Vancouver- a beautiful city!

Goodmorning to All from the city of Vancouver!!

How are you all? Im sorry i haven't had time to write or update you on my travels, as you can imagine it has been go go GO since i left Australia. Flights were good, I went via Taipei- 9 and a half hours flight then a three hour stop over, then got onto a connecting flight to Vancouver which was another 10 and a half hours. All in all very good, I had been worried because i flew China Airlines, but it was a very lovely plane and pleasant service. The first two nights i stayed at the Quality Hotel Airport South (haha mouthful of a name) which was perfect- double bed, nice bathroom, free breakfast haha all a girl on her own could want! First night i actually made a couple of random friends... in search of food i walked up the street and found a bistro and bar at thre sheraton. Took my seat at the bar, ordered my food, and in typical Movie style fashion, the gentleman a few seats down the bar began talking to me. His name was Joe, he was on a business trip and about to get married in two weeks in New York. He gave me alot of advice on where to get a job and that i should not be afraid to do something different to other Aussies coming here to Canada, AKA i dont need to just go to Whistler. I'll admit, sitting there listening to him suggest a plethora of different options made me think really hard about what i want to do and where i want to go. Because honestly, the reason i left Australia was to get away from people i know, and to experience something new. Going half way around the world to live with a community of Australian's kind of defeats the purpose don't you think?

Anyway... Another guy ended up joining us, a 28 yr old American Pilot from Montana named Eric Dickhausen, who incidentally works for a Billionire, flying his planes. As out of this world that story sounds, i can only assume it was true. Though for those of you worrying that i was being naive, don't worry i had my wits 200% about me and i was careful not to tell them where i was staying or any unneccessary information. The real amazing part of this story is that, there i was, had literally only arrived 5 hrs prior into the country, and found myself sitting at a random hotel bar, eating and sharing a drink with a Canadian and a Pilot from Montana. I was shouted dinner too. Next day, I went into the city. Eric ended up joining me. I missed home so much, and i had a minor freak out in the morning that my money in my debit Visa had dissappeared (goes to show how little i know about withholding credit on reservations at hotels haha) and i was grateful for the company. We had lunch, courtesy of his boss, and then spen the day in thie city.

Vancouver is BEAUTIFUL!! it is such a clean city! wide streets, beautiful shiny buildings, sky scraping condo units and goergeous mountain lined horizons on all sides. The view is amazing!! Everywhere you go there is something amazing to see, even it is just to marvel at how clean and attractive the city is. I spent the day in the city yesterday as well but this time i had met up with some boys from the Coast, and though id been enjoying myself it was so nice to see familiar faces and hear familiar voices. They met me at the Samesun Hostel in the city which is where i am now, sitting on my ricketty, slat missing, saggy top bunk of a bed haha but I will get to that later. I caught the Sky Train into the city- you should see it!! Apparently its the longest non manned train system in the world, and it was so smooth and easy, it makes our trains back home look like dinosaurs haha. Jetlag hit me pretty hard yesterday and when you're lugging around near 40 kilos of luggage it takes it out of you! Shuttle bus, sky train, about 6 escalators and a taxi later i made it to the hostel! in one piece haha. With Matt Morgan and the other boys, I got my bank account, phone, and Social Insurance Number all sorted so i am now ready to work! Hooray!

As for the Samesun Hostel... haha its been fun i can tell you that. And thank God i am with three really lovely girls who have all become good friends since saying here together. Their names are Ashley, an Irish girl, Angelica from Germany i think and another girl from the Czech Republic who regretfully i cannot remember her name for the life of me! i feel terrible because she is on the bottom bed bellow mine, oh dear. They are all so nice, and i was so tired last night from a second day walking the city that i ended up here in our room most of the night catching up online. But they were all here too doing similar so it was quite homey and nice. oh... but Ashley got bitten all over mby bed bugs poor thing, has been so itchy, and a little furry friend came and jumped across all our stuff whilst we were talking last night haha AAAHHH mouse!!! and our window was wide open all night, so strange haha.

Critters and bugs aside, this was my first night at a hostel in my life and i really enjoyed it. Everyone is really friendly and there is so muc apening around here that if i had wanted to go out or wanted to stay up and party all night i couldve just walked down stairs.

I'll have to get photos up soon, just havent had time, but i will be moving to Whistler soon and i will settle down. I don't really want to go to Whistler, i feel like i should move somewhere less common, but its a starting point none the less. I have an interview there next week and a place i can stay at for free in the meantime. Im going to book a moose tour to whistler for tomorrow so at least ill get to stop and see some of the sites on the way. I've got one more night here in he Samesun then I'll be taking my adventure to the next destination- Whistler.

I am having so much fun, and absoluely loving Canada. Though i miss you all sooooo much, and think about you all the time, i really do, i am not ready to come home. There is so much i want to do here, so much to see and i cant wait to find a place to live and a job to enjoy. Being homeless and jobless is a strange thing, haha but I'll find my place soon enough. In the mean time, I'm enjoying every second.

Missing you! Sending you all many hugs and kisses and all my love!! I hope you are well and happy xx Im guna go shower in our lovely communal bathrooms, mmm hostels. haha.

Bye for now!

Victoria.