O Canada!
Everyone keeps asking me whether it's strange to be back in Ottawa, the scene of my university exchange, after being away for two years. I have to say that it only feels strange in that it doesn't feel strange at all. It feels more like 'Gigi the quasi-Canadian' has just been asleep for a while and now she's waking up. I'm very happy to say that Ottawa still feels like home!!
It's a fairly relaxed visit as the only thing on my itinerary is to catch up with friends. This basically means many a beer on many a patio. It's funny how so much has changed yet at the same time nothing has changed at all. It's a fantastic feeling to see a friend that you haven't seen in two years and still get along like you were never apart! I'm yet to have an awkward silence in Canada!!!
It's been a while...
Lack of free and easy internet access has led me to put my blog into hibernation at the moment. However I am currently locked inside my friend's apartment with nothing to do except browse the net so I thought this would be a good time to write a new post.
I've done quite a bit in the last month; my internship finished, I travelled to Turkey, Amsterdam and Berlin, and after procrastinating about it for about 3 months I finally booked and paid (ouch!) for my flights back to Australia.
Life after my internship is bitter sweet. It's really nice not to have to go to work everyday, I've been able to do a lot of stuff in Paris that I didn't have time to do before as well as go on a few trips. I've been able to explore new neighbourhoods and visit a whole bunch of different museums (there are SO many museums in Paris!!). However at the same time not working anymore sucks. I really miss all the social aspects of the office, I worked with some of my best friends in Paris and I really miss not getting to see them everyday. Worst of all, the end of my internship marks the beginning of the end of my life in Paris. I've really really grown to love Paris and living here. The city has a really amazing and unique feel to it, life here is always exciting and it's hard to be in a bad mood when you live here. It really breaks my heart knowing that I have to leave and all I can do to console myself is promise myself that I will be back and that I WILL live here again.
At the end of last month I went to Gallipoli for Anzac Day. I'm not sure how to begin to describe this, it's one of those things that I always wanted to do but never actually thought I would do. It was really amazing. I always get goosebumps and a strange feeling come over me at dawn service in Australia, at Gallipoli it was like that but a thousand times more. I'm so glad that I made 'the pilgrimage'. I didn't get to see that much more of Turkey only Istanbul. However Istanbul really blew me away and I'd really like to go back and see more of the entire country.
My trips to Amsterdam and Berlin were more to visit friends as I'd already been to both cities before and 'done' all the big tourist type stuff. Highlights of these trips were catching up with Aafke and Rita (!!!!!!!!!!), Queen's Day celebrations in Amsterdam and clubbing in Berlin.
I don't have any more trips planned before leaving Europe. I just really want to hang out in Paris and soak it up as much as I can while I can. Anyway I better go, I think I can here the key turning in the lock meaning that I'm once again free to roam the streets of this incredible city.
Paris je t'aime.
Everyone keeps asking me whether it's strange to be back in Ottawa, the scene of my university exchange, after being away for two years. I have to say that it only feels strange in that it doesn't feel strange at all. It feels more like 'Gigi the quasi-Canadian' has just been asleep for a while and now she's waking up. I'm very happy to say that Ottawa still feels like home!!
