Denmark, $7.85CAD

Best Yogurt: AUSTRALIA! Tamar Valley Greek Yogurt! 

AUSTRALIA!

Best Chocolate Milk: Thailand

Best Food Overall: THAILAND. No contest.

HAWAII!

“Twenty years from now you’ll be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do rather than the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

 Always find time for the things that make you happy to be alive.

Though my adventures abroad have concluded for now, research and hope for future trips always has me planning for the next one.

Keep your stick on the ice.

xx Silken

GREECE!

En route to ferry terminal heading to the Greek Islands, 5:55am, bags packed, smiles on our faces and excitement building in our hearts. Upon arrival, we had to ensure we understood correctly, as it seemed they said they ferry was not running today. As it came to be, this was the case, the ferry had been cancelled due to bad weather. Welp. Figured we would wait it out until the next day and go from there. Meanwhile, we were in ATHENS! Time for some exploring! Hiked to the top of the Acropolis and almost blew away it was so windy! Explored the touristy streets with all the shops filled with knick knack souvenirs and eventually got wrangled into eating at this place called Arcadia (it was the free wine and dessert that got us). We indulged in the Greek Salad with the biggest slice of feta I've ever seen! We recognized an American sitting behind us and decided to make friends with him by offering some of our wine. Turns out he has Greek heritage and is in Athens for a few months studying Greek. We told him about our ferry cancellation and how the word on the street was that it would likely not sail tomorrow either. And so, he gave as Plan B. He told us to go to the airport, rent a car and roadtrip around the south western part of Greece, the Peloponneset, which towns to hit up and all the "must-sees" along the way. As much as I wanted to go to the islands, at least we had a solid back up plan, just in case.

The next day we were told the ferry was planning on running, but there was no telling when in the day it would depart. Our time in Santorini had already been cut short, and we wouldn't even have a full day there. So we figured we would see if we could get our money back for the ferry and go from there. At first the receptionist told us we would have to call this number and tell them what happeneded in hopes of getting a refund, but then she made a call and ended up giving us all the money back - in cash! And so, Plan B it was! We rented a car and set out, first stop: Ancient Corinth. Yeah, pretty surreal. Walked the streets St. Paul walked and read from second Corinthians. Hit up Tripoli, a small village along the way, for 2€ gyros! BEST! Ended up in a town along the coastline called Kalamata. Monemvasia was definitely a highlight, the look on our faces as we passed through the gate and discovered the old town on the other side consisted of pure shock and surprise.

We quickly discovered the authenticity and incredible hospitality of Greek culture. For example, houses in small Greek towns do not have house numbers, this, in combination with life without data, left us seemingly stranded from time to time. Again and again the Greeks were so quick to help us, giving endless direction, always helping us get where we needed to be. We were so grateful!

So many little beach towns, lots of sun and all the delicious greek cruise - Moussaka, Baklava, Souvlaki Chicken, Greek salad, and all the gyros you could possibly dream of. Thanks to our host, we also had the experience of picking a PLETHORA of oranges (about 35) from a tree at our AirBNB in Xirokampi. At one point we had about 9 in one day! 😂

Over and over again Alex and I praised James, our American friend, for giving us a week of adventure we never would have thought up on our own. We had so much freedom with our little car, Feta, and 3 years of life to fill each other in on while driving up and down the windy Greek mountains, and taking in the amazing coastal shorelines of the Mediterranean Sea.

So in short, if you need a Greek travel consultant, I know a guy. I'll hook you up.

Till next time, don't run with scissors.

-Silks

The Parthenon 

Our first Greek meal, at Arcadia.

Squid hanging to dry in Gythio.

So. Many. Oranges.

Sunrise leaving Monemvasia!

P.S. I know the layout isn't great, but here's to life without a laptop ;)

World Tour 2019

Finally! Departure day has arrived and I am off to explore far off places, some of which I thought I'd only experience through Instagram and Pinterest. I'm overwhelmed by the reality of it all. I knew I wanted to do another extensive trip shortly after I graduated from CDA school, though I wasn't quite sure what that would look like. I thought I would have to leave behind my life in Kelowna and start from scratch upon my return. Thankfully I've had a few key players fill my position at work and take over my rent while I'm away, bit by bit, things continued to fall into place. Ultimately, I'll be travelling solo, but I've wrangled friends and family from around the world to join me for the majority of the 4 months!

I catch myself with tears in my eyes as my heart is exuding with joy, just so grateful as I sit here in disbelief of this incredible opportunity for such an adventure, but also overwhelmed with gratitude of the people I've been blessed to do life with. As The Big Yellow Taxi song says, "you don't know what you've got till it's gone".

Being away for a large period of time has it's downsides too, like skipping most of the competitive ultimate season, missing friends weddings, as well as the best part of the year in the Okanagan! But I have been constantly reminded that I'll be making memories and going on adventures that most people will never experience in their lifetime. Winnie the Pooh said it best: "How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

All that to say, I'm currently en route to Athens, Greece, where I'll spend a week touring around the cyclades with one of my dearest friends, NET trammates and favourite people around! Stay tuned!

-Silks

A Thing or Two you Never Knew

I know, it's been ages since I've posted. It's not that I've had a lack of things to say, just a lack of creative juices to form those thoughts and feelings into sentences. So I figured I'd ease back into it for my first post of the year, might as well have some fun. I used to love doing questionnaires in high school, so it's time for a throwback!

This one is called "Fun with Fours"
Four names I go by:
1. Silky Smooth
2. Silks
3. Silky Lady
4. Silken

Four places I've lived
1. Kamloops
2. Saskatoon
3. Sydney, Australia
4. Kelowna

Four things I love to watch on TV (or Netflix)
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. Gilmore Girls
3. Suits
4. Prison Break

Four places I've visited:
1. Europe
2. Domimican Republic
3. Mexico
4. Australia

Four things I love to eat:
1. Quesadillas, fajitas and anything Mexican
2. Butter chicken/curry!
3. Sushi
4. Chicken stirfry

Four favorite drinks:
1. Water
2. Chocolate Milk
3. Earl Grey Tea
4. Pina Coladas

Four places you want to visit:
1. Iceland
2. Fiji
3. Greece
4. Brazil

Four favorite sports:
1. Ultimate
2. Soccer
3. Hockey
4. Mmm... volleyball?

Four things you wish you got to do more of:
1. Travel
2. Snowboard
3. Dance
4. See my friends/family  who live far away

Four favorite games:
1. CATAN
2. Ticket to Ride
3. Bohnanza
4. Bang!

Four things most people don't know about you:
1. I still have my baby Christmas tree up. Yes, it's February, I know.  I like the lights, okay!?
2. I hit ice while driving and plowed down a Crosswalk sign a bit ago...
3. I spontaneously dyed my hair red yesterday.
4. I've watched 12 seasons of Grey's Anatomy in 4 months. I'm not proud of it.

I dare you to do it too! ^_^ Post to your status.

Happy new year! Hope it's been a blast so far!

-Silks

My Not-So-Secret Love

Through all the ups and downs of this semester, it is finally coming to a close and Christmas is fast approaching... or at least that's the word on the street. My life lacks the bright, exuberant lights, the random collection of ornaments gathered from years past, having my socks become sopping wet from stepping in puddles of melted snow, homemade sausage rolls roasting in the oven, apricot brandy shots, the toasty feeling of warmth coming from the crackling fire, and, of course, being surrounded by people who are close to my heart - these things, in my mind, are synonymous with the Christmas season, though I can make some of them happen, others are out of my hands. If only you acquired your deepest longings by sheer desire. Well, this morning one of those desires came true, after waiting for what feels like an eternity. 

A Rose Among Thorns

Do you ever feel like you fit in so well, but yet, not at all? By now I've lived in a few different cities; from the mountains to the prairies, from Canada to Australia, from my hometown to it's rival city, from the familiar to the unfamiliar. It's so different every time. I love the adventure and excitement of new places, but starting over in each place has it's challenges too. There always seems to be one vital piece of the pie missing. As much as I try to fill that void, it remains vacant... until I move to a new city and it is filled, while a different piece then lies empty. Perhaps I have an unrealistic idea of reality, but being aware of that is better than pretending everything is perfect.

You've probably heard the phrase "bloom where you are planted." As relevant as that is, if the sun doesn't shine where you are planted, you're not going to grow. Sometimes you have to be transplanted to reach your full potential. I'm no botanist, but maybe you are blooming in some areas, but are wilting in others, perhaps as you grow those areas will reach sun too. I was never very good at analogies... so, moving on...

Although I feel many things have simply fallen into place this year, there are other aspects of my life that really seem to be lacking. God doesn't necessarily allow us to have "perfect" lives, if that were the case, there would be much less room to broaden our horizons as we'd just sit in our comfort zone. So here I am, learning that the easy way will likely leave you stagnant in the long run. Challenge yourself. Get out there and do something that scares you. Take a leap of faith. Have courage. Love life as you go.

Sleep. Study. Eat. Repeat.

Over the past couple weeks my life has changed fairly drastically. I moved to Kelowna, and coming from their rival city, obviously I got razzed about that quite a bit. On departure day, I left home in the early afternoon, but after filling up my car with petrol, my poor little Etsy decided she didn't wanna start back up again. Yup. It could have been worse. Luckily for me, I have two of the most loving, caring parents out there, who graciously came to my rescue, let me borrow their car for the week and got my car towed to the mechanic. You could say it was eventful day! 

I began school, studying to become a Certified Dental Assistant. Learning to be a student again has been a much easier transition than I imagined. On my first day we got to do a scavenger hunt, considering me and the other two girls in my group were super competitive, we won! We got prizes and everything, I am now the proud owner of a chic, black, tic tock clock that graces the presence of my bathroom. I know, I'm pretty lucky ;) We also won a bunch of stuff that'll come in handy in the clinic, like gloves and masks! On that first day, I learned how to use a combination lock... TO MY VERY OWN LOCKER!!! You're probably thinking "what's so exciting about a locker..." well, my friend, if you had never had a locker before you would probably be pretty stoked too!Y'know how in the movies when they're hanging out in the hallway, and they slide down their lockers and just sit and hang out? Yeah. I get to do that now. 

During the rest of the week they crammed as much info into us as possible. It felt like my brain was going to explode. We only had two classes the first couple days, so we'd have 3.5 hours of each class. 7:30am - 4pm. By the time the weekend rolled around, I just wanted to sleep. But, ironically, as we were learning all about infection prevention and disease control, I got sick. Just a cold, but after learning all about various bacteria and what those little buggers are doing to you, I felt like a walking cloud of contamination. I was comforted to know others in my class had similar experiences over the weekend. 

In other news, my new place is in the most prime location. I live a 15 minute walk to school, but only 2 minutes from the beach! You can even rent water tricycles, kayaks and paddle boards! How epic. Hoping to try those out at some point. 

Ha, someone asked me the other day if I've met any boys since I moved here. Well, being in a class of 24 girls, you could tell me there were no boys in Kelowna and I would probably believe you. 

Anyways, hope you've had a beautiful Sunday! 

Take care <3

-Silks