Hello Frozen Hell…

17 March 2009By Zhu 16 Comments

Hello frozen hell… we are flying back to Canada.

We have been gone for over three months now. As much as I would love to travel longer, I just have to be realistic. We need to go back to Canada. We need to go back to work (er… find work). We need to settle a bit, again.

Backpacking is tiring. I haven´t had a hot shower in months, and my book supply is quite low (I rely on book exchange in hostels). We miss cooking and frankly, I wouldn´t mind watching a current US movie.

We visited 8 countries, bused over 13,000 kilometers. 13,000 km. We sat on hundreds of buses, trains, boats, taxis. We walked till we couldn´t feel our feet. We looked around us like two kids amazed by the beauty of the world.

Have we changed in three months? Well, we are both tan and quite fit. Our Spanish is better, although I can´t say the same for my Portuguese. We got a few scratches along the way, as well as tons of bites from mosquitoes and other unidentified insects.

When I left in December, I was quite tired of my job, and I had been looking for other opportunities. Not surprisingly, no one has pop on yet to offer my a dream job (i.e chocolate-taster, cheese-eater, book-reader, picture-taker…). Yet, I realized how much I loved to create art, whether it is writing, photography or drawing. I realized that working in an office was not exactly a career choice for me. So I´m still not sure where I´m heading, but I know what I like to do a little bit better. That makes me confident in the future.

I´m happy to come back to a country I chose to live in, and that I like. My citizenship application is hopefully in progress and I can´t wait to be Canadian on paper. I´m also glad to see my friends in Canada. I shouldn´t be sad to leave, anyway.

I´m turning 26 on Saturday, March 21st. I still have a lot to learn, and a lot to see.

Meanwhile, see you guys back in Canada!

Panamá License Plate

Costa Rica License Plate

Perú License Plate

Bolivia License Plate

Chile License Plate

Argentina License Plate

Uruguay License Plate

Brazil License Plate

16 Comments »

Zhu (author) said:

@shionge – Thank you! I was lucky to be able to go traveling, I realize that. It’s been fun blogging about it!

@Linguist-in-Waiting – It’s always good to come back as well. I wouldn’t like to live on the road forever… Three months 1\2 was plenty.

@Seraphine – Thank you! I thought collecting license plates would be fun I loved my hot shower

@kyh – Merci! It does provide another view of the world, which is mostly why I enjoy traveling.

@Bluefish – Thank you! It depends where you backpack, but Central and South America is very affordable, cheaper than in Canada.

@barbara – Merci Barbara! By the way, I hope we can meet sometimes when I will be in France. I’ll be in touch!

@Jennie – It was A LOT of kilometers… my Ipod saved my life on these long bus rides!

@bumanguesa – Gracias, and nice to meet you!

@Tulsa Gentleman – Thank you! And the food posts are coming, just for you I felt the same with coconut water the first few times. It does take a few sips to get used to, but then it tastes yummy.

# 23 March 2009 at 6:02 pm

Tulsa Gentleman said:

Hello, I’m back. I just want you to know that I ran across some Mexican juice drinks in the Walmart, the brand is Goya and very good. One of the flavors was “Coconut Water” and the label says it is 80% coconut milk with some ground coconut pulp, and a little sugar. Of course after your post about drinking coconut I had to try it. I have to say that my first sip was meh, then it began to taste really good. By the time I finished the can I wanted another. Your influence is felt around the world, even in Oklahoma.

I hope you had a very happy birthday and a nice homecoming. Keep posting. I am still waiting for your food Photos.

Blessings from Tulsa

# 22 March 2009 at 9:31 pm

bumanguesa said:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

I hope you find that job tasting chocolate

I love the way you write and the way you draw. You’re very creative!!! Blessings!

# 21 March 2009 at 10:02 pm

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@Zhu - <blockquote>@shionge - Thank you! I was lucky to be able to go traveling, I realize that. It's been fun blogging about it!

@Linguist-in-Waiting - It's always good to come back as well. I wouldn't like to live on the road forever... Three months 1\2 was plenty.

@Seraphine - Thank you! I thought collecting license plates would be fun ;-) I loved my hot shower :lol:

@kyh - Merci! It does provide another view of the world, which is mostly why I enjoy traveling.

@Bluefish - Thank you! It depends where you backpack, but Central and South America is very affordable, cheaper than in Canada.

@barbara - Merci Barbara! By the way, I hope we can meet sometimes when I will be in France. I'll be in touch!

@Jennie - It was A LOT of kilometers... my Ipod saved my life on these long bus rides!

@bumanguesa - Gracias, and nice to meet you!

@Tulsa Gentleman - :lol: Thank you! And the food posts are coming, just for you ;-) I felt the same with coconut water the first few times. It does take a few sips to get used to, but then it tastes yummy.</blockquote>