My Latest Wanderings
By theprofessionalhobo ~ August 27th, 2009. Filed under: Australia, New York, Toronto (still/again).
In the last week or so, I’ve been jet-setting between Toronto, Mexico, New York, and Australia! Here are a few gory details:
As you read this, I’m in the middle of a mammoth journey from Toronto Canada back to my current home 2 hours outside of Melbourne Australia. The trip is about 50 hours long (certainly the budget booking and not the most direct route!), and after the time difference, the trip amounts to leaving on Tuesday and arriving on Friday.
Oy.
But first, the last few weeks of my adventures:
After appearing on Canada AM on August 13th, I was asked to do a five-part series for them! Although we were going to shoot it prior to my departure, I ended up being bumped (as you do) by a news story I can’t even bear to give lip service to. (!) However all is not lost; we are looking into shooting something remotely, and it will be aired in conjunction with the release of 10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget in Canadian bookstores, sometime in September.
Mexico
Shortly thereafter, I boarded a plane to Mexico at an ungodly hour to join my high school friend Christine as maid of honour for her wedding. We were a group of 19 people, and it was a wonderful mix of personalities. Much fun was had by all, and although we are all feeling a little tired from so much sunshine, heat, and partying(!), we are also exhilarated from the amazing week and picture-perfect wedding.
Toronto – Festival of South Asia
Shortly after getting back from Mexico, I attended the Festival of South Asia on Gerrard Street (in an area known as “Little India” in certain circles). It was a wonderful way for me to celebrate the cultural diversity and my love of Toronto, my home town. I walked through the dense crowds, using common street sense but feeling very safe (ie: not worried about the purse dangling from my shoulder as I might worry in more foreign places) as we ate hoards and hoards of delicious Indian food from the various street stalls.
It rang home that I feel truly comfortable in Toronto, despite how it may have changed since I left a few years ago. Although I don’t know if I will ever live in Toronto again, I am still proud to call myself a Torontonian.
The Journey Home
As I alluded to, my trip back to Oz is over 50 hours in length. This was not supposed to transpire as such, but due to some flight complications and a lack of ability to make it to New York City easily (where I pick up my onward flights to LA, then Sydney, then Melbourne), I am ending up on the overnight bus to New York with the better part of a day to wend my way to the airport for my big flights.
Home
You will notice that despite my Canadian upbringing and heritage, I am now referring to my digs in Australia as home – despite my continued tourist status there. I have some dear friends there, not the least of whom is my boyfriend Kelly who has been tending the home fires (quite literally, as I have received reports that it has been a bloody cold winter!) in my absence.
I believe that home can be an ever-changing entity, and as such, I feel that right now my home is in Australia, and beside Kelly. Later, home will be some other location in the world, wherever I choose to hang my hat long enough to unpack and get used to the place.
Such is the life of a Professional Hobo, for better or worse. I love the fact that I have no idea where I will be this time next year. Opportunities, abound!
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August 28th, 2009 at 12:48 am
Now that’s traveling!!! It is too much though, you’ll be finally able to relax once you get back.
August 28th, 2009 at 2:32 am
I would love to lay in that hammock in Mexico right about now. There’s something refreshing about not knowing where you’ll be tomorrow. For me, it feels like I’m actually living life instead of just going through the motions of an office job routine.
August 29th, 2009 at 2:27 am
That sucks that you had to take the overnight bus – I’m so sorry that the plane didn’t work out (argh!) Canada AM bumped you?!?! The bums!!! I have no doubt it involved the recent death of a certain unillustrious drunk! Damn Kennedys.
I hope your trip home went well (I’m hoping you’re home by now) and that you’re resting and maybe checked your email – we sent you something…..!!!
Happy B-day, best friend in the world!! I think, by Australian terms it’s the 29th, but if I got that all backwards then: happy early b-day!!
Chat soon,
Chris (who is slowly packing up for tomorrow’s flight home and excited to return to Toronto despite the colder evenings and recent tornado – crazy, eh?)
August 31st, 2009 at 10:07 am
@Marina – It was only once I was enduring a 9 hour layover in LA (landing in LA after 20 hours of travel already) that I realized that I could probably have just changed my flight from NY-LA to Toronto-LA…..
(but for the purposes of saving face, I’ll instead suggest that my ticket wasn’t that flexible – which is probably true)!
August 31st, 2009 at 10:15 am
@Monica – You got it! As much as not knowing the next destination can be unsettling, it can be liberating too.
@Chris – Thank you so much for including me at your wedding. I’m so pleased to have a friend as good as you. And I hope your second week at the resort was just the honeymoon you two wanted.
I have indeed survived the journey back to Oz, and am working on settling in here. It’s cooler than Mexico (that’s for sure!), but not as cold as the chilly winter air I left. No tornadoes though!
Cheers!
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:58 am
Now that’s some long haul travel!
Just saw the birthday note, and wanted to wish you all the best. Hope all is well down under
Dave