Here goes... I realize that there are still 2 weeks left of 2008, and who knows what could happen. Maybe some huge event will change my life before then. But assuming that won't happen, here is my top 10 list of 2008. I'm the luckiest girl alive.
10. Meeting Jay & Maz...
I met so many amazing people during my journey through Australia, but the 2 that I'll never forget are my cousin Jay, and my best Aussie mate Maz.
I met Maz on Fraser Island. We both worked at Eurong Beach Resort and soon discovered that we shared the same crazy sense of humour.
We became friends almost immediately and spent the next 2 months walking down the beach, venting about our hate for our job and coworkers, and eating.
I've never met somebody with the same love of chocolate as me. It was like meeting the Australian version of myself.
And then there was my cousin Jay... before I'd arrived I didn't even know that she existed. Somehow we got in touch and decided to meet up once I arrived in Brisbane.
It took awhile, but we finally met, and it was as if we'd known eachother our whole lives. We didn't care that we knew nothing about eachother, we were family.
The day after we met, we booked a trip to Fiji together. 3 days later, I moved in with her, and stayed for 2 months.
9. The First Snowfall...
I hate winter, cold, and especially snow. That said, when I went for a road trip to Lake Louise with Ryan and Carley and it started snowing, it was almost magical. The beauty of it overwhelmed me, it was something that I was so used to but hadn't seen in so long. The temperature wasn't too cold, the lake wasn't yet frozen, and we made snow angels with my Australian friend Simone, who was mesmorized by the winter wonderland as well. I felt happy to be Canadian, if only for a day.
8. Karaoke Nights...
It might not seem like a big deal, but 2008 was the first year that I sang karaoke on my own. It was in Cairns, Australia. My new group of friends had nominated me as the group representative, which required me to compete in "Backpacker Idol". I was so nervous, but when it was all said and done, I was so glad I'd done it. After 21 years of being plagued by shyness and self esteem issues, finding the ability to sing in front of a group of people was a huge milestone for me. Not to mention, I won the contest and free drinks for our entire table. Now there's nothing to it. You'll find me every week on stage. I realize how stupid it sounds, but quite honestly, singing "I Will Survive" that night in Cairns may have changed my life..
7. Life in the Tropics...
I moved to Cairns, Australia in January. It's a small town, a bit smaller than Red Deer in Far North Queensland. It's overrun by tourism, but for good reasons. It's a complete tropical oasis. Inland, you'll find mountains covered in World Heritage Rainforest, cascading waterfalls, and on the coast you'll find beaches lined with palm trees, and the amazing Great Barrier Reef. In the summer (January), temperatures average +40. Even at 3 am, it rarely dropped below 30 degrees. I loved every moment of it. I had a great tan, a great routine (Beach, dinner, party, sleep) and I was living my dream.
6. Sailing the Whitsundays...
For 3 days, I lived on a yacht, sailing through the incredible Whitsunday Islands on the Great Barrier Reef. I slept on the deck, being rocked to sleep by the waves, climbed a mountain for epic views of the islands, saw dolphins, turtles, and a dugong, and lazed on Whitehaven Beach, listed among the top 5 beaches in the world.
5. Fiji...
Before Australia, Fiji seemed like such an exotic destination, I almost wondered if it even existed. I was incredibly lucky and found flights for only $174 each way, and set off for 10 days in paradise. Somewhere between the island hopping, and sunsets, I wondered what I'd done to deserve this. It was a perfect way to end my trip, and top up my tan before returning to the land of snow.
4. Starlight, Starbright....
You can't explain just how bright the stars are on Fraser Island unless you've seen it. You know on movies, when the sky is so lit up that it looks like a painting? It was like that, but better. On the beach, far from lights or civilization, you can clearly see the milky way and millions of stars shining brightly. We were standing there, listening to the crashing waves as the tide came in, staring in awe at the sky. The first night, I counted 5 shooting stars, and the second night, 6. Even I couldn't think of that many wishes..
3. The Best New Years, ever...
My first moments of 2008 were spent in Sydney's Botanical Gardens, overlooking the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Surrounded by 20,000 other people, I counted down the final seconds of 2007 and then watched an incredible 15 minute fireworks display. These aren't your ordinary fireworks. I knew at that moment that if this was any indication of how the rest of 2008 would go, I was in for one amazing year. I couldn't have been more right.
2. No Place Like Home...
Coming back home after 12 months is a pretty surreal feeling. When the plane landed in Calgary, and the flight attendant said "If this is home, Welcome Home"... I started crying. There was no holding back. I was home. As hard as leaving Australia was for me, coming home was amazing. It was the little things that made it what it was.... The first glimpse of the prairies and Rocky Mountains as I flew in, seeing Ryan standing there waiting to take me back to Red Deer, that extra large ice cap Ron and Ryan made sure to bring to the airport, the look on my mom's face when I walked up and hugged her... it was an emotional journey back, and definately a VERY close runner up for number one memory of 2008.
1. Freefalling...
NOTHING compares to adrenaline rush of jumping out of a plane at an altitude of 14,000 feet. Not only did I skydive, but I did it over the Great Barrier Reef, and landed on the beach. I've never felt such a high in my life. You feel like you can do anything after you've jumped out of a plane. It was something I never thought I'd do, and now that I've done it, it was maybe the greatest thing I've done in my life, aside from going to Australia in the first place.
Cheers to the best year of my life, and the experiences and people who made it what it was. I can only hope next year will be half as incredible as this one was.
BRING ON 2009!
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