With less than 3 months until I'm back home in Canada, I've really started to ponder all of the things I'm going to miss about being here in Dublin. There are so many things I know I'm going to miss when I get back to good ol' Windsor and now that it's almost time for me to go back, I can't help but start to really get sad about all of this.

First of all, the people I've met for sure. All of the people at my job who I've grown to love over the past year. They have made that job so much more to me, it's been such a great experience for me. I won't miss working nights lol not even a little bit, but the people there for sure I'll miss. Also, my very best friend here that I've literally spent the past year laughing with, getting drunk and getting messy with, going out to eat with etc., I'll probably cry when I say goodbye to her.

The travelling for sure. Europe is really an amazing place that I didn't get to see as much of as I would have hoped but what I saw was truly once in a lifetime. There's something so exhilierating about being in a new place and having to navigate everything from getting from the aiprort to the hotel using public transit, finding the local stores to get snacks, ciggs, or booze, and finding the yummiest restauramnts to eat at. That brings me to my next point...

The food. I absolutely love going out to eat and trying new restaurant in different cities. Honestly, give me a television show where all I do is travel the world and eat amazing food and I'm set. It's been so much fun getting to eat at all of these restaurants in all of the cities I've visited, probably the best part of this whole experience. I'll for sure miss the food.

I guess I'll miss everything. This has truly been a life changing experience for me. It's made me realize a lot starting with how much I truly love travelling and seeing new places and how much I love and miss my family and friends. Spending a year away was difficult for me but I've somehow made it all worth it. I tell you, this will probably go down as the best experience of my life.

HAPPY VEG

I've been doing a lot of thinking about exactly what I want my next steps to be after coming home regarding traveling after this. I know I mentioned previously that I was considering getting the visa for New Zealand and spending some time there which is still a really good idea but there are a few reasons why I think this is not going to be the right choice for me.

Through this experience, I discovered I really do love traveling and seeing new places, it's been such a life changing experience. I love the excitement and anxiety that surrounds all of the new situations you are thrust into. Situations like finding a place to stay, figuring out a job, finding a hair salon you want to visit etc., although it was super stressful at times it was also so exciting and I would most definitely do it again. What this also taught me though was being this far away from closest friends and especially my family was much more difficult for me than I first thought.

Being away from my nephews, my dad and siblings, and besties, it's not an easy thing to do you know? As I said, I don't take for granted the opportunities I've had but I also recognize that I don't think I want to be away this long again with no way to get home easily if I decided to. Going to New Zealand would be life changing for sure but it is also over 15 hours away by plane which means there's even less of a chance than here in Ireland to see my friends or fam. It's just something I don't know if I want to do again anytime soon.

I considered going for only 6 months perhaps but the costs associated with the visa are much higher for New Zealand than they were for Ireland and if I went with the intention of only staying for 6 months, I feel like I will have spent a copious amount of money without benefiting wholly from the opportunity. I know I'd love it while I was there but frankly, almost seven thousand dollars including flight is a lot of money to save and if I don't honestly think I'll get the full experience out of it, it seems like something maybe I should rethink.

That brings me to my other plan which is to look into going away for the summer to Prince Edward Island and working in a hotel or B&B. This way, I'd only be gone for a few months, I could still do some traveling around places I have never seen before, and come back home sooner without spending every penny I have saved in a  year. This to me sounds like something I'm more interested in at the moment. There's so many beautiful places in Canada I have yet to visit or explore so this would keep me closer to home with less time away which seems like the perfect fit to me right now.

I'm always changing my mind because I'm about as indecisive as they come but for now, this sounds like a wonderful plan!

HAPPY VEG

Holy shit guys, Brussels was so much fun. It was so cool walking down the streets and admiring all of the juliette balconies, architecture and old buildings. I also had the pleasure of meeting up with a friend I met in Dublin for her last stop before heading back to Canada which was an added bonus. Overall, it was a fantastic trip but I must admit, it reminded me how badly I need to get back home and get back to eating good food.

Despite Brussels being a pretty large city, I struggled to find good for you food. I enjoyed one healthy meal that was wonderful, an organic chickpea waffle covered in goat's cheese, rocket, tomatoes, and avo. It was delicious but most importantly, required to break up the poor eating otherwise. I ate like crap the four days I was away, burgers, greasy falafel wraps, saucy fries and tacos ugh, it was just a disaster. My stomach is a complete mess returning to Dublin and I'm certain I gained 5 pounds during my trip.

It definitely made me miss being home and the diet I had back home. Salads, smoothies, home cooked food, more vegan meals..everything was just a lot healthier for me. I'm not complaining because all this travelling has been so amazing but it has been less than amazing to my body that's for sure. I honestly can't wait to get back into my healthier routine back home, I think aside from my friends and fam, that's what I'm most excited about.

Vacations are typically an excuse to be a little more lax with your dietary choices but when the entire trip is just one poor choice after another, it can be exhausting. I went shopping and bought myself all kinds of veggies to snack on for the next few days and hopefully reintroduce healthy food to my body lol I hope my poor insides remember what celery or cucumbers are.

HAPPY VEG