Fresh Canadian adventures

It all started on a cold winter night in Brussels. The dark of day turned into night without anyone noticing. I run on sun energy. My battery was getting low in the long months of Belgian winter. As Patti Smith echoed her songs through the living room, I was dancing barefoot in my head. All snuggled up next to the heater, I decided I was ready for new adventures. The challenge of a settled down life in Belgium had me looking at tickets to the other end of the world. Browsing around the interwebs, I bumped into Canadian working holiday visa stories. The applications were open, right now! With no more than 700 Belgians a year who can get their hands on a visa, and only 40 spots left, I did what had to be done. I spent sleepless nights sending documents, translating resumes, getting all excited for what might happen.

It took two months of patience. In June last year I finally got the email that would be the key to Canada's door of fun and games. One year of working, holidaying, travelling, meeting new friends and exploring that massive country. But when Belgian winter came around again, I fled to sunnier destinations. Australia, Indonesia, Thailand and Myanmar would be my home until Canada warmed up a bit more. 

On June 8, the sticky 40 degrees of Bangkok made way for breezy Vancouver. My face was glued to the plane window, overlooking snowy mountain tops and patchworks of green. There's nothing quite like the feeling of being at the start of fresh adventures. The jetlag didn't even get the time to kick in, as I was bouncing up and down the walls with excitement. My friend Mike, who goes by the name Funergy, put me on a bicycle and showed me all around his beautiful city. From lakes and parks to hiphop nacho places, improv theatres, makers markets and a daytime rave called boobs & berries. 

Imagine a house full of people dressed up as mermaids and sailors, bowls full of berries, a foosball table with dildos instead of players, a naked man, DJ's in the garden and a day of laughing so much my face still hurts. Oh, Canada! I'm so ready for you!