Last Day of “Freedom,” MY FIRST DAY AT WORK AT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, & the Last Chapter of My Magnificent Trip to Mexico (Merida, Cancun, Bungee Jumping, Isla Mujeres & Montreal)

Shalom,

 

So today is my last day as an untethered young buck. Tomorrow I start my job as Junior Program Officer, affiliated with the Joint/Union Management Task Force on Diversity & Inclusion in the Public Service, in the Treasury Board Secretariat of the Canadian Federal Government! Now how prestigious (and intimidating) does that sound? I’m so excited about it! And a bit nervous! And not really sure what to expect! But definitely ready to begin! Wouhou!

How am I spending my last taste of freedom? I woke up early, as I’m trying to reset / regularize my sleep schedule, and sipped iced coffee while reading about The Challenge (the finale of its spinoff Champs vs Pros aired on Tuesday night, and the new season premieres in less than a month). Then went for a short bike ride, got the newspaper, and ate a late breakfast out on the balcony while completing the crossword and reading some articles. Now I’m working on this blog post, going to yoga at 5, and I have my weekly Pandemic Legacy game later tonight. Then likely an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 6 (just witnessed the iconique Laganja breakdown, and okurrrr mawma, it was everything, just too f***ing much, SUCH a disaster) and an early bedtime – because tomorrow, I’m at the office at 9am! Whuuttt! Insanity.

And considering how I’ll be out of town all day Saturday & Sunday – I’m helping Tsarina Tsybina move to Toronto by renting a car, picking up ridesharers, driving to Montreal, loading the minivan, heading to T-Dot, listening to the S-Town podcast, sleeping overnight, attending the Pride Parade, then driving back to Ottawa Sunday evening – I need to finish up blogging ‘bout Mexico. I know I sound like a broken record by now, so I’m just gonna get it out of the way, so we can move onto other topics. Plus, after tomorrow, I feel I’ll have much more to discuss – and also much less energy to do so. I know starting working again is going to be exhausting and have a sharp learning curve. I’m prepared for it, but I’m not necessarily looking forward to the adjustment period. Plus I want to continue hitting the gym, so hopefully I’ll have the wherewithal to do that. But it’s that famous paradox, isn’t it? Working out actually gives you more energy, despite everything you expend in the process. I suppose it’s about putting your stamina to the test, depleting it, so you have more in general. I’m not totally sure. But I hope that the past six weeks have conditioned me to be able to last longer and be more energetic.

So let’s get to it, shall we?

 

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Day 11: Merida & Cancun

 

Woke up early, enjoyed the quality hostel breakfast, packed my stuff up, and put it “closed with a key” (cerrado con llave) in the locker. Then hurried down to the main plaza, where there was a free walking tour, which are a great way to explore a city. You can wander around yourself, certainly – and that is what I predominately do – but then there’s so much nuance and history and interesting factoids that you miss when you don’t have somebody there to explain / introduce it to you. I was meeting Fritzi there, and we even waited up for her, but she never showed. That’s one frustration of traveling abroad. You get so accustomed to being able to communicate with others at a moment’s notice when you’re back home – due to WiFi or data on your mobile – so when you’re without that, it goes back to the old-fashioned ways of doing things, pre-cell phones. I kinda like it, though. It’s a return to simpler times. If they show up, great – and if not, well, you can’t get upset about it. These things happen. And it turns out that there were actually two walking tours departing at the same time nearby each other – so she went to the other one, where she was also wondering where I was. Shame, since I wanted to hang out with her again, but what can ya do?

The walking tour was very informative. We learned about the big Cathedral, toured the church, wandered through a free museum in a government building, and checked out the brilliant architecture of other edifices in the city. Lots of wealth families lived in Merida once upon a time, due to the production of sisal, a plant fibre that is woven into rope. The industry boomed and richesse came with it – along with opulent homes and colonial architectural details and luxe living spaces. As well as enormous haciendas outside the city, that I unfortunately missed out on (you can’t do it all). Nowadays, many of these have been converted into upper-crust hotels and palatial estates for the bougie travelers to enjoy. Me, I prefer that hostel and couchsurfing life. All the better to meet people and truly experience an area!

We also walked down this road in which all the shops had these fish tanks / terraria with these cockroach-looking bugs in them for sale. The kicker is that they were all bejeweled, with gold chains and sparkly gems and the like. They’re called makech, and the apparently immobilize themselves when they’re touched. So the idea is, you hang them on y our top like a brooch, and it just dangles there without crawling anywhere. And when you put them back in their cage, they resume movement. It’s living art, a bit macabre, interesting, eye-catching. Like the blinged-out roaches on America’s Next Top Model. I wouldn’t personally do it, but I do think it’s cool.

And the legend behind it is that there was this affluent father (maybe a king?) with a daughter (possibly a princess) that he gave anything she ever desired. After his conquests, he would always bring back a gift for his darling daughter. Except one time, she wanted one of the slaves (or maybe a prisoner) that her father won due to his victory – but he wasn’t having any of it. She disobeyed him, went behind his back, and had a torrid love affair with this slave – only to be caught by the king. To punish her, he turned her lover into a beetle, and the markech adornments were born! Quite the unique souvenir, they would be. But unfortunately, the shopkeepers even charged for you to take a picture of them, so I have none. Google-image search that ish if you’re so inclined.

Our lovely tour guide also told us the history of those white twin-chairs you see everywhere. Similar to the previous old-fashioned story, a father created these chairs so that his daughter could sit and talk with her lover, but they had a barrier between them so it wouldn’t go too far. And of course, the father could sit and watch them converse. How creepy and overbearing is that? #SmashthePatriarchy! Nonetheless, the seats are pretty cool and unique. Another standout image from Merida.

We ended the expedition at this great museum / artists’ residence in a converted old abode. Merida is a very popular city these days with young adults. It seems a bit hipster to me, actually. Very artsy and new-fashioned and up-and-coming. Like Bed Stuy. With artisanal ice cream shops owned by Polish immigrants to trendy art galleries to expensive espresso to La Negrita Cantina. It’s good stuff. Keidan really recommends it. Me, I didn’t love it, but I’m still glad I visited.

After that, I tipped the guide (since it’s not actually free, and she deserved it anyhow) then had to dash. I had bought my bus ticket the day prior for 1pm, and so happy I did, because every seat was taken, and all of the other passengers had kids and snacks and blankets with them. They’re resident pros, on the long bus ride from Merida to Cancun. Like 4-5 hours. Thank Dios there was air-conditioning.

Oooohh! Two funny stories. I bought the ticket from a travel agent off the main square, but due to my annoying frugality instincts, I missed out on a much cheaper one early in the morning, because I didn’t trust her word and walked to the bus station to check it out myself. And by the time I got back, there were no vacancies left. Of course. Don’t get me wrong, I like how I’m money-savvy and don’t go throwing it away – because then I can afford things I really care about (like travel) and not just be profligate with impulsive purchases or eating out – but it does annoy me sometimes. Just another characteristic of mine I’m working on.

Anyway, the funny story is that after I made the transaction, this woman asked me about my nail polish (which was orangey-red at the time). She spoke no English, so what was already a dicey conversation became more difficult. I told her I like the colour, and me gusta romper las expectaciones del género (I like to break gender expectations), and why not? She probably asked if I’m gay too, so I told her, “Soy bi,” pronounced like “bee.” Maybe I said “Estoy bi” ? I don’t exactly remember. Hispanoblantes – help me out here. Do you use ser or estar when discussing sexual orientation? Because sexuality is fluid sometimes, but for most people most times, it is a staid and consistent identity. So which is preferred?

Regardless. That’s me. Being a tiny bit gender non-conforming & educating about queer issues wherever I am! Can’t stop / won’t stop.

The other amusing anecdote is more cringey than funny. After the walking tour, I’m on the hunt for a cold coffee, so I can actually accomplish stuff on the long bus ride. Plus, it helps with the heat, and you know how I love my iced americanos. So I pass this place which has a sign promoting their special – a croissant and a coffee for, I dunno, 40 pesos? A good price – comparable to the other places, but with a lil pastry thrown in. I needed a snack too, so it was perfect. I go in, and inquire if I can get it to go, and order an iced espresso with un poquitito de leche and a croissant to this woman. And then this man comes over, and he asks for my order too, so I repeat it. He describes the croissants with more detail, so I order one with cheese and pesto. Uhmm, yes please!

It takes much longer than expected, and I’m fretting because I don’t want to miss my bus, and then he comes out with this big box – the croissant sandwich and fries and the coffee to go. And a bill, for much more than the sign said. And that’s where the chagrin/humour comes in. Apparently he told me the special was just a regular croissant (which is what I wanted, cool) but offered the other, fancier, pricier sandwiches, and since my Spanish is imperfecto, I didn’t follow that it wasn’t included in the deal. Even the coffee was more expensive! Because apparently he gave me a double, when I didn’t ask for it. Ugh. Like the guy who tried to rip me off / overcharge me for the cold brew in Tulum when all I wanted was espresso over ice.

So this guy doesn’t speak English and won’t back down. I tell him to get his manager – who also is only monolingual – and for the entire ordeal, I’m really stressing out about all the time it’s taking. I even considered just leaving everything there, giving a couple coins for the little bit of coffee I drank, and peacing the F out, because my departure was looming and I still had to collect my stuff from the hostel and then hustle to the bus station. I wasn’t trying to get chased by the policia, though, so I opted not to sip & dash. The manager sided with me and just charged me for the coffee (which was still more than their sign said, but whatever, I’m not going to squabble about a buck or two), so I paid up, kinda enjoyed how she let me do that when the other employee was so upset (why so pressed, bro?), and get the heck outta dodge.

Actually ran into the two older Canadian guys at the bus station, too, serendipitously – Robin and his travel companion – then got a lil snack of empanadas from an adorable old lady on the side of the road, and another coffee, then boarded that bus. Watched Scream Queens and listened to a podcast and eventually got back to where I started: Cancun.

Checked into the same hostel, was happy to see my amigos who work there again (Daniel, Martin, that Canuck guy with the tattoos and his wife), dropped my bag off, and found dinner. Went to La Res Sabrosa, by recommendation of Daniel (and corroborated by TripAdvisor), and enjoyed a phenomenal alambre – which, as Wiki says, is “grilled beef topped with chopped bacon, bell peppers, onions, cheese, salsa and avocado.” Kinda like the orden I got on my first day in Mexico – a make-your-own taco platter. Delicious.

Then I picked up some canned cocktails from the 7/11 across Avenida Tulum, hopped on the R2, and went to the Zona Hotelera. I first went to Playa Tortugas, where the bungee jumping place is, and managed to get there in time to actually see somebody jump and inquire about the process, rates, experience, etc. They told me I could do it right then, but after the dinner I just had, I didn’t think it was the best idea. Plus, I wanted to do it during the daytime, so I could enjoy the panoramic view from atop the tower. And to be honest, I was cowed. So I reserved my spot for the following day. Oh, and they even offered me a discount before I opened my mouth to ask about it. Immediately knocked ten off the price, for only $50 US. Now that’s a deal!

For the rest of the night, I wandered around the Zona, sat on the beach, sipped my drinks, read my book, watched some of the debauchery at the biggest clubs there (Coco Bongo, La Vaqueria, Mandala), and eventually meandered back to the hostel, where I chatted with the other guests and sat on the outdoor patio and ate everything up. What a life.

 

Day 12: Cancun & Bungee Jumping & Isla Mujeres

I woke up especially excited for the day. I enjoyed the breakfast, sun-screened, psyched myself up, grabbed an iced coffee, caught the shuttle, and headed straight for Playa Tortugas again – before I lost my nerve. Marched right to the Adventure Bay kiosk, signed the waiver, paid the fee, and took a couple minutes to gather my thoughts. But after I came all this way and announced it on Facebook and Snapchat and made my mind up, there’s no way I was backing down.

So I climb up the steep wooden stairs, get 80 feet above the water, and really enjoy the view. It’s gorgeous. White sand beaches, turquoise waters, the sun is shining, I have spectators watching from the beach below. I convince the instructor the take some pictures of me with my own phone – probably against the rules, but whatever – then get the photographer to carry it down safely for me. Get strapped into the ankle harness, and it’s surprisingly weighty – but that’s reassuring. You’re not dealing with peanuts safety features, here. And believe you me, I did my research into the company before signing up. I’m not a total idiot.

Then I pose for more pictures with the official photographer, squinting in the sun, and then walk the plank. The instructor is there the whole time, so I’m not completely scared out of my wits. He already told me all about how the process would go, what I had to do, the proper poses, etc. So I was prepared, and not scared. My heart might have been beating pretty fast, but I felt remarkably cool-headed. I get to the precipice of the wooden platform, toes gripping the very edge, and gaze out upon everything. It was such a remarkable sight, absolutely gorgeous. Paradise, heaven on earth, everything.

I wave at the people watching 80 feet below, spread my arms as I’m supposed to, and that’s when my heart jumps to my throat. I get an immediate surge of total terror, my instincts telling me that this is super stupid – but I’m positive it’s safe, and I watched other people do it, and I know that if I overthink it, I’ll get in my head and be too pusillanimous to do it. So I push the fear out of my mind and fall forward with zero hesitation. Legitimately – I wasted no time. And was impressed with myself for doing that, when I’ve suffered acrophobia for most of my life.

And, literally in the blink of an eye, the initial fall is over. I remember at the last second to go into the dive position, I splash down in the Caribbean Sea, then rebound back up, bungeed afloat, and bounce around a couple times. It’s hard to gauge where in space I am, since all the brilliant colours are blurring together, there’s salt water in my eyes, and I’m moving fast. I catch glimpses of the boats in the marina, the wooden tower, the beach, the sky and horizon and ocean, and before you know it – I’m reaching out to grab the ring they held out, catch it, and am slowly towed back to terra firma.

When I’m on my back on the pier, I immediately use the bottom of my “Living Young, Wild, and Free” frat tank top (SUCH a bro) to wipe my eyes of the seawater that got in them – and apparently everybody thought I was crying and taking care of my tears. Nope, that is not what happened. I loved every second of the bungee jump, and was disappointed that it was over and done with so soon! I definitely want to experience it again, but next time from higher up. This one was only 70-80’ of a plummet, which seems like suicide when you’re standing on the brink – but it all passes by in such a hurry. So I can’t wait to do it again.

I was the first daredevil of the day, too – so that was quite the way to shake up my morning!

And then, after riding the afterglow for a while, marveling that I had the courage to do that – when I was all alone and had nobody there to cheer or encourage me – I bought my ticket to Isla Mujeres, boarded the ferry, and sailed the ocean blue. They even had live music on the boat, which was pretty cool – this guy playing the guitar and singing covers in Spanish. Neato mosquito.

For those of y’all who don’t know, Isla Mujeres is a very popular tourist destination in Mexico. Common for those that get to the country via cruise ship. It’s famous for its snorkeling and scuba diving around a coral reef of it. But it also features this underwater museum called Musa – in which sculptures were created and then sunken to the ocean floor, for people to see through goggles and with air tanks. Awesome stuff, especially with how the various flora + fauna cover these statues and kind of “reclaim” them. It was established in order to compete with the reef, since all the tourism it receives takes a toll on the health of the coral and plants. Such a shame for that to happen, so I love this initiative they thought of. Where else can you go see art underwater? Probably somewhere, I’m sure, but it’s not too common.

However, I didn’t do any of this. It was my last day in Mexico, so I didn’t want to take out tonnes of pesos to afford all these expeditions and risk having leftover currency. My big #yolo expense was the bungee jumping, something I’ve been wanting to try for years, and the tattoo, which I’ll discuss later. So instead, I wandered around the town section of Isla Mujeres, which reminded me of Hilo, Hawaii. A nice beach town, baked by the sun, with lots of kitschy shops and restaurants with outdoor patios and people lazily walking around.

I hit up Playa Norte, which was highly recommended by the travel sites, and plunkered myself down in the shade of a palm. Read my book, enjoyed the sights, breathed in the fresh air and luxuriated in the sea breeze. Eventually I stashed my stuff in a bush and went in search of this mini-reef I overheard some Americans discussing on the ferry over. Splashed along in the water with my goggles and Speedo, swam underneath this bridge that connected the glitzy hotel Mia Reef to the rest of the island, and found an aquamarine wonderland. There were rocks out where the waves reach the lagoon, kinda like a natural breakwater, and all around them were all these adorable fish. I floated near them, loved their flashy colours, and even spotted some turtles, swordfish, and a flippin’ barracuda! Fortunately I escaped with all my limbs and bodily integrity.

Then returned to my stuff, which luckily was all still there (in addition to my fingers and toes), laid down on the beach to dry off, then went in search of food. Stopped in a store to ask a local for recommendations, but they place he advised was nowhere to be found. So I strolled down the pedestrian roads, checking out all the menus, and wow, was everything overpriced. Which goes hand-in-hand with how touristy the area is. To be expected. I ended up at the place that looked the most authentic. It was small, literally ran out of the kitchen of somebody’s residence, the menu was nothing fancy, and there were (what appeared to be actual) Mexicans eating there too. Always a good sign when the locals patronize the same restaurant!

I had guacamole and a quesadilla, and it was all delicious. They had a serve-yourself salsa and salad bar, as well, so I capitalized upon that too. I wish I knew the name of the establishment, to recommend to you all, but I can’t even find it on Google Street View. Ah well.

Then back to the ferry station, but I apparently misread my ticket and had to kill another 45 minutes. No problem, though! More exploring, got an iced espresso, and sat watching the boats go in and out of the marina / reading “Truly Madly Guilty.”

Then boarded the board, was treated to more live music on the ~sunset cruise~ back to the mainland, and I even managed to get back when Adventure Bay / the bungee jumping place was still open! So I went straight for the photographer’s stand and tried my best to haggle them down. The prices they charge for their photos is nigh criminal. $35 for like 30 photos? Yeah, it’s gonna be a no from me, dawg.

The lowest he would go was $25 for the photos and the video for it, when I only wanted to give a twenty. So I played hardball, and was just like, “Well, fine, no deal. It’s either you take this $20 and give it to me, or I walk away, you delete the photos and make no money. They’re worth nothing to you. Might as well make some more cash before you close for the night.” And no, that was not all in Spanish, because I don’t think I’m that skilled at my second language (just yet). But it worked! And now I’m the proud owner of some hi-res pictures AND the video of me defying death! Yay!

Satisfied, I returned to the hostel, showered off, researched tattoo parlours, then struck out on the hunt. The place that was best reviewed was unfortunately closed when I finally managed to find it – after serendipitously running into my Canadian pal Robin (from Merida) AND wandering through a city fair / block party – so I stopped in this trendy-looking menswear store that sold expensive Speedos, asking for another recommendation. It happened to be just around the corner, so I headed straight to Placer y Dolor (Pleasure and Pain). Met with the artist and tried my best to explain the idea in Spanish, which was not as easy as it sounds, despite how simple the design was going to be. He quotes me a price, but again, I’m playing aloof – and it works out again! He immediately drops it down to about $40 US, if I do it tonight.

So I tell him, great, I need to take some cash out though. And I wanted to walk around and mull it over for a bit, before submitting to being poked with a needle many times over in an LDC with somebody who I couldn’t communicate with that well. But, you know what, I read the reviews, it had numerous positive testimonies, and whatever, no biggie. So I did it! And I have no regrets! It was quick, cheap, not excruciating, and still looks good! Yay!

I got the outlines of two equilateral triangles pointing to each other on the outside of my left wrist, where my watch goes (and can cover it if I need to). So it resembles a basic, geometric hourglass – but the upside-down triangle stands for queer pride as well, and the right-side up one represents delta, for change. And incidentally, the two of them together also mean fire and water, or balance / duality / etc – but that was just an extra +1, not the reason I went for that design. And now it’s tattoo #7! To tie up with my body piercings! (3 in each ear and 1 nipple)

Finally, with my ultimate night in Meh-hee-ko, I got some more cheap-ass tacos al pastor along Avenida Tulum, at the place the Kiwi Couple recommended way back when, then sat on the patio with the hostel workers / guests, and soaked in the lovely balmy night air one more time.

 

Day 13 & 14 & 15: Cancun + Montreal + Ottawa

Wake up, last hostel breakfast, grabbed my stuff, got a final iced americano, schlepped to the ADO station, got to hang out in the air-conditioned premium lounge reading about Drag Race, listen to the Brain Candy Podcast en route the airport, then only have about a half hour to wait at the gate (since it took me an unexpected while to check in at the counters, Dios knows why, I had only a carry-on). Have my layover in Philly, take my time walking through all the terminals looking for lunch, finally settle on an iced coffee and bagel from Au Bon Pain, the cashier says she thinks my conch piercing is cute and I’m adorable, aw thanks girl, then jetset to Montreal.

It takes forever going through customs, but eventually I make it through, hop on the shuttle to downtown, meet beautiful KyKy at Ganadara, grab the key, and finally relax when I get to his place. He surprises me a half hour later, as I’m sitting in just my underwear on the couch, resting before I got the energy up to shower – but he brought food from the restaurant! Awwww what a darling! ❤

Crash soon after, despite my intentions to go for a walk and experiencing the city that still feels like the most like home to me. Sleep like a log, wander round the city, indulge in another decadent but delicious poutine from Dirty Dogs, do some sightseeing, meet up with Ky & Mike MF Chan at Brutopia for a 5a7, love the raspberry beer, bus to the Mile End and hang out with Bren “G-Frog” Prouse for a lil while, play some Sm4sh, then metro to Atwater Forum to meet Ouliana to finally see Get Out (since Ottawa is severely lacking cinemas in its central core). We stroll back along Ste-Catherine afterward, get a quick bite from Burger King (I clearly was #cleaneating during these couple days), and plan how we’ll move her to Toronto during June. Well, guess what, that’s happening tomorrow! Believe it, squirrelfriend!

With my last day, more aimless walking around, get a banh mi with Melody (who out of nowhere gives me free nail polish – WOW thanks so much, the white paint is exactly what I wanted!) at the perennial Vua, grab coffee with Torchic, then get my rideshare back to lovely ol’ Ottawa. And the rest is history: the post-travel blues and unemployed doldrums and not loving my life situation, especially after how spectacular Mexico was.

 

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And that’s that! The remainder of my travel blogging about Mexico. Who knows when the next exotic trip abroad will be? Not until November at the earliest, since that is when my casual contract with the Treasury Board ends.

Bi the gay, I had my first day on the job today – which I’ll discuss in more detail later – but a quick summary:

Everyone was very friendly, all the documents I was given to read (a huge amount) interest me, I have a nice private office/cubicle, it’s not hellishly open-concept, I met my colleagues and my boss’s boss, received uplifting and flattering advice from my supervisor, got the security badge to enter the buildings and my own laptop and email and login info etc and feel so legit about the whole thing. And ironically, the dream I had right before waking up at 7:30 this morning included my previous boss assaulting me and me feeling powerless to change it, but still giving an impassioned and affecting speech about it to the crowd gathered there. Hm, how telling is that, huh?

I now work Monday-Friday from 8:30-4:30, and it’s not micro-managey, and I don’t feel defeated or even that daunted by anything. I’m absurdly excited about it. Can’t wait to truly sink my teeth into this Diversity & Inclusion Task Force work! Yay!

 

Ciao for now. I’m off to gym, shower, and then head to Ernie’s for the RPDR Season 9 Finale with frands! Sickening!

 

Love y’all,

 

– Jefe

Fab Family Timez in Florida! With Some (Mis)Adventures, Naturally.

Hey again,

Another weekend, another blog update. I was all pumped to bang this out earlier this afternoon – I had just met Sasha Willms at the Ministry of Coffee to catch up (finally), and the double-shot iced Americano revved me up. Then I went and fetched a free mirror from someone on Kijiji, and found a nice winter coat on the way too. So, win-win-win! But I got home, talked to Mum on the phone a bit, and started perusing Amazon for Christmas gifts – the holiday is only two weeks away, after all! Time got away from me, though, and I’m heading out again very soon. The big STBBI Youth Forum with CCGSD ended yesterday, so my colleagues and I are hanging out tonight, decompressing with some wine and cheese, and having an “informal debrief.” I’m definitely excited about it. They’re fun people and I’m looking forward to getting to know them more!

But I really gotta finish writing about Florida. It was a great trip with my mum and Margaret, and I don’t want to forget anything about it. Since we were so busy down there, always racing from place to place, there was no time to journal about the vacation. So might as well do this.

So where was I? The day after Anna Maria Island. It was another one of our Go Card days, so we woke up bright ‘n’ early. Our first stops were in Tampa, 2 hours away with the traffic, so we left our condo at 8am. Dreadful – but we wanted to make the most of our multi-day pass! And it was a beautiful day, warm and sunny and bright. We headed on down there, Margaret asleep, me navigating, and Mum behind the wheel. Listened to another Brain Candy Podcast on the way (sense a theme here? We did the same on the way back, and on our way to and from Fort Lauderdale) and actually made good time! We visited the Florida Aquarium to start, and fun it was. I pet some baby sharks, manta rays, starfish, and other invertebrates. Margaret and I leisurely strolled through the exhibits, looking at all the sea life, birds, fish, lil ocean critters. Mum, by contrast, rushed right through – and I wonder why she wasn’t as entranced as both of us. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. I enjoyed my time there, though. Got to see my favourite, the lionfish, and it was a pleasant way to spend the morning. We had our picnic lunch in the sun, and then we were off to the races again.

Our plan was to hit up the Aquarium and then go on this super cool speedboat tour among dolphins. It sounded awesome, and I was so excited about it. So we call to make a reservation while we’re checking out all the marine animals, only to find out that the boat is actually out of commission, in maintenance for the winter. So we’re like, Uhhh….? We’re already in Tampa, two hours from our condo! So annoying. Fortunately, there was another boat trip available in Tampa that our Go Card entitled us to, so we call to book some seats on that one. The app said their hours are from 11-2 daily, so it was perfect. And then we learn that the only timeslot they have available is the sunset cruise, not until six hours after, when that’s all the attractions in Tampa. So essentially, our four-hour drive out there was only for the aquarium, meaning it wasn’t worth it. You live and you learn though, right?

Both boat companies recommended we call the Go Card to complain about it and request a partial refund, and since Mum and I can be confrontational, no-nonsense people anyway, we absolutely did that. We had a good cop/bad cop routine. I spoke on the phone first and was very cordial with the lady, asking how her night was going and being very polite. You catch more flies with honey and all that. I explained the situation calmly and asked what she could do – and she saying it against policy and everything, so she’s really going out on a limb for me, and she can offer 10% back. I relay this message to Marilyn, and she takes the phone. Here comes the bad cop. She was a bit curt and irate with this woman, and somehow convinced her to give her a 15% refund instead. So, mission accomplished, we thank her, and hang out.

Then at our first attraction on our third day of doing tingz, it said our cards wouldn’t scan. So what happened was that the Titanic Museum didn’t process our numbers until the following day, since they had shut the machine down before we arrived or something. So that registered as us having a third day already done, which obviously wasn’t the case – because if we did Titanic at 10am, then you best believe we would’ve done a hell of a lot more. So I had to call the Go Card customer service number again, and wouldn’t you know it, I got the same pleasant woman as the first night. I was thoroughly diplomatic with her, civil, kept my voice completely even, but she was just snippy and flip with me. For no good reason! It’s not like she was the one who profited from us buying the passes! She’s just an employee! It’s your legitimate job to help clients who call with issues or problems with their card! Why are you getting so upset with me when none of it was my fault? The businesses that were closed told me to call you and complain! And the museum put our numbers through at the wrong time! I promise – I’m not trying to scam you! Please! Be reasonable! I wouldn’t be calling you if the Card just worked as it should’ve!

ANYWAY. It was a hilarious misadventure, chatting with this saccharine-sweet lady on the phone. But we did get a 15% discount on all three of our cards, which ended up being like $30 each. So, I’d call it a win, and #worth. What else did we do with this Orlando Go Card?

• Fun Spot Amusement Park, four-ride sampler. I rode the wooden roller coaster twice, once in the front seat and once in the way back. On the first ride, Mum and Margaret came along too, and legitimately screamed the entire It was so hilarious that I got a stomach cramp from laughing so much. Honestly, I was giggling like a maniac. And it was so damn fun. A good coaster too, surprisingly (since Fun Spot absolutely pales in comparison to all the other phenomenal amusement parks Orlando has to offer). We also did go-karts, had an amazing time with that, and I rode a thrill/flat ride. A great way to wake us up. We also got Wawa on the way back to Kissimmee, and the $2 large iced macchiato was delish.
• Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditorium. I think it was my first time visiting that museum (believe it or not). Interesting stuff, off-the-wall kinda exhibits, but mixed in with a lot of things that honestly didn’t appeal to me at all. Still cool though.
• Like a Discovery Centre (from Halifax) for older folks. Mum and I went there when we were down in Florida for Shawn and Shauna’s wedding, but it was worth revisiting. I laid on a bed of nails, went on a 4D virtual roller coaster, and spun around in a gyrosphere, that is supposed to simulate the G-forces you undergo when you’re in space. And after experiencing those… I felt kinda motion-sick. I guess I’m getting older after all! And because I had just gotten my foot tattoos touched up before heading down to the Sunshine State, I was wearing flip-flops all the time, so they didn’t get rubbed off. Unfortunately, that precluded me from doing the workshops they have there. I was hella disappointed. Love me some thrill-seeking.
• Boggy Creek Adventure Boat Tours. We rode a legitimate hovercraft/airboat through this mangrove and saw cows wading/grazing in the seagrass, turtles, all these fowls, and actual alligators. Right beside the boat! They were little ones, granted – but still. It was shocking. We had wonderful time, though. There were all these mossy trees around the place, looked like the bayou. We pet a baby gator, took some photos with all these props they provided, saw a Native American woman check a dart with a throwing stick, meandered around, and enjoyed ourselves. Definitely recommend.
• Gatorland: The original theme park in Orlando. We saw this guy full-on wrestling an alligator, and he flipped him over and put him to sleep, somehow. It was amazing to see, and I don’t really know how he accomplished it. But the lil guy was snoozing and only woke up when the GatorTamer tickled him. So cute. We also got to see them being fed gobs of bloody meat, which was a sight to behold. And there were some albino alligators, exotic birds, leopards, tortoises, a zipline. Worth the visit.
• The Cirque Magique Dinner Theatre show! This was the highlight. It completely exceeded my expectations. The food was eh, but the performances were stellar, top-notch. Jugglers, clowns, a contortionist, an emcee who could sing her heart out, trained poodles who jumped through hula hoops, beautiful waitresses who served our food and danced on stage too, a ballerina, gags and guffaws, one of those “butterfly” yoyo-like things on a string, magic, laffs+gasps+wows. I’m forgetting to mention some acts, but suffice it to say that it was phenomenal. Wow!
• Congo River Adventure Golf. Who doesn’t love mini golf? I adore it.

Okay. Whew. Now that’s done. What else about Florida?

• I had a phone call with Jeremy Dias, my current boss, on the Friday about my new job, so we had to plan around that. We spent the morning at the Premium Outlets (groan), had a magnificent Greek lunch (gyros with feta and Greek salad!), then went to downtown Orlando. And on the drive in, we just happened to pass Pulse Nightclub, the site of the dreaded shooting/massacre in June. I wanted to go there anyway, to pay my respects and mourn my fallen LGBTQ+ siblings. The fact that it was on the road in was convenient, and maybe a sign – since we didn’t have much time to spare. It was an extremely somber place, brought tears to my eyes, thinking of how young everybody was, and how terrified they must’ve been, to be trapped in the nightclub amongst the pandemonium, trying to get out and knowing how slim their chances were. It was heavy and harrowing, seeing the place where it all transpired. But it’s important to feel and experience these things, the mourning. Being numb to the pain in the world is not the way I want to go through life. But to each their own. It’s not easy.
• Then we went to Lake Eola, this surprisingly big body of water smack in the heart of Orlando, and we walked along there. It was a good way to decompress after feeling the Pulse trauma. It helped that it was a beautiful day, there were ducks in the pond and others strolling around the lake. It was calming. The Muse of Discovery helped as well. It’s an enormous stone sculpture they have there, incorporated into the ground and gardens. You’re supposed to sit in her hand and focus, and she will whisper truths to you. So I perched on her fingers and meditated for a while, thinking about my new job and future career, how I will be devoting my time, energy, and even life to assisting and improving the lives of LGBTQ+ people. Visiting Pulse made that all the more visceral for me, as I sat in her stone palm. And it gave me strength, and purpose. It was a noteworthy day. Emotional, but necessary and very real.
• And then it was time to return to the condo, chat with Jer, and have dinner. I had brainstormed all these questions to ask them (with the help of my two gal pals), but they only really asked me when I want to start – and even gave me the option to wait until the New Year to begin. But I was eager to move to Ottawa and start the job and get involved, and there’s no way I wanted to waste another month and a half in Nova Scotia, killing time until January. So I chose to start essentially ASAP. Mum and I got home from Florida on a Thursday around midnight, and then I left to the airport again at 10am on Sunday morning. Arrived in Ottawa at 3pm, and started at the office the following day, 8am. Such a whirlwind. But more about that later.
• We hit up CityWalk that Friday night, the Universal equivalent of (Downtown) Disney Springs. It was cool to walk around amid so many other people on the balmy night, and there were some alright shops… But honestly, it wasn’t awesome.

The next day was another big, long day. The ladies wanted to go to EPCOT, but tickets cost like $95 per day. So we pretended to be a double-mom family and went to one of those timeshare presentations. You know, the ones who try to sell you membership to a hotel room for thousands of dollars every year, and keep sweetening the deal/throwing bonuses at you until you capitulate. My parents have fallen for it before, even frugal ol’ Papa. But the three of us were set on not buying any of it, figuratively and literally. We would go, hear them out, take advantage of their free breakfast buffet, grab our tickets, and say, “Sorry, not for us!” and be on our merry way. And that’s kinda what happened. I got tired of listening to the whole spiel, so I went to the car, sipped iced coffee, listened to Sia, and read more of Aziz Ansari’s Modern Romance. It was an ideal way to wake up – what I was missing the entire trip, actually. And eventually Mum and Margaret returned, 100 minutes later than they were supposed to (not that I cared all that much) and having purchased a vacation package. Oml.

But then we were free! And it was more perfect weather in Florida. We spent the entire day walking around EPCOT, visiting the pavilions, riding some rides, watching performances and videos, and culminating with the spectacular IllumiNations light and firework show! I supremely enjoyed all the country’s pavilions – and I managed to speak some of the language in every single one! Except Norway, which is ironic, because that’s the last foreign country I visited. Granted, I was in Oslo for less than 24 hours, but still. The Paulie Shore video in Canada was funny, the 3D vision in China awe-inspiring. We had espresso in Italy and fell asleep during the animatronics show in USA. Watched two French waiters do some acrobatics and amusing buffoonery, and loved the kawaii exhibit in Japan. Mexico’s river ride was unfortunately closed, but we saw an absolutely amazing (and adorable) performance of three gymnasts in China. Synchronized and so cute and everything. Just wow. We ate lunch in Morocco (where the workers read and correctly translated the Arabic tattoo on my shoulder) and enjoyed the range of accents in the UK pavilion. Those two took photos in the red phone booths, of course – but that’s old news for me, haha. (Didn’t really do much in the German pavilion though)

The best experience I had, though, was in the “African section.” An aside: so annoying and just of course that they have a generalized “African outpost” without having a specific country represented. Sure, Morocco is in a different section, but c’mon, they could’ve been just a bit more culturally sensitive and specific. Shouldn’t expect more from the Southern USA though! Anyway. I was wondering which nation it was supposed to represent, so I went up to one of the vendors (who looked bored, lonely, and blue) and inquired where he was from. He’s Kenyan, and I noticed all these nice whittled objects/artifacts around, so I asked him about them, and told him how it’s a gift idea of mine for Christmas. He apparently does them all by hand, from various types of wood, and they were all truly remarkable. Sightly and impressive. And then, he just gives me this heart he had whittled! As a gift, with no charge! I didn’t have my wallet on me, so I had nothing I could give him in return – but he was 100% sincere about it. Such a sweet gesture, and it’s the best souvenir for my trip to Florida. He made it from cedar, too, so it smells amazing too. Just wow! It definitely made my day 🙂 I’ll cherish it for a while.

I rode Soarin’, Test Track, Mission Space, and Spaceship Earth when I was there, too. I loved the first one, so much. Was a great ride, gorgeous vistas, pleasant scents. Test Track was cool too, and because they had a single rider queue, I didn’t have to wait that long either. Spaceship Earth was cool enough, but I hated Mission Space. I elected to go on the more intense version, which subjects you to G-forces that astronauts legitimately feel during take-off and space travel. So, just like with the gyrosphere at Wonderworks, but probably a touch more authentic. And I was not feeling great after it. Which was even more annoying, because I waited more than 40 minutes to ride it, which made me miss most of IllumiNations and got my separated from Mum and Margaret – who apparently got to watch the light show from a VIP area and head front-row seats. I gave all that up to experience motion sickness. Not worth it, at all. But I suppose I’m still glad I did it, because I wouldn’t want to be worrying about what-ifs.

Alright. I really gotta wrap this up. The following day, Margaret left us to return to Canada, and I was devastated. She was great company, and I missed her presence, her particular sense of humour, and levelheadedness. We also had to check out of our condo and go back to a seedy hotel, which was another unfortunate occurrence. But regardless, we still spent the afternoon lounging at the pool, sunbathing, having a picnic lunch, reading, and soaking in the hot tub. Blissful.

Then the rest of the day was a wash, for me. I felt real ill, probably from running around non-stop, not sleeping as much as I was accustomed to, and not eating regularly or healthily. So I spent the day in bed, while Mum went gallivanting off to go shopping. Fortunately, all the water and tea I drank, and hours I rested, means I kicked the illness within a day. The next day we spent in downtown Kissimmee, which was quaint, adorable, and quiet. So much better than the region we were staying in, which was all highways, strip malls, gas stations, cheap hotels, fast food, and gift shops. Ugh. Mum and I had a pleasant al fresco lunch then wandered around a little community farmer’s market/fair they had going on. Live music, some homemade goodies, and just small town charm. Loved it.

And then, (finally!), for our last day, Mum and I drove the three hours one-way down to Fort Lauderdale. I really wanted to visit Miami – and even looked into buses and hostels down there – but unfortunately that didn’t come to fruition. The buses were ridiculous for it only being 3.5 hours away – like around $50 US one-way. Prohibitive. So that’s a shame – but I’ll make it there sometime. In any case, Fort Lauderdale was another wonderful place to visit, and I’m glad Mum made the call to head down there – and was willing and able to drive the whole way, because it was not a cakewalk. We got stuck in mad traffic on the return trip, since it was the day before Thanksgiving and everybody was traveling home for the holiday. Anyway.

We tried relaxing on the beach, but by the time we arrived, it was windy, overcast, and spitting rain. So instead, we grabbed lunch along the waterfront strip, at Bubba Gump’s. It was yummy, great location, views of the ocean – and everything else looked like a tourist trap anyway, so I was pleased with it. Then we poked around the town. I was on the lookout for all the queer stuff, since I’ve heard that Fort Lauderdale is a popular gay destination… But I didn’t really see any of it. We weren’t there for very long, and I wasn’t going to really drag my mother to the homo bars, haha. Reminded me a lot of New Hope, PA – more affluent and cultured than most of the neighbouring towns. To be honest, we didn’t do much in the town, but it was definitely a good place to spend an afternoon. I took some photos, looked in some cute stores, did some people-watching, and just tried to soak in everything on my last day of vacation, before returning to cold ol’ Canada. It was a quiet day, well spent. We had experienced and accomplished so much all the other days of our trip, so it was fine to have a simpler, calmer one.

And then the next day, we returned home, and both managed to get bumped up to First Class/WestJet Plus on different legs of the trip. Such a pleasant surprise! I enjoyed it to the fullest – ordered a Cuba Libre and “tapas box,” which I shared with Mama. My first experience up in Business, and I loved it. It was only Toronto-Halifax, so no longer than two hours – but still, I had fun.

And that wraps it up! Sorry for the tome of an entry. I guess there was lots to say! And the fact that I did it all after sleeping 5.5 fitful hours and then working all day is quite the accomplished.

Until next time (which I promise will be about moving to Ottawa and the new job and everything),

– Jefe

Quarter of a Century Birthday, Thesis Result, & My First Interview !!

Hidey-ho!

So it’s been almost a month since I last wrote, apparently. And nothing too important or noteworthy has really occurred in that time. Like I read somewhere, (I’m paraphrasing) “The passing of time is always so surprising, but it shouldn’t be, since it’s literally the most expected thing.” That’s not to say that I haven’t enjoyed this past month or had good times or made great memories, and it certainly wasn’t a waste… But still. I’ve been stuck at home, jobless, meaningless, adventure-less. It’s not all that dire, but it’s not what I’d prefer, if I had my druthers. But maybe it’s my chrysalis stage, going through this metamorphosis and change and growth process between finishing my Master’s degree and landing a quality, fulfilling job. Perhaps it’s the work and time I have to put in, to provide for and earn a better future. Who knows?

But the good news is that everything’s looking up! I am currently in a rideshare to Montreal, with two very interesting, compelling, free-spirited people, with a Chihuahua sitting on my lap and an adorable border collie beside me. Found this trip for $100, when the train costs $140 minimum and takes literally ten more hours. Sure, it’s kinda nice to experience, the train– it offers great views and the quaint charm of riding the railroads – but the autumnal colours along the highway are just as nice, and 10 hours is a significant portion of time. I wasn’t planning to head up this early, since Bryson gets back today, we have a Kuwait get-together on Thursday, a birthday dinner with the extended family on Friday, and Mum’s retirement party on Saturday. But this landed in my lap, essentially, and why not spend two weeks in Montreal instead of one? I’m staying with friends anyway, couchsurfin’, so it’s not like I’ll be doubling the amount I pay for hostels or anything. So I seized it, and I’m honestly so excited to get there! And see my friends, experience the city anew, revisit my old stomping grounds, walk down memory lane, enjoy some nightlife, play board games, and just live life, you know? Because passing each day, isolated in St Margaret’s Bay, without employment or involvement or people my own age around, having to contend with residing with my parents again – when I’m so used to independence and have lived on my own for the past seven years – ain’t exactly my idea of fun. Of course, it could be much, much worse – but it could also be so much better.

So two Fridays ago, Mum and Dad left to Mexico for a week, leaving me alone and to take care of the dog and the house again. I was super jealous they were going somewhere I’ve been wanting to visit for a while – Mexican food is my fave, I speak Spanish, and the country just attracts me (not to mention the climate and the people!) – and disappointed I wouldn’t have them to hang out with again. I like to play board games (especially Dominion!) and watch movies (particularly horror!) with them, and it’s nice having people around to just chat and interact with. But regardless, I still had a spectacular week, to my surprise. I’ll write more about that later – but what I want to discuss is the lovely Thanksgiving I had!

Cate is one of the few people I still know around Nova Scotia, and actually my oldest friend. We met and became friends when we were four years old, at the Unicorn Theatre, when it was still in Hubbards. And we’ve kept in touch ever since! And our parents hang out, too. They heard that Mum + Dad were abandoning me to go on this exciting tropical vacation, right during the holidays, so they so graciously and generously invited me over to have Thanksgiving dinner with them! And it was such a fantastic time. Rick is an amazing cook, and the food was phenomenal – guacamole, crab dip, salmon dip, sweet potato and curry soup, turkey, mashed potatoes, squash, turnip, peas, corn with peppers, stuffing, gravy, carrots with dill, green beans with sesame oil and Thai seasoning – all homemade! With apple and pumpkin pie for dessert, though I didn’t indulge. I was the only one who got seconds, though – shocking, since everything was so delectable. So it was a more conscientious choice to skip the sweets.

What was even better than the cuisine, though, was the company – which is saying something, since it was a scrumptious, gourmet dinner – but the Ratcliffes are such great people, kindred spirits, that it didn’t surprise me. To be honest, I had forgotten how much I liked them. It had been years since I spent time with Rick and Deborah, and I was so happy to rediscover how well we get along! And with Cate too, of course, naturally.

And in the amazing conversation we had, several things became crystal clear to me. I had been kicking around Nova Scotia, scared to go on a trip or travel anywhere, just in case I got an interview and wouldn’t be able to do it, or on the off chance that I was offered a job and was out of town when I heard the news. Which was just stupid to think, since the job hunt takes time and even if I get an interview, it can be accomplished over the phone or on Skype, and if an organization wants to hire me, then it wouldn’t be for the following day – and they’d be accommodating with the week or two extra I would need. As Deborah helped me realize, the thing holding me back was me, and my own ideas of what I needed to do to be prudent and self-sacrifice to maximize my chances of finding employment.

But when I do land a job – then I won’t have time to travel, probably for many months. And globetrotting/seeing new areas/experiencing new cultures/etc is truly a passion of mine, something I want to do much more of – especially since my big tour of Eastern Europe was cancelled/messed up by my encephalitis. So why am I not booking these trips abroad? I have cash saved up, since I didn’t spend the summer in Glasgow and have been rent-free since I left (thanks to friends, my sister, strangers, extended family, parents, and Camp Rainbow for putting me up/letting me crash on their couches or beds), have nothing but time, have destinations on my to-do list, freedom, an adventurous spirit, the know-how and savvy and wanderlust… So what’s stopping me? Prudence, frugality, the belief that it’s unnecessary, so why spend money and exit my comfort zone when things are good-enough currently and while I should be focusing my efforts on the job hunt and securing a future for myself.

But forget all that! I’m young, wild, and free. Untethered and mobile. And I’m waiting all these weeks to hear back from the many jobs I’ve applied to anyway, and able to write and submit cover letters and CVs from anywhere, and can interview from abroad if those arise – so why not make the interstitial time more enjoyable? So that is what I’m doing. The next two weeks in Montreal are gonna be fantastic. Celebrating my birthday, tearing it up for Halloweekend, and just letting loose again. GAH I’m so excited! Get ready for me, MTL!

Alright. Other updates. Having this long and deep conversation with Deborah also convinced me to just go out and get a job as a server in Bayers Lake. Something to pass the time, get me out of the house, earn me some extra cash. I love waiting tables – it’s social, active, flirty, easy, non-committal, lucrative, fast-paced, and when you leave the restaurant, you don’t have to worry about it! I have tonnes of experience with it, so landing a position will be a breeze, and I could meet people/make friends during. With my coworkers, certainly (who are probably around my age and studying at one of Halifax’s numerous universities), but also the customers. I’ve gotten job offers a surprising amount of times while serving – at Fridays in Pennsylvania, El Patron, Bouddha Bouddha, etc. It’s all about networking, right?

So I will do that, after Montreal and if nothing pans out by then. However, I applied for two jobs at the Canadian Centre for Gender & Sexual Diversity (CCGSD) – as the Forums (Conferences) Coordinator and Sports Inclusion Coordinator – and their hiring process is transparent and accelerated. They mention the deadline on the ads (October 17^th), as well as the anticipated start date and when they’ll be performing the interviews, which is the 20^th and 21^st. And even better than that (which is fab to begin with) – I’ve gotten responses about both the positions! The former has postponed their interviews until November 3^rd, which Dad says is a good sign, since it suggests they haven’t received many applications for it. So I’m hopeful that I’ll be selected for one, since I’ve already interviewed with this organization before, when it was called Jer’s Vision – and this was back in October of 2014! I’m much more qualified now. So, fingers crossed.

AND, for the other post, I have gotten an interview! My first one in this chapter of the job hunt! Yay! I’ve been applying for jobs “only” for 6-7 weeks this time around, so it’s not like it’s been a ridiculous amount of time – even if it often feels like that. But I’m ecstatic about this one! And it’s taking place tomorrow morning! So I’ll have a good sense about it very soon. Wish me luck, really. I’m not sure if I need it, but I’ll take anything I can get! This position involves creating, developing, and facilitating workshops with sports teams and athletic organizations around Ontario, to address and challenge homophobia and transphobia. I had to include a lesson plan/sample workshop with the job application, which I feel good about – so I’m already prepared for it! And am confident in my qualifications and that I’ll be a great fit! So I’m hoping tomorrow goes really well. That’d be a wonderful way to start off my time in Montreal, and a marvelous birthday present! Since after all, today is my 25^th birthday. Here’s the lil thinkpiece/self-reflection/mini blog post I penned when I updated my Facebook pro-pic at midnight:

“It’s my 25th birthday! Quarter of century!

And looking back on the past 25 years, I can honestly say I love how life has turned out. I’ve visited 30 countries, living in five of them, and I speak three languages. I’ve experienced 17 years of education and achieved a high school diploma, Bachelor of Arts, and Master of Science. I have (and have had) absolutely amazing friends, phenomenal family, and priceless memories. Two serious relationships, two passports, zero broken bones, third degree burns, encephalitis, depression, asthma, cystic acne, and a fall from a chairlift, 20 feet in the air.

I love to read, to travel, meeting new people and hanging out with them, parties, horror movies, board games, Mexican food, roller coasters, thrill-seeking, words, languages, Nintendo, swimming, the sun, hiking, EDM, adventure, reality TV (The Challenge, Big Brother, The Real World), social justice, feminism, queerness…. The list goes on. I’m an upbeat, excitable, outgoing, fiery person – but introspective, shy, quiet, low-key, and brooding on other occasions. As Whitman said, “I am large; I contain multitudes” – and, like everybody, I’m in a state of flux.

Especially these days. I think this birthday represents a watershed in my life. I’ve had some fantastic jobs before that I’ve enjoyed to the fullest (on the ropes course and at the various Camps), but I have yet to truly start a career. I found out this past week that I earned a “very good” on my thesis, meaning I’m graduating with an MSc in Equality & Human Rights. I’ve been applying to jobs, mostly with LGBTQ+ non-profits and NGOs, truly hoping to find a position I feel good and fulfilled about, and where I can put my passion to work.

As most of you know, the job hunt sucks, but it’s looking up already. Just yesterday I got my first interview, for the Sports Inclusion Coordinator (workshop developer and facilitator) with the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity in Ottawa. I hesitate to say, but it sounds pretty damn ideal, I feel confident about my qualifications, and I have my fingers crossed tight that I get it. Wish me luck!

Here’s to another 25 years, and – hopefully, with any luck – a fulfilling, exciting, and productive year (and job) ahead of me!

But for now – a long rideshare & a fab visit to Montreal! ❤ ”

Alright, this is getting to be long enough. I’ll do a quick ‘n’ dirty update of other things that’ve happened since I wrote last:

• I played Dominion: Seaside for the first time! With my friend Dustin, who I’ve recently met – and who I’m honestly so happy to know! He was one of the main reasons my week without Mum and Dad was so good. Seaside was phenomenal, love the Duration mechanic, and we met up twice more that week. He had a friend from Belgium visiting, Daniel, so the three of us played Carcassonne: Hunters & Gatherers, Love Letter, Tsuro, 31, and Queens – the last two being card games. I had been wanting to try LL and Tsuro for a while, since I had heard/read lots about them – and they were pretty alright! A touch simplistic for my taste, but still fun. And then the third time, we took the dog for a mini-walk.
• I watched the Evil Dead remake with another new friend, Ndaku (from Zimbabwe). And OH MAN was it the perfect Halloween/horror movie! Gory, fast-paced, exciting, scary, a bit funny, creepy, eye-catching. A pleasant surprise for sure. So that was fun!
• Logan Smith/James is having a Halloween/Horror Movie Marathon on October the 30^th. I was trying to find somewhere to have mine, since I do it annually – but this is better! He came to my first official one, back in 2010, and I trust he’ll do a good job 🙂 We’ll be watching The Witch, Goodnight Mommy, Don’t Breathe, and hopefully The Conjuring 2. Can’t wait!
• I went to Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial Park after dropping Mum and Dad at the airport. It’s a gorgeous green area, with white sand beaches, great hiking trails, and superb sea vistas. There’s also a clothing-optional section, so I checked that out – my first experience at such a place! And I enjoyed it. Lots of body acceptance and positivity. People – who did not look like models at all, older and overweight – just enjoying the warmth from the sun and the sound of the waves crashing without worrying about what they looked like to other people. There’s something so liberating in that! And the day I went was just perfect – 25° and sunny. I finished reading Cleary Wolters’ Out of Orange: A Memoir, listened to two episodes of the Brain Candy Podcasts, and explored the walking trails. Just a wonderful day all around.
• I started watching Big Brother! The second Canadian season, to be exact. And I love it so damn much – really don’t know why I didn’t get into it before. I even seriously considered applying to be on it – and I’m still open to it, honestly – but I like being outdoors so much that I don’t know if I could last for seventy-five days in one building. Still, I think I’d be a great character/player on it. So – I’ll keep it in my back pocket. I will be applying for Amazing Race, though, as a single player (to be paired with someone else), and I still have my hopes to appear on The Challenge. We’ll see though. Like the late and great Diem Brown said, “Career first.”
• Bryson got me the Smash Bros DLC (downloadable content) for my birthday/Christmas present (this year or last? Who knows?), and I was so geeked about it! I’ve loved learning to play with Mewtwo, Lucas, Roy, Ryu, Cloud, Bayonetta, and Corrin – especially when I’m with Bryson! Can’t wait to repeat the experience in November, after I get back Montreal. I was also playing more Twilight Princess and enjoying that. Beat the Arbiter’s Grounds and reached the Snowpeak Ruins. Also looking forward to returning to that later on.
• OH OH MY GAWD I ALMOST FORGOT. I got the results of my thesis back! And I earned a B3, making my average for the MSc program between a B3 and a B2. I was expecting and hoping for a higher mark on my dissertation, but I won’t even get into that now – since I’ve exhausted myself complaining about it to numerous other people already, and it’s a moot point now. I’m graduating with honours, a B means “very good,” grad school ain’t easy, writing a thesis is a true accomplishment, and I’ve earned a friggen Master of Science – so why dwell on the past? I can live with it, and I daresay I’m a little proud. Plus, like I heard from so many people, nobody (i.e. employers) cares about grades in grad school anyway…. So, YAY! GO ME! And I may even be attending the actual ceremony, IN SCOTLAND, if one of these jobs has not panned out by then. I’ve been looking at flights, and while they’re not stellar, I do have money saved up, miss my friends from Glasgow, and would like to travel. Participating in the graduation would be cool too. But we’ll see about that, with how the interview goes tomorrow!
• Finally, my good friend Jess R, from high school, works at an organization in Brooklyn called Make the Road New York, and loves it. They’re currently hiring, seeking an administrative assistant, and of course I applied. I’m quite sure she thinks highly of me and has some hand in the decision-making process for who is selected to fill the position – so I have a good feeling about that too. When it rains, it pours, right?

Aiiitte, anyway. We’re in Quebec now and have been on the road for about nine hours so far. Meaning Montreal’s probably only 3 or 4 hours away! Yay!

For now, I’m gonna go read more of Flowers in the Attic, or maybe watch some TV. Unfortunately not BBCan, since I’ve been streaming that from global.ca, but either The Challenge: Battle of the Sexes I or House of Cards Season 3…. Or AHS: Hotel, but I’ve seen two episodes of it so far, and it honestly doesn’t draw me in enough to want to continue watching it. But it is (Sh)October, after all, so….

Hope all y’all are well! ❤ Sending my love.

– Jefe