Australian Expats: 14 Months Away From Home

July has breezed by like every other month this year, bringing with it some beautiful summertime weather. It also, unfortunately, had its definite highs and devastating lows. But we have finished with some good news, which I will announce at the end.

July: The Highlights (and Lowlights)

Well, the month began with a bang as it was Canada Day. The difference from this year to last was that I was working – on an Australian food truck in Vancouver no less. But we decorated the truck in Canadian paraphernalia AND I put on a couple of cute tattoos to show my love for this country, but particularly this province, the Beautiful British Columbia, that has changed my life.

Next up was a visit to Steveston, which was as beautiful as I had hoped. Turns out now that we were a couple of weeks premature with our visit as the cast and crew of Once Upon a Time have since descended on the town for another season of shooting.

The second week included the last State of Origin game, which my team won, but it still meant they lost the series (insert sad face emoticon here). When I got home from the game my mum rang me with heartbreaking news: my paternal grandmother had passed away – similar to my maternal grandma – after a long battle with a lot of health issues. I have absolutely hated being away from home during this time, as all I’ve wanted to do is give my dad a huge hug and tell him that I love him. I can do the talking over the phone but the action, not so much. It is also hard to lose both my grandmas in 19 months. And when you Skype and see all your family together saying farewell and you are on the other side of the world? It just bloody sucks.

But unfortunately, you just have to keep going. The rest of my month included spending time by the beach and soaking up as much of the sun as my pale skin will allow (a.k.a not much at all).

I ticked another item off my sunny Vancouver bucket list and spent a bit more time wandering through Stanley Park. It’s amazing that such an incredibly dense forest and ecosystem is so close to the highrises and bustling Vancouver downtown metropolis. It is definitely something locals should be proud of.

I also finally went for a swim at the Aquatic Complex in Coquitlam. There was a water slide, a wave pool, an aqua obstacle course and diving boards. It is a sad state of affairs when this Aussie hasn’t been swimming in over a year. I am a Pisces after all.

I am still continuing to eat away at my Around Vancouver in 80 Eats challenge. But will I make it to 80?

And amongst all of this, I have been preparing to leave Vancouver at the end of month 15. I have started to craft my plan for my fall holiday, and the month of September is looking pretty damn amazing. It shall include the Rockies, visiting three more Canadian provinces and heading to two big cities in the United States. October will be about making my way slowly across the US of A before flying out of Vancouver in late November and being reunited with the family in the land down under. From there it will be about chilling at home on Magnetic Island before moving back to Brisbane in January 2015 (if all goes to plan).

I will post my itinerary once I have started to book, book and book, but be assured it is going to be full-on and fun. Hence August is going to be a little bit chaotic, seeing as I found out just the other day I won tickets to the Squamish Music Festival, which takes place from August 8-10! So between work, reservations and finishing off as much as I can of the Sunny Bucket List, I need to pack up my Vancouver life into a carry-on and a backpack. I have faith…kind of.

What do I need to see and do in the United States? Tell me about your favourite places below!