alex the girl

Taking some much needed time off from here until November. Instead, I'll be watching leaves fall, carving pumpkins and working like mad on my travel portfolio, work articles and other websites.

In the meantime, you can drop me a postcard to let me know what the outside world is doing, send a good book my way or help give me energy by feeding me pumpkin chocolates.

< August 2002 | Main | November 2002 >

September 22, 2002

I'm two degrees from Kevin Bacon. This makes you three. Discuss.

< August 2002 | Main | November 2002 >

September 18, 2002

My current need for nesting is based on a few factors: it’s turning into fall and becoming cold and windy outside, I’m twenty-eight, I’m overwhelmed, and I haven’t spent a full month at home in over a year.

I’ve stocked up on tea,
lush bath products (and the ever faithful, Mr. Bubble), picked up several books to read, purchased an oversized fleece throw for cold days and pulled out all my French Jazz CD’s. I’m ready.

The only problem is, is I just got rid of company, only to receive more. I have parties to go to, trips to make and a volunteer program to start. I’m all over the place and it doesn’t look like it’ll settle down until December – just in time for Christmas. Somehow, I’ve got to get control. I’ve got to learn that there is time for everything – just not at once.

< August 2002 | Main | November 2002 >

September 13, 2002

From an interesting article on Canada's Prime Minister:

"Mr Chretien said in a documentary filmed by Canadian broadcaster CBC that the West was "looked upon as being arrogant, self-satisfied and greedy and with no limits" and "The 11th of September is an occasion for me to realise it even more."

With the media trying to say what it thinks the people want to hear, and the people feeding off the media and thinking it's what they need to say, it's really refreshing to see some non-american media coming out that actually goes against the flag waving, we haven't done anything wrong and you have mentality.

< August 2002 | Main | November 2002 >

September 12, 2002

Coming home, I thought of all the moments I had on my trip. I realised that life is just that – moments. It can’t be defined by weeks, days or even hours. It’s all about the moments.

For me, I had beautiful moments such as the one where I opened up the door to my suite at the Banff Springs and realised what makes a room $1,500 and felt completely spoiled that I was paying less than 10% because of what I do. I had a special moment at 3am when I woke up and saw the glow of the fire play on the ceiling while I snuggled in the quilt with a smile.

I had exhilarating moments such as riding my horse through the mountains, only to be charged by a 4-pointer bull elk near the end of my ride. Following that was a moment of feeling unusually calm and collected as I realised what was going on and soaked it in, and then turned my horse around and ran off while watching the bull elk chase me from behind. After that was a moment of relief as I realised what could have happened and then a moment of just feeling completely cheeky because it didn’t.

I also had crap moments such as checking into a hotel and being told I was staying in a fantastic suite. The anticipation of seeing some fabulous room was built up until I opened the door to a bad looking 70’s style porn room that was smoking. However, that was followed-up by a good moment when I went outside into the mountains and hiked amongst the changing trees and had a deer come up to me and lick my hand.

There were moments when I just was. They were the ones where I sat down by the river and listened to it pass me by, when I ate cheesecake in my bathrobe as the fire roared, when I looked at my old flat and remembered myself at 22 and when I put my head on his shoulder as we both just drifted off to sleep.

When people ask me how my trip was, I can only tell them about it in moments. No two were ever the same, and none of them lasted very long.

Having my life made up of moments – both good and bad - makes my life work. It makes me able to smile more than wallow on the floor in a heap and get over shite moments because I know how quickly a good one can follow. And they do.