Trick or Treat...

Tomorrow is Halloween.

I missed last year's celebrations, due to being in a jungle deep in the heart of Thailand.

Of course sleeping in a tree house with monkeys surrounding you beats dressing up like a slut to make a drunken fool of yourself, however, I'm glad I'm home this year for Halloween.

We are attending a house party, and then perhaps, the bar... where I'll be dressed as a pirate.

Arrrgh!

I'm All Alone...

I've reached the conclusion that I can't be alone.

It's nice, for short amounts of time, but my family has been gone all weekend, and they even took my dog.

I know what you are thinking... "You just backpacked an entire year on your own.."

Okay, true. But that's different! I was staying in dorm rooms with at least 5 other people in the same ROOM at all times. So to have this big house all to myself, I'm overwhelmed.

I know so many people at home... friends, family... but they all have busy lives, jobs, boyfriends... At least in Australia the majority of the people I met were doing the exact same thing as I was, and we were united in the fact that we were all away from home. I was never alone there, and I took for granted the fact that there were always friends nearby, and if there weren't, you could make new ones in a matter of minutes.

There are 2 types of people in this world:

Those who travel, and those who don't.

And I honestly believe that to be true. You can't just go out and say "I'm going to go make friends" here. People go on with their day to day life and aren't usually searching for new friends when they go out for the day.

When you are traveling, you can go out with the intention of making friends, and you do.

Autumn in Alberta

Towards the end of September, the leaves turn into shades of orange, yellow, and red...

Although it marks the end of summer, fall is so beautiful you can't help but to love it. The weekend I got home from a year of tropical, perma-summer destinations, I went for a photoshoot with some of my best friends to capture the beauty of this time of year.

Photography by Ronnie Rabena.

Homecoming...

Tonight is my "Homecoming" Party, or something of the sort...

Although I've been home for 3 weeks now, today was the date that I originally told people I was going to be home. That was of course a lie, and I showed up early to surprise them, but since everybody had already booked time off of work, we figured why not go ahead with the party tonight. It should be a good weekend, filled with best friends, reunions, food, and vodka. Some of the best things in life.

Last night I wandered around Red Deer with my friend Joel... I love taking pictures but it's hard to be inspired here. I see it as Red Deer, and although it might be beautiful to somebody who's never been here, it just looks like home to me. But here's a few shots of my lovely home town...

Reach for the Sky?

On Tuesday night, I recieved an email from the program I'm enrolled in for flight attendant training, which said that there is a new airline beginning in early 2009 and they were seeking employees. I applied immediately, of course.

Then yesterday, as I'm just getting out of the shower I get a phone call. I was quite surprised, seeing as how normally it takes weeks, even months after applying to hear back from the airlines. I don't know what you would call it, but it felt like an interview to me. So there I was, standing in my towel, dripping wet, trying to give the best answer to these questions although I was caught completely off guard. I wouldn't be surprised if I don't hear back, given my long pauses and "ummms" throughout the phone call, but I'm still holding out that glimmer of hope that maybe this time they'll call me back, maybe this time I'll get the job I've chased for year, and finally leave Red Deer permanently. Maybe.

I'm not telling anybody, I'm not even getting excited, because if it doesn't work out then it will be an even bigger let down. I have the qualifications, I have the determination required... I just really suck at interviews.

Photos from the Journey.

Denarau Island, Fiji

The picture doesn't even do it justice. I saw this sunset the night I arrived in Fiji.

It honestly took my breath away. I take nothing for granted, I know how lucky I am.

Sydney, Australia Years of planning and a lifetime of dreams brought me to Sydney. The first time I saw this bridge, I actually felt tears in my eyes. It's moments like this that you realize you aren't dreaming, you are LIVING the dream.

Bounty Island, Fiji

I spent my afternoon lying underneath this palm tree, taking in the sheer beauty of Fiji.
This is my paradise.

By the way... All of these pictures are my own, edited with my newest website addiction... http://www.picnik.com/

Moving Back Home at 22.....

I love my mom. But man, she drives me crazy sometimes.

I spent a year on the other side of the world, where I recieved a phone call each month, if that.

I looked forward to every conversation since they were such rare occurences.

Now I'm home. By the way, before now, I'd lived on my own since the age of 19. Coming back to live at home was a big step, and not one I was enthuastic about taking.

My mom phones me, I kid you not, nearly every hour.

"Where are you, what are you doing today, can you do this, what is your brother doing, is the dog outside?"

She is suffocating me.

I'm glad I'm back in Canada, and I'm glad that I can talk to her at any time, but honestly, no calls to a phone that never stops ringing. I can't handle it!

3:03 am.

"It's 3 am I must be lonely."

I'm turning into quite the insomniac.

It's late at night when I make all of the most important decisions in life.

Like right now, I've decided to follow through with my next travel plan (which I'm not going to put in writing until it's a bit more definate, so as not to jynx it), which is without a doubt going to be a life changing one.

No place like home?

After a year of journeying through some of the most exotic places on Earth, I've found myself back in my home town of Red Deer, Alberta. If the name wasn't enough indication, this town really doesn't have much going for it.

In the heart of the prairies and oilfields, Red Deer is a town of nearly 90,000 people. I was born here, raised here for the majority of my childhood, graduated here, and someday, I'm sure I'll settle down here. Despite my dislike for this place, my family is here, which makes it home.

Have I mentioned my friends?? I have amazing friends. When I moved back to Red Deer in 7th grade, I met a few girls that remain my best friends to this day. The group has grown through the years, and is full of drama, gossip, and everything that comes with friendship. I left for 12 months, and within 5 minutes of being reunited it was as though we'd never been separated. My friends mean the world to me, we just live incredibly different lives.

I'm 22, and I guess that's the age when it becomes "okay" to start settling down. I have friends with babies, husbands, SUV's and houses. And hey, I'm happy for them. They have everything that they want in life. Me, on the other hand, I need to travel. I need to get out, see as much of the world as I can, and live a jet-setting lifestyle. I need to fill the world map on my wall with star stickers that show everywhere I've been. Being here feels like suffocating sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I want kids. In fact, every time I come home from visiting one of my new nieces or nephews, I want a baby. That's just the girl in me. But I'm not ready for that yet.

Honestly, I've spent the past 8 years in a desperate attempt to figure out what it is I want out of life, and I still have no idea. I want to travel. I know that. It feels as though I'm on a mission to find something but I don't know what it is I'm trying to find. I guess I can only keep doing what seems right at the moment and hope that maybe, one day, I'll figure it out. And if not, at least I'll have enjoyed the journey.

I still want to get a job as a flight attendant. At least I think I do. So for now, that's my goal. Everything I do, is working toward achieving it.

On Friday I recieved an email inviting me to an open house for a particular airline that I really, really, would love to be employed with. It was essentially a first interview. The bad news? It was in Vancouver. The worse news? It was the next day. I could have drove there, or maxed out my credit card buying flights, but for some reason, I thought I'd be better off waiting for another opportunity. Who's to say that will come? What use was going to Australia, promising myself that I'd be more spontaneous, if I won't jump at the chance to chase my dreams?! I'm really not sure why I didn't go. I don't have any money, it could just be an expensive weekend with no guarantee of a second interview. I was thinking logically. I really need to stop doing that. I don't believe in regrets, but I know without a doubt that I'm never going to stop wondering what could have happened had I headed for the coast that day. Next time Krysta, next time.