I still can’t believe it’s happening. Something that has been a dream of mine for longer than I can remember, is ACTUALLY happening. I’m currently sitting on the plane, handsome boyfriend beside me playing his ‘PSVITA’ (I got in trouble for calling it a gameboy :P), somewhere over Canada, or maybe the States, enroute to London BABY. (Be prepared for MANY Friends references over the next 4 months.)

Today started with pedicures and lunch with my wonderful Mama and 4 of my best friends, Sidney, Caylie, Erin and Michella. We drank mimosas, got pampered, had a great lunch, and had some wonderful baby Chloe cuddles. After a little emotional ‘see you soon’, I headed to Fabutan for my pre-trip spray tan and then Sidney and I went for Thai Food at my favourite restaurant, Kaengthai Bistro on Whyte Ave. Lastly we had a quick last minute stop at Campers Village for a travel towel and then it was airport time!

Paul was already there with his Mom, Marie. His sisters, Anita and Autumn. His fraternal twin brother Raj, and Raj’s girlfriend, Nikki (I’ll admit I was a little shocked he beat me there). After checking in and taking some pictures, it was time to say goodbye.

Now, I know this has been what I’ve wanted for SO long, but it was still really emotional. If you know me at all, you know how close I am with my family. My Mom and Dad aren’t just my parents, they’re my friends, and not seeing them for 4 months is hard, no matter how much I want this. I’m thankful and lucky that my Mom decided to come visit me on my travels in the middle of August!

This will also be the longest I will go without seeing my best friend, Sidney. Sidney and I have been friends since I moved to Vegreville halfway through Grade 3. She was the first person I met, and we’ve been closer than close since then. Shes’s the sister my parents never gave me. 17 Years and Counting. I think it’s safe to say she’s stuck with me for life. 🙂

After a some tears from me, my mom, Sidney, Paul’s Mom, his sisters, Nikki, and even Raj, we headed through security. Neither Paul or myself had any issues with our bags, liquids or ANYTHING! Not even a pat down for either of us! *high five*

As we waved goodbye one last time, I turned around, looked at my handsome man and started crying again. It’s real. We’re off, and I won’t see most of my loved ones for 4 months.

To all my family, friends and followers, I love you and I’m so very excited you’re on this journey with me.

ARE YOU READY!?!?!
It’s going to be one hell of an adventure.

‘Til later…
Ciao!

Alysha
❤

 

T-1 Day!

It’s still hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that in 1 day I’ll be boarding a plane and leaving the country….for 4 months! How am I feeling? Welllll, EXCITED is an understatement, but overall I’m feeling good! Prepared. Which is weird for me. I never usually feel this ready to go on a trip. I always feel like I’m scrambling to get all the loose ends tied up. Maybe it’s because I’ve been planning this for months? Who knows, but I really just want it to be Saturday!

RUBES

Wanderers, Meet Rubes, my Travel Buddy for the next 4 months!

Some of you may recognize him as Rubeus Hagrid from Harry Potter. I like to think of him as the more magically inclined cousin of the Travelocity Gnome.

Rubes here was a birthday gift from my brother Justin, who knows how much I love Harry Potter, and who insisted that I take him with me on my trip.  Luckily, he just so happens to fit in my bag and will be coming along with me on my travels. Stay tuned for photos of his adventures and shenanigans!

PACKING UPDATE

I am officially packed!

I feel like I’ve packed and unpacked this bag about 50 times. Had to take a few things out because the first time I packed this bag, it was quite literally busting at the seams. So, I took out 1 shirt, 1 dress, 1 pair of pants and 1 bathing suite. You’d be surprised how much space that created. But like I said in my previous post, space in this bag is prime real estate. It’s hard to believe that this is all I will have with me for the next 4 months. I actually get a little anxiety when I think about it, but I’m also a bit excited! There is something so liberating about packing up and leaving everything behind. SO BRING IT ON! I’m ready to explore this big beautiful world.

‘Till later…

Ciao!

Alysha
❤

 

I spent yesterday in Vegreville with my family for Father’s Day. If you know anything about me, you know how much I love my family and spending time with them. It was a great day, aside from the hail that pummeled my vehicle just as we got into town. Luckily there was no hail damage, but it was painful to watch!

When Paul and I got home, I decided to be ambitious and start packing my backpack. Honestly, thank the Lord I had him helping me. My emotions were all over the map and I quickly went from, “Yes, I can do this, we’ll roll everything and it will all fit!” to “I am never going to be able to fit everything I need in this bag!” in a matter of mear minutes. My man kept me calm and searched videos on how to ‘ranger roll’ all my clothes. If you don’t already know how to do this, you need to. Seriously a space saver when you have a very limited amount of said space. Had he not been there, I would have probably started crying and called my mom who would have told me to figure it out or take things back. And of course I can’t do that!

I still haven’t been able to fit EVERYTHING in my bag, and I have a few last minute things I need to pick up before I will be completely done, but I keep telling myself that I will make it work. I will fit it all in and we’ll be good to go, but I’m still nervous. This is the smallest bag I have EVER traveled with, but I swear, I’ll be a pro by the end of it.

T-5 DAYS PEOPLE!!

I’ll post again, when I successfully pack my bag.

‘Till later..
Ciao!

Alysha
❤

It feels like just yesterday I was saying it was 40 days until I leave, and here we are..12 days away! (Holy shit!!!!!)

Now that we’re getting down to the wire, I suppose I should start laying out and deciding what I should be packing for my 4 months abroad right?

It should be noted, that I’ve very much dislike packing. Which is ironic considering how much I love to travel. But packing has, and always will be my least favorite travel activity.

I’m also a chronic overpacker. I’m your typical “Well I don’t know what I’m going to want to wear” girl when it comes to packing. That, in turn means I usually have a giant suitcase full of clothes, half of which I probably won’t even pull out on my trip.

This however, is a very different trip, with a substantially smaller suitcase, so I am being much more strategic in the packing choices I’m making.

I mentioned before that I’m a very organized person and a planner so, of course, I made a list to help with my packing situation.

I should point out that this is page 1 of 2, however, page 2 consists mostly of first aid kit supplies and electronics. At this point, I’m more concerned with clothing.

I have read several blogs about how to pack for long trips, and talked to my girl Shay about what are some of the important things I should be taking. I think it’s definitely good to get an idea of what you should pack, but in the end, it’s your trip, and everyone is different, so the above list is what I believe will be what I need for where I’m going. Ask me in 4 months if I made the right choices though!

Now, I’m going to be going to two different climates throughout my trip so Shay’s first suggestion was versatility, and to be sure to take something I won’t be heart broken to leave behind. For example, take a cheap cardigan I am okay with leaving somewhere in Europe as I likely won’t need it when I’m in Abu Dhabi or Thailand. And take tops that can double as club tops, etc. Space in my bag is prime real estate, so I’m trying my best to downsize, downsize, downsize.

I went on a shopping trip with my beautiful Mama yesterday, and below is a picture of the haul! Believe it or not, I still don’t have all the clothes I need! I don’t have much left however. A pair of runners, a pair of fancier flip flops, a pair of jeans, one more pair of pants, a black cardigan, a black pair of shorts, a couple t-shirts, one sweater, 2 more pairs of capris, socks, and underwear! Soooo, maybe I have to get more than I thought. But overall, I think I did pretty well.

I’ve come to terms with the fact that no matter how prepared you are, no matter how much planning you do, you are always going to have that feeling like you’re forgetting something. That’s okay though, cause honestly I can buy it if I need it right? It just sucks having to spend the money.

Now comes the task of fitting it all in my bag. Hopefully the packing fairies will be on my side for that one!

‘Till later…
Ciao!

Alysha ❤

 

I was recently reading a blog post by The Fernweh Wolf titled “How To Live Outside Your Comfort Zone.” As you can probably imagine, she gives you tips on how to live outside your comfort zone. Simple things like saying yes more, starting a new hobby or embracing change. As June 25 gets closer and closer, and things are starting to get more real, I’m trying to embrace the uncomfortable feeling I have in my stomach about leaving everything behind. About stepping out of my comfort zone.

Don’t get me wrong, I am excited beyond measure, but it’s also a lot of change really really fast. One day I’ll have a house with roommates I see everyday, a closet full of clothes, and my parents only an hours drive away. And the next I’ll have no house, no roommates, one suitcase full of all necessities, and my parents will be on the other side of the world. That’s scary is it not? 

But while always being someone who is generally open to change and will embrace new and exciting opportunities…it thrills me and fuels my excitement. We often get so caught up in our jobs, or drama with our friends and family, that we forget to enjoy what change and new opportunities can bring. You never know what will happen or who you will meet when you start putting your toes in the sand outside your comfy bubble. 

I guess what I’m trying to say, is that I’m scared…but I will not let that stop me from embarking on this adventure. I’m going to embrace my fear, and dive head first into the unknown…outside of my comfort zone. 

Care to join me? 🙂

‘Till later…

Ciao! 

Alysha ❤

When I started setting up this blog, it asked me for a logo. I had an idea of what I wanted, but I am not overly artistic when it comes to that stuff. Luckily, I have a friend who has creativity in spades.

I met Kyle when I worked at ATB Financial. Kyle is best friends with my boyfriend and he was hired as a Customer Service Rep when I was a Senior Customer Service Rep at the City Centre Branch. Fast forward a couple years and he’s one of my dearest friends.

Kyle was the first person I thought of when I knew I needed a logo. I told him I wanted the letters ‘SWL’ incorporated somehow and I asked for a compass in the background. Kyle went above and beyond and created the logo you now see on my homepage. If you look at all the landmarks, they go in order of how I’ll be visiting them on my trip.

Kyle, thank you SO SO SO much for helping me out! It means so much and I absolutely love it!

If anyone needs help with creating videos, logos or anything creative like that, talk to Kyle. I know you will not be disappointed!

‘Till later…

Ciao!

Alysha ❤

I know that for a lot of people, the thought of leaving everything behind to travel for 4 months is crazy. When I tell people about my plans, responses always vary. They range from “That’s amazing!” to “I’m so jealous!” to “I could never do that.” to “That’s going to be an incredible experience.” and finally, to “Why?”

“Why?”

I personally am shocked when someone asks me why I would want to leave the country for more than 2 weeks. My response is generally always the same: “Why not?”

The world is a massive place, with so much history, so much culture and so many beautiful places that I haven’t seen, explored or experienced. I haven’t even remotely scratched the surface and my whole being aches with the desire to see it all.

I’m a travel junkie. I live and work to travel.

My mom once said to me, “Alysha, I don’t think you are ever going to find a “career”. To you, a job is simply that. A job. A means to an end. A way for you to make money and go on your next trip.” I had never really thought of that before, but in all honesty, it’s so true. Just take a look at my life over the last 8 years since I graduated high school and that’s proof enough.

I graduated in 2008 and didn’t go to Post Secondary right away. I got a job working at ATB Financial, lived at home for a year and saved money for a trip to Greece for 2 1/2 weeks by myself. After getting back from my trip I worked, and then moved to the Edmonton in August 2009 to go to Grant Mac. I was accepted into the Education Program and I was going to be a teacher! A year and a half later, I dropped out, and started working full time at ATB. Fast forward a few years, its 2016, I work full time as a Legal Assistant for Bennett Jones LLP and I’m leaving in 31 days to go traveling. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job. It’s interesting, pays the bills and I get 3 weeks vacation every year. But if I could travel for the rest of my life, I wouldn’t hesitate.

For so long, this trip was a dream. Ask any one of my friends or family and they would tell you, this has been what I’ve wanted and have been talking about for YEARS. I remember learning about Greece in Grade 6, and desperately wanting to see this place (I can still see the yellow textbook in my head). It was something I wanted to do, but didn’t think I could actually do. Where do you even begin? 

My cousin Sommer has done a great deal of traveling. Her and her sister Tasha, currently live in Abu Dhabi and work for Etihad Airways, and the one piece of advice I remember her telling me, was to buy my plane ticket, and figure the rest out later. She said that when you have the firm date that you’re leaving, you’re more likely to work your ass off until you make the money you need. As T-Day (travel day) approaches, this couldn’t be more true for me. 

It’s funny how things change as you speak them into existence. I said I was going traveling for 4 months before I even got the time off work. Now I know I’m lucky. Not all employers would consider giving one of their employees 18 weeks off. And to go traveling none the less. So believe me when I say I’m not taking any of this for granted. I am so grateful for the opportunity I’ve been given. 

For perspective, I’ve been trying to come up with a comparison I can give you for the feeling I get about traveling. One that could possibly answer the “Why?” I keep being asked. I can only think of one way to describe it. Think of something that makes you happy. Makes you smile, makes you laugh, gives you butterflies, gives you that rush of adrenaline that makes your heart beat faster, makes you catch your breath. Maybe even makes you cry at times. Got it? That’s what traveling does to me. That’s the feeling. That’s the thrill I get when I think about boarding a plane to a place I’ve never seen.

I finally get to plan my dream. Talk about the best feeling ever! 

‘Till later…
Ciao!

Alysha ❤

 

 

So just to clarity, this post has 2 different topics, but they do come together at the end..I promise.

Trip Planning

Exciting news! Paul and I have been able to finalize pretty much our entire 6 weeks together! It’s a busy, jam packed 6 weeks, but it is going to be AMAZING
Take a look at our itinerary:

June 25: Fly from Edmonton to London
June 26: Arrive in London and fly from London to Rome. Stay overnight in Rome
June 27: Train from Rome to Florence
June 27-July 1: Florence
July 1: Train from Florence to La Spezia, which is close to Riomaggiore (Cinque Terre)
July 1-7: La Spezia
July 7: Train from La Spezia to Pisa. Stay overnight in Pisa
July 8: Fly from Pisa to Barcelona
July 8-13: Barcelona
July 13: Fly from Barcelona to Berlin
July 13-21: Berlin
July 21: Rent a Car, drive from Berlin to Hamburg
July 21-23: Hamburg
July 23: Train from Hamburg to Copenhagen
July 23-25: Copenhagen
July 25: Train from Copenhagen to Malmo
July 25-August 1: Sweden (including Malmo and Stockholm, hopefully)
August 1: Fly from Copenhagen to Vienna
August 1-4: Vienna (Caylie joins us in Vienna on Aug 1!)
August 4: Fly from Vienna to Amsterdam
August 4-8: Amsterdam
August 8: Paul flies home 😦

I know…we’re all over the place and go to 7 countries in 6 weeks. But I don’t know when we’re going to have this opportunity again, so I’m going to get in as much as I possibly can in the time that we have. Not to mention, I have family in Berlin I want to see, and Paul has family in Sweden. It was a no brainer that we would end up in both those places at some point. I also knew Italy would be where we started. Paul loves Italy. I swear, he might be a handsome brown guy on the outside, but on the inside he’s a pizza, pasta, and gelato loving Italian man. He often tells me his plans for us to retire in Rome and you know me…I’m open to exploring any part of this wonderful world.

Moving on to the 2nd part of this post…

#YOLO

One of my favorite things to do is go out salsa dancing. I am lucky enough to share this passion with Caylie, one of my best friends. Caylie and I met each other during our Grade 12 year in Vegreville. Needless to say, we’ve been bests ever since, and often get asked if we’re sisters. This is definitely a compliment if you know Caylie. She’s a total babe and if I even remotely look like her, I’m winning. 🙂

Caylie and I started taking salsa classes in February of 2015 at ETown Salsa. Shout out to our first instructor Chad, who I’ve stepped on and hit in the face with my arms more times that I can count. Thanks Chad, you’re awesome, a total trooper and I thoroughly enjoy dancing with you! Anyways, this has opened us up to a whole new community of people. The Latin dancing community is growing so fast in YEG, and we are so lucky to be a part of it! Caylie has far surpassed my skill level, but in my defense, she also attends classes and socials WAY more often than I do.

One of our favorite places to go dancing is OTR (On the Rocks) on a Thursday. Thursdays at OTR is latin night, where we dance the night away to salsa, bachata, meringue, and even sometimes kizomba (if we’re feeling adventurous).

I hadn’t planned to go out last night, but I only have a few more Thursdays until I leave, so I wanted to get at least a couple more in before then. Caylie and I also use this time to catch up on each others’ lives, and while taking a break from dancing we got to chatting. Caylie said that her philosophy lately is #YOLO, and for those of you who don’t keep up with the kids these days, YOLO stands for “You Only Live Once”. I am a firm believer that everyone should have this philosophy and bring it into your everyday life. Life is meant to be lived, experienced and enjoyed. #YOLO

Speaking of #YOLO, and bringing both these topics together, earlier that day Paul and I were discussing some activities we wanted to do while we’re traveling together. I’m a “When in Rome” or #YOLO type of traveler. I have never been the type to say, “No, I can’t do that because I don’t have money.” I’m more of a “Let’s do it and I’ll figure out the finances later!” Granted, I know I’m going to have to be a bit more selective when it comes to this trip. I am on a budget and am gone for longer that 1 week.

We had already booked a tour from Florence to see Siena and San Gimignano, but I knew I wanted to do a cooking class in Florence as well. Umm, hello, what better place to make pizza than in Italy? So Paul booked us a tour making Authentic Italian Pizza and Gelato in Florence. I mean….can you say EXCITED?!

Paul then told me to look at the website for Viator and see if there were any other tours I wanted to book for the places we’re going. I first looked at Barcelona as we spend quite a few days there and the list was ENDLESS! How do you choose?! There was everything from a hop-on hop-off bus tour to food tours to Segway tours! It was then, that I came across a tour that had #YOLO written all over it.

Hot Air Balloon Ride in Catalonia

Ummm, HELL TO THE FRICKEN YES. There was no doubt in my mind that we were going on this ride. How ridiculously amazing and romantic and just…AWESOME would that be?!

Paul didn’t take much convincing. He always says he’ll do anything to make me smile. He once rappelled into a fresh water cenote in Mexico because he knew I wanted to do it, and he can’t swim. Ask me about this story another time, it’s hilarious. Although…he likely wouldn’t agree as much. Love you babe! Anyways, like I said it didn’t take much convincing and we are going to be going on a HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE IN SPAIN. Words can’t begin to describe my excitement for this.

Like I said…#YOLO traveling for the win.

‘Till later…
Ciao!

Alysha
❤

FINALLY! After what feels like a lot of time and deliberation, I have purchased my backpack!

This past Sunday, I dragged my ever loving boyfriend Paul, to Camper’s Village to help me choose a backpack and buy some supplies for my trip. Poor Paul, I always say we’ll go shopping for him, and I’m the only one who ever buys things. Sorry babe, but thank you for toughing it out with me!

Shoutout to Ehmad and Stephanie who helped me at Camper’s Village. You were both incredible and SO knowledgeable.

Sooooo, I settled on the Osprey Ozone 50L Backpack. (Ain’t she a beauty?!) While 5 litres less than what I thought I wanted, I am still very excited!

As you can see, there is a day pack that zips onto the front of the back. I can also take this off and clip it to the front to even out the weight when carrying the bag on my back

The straps are adjustable, and also come with a hip strap for added support.

The straps also tuck in and zip up to streamline everything into a beautiful carry-on bag! Not to mention it has a handle and wheels for convenience!

Another feature that makes this purchase even better is the warranty that came with the bag. Osprey also has one of the best warranties in the business, which lasts for life! If the bag gets damaged throughout any part of my travels, Osprey will replace it with a new one, or the newer equivalent if they no longer carry that model! Way to go Osprey, you’re doing it right. If you find yourself interested in the Osprey brand, take a look at their website. I am confident you’ll find something that fits your needs!

In addition to my backpack, I also purchased some other travel goodies. Packing cubes, compression bags, mini locks, travel laundry soap, an RFID wallet to prevent my chip cards from being scanned, a rain cover for my backpack, and a few other miscellaneous items. It was an expensive day, but these were all things I needed to get anyway. Plus, Camper’s Village was having a 15% off everything sale. Might as well buy it while I can save some money!

As everything starts to come together, it’s really starting to sink in that in just over a month (40 days to be exact), I’ll be leaving the country…for 123 days. I have been dreaming about this for so long, but now that it’s happening, I can’t properly articulate how it all feels. I’m excited, that’s a given, but I’m also starting to get a little anxious.

I’m a planner. Very organized and predictable. I’m not overly spontaneous, so this is completely out of my comfort zone. I’m moving out of the place I currently live, so I won’t have a “home” per se. I’m leaving everything that’s familiar to explore the world.

What am I doing?!

I have a feeling I’m going to be asking myself that question a lot over the next few weeks. And while I am a planner and not really spontaneous, the idea of leaving everything behind for 4 months is exhilarating! Terrifying…but SO exciting!

I really CANNOT wait!

‘Til later…
Ciao!

Alysha
❤

 

First off, let me say that I am by no means an expert when it comes to choosing a backpack. Everyone is different. My only recommendation is that you do your research, try on several backpacks and make a choice that fits you and your specific adventure.

With that, I’m currently in the process of choosing a backpack for my trip, and let me tell you, this is proving to be quite the task. There are literally a thousand options for every possible trip you can think of. Hiking, backpacking, traveling, day trips, extended day trips, the list goes on. I’ve been fortunate enough to have one of my best friends, Shay, help me with this process.

Shay traveled Europe and South East Asia back in 2014 and has so far been a HUGE help to me in planning and preparing for this trip. Her and I share a love of traveling and it’s something that has brought us closer as friends. She also has some of the craziest and most hilarious stories that will make you wish you were with her on her journey. Seriously, ask her about her adventure to get to JamBay in Thailand, getting lost in the German Countryside, or the story about meeting Mateus in Thailand. I promise you’ll be in stitches by the end of it.

When I found out that my employer was giving me a 4 month leave of absence to travel, Shay was one of the first people I told. When it comes to exploring new and exciting places, Shay is someone you want to share that with.

Shay’s first comment when I told her I was planning on taking a backpack, was that a 70L was too big. She took a 70L, had to check it on every flight and the airline lost it for 2 1/2 weeks when she arrived in Thailand. If you go with carry-on the entire time, you don’t have to worry about lost luggage. Now, when you say that to a girl who normally packs a huge suitcase for a week in Mexico, panic starts to set it. How in the world am I supposed to fit 4 months worth of stuff into a backpack, that should be smaller than 70L?! Shay’s response? “You just do it.”

On a side note, I knew going into this that I was going to take a backpack and I also knew I really wanted to only do carry-on. Baggage costs on those cheap European flights can sometimes cost as much as the bloody plane ticket. I’m on a budget here, so I need to save $$ where I can. So, smaller than 70L, I can get on board with that. I also knew I did NOT want a load from the top bag. Every person I talked to about backpacks who had used a load from the top HATED it. 90% of the time you’re just unloading your bag to load it back up again.

Now, keep in mind that choosing a bag you’ll be carrying around for 4 months, is not an easy decision. By the end, I will have a very intimate relationship with this bag, so I need to be sure it’s the right fit for me. Not to mention, these bags aren’t cheap. The last thing I want is to spend $200+ on something I would end up bitching about later. So this is not a decision to take lightly.

The first place I decided to look for a pack was at MEC (Mountain Equipment Co.). They had an array of packs and travel bags, and an assortment of travel necessities. This seemed like it was going to be my place. I even found a couple packs I really liked the looks of. But…alas, they were too big. When we talked to one of the employees and asked what type of bag I should be looking at, he said about a 45L. If you could have seen my face when he said that, you would have seen panic.  The guy we spoke to was very helpful, but suggested going to Atmosphere or Camper’s Village as they have Osprey packs. Apparently, this is a very popular and reliable brand that lots of travelers use, Shay included.

A few days later I stopped at Atmosphere to see what options they had for me. When I first talked to the Sebastian, the sales guy, about my trip and what I was looking for he said I should be looking for something in the 30L range. Again, wish you could have seen my face. My damn backpack just keeps getting smaller!

Anyways, after a bit more discussion, and being the good employee that he was, Sebastian suggested  that I look at the dimensions allowed for the airlines I was flying. If it fit within the dimensions, then I should have no problems carrying my bag on the plane. Sebs even pulled out the trusty measuring tape and helped me measure the bags’ dimensions. Thanks for that btw Sebastian!

Anywho, I still have yet to buy my bag (I know, I’m cutting it close), but I have a much better idea about what I’m looking for. I think I should be able to get away with a 55L bag, IF I don’t completely jam it full.

Therefore, Operation Alysha has to fit 4 months worth of stuff in a 55L backpack has begun.

Lawd help me!

Don’t worry, I’ll post again when I finally buy my backpack!

‘Till later…

Ciao!

Alysha ❤