Life begins AT THE END of your Comfort Zone...

Nothing is more boring than living your life day by day and not taking that life risk, of stepping outside of the box out of your comfort zone. Life is meant to be lived - so why not live it and Enjoy it and Experience it? although many of us do not know where we are headed at times and may cause us to stay within the walls of our comfort zone but don't - get out people, and best thing to do is Travel the world. You have no idea how much Europe will change you as a person. I know it has changed me many times and I couldn't be happier living outside of my comfort zone, not knowing what each day will bring.

As long as you start off the day with a smile then nothing else matters. And here is a tip i will share with you that a wise lady shared with me during my college years at Lethbridge College, place a pencil on your bed stand and when you wake up in the morning place the pencil in between your teeth and look at yourself in the mirror. Do not worry about your hair being a mess or having no make up on yet because you will see your self smile automatically and it will automatically put you in a better mood to start the day.

Anything can happen in a day, as long as you smile and Enjoy it, Live it and Experience it. And if you do that then good things will come to you when you least expect it. Now i wasn't all like this before, i know that is hard to believe me not being the person I am today but i am thankful of that because Traveling the world has given me so many opportunities that i wouldn't have any other way, and I know it all to Contiki Holidays so showing me the light at the end of the Tunnel. I now know what I live towards every day when i wake up - So Thank you <3

So therefore if I could pass on any wisdom and/or advice from my experience, do not sweat the small things or bad days. Deal with it and move on to the next. And travel to Europe even if you can only go once in your life, go to Europe because it will change you. You will come back a better person, See the world, experience it - that is why we are here.....

Hullo from Leduc

Yes! Leduc is a city but you wouldn't guess so because it is a city that shuts down on Sundays. Literally downtown Leduc all the shops are closed, only main store that is open is guess who.... Wal-Mart! now why would they close down when they could make money that would be insane, so therefore Wal-Mart stays open.

Finished my article yesterday, wonders what having a desk does for a writer - it just makes the words flow and if you are sitting properly at the desk too, which i got a nice tall stool to match the height of the desk.

So after the writing i decided to go out and explore Leduc some more, one landmark at a time so that way i do not get tired of living here so that way if i discover something new each day off or afternoon It can be just like i am traveling to a new destination and finding something new. Plus it keeps things new and fresh.

Telford Lake, located east of City of Leduc and 3.2 km in length and this weekend it will be the home of the Dragonboat Races. I got to watch a few boats practice this past weekend. It looks like it is hard work but you sure get a good work out.They have to row the entire length of the lake and back.

Also found another spot that is great for plane spotting. Although Air Canada does like to fly over my head a lot so i am not to sure about that - i think they are taunting me or something until my next big trip in Four months. Nah probably not but it is fun to joke with them.

Here you can check out a video clip I had posted on my facebook wall of a Dragonboat practicing, so you can see how they do things in action. https://www.facebook.com/AyKate I can not wait till this weekend and watch a full motion race.

So that is what I did this past weekend, what did you do?

Gypsy Traveling

Hello my fellow readers, sorry i have been such a absent from writing - but i have been working on a article for another site which I will share with you when it becomes public so i will not say too much about it. Except i will say this, this gypsy has a new home in Leduc, Alberta Canada. The main reason I moved was to make the commute to work easier and it was time for a new adventure.

Leduc is a charming little city as i am still discovering little bits of the place each day i have off work because that is what and who i am. I explore and blog about it, but nowadays I am starting to vlog! Which you can check out on my very own youtube channel - no laughing. Okay you can laugh but only if you laugh with me because it is a little funny - when i start talking about Contiki. I'll let you watch! http://www.youtube.com/user/AyKate5?feature=mhee

Located minutes, no wait seconds from the International Airport so every second and hour from my bedroom window I am hearing planes arriving and leaving. Wish it was me leaving but very soon, soon I will be on another plane on another Contiki adventure. Also located 21 miles south from the Alberta Capital, Edmonton.

Oil and gas industry has been a long time provider for Leduc's economy.

Some places i will be exploring and showing you during my stay here in Leduc..... The wide variety of parks and amenities that the 24,000 other residents in Leduc know about; Alexandra park Ponds, Coady Lake, Leduc Reservoir, Telford Lake and West Point Lake. 

Two places at once...

It is a confusing place to be, in two places at once. But it is amazing none the less!

#1 you do not know where you are
#2 you do not know what time it is because you are stuck in a time loop.

Kind of cool though going through the time loop from Calasis to Dover and vice versa.

And there I had it crossed #92 off my Bucket List...... Be in two places at once!



The Greatest outdoor show on earth!

What a weekend it was, how do you say it again. Oh yes Howdy y'all and thank you again for reading my blog and welcome back. It was Calgary's 100th centennial for the greatest outdoor show on earth, Stampede. And I now see why they call it the greatest outdoor show on earth because it is, ten days full of fun and events happening each and every day with some quite famous faces Carly Rae Jepsen, Garth Brooks and Paul Brandt to name a few.

July 14, 2012

Arrived into Calgary at lunch time and it couldn't have been better timing because that is when Cameron arrived into the city from Banff so we met for lunch outside the Calgary Tower and went to original joes. It was fabulous to see him.
Departed ways for a couple hours and i went to check into my hostel (HI - Calgary City Centre) Oh my nicest hostel i have yet stayed in during my gypsy/ Traveling life.
Refreshed up and got my Cowboy hat and out i went to the Stampede grounds. There was a little bit of line up but not to bad, after i made into the ground - made my way to the Grandstand to grab my ticket for the Chuckwagon races. Now that is a great show to see if you are ever at the Stampede.

Crossed #65 off my Bucket List...... Zip lining!

 

Just walking up, all the way up to the Zipline was a workout. Just don't look down if you are afraid of heights and look across the horizons. Count 1, 2, 3 into your head and Zip....

Tried my very first deep fried oeros, oh my word they are so yummy.

Stampede is not all about the rides, it's just as fun watching the Bands playing in the sidewalks - while little kids dance to them, and the Kids Tractor Pull was fun to watch.

Watched Recyle Percussion at the Bell Stage, Now that is a amazing, very good, talented group. And turned out they were American's Got Talent Finalists. I know right, Calgary the Greatest show on Earth got AGT's Las Vegas Finalist to come play. Amazing! Calgary knows how to go all out. Love it! Just found a new city I love, haha! Cameron met up with me at the Bell Stage and we walked the grounds and Inside browsing the stores, finding Cameron a belt buckle.

Went to the Grandstand for 7pm for the Chuckwagon Races - Cameron and I were seperated. But tht is okay I got to see the whole track. That moment must have been the moment i stopped being a city girl and became a country girl! Paul Brandt was in town and was there at the Grandstand - Yes the famous and local country star, Paul Brandt. At the end of the races he performed and also at that moment listening to Paul Brandt i became a country girl.

Fireworks were amazing, they beat Canada day but i am not to sure if they beat July fourth's but they are for sure up there with how amazing they are. But again remember it was their 100th centennial so of course they went all out but seriously them going all out was amazing. And I had not seen fireworks since last Canada Day, as i had not had watched any for New Years because Paris, France does not do fireworks on NYE.

Shhh don't tell anyone but I had some trouble finding my car at night - it was horrible. First i am not from the city and I couldn't find a parking lot right near the entrance. That was not fun because it was not the greatest area of calgary - just nice thing i had Cameron with me.

July 15, 2012

Have i said how nice the Hostel was in calgary. So nice! one of the nicest and it was a six bedroom shared dorm mixed. Last hostel i stayed in was in London, England and it was a 24 shared mixed dorm. Yeah do not get those rooms - it is too many and crowded and splurge the extra cash for less beds in a room.

Today it was much better for parking as i got right in front and no line up - Thank you to the dude outside the entrance giving out free adminsions to the park.

Tried to get tickets to the Rodeo but there was a huge line up and sold out, so i did not bother to stand in line to see if they had any. But that is okay at least I got to see the Chuckwagon Races the day before. Stood in line to try my next deep fried treat, deep fried twinkie. Not as good as the deep fried oeros that is for sure. Walked inside through the stores and found a booth they were doing Henna so i got a henna tattoo of a cowboy hat with the words ' Calgary Stampede ' and still today (July 25) it's still on my arm. I have been stamped!

Went to the coca cola stage to watch some entertainment. The hypnotist was hilerous, why are they so good! I loved it. Laughed so hard I even cried.

Walking around the game section of the stampede, i felt like i was back in Klondike Days (Edmonton's festival) it was a little weird.

It started to pour around 1pm and it was letting up so i decided to head home, grabbed my things from the hostel - checked out and Cheers Calgary for a great time. I arrived as a city girl and left a country girl!!



And just like that Crossed #84 off my Bucket List... Attend the Stampede 



Can't go home again!

So this morning I had many flashbacks while i was walking down, and driving around Fort Saskatchewan. I just had to come back one last time and learned that I am content and the happiest I have ever been in years - this city is only a memory!

Walking down the streets I was seeing the businesses but i was not recognizing a single one, this was not the place i grew up - there had to be something more.... But there was not!! There is still that open lot where that bookstore once was but burnt down years ago, or that hotel that caught flame but a new business in it's place, or that once was chinese restaurant that is now a ballet studio, or that park that made me more of a girl and made me a young lady from my first kiss.

I am seeing but I do not recognize, that house that built me....

You leave home and you move on and you do the best you can, and when you get lost in this old world and forget who you are you can not return home and after today I only found a memory from the house that built me, not a home! ...and you know what I am happy that I only did find a memory.

I get a little bit stronger each day waking up with a smile on my face and waiting for that something more....

There got to be something more... and there is! Take that jump and go for it. You will not know until you have tried! #haveYOUdoneit?