Finding my Guardian Angel

So it's February 2017, I am in my Airbnb on Main St. in Vancouver. It's snowing outside. The only clothes I have are summer clothes because, as you may remember, I have spent the last 2 months in Australia and New Zealand. What do I do? Well, mainly I panic! What have I done! I have no idea where to start, I have no qualifications, and I haven't done an interview in almost 10 years. I have never even lived outside my parent's house. Maybe, I should have tried this a bit closer to home. 

Each day comprised of wandering the streets, (after buying some more appropriate clothes) and figuring out the city! On one of my first days, I wandered straight down Main St. into the city centre, which in Vancouver brings you to a place called East Hastings. This part of town has a huge homeless community with many people using drugs, and is quite an overwhelming place to come across unprepared. It was quite a sobering experience, to say the least.

My next trek downtown was a more pleasant experience, making my way as far as English Bay and the West End. It's amazing how two sides of town can be so different. This side of town really is the polar opposite, very upmarket and one would almost say luxurious. 

But every day was not just exploring my new home, I had things to do. I started by signing up for courses in the local social security offices on how to update my C.V. and looking at flyers for jobs left, right and centre. I say looking at flyers, I never actually applied for any jobs, because I was too scared! But it made me feel like I was doing something at least!

My two weeks in my Airbnb were coming to an end, with no leads in sight. Next step.....move to a hostel! As I have mentioned, I like my own company, so the thought of this was not exactly thrilling me, but I knew it had to be done to meet some people. I decided to book into the Samesun hostel on Granville St. This was bang smack in the centre of town, and quite a party hostel.....again, not exactly my scene! But I bit the bullet, packed everything into my backpack and headed on my merry way. I was extremely nervous, so before I checked in, I may have stopped at a bar across the street to get some Dutch courage! I may have overdone it. I started talking to a couple at the bar who bought me many drinks, so I was not quite as petrified entering the hostel!! 

When I got to my room, I was a bit taken aback. It was a 4-bed dorm, the three other beds were taken, and there were things everywhere ... I mean everywhere! I had a top bunk, so I clambered up there and sat, taking it all in! The other girls in the room were out that night, so I didn't actually meet any of them until they stumbled in at some stage. I, on the other hand, was lying on my top bunk regretting those extra drinks I had, and hoping my first impression on my roommates was not me puking over the edge of my bed!

The next morning I realised that some of the other girls were working, so they were up and out quite early. One of them was working in the hostel, let's call her Sam, we got to chatting, and she was my first connection in Vancouver! I went out that day to explore again, and while trying to pay for something, I realised my debit card had been blocked by my bank back home! Just another thing to add to my stress levels! I went back to the hostel and cried on my bunk for the evening. Again that evening, I didn't really interact with the other girls in the room.

The next morning I went down for breakfast, and my Sam was working. I told her what had happened and she kindly offered to help me out in whatever way she could. I spent most of that day trying to contact my bank, pestering my parents who were trying to get it sorted out in Ireland, as with the time difference, it was not very easy for me to deal with the bank. Another day without my bank card. However, that evening when I got back to the hostel, 2 of the girls were in the room. Sam, and another girl who had a job in an office in town. Sam was asking me if I got things sorted with my card. When I tried to answer her, I broke down and bawled my eyes out in front of the two of them! This was when the other girl, Gia, came and gave me a hug, told me everything would be ok and we would figure it out! 

This was the moment I met my Guardian Angel!!

From the Frying Pan into the ...... Deep Freeze - Taking the Scenic Route to Canada!

So I went to Canada! It's pretty easy to fly from Ireland to Canada...but I tend to do things in a more roundabout way than necessary. So instead of flying directly from Ireland to Canada, I decided to take a slight detour and spent 2 months travelling around Australia and New Zealand along the way.....only a few thousand miles off course! It was a great decision, I enjoyed the whole experience. 

As a solo traveller, I like to join groups when I go to unknown places, as I am not the most organised person, and there is a possibility that I would see nothing if I was left to my own devices! So I booked 2 trips with G Adventures, one on the east coast of Australia, from Sydney to Cairns, and another around both islands of New Zealand. These trips are great to get you out of your comfort zone. As I mentioned before, I'm quite anti-social, however on these trips you are basically spending 24 hours a day with a group of people you just met. It's weird how relationships form so quickly during this time. Now when I look back at photos from those trips I see things I did with people I felt like I had known for years, when in reality, I had met them earlier that day, or maybe a day or 2 earlier. It's like a parallel universe that has no relation to your normal life. 

I would highly recommend a trip with G Adventures to anyone who would like to do something a little different. To date, I have done 6 different trips with them, and I don't have anything bad to say about them! I am hoping to get the chance to join some more of their adventures in the future.

But, I digress. This was a stop on my way to circumnavigating the globe, not all in one fell swoop, but I ended up doing it eventually!!

I got to Canada at the end of February 2017........the middle of winter in Canada, after leaving the height of summer down under. This was a shock to the system! It was FREEZING! It was snowing! I was very jetlagged. It was at this point, during my first few days in Canada (Vancouver to be exact) that I thought I had made a huge mistake! What was I thinking? I had spent a good chunk of my savings on my journey to the Southern Hemisphere, and here I was with no job, no connections, no friends....far, far away from everyone and everything I knew.

I stayed in an Airbnb for the first 2 weeks of my Canadian journey. It was a nice house, just outside the centre in a nice area. I remember my first experience in Vancouver was a good one. After getting the Skytrain from the airport, I then had to get a bus. When I arrived at the station, I was completely lost, I had no idea what direction I had to go, or what bus to get. I was laden down with a large rucksack on my back, a backpack on my front and trying to figure out Google Maps when a young couple with a child approached me. They were not exactly "rough" looking, but I was a little nervous. But that feeling disappeared when they asked me if they could help me out as I was looking a bit under pressure with all my luggage and the lost expression on my face. They showed me exactly where the bus stop was that I needed to be, and what stop to get off at. I was supremely grateful! 

When eventually I made it onto the bus, I tried to pay by card, which I discovered was not possible! I was preparing myself to get back off the bus as I did not have one single cent in Canadian money at this stage, but the lovely bus driver told me it was ok, to take a seat, and he would tell me where to get off......Canadians, eh!! Salt of the earth, they are!! I made it to my cosy little apartment and pondered my decisions.....

Things change quickly - from basking in the sun on the Whitsundays to looking out at a snow-covered yard🤯

Taking the leap

It's daunting! It's exciting! It's terrifying! It's exhilarating! 

Quitting your job and stepping into the unknown. 

If it were easy, everyone would do it—or would they? Why do people move away? Why do they decide that having a steady income and a roof over their heads isn't the be-all and end-all?

I still don't understand my need to give up my handy life and make things more complicated.

I am an introvert, an antisocial human who really enjoys their own company. Going out with other people generally instils a fear in me that is crippling. Ok, that's an exaggeration, it just makes me uncomfortable. Whether it's a small gathering of people I know quite well, or a setting with many people, some that I know, some that I don't, they both make me want to instantly put on my PJs and hide.

So, why did I decide that leaving the country and starting over again would make me a different person? No clue. Spoiler alert.....It hasn't worked!

I have done this before. In 2016 I decided to leave my well-paying, easyish, if not a little boring job, to move to Canada. I got my 2-year visa, not knowing what was in store for me. As a college dropout, I had very little on my CV, almost 10 years experience working as an operator in a pharmaceutical factory......not the most promising candidate for most employers. 

At a Canadian job fair in Ireland before moving, the only stand that spent more than 1 minute speaking to me was a hog slaughtering factory, who were very eager to pay for my flights and the first month's accommodation upon arriving. The flights and accommodation sounded promising, but hog slaughtering was not high on my list of desires. 

But I motored on, convinced it would all work out. That's my motto...."'Twill all work out". This makes people think I am a very chilled-out person, nothing can phase me. This is both true and false. I take big risks, quitting jobs, moving countries, with very little money in my pocket. 

Most people probably think this is a very foolish thing to do (me included) but I am extremely fortunate to have extremely supportive parents, who I know will help me out if I get myself into a hole or take me back into their home if things go belly up! I am very aware that not everyone has this support system, and I will be forever grateful to my parents, who also happen to be my best friends.

So that's really where my moving abroad journey began. It most certainly hasn't been plain sailing, I have been unbearably sad, immensely happy, and every other emotion in between. 

Want to hear more about it? Stick around for the next chapter!