eightyeight: 2014

Hey guys!
It's been a while..greetings from Melbourne!

It's been just over a month now that I've made Melbourne home and man is this city ever great. I swear there is something cool hidden around every corner. Wether it be an awesome lane way of graffiti, a quirky hole in the wall cafe or an amazing vintage shop or market stall of hand-made trinkets..I'm continually discovering new spots I love.

I wanted to write this post though, to share a recent little project I've done here, for an online T-shirt company based in Montreal. Mister Dress Up was started by an community of artists in Montreal, Quebec to showcase their work and the work of designers and artists from all over the world, of all ages and all walks of life. Weekly, new designs are being added to their online store and this month I am one of the featured artists!

It's pretty awesome to be given a project like this, free range to do whatever you want..
but at the same time with so much freedom how do you ever choose what to do!!

I was indecisive for awhile, my usual. But then remembered a sketch I done awhile back of the words "Today is wild and it is yours". This quote is great and thought it would look sick on a shirt, so I
re-created it a bit and voila!

Obviously Im a sucker for quotes and I love rendering type and playing around with pattern so this piece is very much, me. But I love how it is a reminder to never stop looking at each day ahead with excitement..curiosity..wonder. Because today is all we have, why not make the most of it?

This notion has never been more significant as it is recently, with the passing of such a beautiful and special person I had the pleasure to know..and her equally beautiful mother. Both taken from us far too soon after battling a hard fight against cancer, I am still in disbelief that such a tragedy struck so close to home. Although my heart is filled with sadness for them and their families, I have never felt so grateful to be alive, and be healthy and to be able to travel and explore everyday. Far too often we forget how lucky we are.
Ashley and Roxanne, you're truly an inspiration.

Check out my profile and T-shirt, its for sale here until April 24th !!

Until next time,
thanks for reading x

I'm back! And oh how I've missed the blog life..

Theres a lot that's been going on over here, but to tell you about all of it would take ages and ages so I just want to write about the last month I spent with my lovely family! ..and what a month it has been...

26 days ago my parents and sister stepped out of a cab, (with massive amounts of luggage in hand) out front of a hotel lobby in Sydney after a long journey from Vancouver.

To see my family again after 9 months of traveling was amazing and weird all in one. Conversing through a computer screen every week does not compare to having them right there in front of me..in real life..and giving them huge hugs! The fact that they were actually there, in the far away country I've called home for nearly a year, was pretty surreal.

I don't even know where to begin to tell you about our four weeks together..it really was a total roller coaster. Happily though, with more ups that downs…hah for sure a family adventure that I will never forget in my whole life.

Looking back on our weeks together, to say that traveling with my parents was easy would be a lie. I love them to pieces (sister included) but anyone who has been a backpacker for any length of time would know that the way you go about your day to day is just a little different than how many people "holiday". Things that are simple as a solo traveler suddenly become a mission with three stress-head family members (sorry guys).

A few days in, The wild gypsy in me missed the spontaneity and "go with the flow" way of life that I once knew as a backpacker… and started to get frustrated with the lack of relaxation that comes with family vac ay's and the unessessary stress over little things… Lets just say it was an "adjustment" for both parties involved..and a test in patience :)

But then there were moments, so many moments, that made all the chaos, completely worth it.

Snorkling the great barrier reef, holding my moms hand with the biggest smiles on our faces as we flipper along through the clear blue waters. Seeing Meg light up after spending a day at the australian zoo and finally getting to hold the koala she dreamed about! And seeing my dad fired up at the Australian open.. also a dream come true for the biggest sports fan I know.

Not many people I've met traveling over here can say that their family would even THINK about coming to visit them let alone actually undertake the long journey to do so. Oh wait, no, my family came to watch the Australian Open…and then second, to see me..can't forget that.. (thanks dad) :P

Never the less! I commend my parents for taking the leap and throwing themselves into something they had never done before. A holiday far from all-inclusive resorts and structured cruise ships.. But I think they realized, just like I did 9 months ago that in doing so you will learn and see so much more than if you were too scared to even try. For a couple of "play-it-safe" travellers, they did pretty freakin' well!

It was a tearful goodbye this morning with mom and dad. Because I really don't know when or where I'll see them (in person) next…Im gonna miss hanging with my sis, cuddling up with my mom while drinking tea and reading a book and chatting with my dad over a couple of happy hour bevies (or usual 3pm routine). And those are just a few of the things I'll miss.

I love you guys more than you know. Thank you for making the journey:)

Here are some photos from our Talbot 'Straya Adventure!

Thanks for reading,

until next time..