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!
It’s been a hell of a ride, thank you very much … and welcome home.
Hey Zhu!!
If you read this in Canada: WELCOME BACK!!!! 😀
3 months went buy so quickly, my Lord!
I am so sorry that you are going back to winter though lol (here it is summer already: yupppiiii)!
So, you will be 26, eh? I have written down your b-day (I knew it was around March, but couldn’t remember the day, but now I will never forget again) :D!
Have a safe trip!
Salut!
oh, 26, lucky you :-)))
it’s good to have a place you call home.
Zhu, thank you so much for taking us on your travels with you! I know how thrilling it’s been for me to see and read about where you’ve been, I can only imagine how wonderful it must have been to experience it first hand! You’ve helped me add some more places to my “to see” list. How amazing that you could have this experience!
Welcome back to Canada! Good luck with that work thing, and happy early birthday!
Welcome back Zhu!! I’m glad you had an amazing trip and I’m sure you’ll find a nice job soon enough!!! 🙂
@Tulsa Gentleman – Thank you! I appreciate that you liked my post, you were such a faithful follower!
@Max Coutinho – I’m in Canada, but lucky me, the weather is not too bad. It was getting cold in Buenos Aires too, so I don’t regret it.
@Agnes – Home, home again, it’s good to be here when I can…
@Soleil – Thank you! I really liked this trip and I was glad to blog about it.
@Aiglee – Thank you! I hope too, but I’m not too worried, I’m sure I’ll have options.
*CLAP* x 3 times!!! Well done Zhu for ‘bringing’ out on a three months’ stint compressed in your colourful blog.
I wish I can take three months off work to travel the world 🙂 There’s so much to see, explore & experience and you did so well.
Thanks for the wonderful journey, hope you get your dream job soon and most importantly….to be a Canadian soon 😀
Happy Birthday in advance on 21 March 2009 – we are both March babies 😀
You’re back! I was wondering when you’d be back. The weather is nice now here, so I suppose it’s good timing.
I can relate with your sentiments. As much as I want to travel lots, I cannot imagine doing what you did, a full three months of travel. I need my routine. I need my schedule. I need my rhythm. And if it isn’t there, I would crash and burn. Travel for me is not a lifestyle, it’s simply a distraction.
By the way, I like your license plates collection!
it’s funny you took photos of license plates!
only a gifted photographer/artist would do that.
you’ll find your dream job. i know i. you have too much to offer for an employer to ignore.
enjoy your shower. cuddle in the back of the theatre and watch that movie you want to see.
spring is just around the corner, so you’ll be out in beautiful weather again by the time the movie ends.
welcome home.
Oh wow I wish to be in your shoes, travelling around the whole continent in 100 days! The trip must have provided you a different insight into the world that we all live in and share. 🙂
Joyeux anniversaire in advance, Zhu!
Happy birthday! I’m glad that you two had an amazing time in Central and South America. I wish I can backpack through Europe but it’s way too expensive. Maybe it’s doable in Asia. Let me know about your immigration process 🙂
Joyeux anniversaire avec quelques jours d’avance !
You know, you & Feng have experienced something that maybe you will not experience again for awhile.Three months on the road. It’s already a chapter in your lives.
Look ahead; things will work themselves out finding jobs and all. Just one day at a time, like on the road. And your citizenship will be coming.
I’ll see you soon on the blogs.
Take it easy, chère amie.
Bises
That is a lot of kilometers!!! I love the license plates. Very good idea to take pictures of them.
Happy birthday!
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!
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
@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 12 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.