World traveller of 32 countries, eternal optimist, Registered Dietitian in Canada & Australia, Bikram Yoga Instructor and lover of all things food & nutrition.
Below is a list of all the items I am bringing with me on my trip and acknowledgement to those who gifted items to me.
Backpack - hopefully this one is a given. This bag was first used during my travels in Australia (courtesy of my Father)
Canada flags x4 - don't want to be mistake as being from any other country. Canada ROCKS! (courtesy of Diane Carter)
Canadian bag tag - as above (courtesy of Diane Carter)
Manitoba flag - purchased at MEC. Yes I am a proud Manitoban!!
Money belt x2 - one for me and one for my travel partner Cindy Qu (courtesy of Diane Carter)
Locks x3 - to lock my bag if needed (courtesy of my Father)
Neck pillow - for the 13+ hour flight to HK (courtesy of my Father)
Bras x2 - one sport, one fancy
Panties x5
Socks x2
Yoga practicing costumes x2 - My plan is to take a Bikram Yoga class in every country that I visit that has a studio
Yoga teaching costume - hopefully the opportunity will arise to teach in various countries around the world!
Short dresses x2 - one casual, one fancy (courtesy of Holly Kitchen)
Long dresses x2 - one casual, one fancy
T-shirts x2 - $5.00 each
Tanks tops x2 - $5.00 each
Purse - cost $1.00! Yeah Baby! Myself & two of my best friends have decided to make this the sisterhood of the travelling purse. Ground rules are: achieve a personal goal; (or) check something off your bucket list; write a letter discussing the above (enclose in purse); mail to the next girl
PJs - most likely will leave in Vancouver and sleep in shorts (courtesy of my Father)
Long Lululemon casual pants - cadillac of sweat pants :)
Short casual pants - I have had these pants since 2008
Jean skirt (courtesy of Jenna Furkalo)
Pashmina (courtesy of Pierre Beaulieu)
Homemade Canada Flag skirt - to represent Canada wherever I may go and wear at the full moon party in Thailand (courtesy of Jennifer Lancaster)
Battery free flashlight - I am afraid of the dark ;) (courtesy of my Father)
Spiritual rocks x3 - that represent protection, immunity and safety (courtesy of Amy Maxwell)
Raincoat - most likely will get stuck somewhere in the rain but I ain't made of sugar (courtesy of my Father)
World plug adapter
Garbage bags x2 - a friend suggested to bring these incase I get stuck in intense rain
Small combo locks x3 - to lock my pack when needed (courtesy of my Father)
Deck of cards - couldn't imagine travelling without cards. Absolutely love playing cards & a characteristic I look for in a mate
Bathing suit - so excited for tan lines!
Makeup - limited amount and most will stay in Vancouver
Extra passport photos for visas x4
Hard case wallet - no fancy wallets for me (courtesy of my Father)
Ipod - my method of communication to the world, as well as, internet cafes
Camera - newly purchased with 8GB memory card
USB - to store pictures and mail home (just incase)
Headphones (courtesy of Jeff Sutherland)
Passport - expires in 2013 therefore I will eventually have to come back to Canada (courtesy of my Father)
Hot pink nail polish (courtesy of Jasmine Wong)
Black diary - I have written in journals since I was twelve. My whole life has been documented so far...would definitely make an interesting story (courtesy of Wesley Hopkins)
Bikram Yoga dialogue - must! Every Bikram Yogi understands this one
Sunglasses x2 - $5.00 each because I always break them
Lonely Planet Southeast Asia (courtesy of Erik McBain)
Directions Travel Guide Hong Kong & Macau (courtesy of Alan Chapman)
Map of Hong Kong (courtesy of Alan Chapman)
MEC plates x2- one for my travel partner Cindy Qu (courtesy of Wesley Hopkins)
MEC spoon/fork/knife combo (courtesy of Leanne Mezzabotta & Chantal Mayotte)
Gravol pills - for motion sickness. I get sick on the bus so may need these when I jump from Macau tower
Diarrhea pills - just in case..
Malaria pills - so expensive but a little birdy tells me gin and tonic does the same thing?
Calling card - If I don't call home my family would kill me upon return
Showering towel (courtesy of Leanne Mezzabotta & Chantal Mayotte)
Blind fold
Soap
Tiger balm - most likely will leave in Vancouver as it is something I could easily live without
Toothbrush & floss - no one wants cavities (courtesy of my Father)
Shampoo & conditioner (courtesy of my Father)
36 tampons - mother nature visits regularly
Bug spray (courtesy of my Father)
Condoms - "Be good and if you can't be good be careful" - Famous Sommerfield saying
Hair brush - probably will leave in Vancouver
Lotion - to keep my skin silky and smooth (courtesy of my Father)
Deodorant - a girl needs to smell somewhat good (courtesy of my Father)
Epilator hair remover
Yoga towel - no one wants to shower w the same towel they practice yoga in therefore a second was needed
Water proof bag - for the beach and electronics (courtesy of Wesley Hopkins)
Runners - these are old and will probably be left somewhere along the way and new ones purchased
Birkenstock sandals - recommended by a good friend
Flip flops - cheap and old
Plastic folder - for important documents (courtesy of Diane Carter)
Safety pin - there is always a need for one (courtesy of Jackie Boguski)
Homemade bank card holder - attachable to a bra! (courtesy of Jackie Boguski)
Purple bandana - can be used for many purposes (courtesy of Jackie Boguski)
Lush conditioner/shampoo - my favourite (courtesy of my BFF Vicky Kontzamanis )
There are many things that are fabulous about Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Yet in comparison to Ottawa, it is like a little brother growing up. Year by year, the city seems to age a little bit more and becomes slightly more developed. With each new addition, building or team, another layer of Winnipeg's character is formed. The people who call this cold, mosquito infested, flat prairie land home are second to none. After almost two years in Ontario, I shamefully admit that I forgot how friendly the people are here. Even walking into 7-1, you will be greeted with a friendly smile and hello. Friends take you out to the most popular places, drivers let you in, people hold the doors and daily chit chat is offered without any reservations. We really are Friendly Manitoba.
My family, The Sommerfield's, are the best family a motherless daughter could ever ask for. We all seem to inhabit the same land within a 25 block radius. After the death of my mother, all my aunts took me under their wings as a second daugther (or in some cases a fourth daughter). My older male cousins act like big brothers and repeatedly offer their two seconds and a strong hand if ever needed; while my female cousins have all become my sisters.
During the past week here in Winnipeg I have been reflecting on my life in Ottawa. The words 'I miss Ottawa' have crossed my lips a few times recently. Yet, in the same sentence, I also appreciate Winnipeg on a much deeper level than ever before. It has actually come to the point where it would be impossible to say 'I hate Winnipeg'. This is drastically different than the story I was telling leaving Winnipeg almost two years ago. It is funny how things change and it will be so interesting to see how this continues to develop over the next year.
I am not completely sure if Winnipeg will be the place in which I hang my hat upon return to Canada. Or perhaps it will be the only place I wish to be. I have no expectations of what will happen or where I will end up. People here constantly say "a place is only as good as the people you know in it" and I am beginning to understand how true this really is.
This weekend two more going away parties were thrown with both welcome home and farewell signs hanging on the walls. I think I will take the title for the most going away parties and I am not even out of Canada yet. It absolutely rocks catching up with old friends and seeing new family members take their first steps. There are so many people here that catching up with consists of a simple; hello, hug, and things carry on like we haven't skipped a beat. It is always fun telling people that you haven't seen in two years that you booked a one way ticket to Hong Kong but haven't booked a place to stay. Nobody has told me that I am crazy (yet) but a few people have said they would never do something like this. That I understand. What I am doing in not for everyone and I have really planned very little...
It feels like my entire life has been planned out, organized and colour coded in agendas. So for the first time I just wanna trust the Universe and keep holding the belief in my heart that everything is going to work out.
Jets vs. Sens in Ottawa
This weekend I had my very first "OH SHIT!" moment and I believe the reality hit me that very soon I will be walking off a plane, alone, on the other side of the earth. The word scared doesn't describe how I feel because being scared is accompanied by fear and I am not fearful. The unknown doesn't intimate me but being able to embrace my aloneness is slightly more challenging. I strongly dislike the word alone, being alone or stating that we are lonely. I believe that there is no such thing as being alone or even the feeling of loneliness. We are never truly alone as we share this earth with billions of others and even though someone who knows me intimately may not be in my physical presence they are still with me, right? In a random dinner with some friends after yoga someone at the table said "Yeah - I backpacked through South East Asia with me, myself and I, all three of us!". This comment really hit home and I have stolen it to use frequently.
Slurpee! WPG classic.
Being here in Winnipeg, being home, provides you with a sense of security that nothing else in the world can provide. When we are home we are (usually) surrounded by the people who know us the most intimately therefore we are more free to stand on our own two feet and look life in the face. So it is because of the deep security Winnipeg gives me that perhaps I am more willing to let go of everything I have been juggling. There is a lot of cleansing going on in my life; material possessions, phones, obligations, friends, and lovers. Every once in a while every aspect of our lives needs a spring cleaning. The more things we let go of the more naked we feel. The more naked we feel the more we have to be brave that the world will accept us for who we truly are. There is nothing left to hide behind. So I gave myself an extra week in Winterpeg to ride out these waves of emotions because once I fly out me, myself and I need to be completely ready for this incredible adventure head.
Thank you Winnipeg for letting me be me.
