En fin… It is my 30th birthday today. I feel like a post is in need. 

Although I don’t have too much to say about turning 30… it’s just another number after all… but it does seem to be a ‘milestone’ birthday. 

Gone are the twenties – seemingly the adventure years, the freedom years and the years to make all the mistakes and learn from them. Ha. 

A little downtown Ottawa (from my lunchtime walks)

For some reason I do not see less mistakes being made and less adventures being had. I hopefully have learned from previous mistakes and now that I am a grown and mature 30 year old – I shall not repeat them. But, let’s be realistic. 

As for the adventures – I hope to simply have more of them! Perhaps not running naked through Kenya or binge drinking with locals in the Viet cong – but create new experiences, feel alive, feel love, feel the awe of this planet and even a little scared. That, my friends, will not change.

Of the things I would like to ‘mature on’ – taking a stand. Now that I am thirty and in full adult flare-I hope that I can say ‘no’ when I feel discomfort or unfairness. If someone tells me that I ‘should’ do this instead of that or ‘better’ go this direction – I’ll say No. With a capital N. 

One of my biggest flaws in life has been to disagree or say no to others. I have fought with this for a long time,  but now that I have lived on this planet for 30 FULL years. I can wear my mature adult gear and not take ‘shit from no-one’. I do feel it has a lot to do with half of my culture being British as we like to please and avoid confrontation but now, again, as I’m a 30 year old – I’ll embrace my French side and say ‘Non’ with pride and a backbone.

I’ll report back on how I do with that.

The reason I chose the cover photo of my feet looking over Georgian Bay up near Sudbury is because, if turning 30 means anything, it’s ‘is this where I saw myself being’… it’s all reaching goals and whether or not we’re on the right path, etc.etc.

Well – my goals are not huge and to be honest, I’m not one to plan much (if anything). I get an idea in my head, usually of a country to live in or language/skill to learn and I don’t stop until reach it.

Living in Canada was a big plan for me. I’d attempted this work visa a few times and even tried to move to Canada last year (wait out in Calgary for my visa) but there’s only so much waiting you can do before you have to find work and go home. This year, the dream (Visa) came true. And here I am.

The photo was a copy cat of the same one I took two summers ago when I had to leave Canada since no visa had been provided. I didn’t want to leave, but knew I had no choice. So I went to Georgian Bay and said goodbye to this beautiful country and that photo became my iPad background until I finally returned.

Naturally, going back to Sudbury and hiking the same hike – I took another shot. 

The reason I’m blabbering on about this foot selfie pic – is that, If 30 is about ‘is this where I see myself’ then, YES. Working as a teacher and living in the Canadian countryside, YES-this is where I want to be!!!! (At 30) of course, any age is fine too. But, I’m just thankful that my Canadian visa arrived after many shaky moments and that I can celebrate the 30 birthday in Canada.

A little side note – I have a handful of friends out here who are great. Having said that, on these particular life events, one does tend to miss family and friends back home (or wherever I met them). I’m lucky that I’ve had messages and phone calls – and even some great videos too and through this I feel that they are closer to me, but, I do miss a few that I’d give almost anything to see. 

*Sniff* let’s move on…

I’d like to just finish up with a bunch of picturesque photos of Ontario this month. As I’m thankful (yet again) to have been there and witnessed it all. 

Northern Ontario – train lines, lakes, rocks and trees! Oh my!❤️🇨🇦❤️