she ran away, into the moonlight, a fox, proud and strong

Some photos from today! Finally got out into the snow! Didn’t take my scarf so my face was freezing!

Edmonton is beautiful!

The hotel we stayed at had this awesome water slide. I haven’t been on a water slide in I don’t even remember how long. Years before I even became an adult that’s for sure! I forgot how fun they are.

The little store at the hotel we stayed at in Vancouver had Moose and Bear slingshots 😂

The offending “candy”

The Cost Of Things: Nothing is as price shown. There is an added tax for everything. We haven’t this too in Australia - (Goods and Services Tax aka GST) but we always include that price on the label. For reasons I don’t understand, Canadians add it on at the counter, so you think you’re paying a certain amount and the bam, no sorry it’s much more expensive. Also apparently it’s different in each Province! Vancouver was 10% (?). Albert is 5%. Needless to say I’ll be trying to buy everything in Alberta. But seriously Canada you need to change this. It’s ridiculous.

99.9% of Canadians are delightful. The stereotype is definitely true. And they get on with Australians well. But I have found the exception to this rule: airport security staff. Fuck I’ve never been treated like that, even by doctors who didn’t want to treat me properly! One staff member gave me the withering treatment as if I were a giant slug annoying her and the other one running the security check line barked at everyone as if she were a drill sergeant and we were off to war. I mean I get it, it’s a serious job and people can be assholes but jeeeeeesus. I should note here however that the airline staff (we flew Qantas to Vancouver, then WestJet from Vancouver to Edmonton) were AWESOME! So kind and lovely, understanding, helpful, went way beyond to help and accomodate my condition. They’re also seriously funny and interesting people. My mum liked two young women so much she gave them her number and said if they ever come to Canberra they can stay in the flat at the back of our house. Top tier plane staff, just shit security

Your candy. Seriously, what the fuck??? I was so excited when I saw one of those pick your own candy mix bag stores at Vancouver airport and gleefully filled with my favourites, along with some Id never tried before and - no. Just… no. Why is your sour sprinkling so SOUR? Like extreme sour. The sour I expect from a warhead or something. In Australia these kind of lollies (I’m talking the cola bottles or gummy snakes) are an equal level of sweet and sour, here it’s like 80% sour, 20% sweet. I even tried to pawn it off to the Canadian airline staff and THEY didn’t want it! Still haven’t tried the chocolate yet so hopefully that will be better. And maybe I’ll be able to find some completely non sour gummies (I did get a few of those but they weren’t very sweet either. It’s weird.)

Other than that I LOVE THIS COUNTRY! It’s magic! The snow! The mountains! The people! The art! It’s gorgeous! I wish I could move and live here! Just you know, a few minor suggestions (please don’t send me hate!)

Ps:

For the first time in 14 years I’ve gone overseas! First time since I got sick (for the new people who follow for god knows why I’ve had chronic abdominal pain since I was 19, am 28 now, and really haven’t gotten to experience much of an independent life and have to live with my mum. She is also on the trip)