Home for 2 1/2 months.

I'm sorry that I didn't finish detailing my travels. In retrospect it's really interesting how much a mind can change over a period of time. When I left I was excited to let everyone know about all of the details that encompassed my travels, but the thing is, it wasn't all fun and games. Feeling trapped, unsafe, and homesick are not emotions that lend to making sure that I write home to Ma.

I made a major mistake when I left. I've come to realize that in order to make a trip like this one, you either have to start with zero money, or start with enough money to make it through the whole trip. The trip taught me a lot of things, many of which are very hard to explain, but the one major thing I learned could have benefited me a lot more if I'd come to certain conclusions earlier in the trip, but such is life.

I began my trip with $300, which was not enough to live on without massive supplement. I ran out of money after a couple of weeks and borrowed $500 from my boss, this was however mostly to buy a touring bike that I found on Kijiji in Montreal (which was promptly stolen). I bought the bike and ran out of money again in another couple of weeks. This time my parents sent me $200. I ran out of that money as well. At this point I knew I had no other way to get money, so I learned to find free food for all of my meals. Previously I was grabbing things here and there to supplement my budget, but I lived for a week in Toronto without spending any money on food at all.

The notion set in that I was capable of doing this and a calm came over me, I suddenly felt like I would be okay no matter what happened. I had the skills and knowhow to get by.

The reason I was prompted to write in this blog again after so long was because tonight was the first time since I've gotten home that I went dumpster diving. I didn't really need to, but a friend was going and I tagged along. It's weird, I never really considered the idea that the life I lived while I was travelling with nothing was a life that I can have in Halifax. There is food getting wasted here just as much as in every other city (per capita).

I'm inspired to be self sufficient.

I'm already planning to take another trip next summer, but this time I'm going to bike. I'll try to keep updating.

Hangin in Peterborough

Fucking great city here! I'll probably leave tomorrow, but if not tomorrow, definitely on Wednesday.

Holy shit I suck at this.

I have been informed that it's been two weeks since my last update. Sorry about that, I haven't really had a solid outlet for internet in a long time.

Here's another quiz! Only three of these statements are true!

a. My bike was stolen in Montreal

b. I went to New York City to get the new iPhone

c. I've been getting laid all over the damn place

d. I got a lesson walking on stilts, then I fell down and broke said stilts

e. I forgot my cellphone charger in Montreal

f. I'm depressed all of the time

Yeahh, so I left Montreal and hitchhiked to Peterborough which is a awesome little city that reminds me a lot of Halifax. They have about 12 pawn shops there and they're all full of the best shit.

Toronto followed after my one day in Peterborough after a pleasant bus ride since it's quite close to Toronto.

I LOVE TORONTO! I had sooo much fun there, best city in Canada to visit IMO, I ate for free, I slept for free, I basically lived for completely free. We stayed at an apartment that Brendan's sister is subletting with Clayton, Liat, and Amy. I really enjoyed hanging out with Clayton and Liat a lot! Amy seems nice but we didn't really spend any time together. I practiced the shit out of Street Fighter 4, anyone who's interested in playing me had better get their game on because I'm going to own all your asses when I get home.

Vince and I built bikes at a co-op when we got into the city under the stipulation that we would return the bikes when we were doen with them, which we did. It was a really cool and fun city to bike in.

Vince left to start heading home a few days before we left Toronto, I hope he's doing well!

I'm in Guelph currently, Brendan and I got here yesterday and I'm really enjoying it here so far, the city's full of Haligonian radicals! Really fun!

I'm leaving to head east on Sunday or Monday, I'll hit Montreal to grab the things I left there, send a care package home of things I do't need and will weigh me down, and then I'll be Halifax bound, hopefully I'll be home by Thursday.

Someone should have a party on Friday! I'll be there with bells on!

Multiple choice quiz

Man, have I been busy. Only one of these things aren't true, guess which one!

a. I bought two bikes.

b. I've been biking a shitload.

c. I made some money playing bucket drums on St. Catharine St.

d. We're going to leave on Tuesday morning to head to Peterborough and then Toronto, and then back to Montreal sometime before the 19th.

e. I borrowed $500 from my boss.

f. I saved $452.56 on car insurance.

g. I went to the Isis concert.

h. I went to the TV on the Radio concert.

i. I sang "A Whole New World" from the movie "Aladdin" in the middle of the ghetto.

j. I camped in a tent on a 45 degree angle 20m from a major road in the heart of Montreal.

k. I stripped to my undies with the intent to jump into a crazy river but chickened out.

l. I almost died at least 6 times.

m. I reaffirmed that I really enjoy doing dangerous things.

n. I was officially declared "Excellent Tank Operator".

o. I spent a night with a famous rap superstar.

p. Watched an old jewish man learn to ride a bicycle. It was glorious.

q. I plan to bike 1200km from Montreal to Halifax.

r. I met a man who is quite possibly the craziest punk in the world, he goes by "Dica" which is "Acid" backwards.

s. I participated in in a bike tour with 30000 other people.

t. I missed my friends and family a lot.

Still in Montreal

Jamieson and I went out to the hop out spot at 4:30am on Friday night (Saturday morning). The place is really cool, it's perfect for what it is, there's an overpass which keeps you dry if it rains, and there's a hole in the fence, so you can hang out on the legal side until the train comes and you don't get hassled by the police.

We waited until 1pm on Saturday for the train, it came, we got super excited, grabbed all of our stuff and then we watched it fly by without stopping. Why it didn't stop, I'll never know.

We went back to Jamieson's with the intentions of going out again the next night, but when we checked the weather there were storms, thundershowers, and low temperatures the whole way. So we decided not to grab the train, and instead we will wait for Brendan and Vince in Montreal.

On another note, the bio-dome is free today. Hey buuuuuuuddy!

Rain, rain, go away

So I travelled all day Wednesday in the pouring rain.

People don't like to pick up sopping wet people.

I made it almost to Montreal in one very long day, I camped just outside of Montreal between two commuter train tracks in a tiny little grove. I thought this was genious because the commuter trains had stopped running for the day, and I was going to wake up in plenty of time before the first train ran the next morning. Well, it turned out that I wasn't so smart. They use those tracks for a billion other things when the commuter trains aren't running. I was woken up by the sound of trains clammering by every 15 minutes or so. It was a very jarring and alarming sound. I kept having dreams that I was about to get hit by a train all night.

In the morning I took the commuter into Montreal without paying for it. I've been on six different commuter trains and I've never been asked if I had a ticket.

When I got into Montreal I started looking for exit routes. I checked commuter trains, which didn't start leaving eastward till 12:30 (this was at about 7:30) and the bus station wasn't very nearby. I was very drained at this point and I decided to go back to Cazalais to sleep. I had spoken to Jamieson about ways to hitch out of Montreal eastward and he said he could show me the hop out spot for trains that night and I could leave early the next morning, I would still be around in time for everything I wanted to do out east so that was my plan.

I slept until 4pm at Cazalais. Thanks again ladies, I owe you so much.

When I headed over to Jamieson's place I was delighted to hear that he had decided to come with me, so we went off to Walmart to acquire some rain gear. We later learned that due to some complications he wouldn't be able to come with me that night, but that he could come with me if I waited one more day. Cool. It was raining terribly outside and I wasn't feeling that whole thing anyway. The problem was that now I had to miss the Three Sheet show. I'm dissapointed that I'll be missing it, but this also made me feel less rushed, which is always nice.

I slept at Jamieson's and had Indian food with Josie and Randee in the morning after Jamieson went to work. It was awkward hanging out with Josie, but I resolved to forgive and forget, and start over. I apologized for any trouble I'd caused her and I hope that we can be friends. In retrospect I can't believe things got so out of hand. Josie grabbed a ride share to Ottawa and I continued with Randee. I had a lot of fun even though we just went shopping and I didn't buy anything.

The rest of the day has consisted of getting ready physically and mentally for our train trip to Halifax.

Wooopeeee!

I leave in 7 hours to go east, the forecasts show rain the whole damn way.