Two things I love: Greek Food & Exclamation Points!

I woke up this morning and I still stunk like garlic...ahh, you gotta love Greek food. Also when I got up this morning, I re-read my blog post I wrote yesterday and realized how many exclamation points I used. Is it weird to have a favourite kind of punctuation? Well, I do, and it is the exclamation point! When I am excited or happy I think it is the best way to express in writing how I'm feeling. I am well aware of my habit of overusing it, so since I started this blog I have been trying really hard to not use it as much. But I have a good feeling that once I get started on my trip, I will be using it more and more frequently. Come on, I'll be having the time of my life, how will I be able to contain myself?! So I would just like to take this time to apologize in advance for my excessive use of the exclamation point. And I'd just like to end this blog post with this: !!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Dianna

Days til I leave: 7

What I'm Looking Forward To Most...

Let's be honest. The thing I am looking forward to MOST on my trip to Europe is not the fact that I will be meeting lots of interesting people. It's not the fact that I will be seeing many beautiful sights. The number one thing I am most excited about is all the delicious food I will be eating. I know, Jenny Craig will not be happy with me, but screw it, I'm on vacation! Pizza, gelato, fresh seafood, and my favourite- Greek food. Souvlaki, tzatziki, feta...my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

I love Greek food so much, in fact, that I couldn't wait the few weeks until I actually made it to Greece. So this evening I headed to the Danforth (the Greek area of Toronto) with some of my girlfriends for dinner. I definitely INDULGED tonight (I gotta work extra hard at the gym tomorrow!) but it was worth it! If you want amazing Greek food and you don't have the luxury of actually going to Greece like I do, then go to Astoria on the Danforth!!! (I swear, they are not paying me to promote the restaurant, but I tell EVERYONE about them!) I ordered the souvlaki like I always do, and we also tried "Greek Fries" as an appetizer. I'm not sure how "authentic" it is, but it was delicious! It's like a Greek twist on a poutine- fries, tomato sauce, feta and oregano!

Besides the food, I am also looking forward to the WINE! (haha look where my priorities are!) There are soooo many great wineries in France and Italy that I hope to take at least one wine tour when I'm there. I never used to be a big wine drinker, but after living in BC for a year, I'm hooked! That's all they drink out there! And don't worry guys- I know you'll be missing out on all this delicious food and wine, but I'll eat and drink enough for all of you!

Love, Dianna

Days til I Leave: 8

What Do I Want?!

Last night I was helping my friend Christine move into her new house which, I must admit, I was only doing because she is such a great friend to me. I HATE moving. After having done it SO many times in the past few years, I am just sick of it. Once you're actually settled into your own place it's great, of course, but the packing, unpacking, cleaning, organizing...yuck!

I'm so happy for Christine because I know how much she has wanted to buy her own home, and its definitely one of those steps that makes you feel like a "real" adult. I know how exciting it is firsthand, as I went through that a few years ago when I bought my house in Fort McMurray. Although I am in no rush to do that again anytime soon, there is a part of me that is a little envious. Seeing my friends with their serious boyfriends, living in houses that they OWN...it's definitely something I enjoyed when I had it, and something I would love to have again someday.

But WHY exactly do I want it? I feel like society has trained us to find the man, get married, buy the house (with the white picket fence), have 2 kids (a boy and a girl, of course), and live happily ever after. Is that something I even want, or it's just what I'm SUPPOSED to want?! What's wrong with just traveling the world my whole life- meeting new people, seeing new places, learning new languages and cultures- that sounds quite fulfilling, if not more so, than "society's" way of doing it!

Once again, my future is a big question mark. Who knows where I'll end up, what path I will end up on, and if I will "conform" to society or not. But I guess that's just part of the excitement- living life and seeing what happens next!

Love, Dianna

Days til I Leave: 9

Starting to FREAK OUT!

I thought that these four months at home would be long and relaxing...that I would have tons of chances to visit with friends and family, and of course, plenty of time to plan and prepare for my trip to Europe. Umm...its now August 28th...I leave in 10 days...where the heck did the summer go?!

I have done quite a bit of planning already so I'm not totally freaking out...yet, anyways! My check list is slowly whittling down so hopefully I can get it all done in the next week and a half! Here's my list:

1. Buy new camera
2. Freeze gym membership - DONE!
   
3. Change cell phone plan
4. Get travel insurance - DONE!
   
5. Buy train pass - DONE!
   
6. Get cash in GBP and Euros
7. Get car transferred to Ontario (plates, insurance, registration)
8. Book flights (Italy-Greece, Greece-London, London-Dublin, Cork-Bristol)
9. Book Eurostar ticket

Wow...I thought I had done more than that. Now looking at the list I'm starting to get more anxious again! Some of those are already half done, though. My camera is on back-order at Henry's and should be in on Monday. I'm waiting to change my cell plan until right before I leave. I was having trouble calling England to book my Eurostar ticket so I've asked my brother to do it for me. And I booked half my flights last night so I only have to book two more.

As for getting my car information all transferred to Ontario...well that has just been one problem after another. I've already been to the licensing place TWICE- the first time they said I needed to get insurance in Ontario first, then the 2nd time they told me I needed a safety and emissions test. Why they couldn't tell me ALL the information the first time I went in, I do not know. But a few hundred dollars later, hopefully I will get that all over with today! Wish me luck!

Love, Dianna

Days til I leave: 10

Going Backwards or Forwards?

Our paths in life don't always move us forward in a straight line. There's bumps, hills, valleys, and sometimes you may even have to reverse to get back on track again...I am definitely going through one of those detours right now! On one hand I'm taking a big leap forward with this trip to Europe, but a few months ago I had to take the step that no one wants to do: I moved back in with my parents.

Don't get me wrong- I love my folks...I think I just love them more from farther away! I've lived on my own for pretty much the last 5 years and I've gotten used to having my own space, doing my own thing, without anyone asking "Where are you going? Whatcha doing? Do you want anything to eat? Drink? Are you tired? Are you sick?" I have to admit though, the last 4 months haven't been that bad! My parents have been so kind in letting me move back home (rent free!), they have fed me, and been really supportive of my decision to go traveling.

But in a way, I feel like I have let them down. They were always my number one fans when I was on the radio, listening to me online and then calling me afterward to review my whole show with me. They told all their friends that I was a radio DJ and proudly wore their "Country 93.3" t-shirts wherever they went. What are they going to brag about now? That their 25 year old daughter is living at home with no job, and is about to go waste her money away while traveling the world? And not only that, but I feel like I have let myself down as well. For the past few years I was on such a determined path: get my experience in radio and work my way up to the biggest and best job I could get! As you can see, that's not happening anymore. Is this just a detour I'm on, or have I changed my route entirely? I'm not sure of the answer to that...As of right now, I do hope to get back into radio, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens! And I know deep down that my parents will be proud of me no matter what I end up doing, as long as I'm happy. And I must say, I think I would be content with that as well!

Love, Dianna

Days til I Leave: 11

What's in a Name?

So you may be wondering where I got the title of my blog "Taking The Long Way Around". Well it actually comes from a Dixie Chicks song with the same title. The first time I heard it (and every time after that!), I could totally relate to what it was saying.



My friends from high school
Married their high school boyfriends
Moved into houses in the same ZIP codes
Where their parents live

But I, I could never follow
No I, I could never follow

I hit the highway in a pink RV with stars on the ceiling
Lived like a gypsy
Six strong hands on the steering wheel

Well, I never seem to do it like anybody else
Maybe someday, someday I'm gonna settle down
If you ever want to find me I can still be found

Taking the long way
Taking the long way around
Taking the long way
Taking the long way around

There's also a song behind the blog's web address. "Born to Fly" is a song by another country artist, Sara Evans.



I've been tellin' my dreams to the scarecrow
'Bout the places that I'd like to see
I said, friend do you think I'll ever get there
Ah, but he just stands there smilin' back at me

So I confessed my sins to the preacher
About the love I've been prayin' to find
Is there a brown eye'd boy in my future, yeah
He says. girl you've got nothin' but time

My daddy, he's grounded like the oak tree
My momma, she is steady as the sun
Oh you know I love my folks
But I keep starin' down the road
Just lookin' for my one chance to run

Yeah, 'cause I will soar away like the blackbird
I will blow in the wind like a sea
I will plant my heart in the garden of my dreams
And I will grow up where I'll wander wild and free

Oh, how do you wait for heaven
And who has that much time
And how do you keep your feet on the ground
When you know, that you were born
You were born yeah
You were born to fly

Love, Dianna

Days til I leave: 12

The Journey I've Already Taken...

Although my trip hasn't even begun yet, I've already had quite the journey in my life! So how did I get to the point of dropping everything and quitting my job, moving back home, and going traveling? Well I could start this story all the way back on the day I was born- July 10, 1984, but then I'd be here all day! So let's begin when I moved to Fort McMurray, Alberta on December 26, 2005.

I had graduated from the Radio Broadcasting program at Humber College a few months prior and I was DYING to break into the industry. So I applied to every single job posting I saw, and accepted the first job I was offered- which of course happened to be NORTH of the middle of nowhere. People called me brave, people called me crazy- I even had my doubts when I stepped off the plane to a whole bunch of nothing!- but living in Fort McMurray ended up being 2 of the best years of my life.

I loved my job, I made some great friends...and for a while I actually thought I had found my happy ending! Yes, I met a boy. And I fell in love. HARD. Things moved quite quickly in our relationship- we bought a puppy after only being together for 4 months, we bought a house after only 6 months...I was loving my little "family" and being all domesticated, but then things quickly came crashing down. My dog was hit by a car and killed on Christmas Eve 2007 and I was devastated. After that, I decided I wanted to start fresh with a new job in a new city, so that's how I ended up in Squamish, BC in March 2008. My boyfriend said he would join me shortly thereafter...but he never did. Although our relationship was slightly strained due to the fact that I was still grieving the loss of my dog, I was still completely blind-sided when my boyfriend called me out of nowhere and said it was over.

Now I don't want you to feel sorry for me because in hindsight that was the best thing that could have happened to me! But don't get me wrong- it still sucked. I was in a new city all by myself with no friends and no family (well a few 1,000 km away!), so it took me a while to get back on my feet again. To be honest, I never really SETTLED in BC...I did eventually make some friends and I have amazing memories from my time there, but I just couldn't find my niche.

It was at the end of 2008 when I first started thinking about quitting my job and going traveling. I had nothing holding me back- I wasn't too crazy about my job, I was single, I was still young, and I had a bunch of money saved from when my ex bought me out of the house we owned together (one of the many upsides of our break-up! haha). So in April 2009 I packed up my bags, moved back home and started planning this amazing adventure I am about to embark on!

Alright, so much for keeping this story short! Hopefully I didn't bore you to death but I thought it would be nice to give you (in case you didn't know already!) an overview of what has gotten me to this point. Thanks for reading...more tomorrow!

Love, Dianna

Days til I Leave: 13

Start the clocks, the countdown has begun!

In exactly 2 weeks I will be sitting on a plane, heading to Heathrow, and beginning my once-in-a-lifetime-bank-account-depleting-life-changing 71 day trip to England, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece! I'm starting to get very excited/nervous about it. On the one hand I'm excited because I know that I am starting a journey that will not only be fun, but also an amazing learning experience. On the other hand I'm also quite nervous because, come on- this is scary! Heading to 7 foreign countries all by myself, not knowing any people, the language...its a bit overwhelming when I think about it too much! But I know that this is my opportunity to really LIVE life- going out of my comfort zone, meeting new people, exploring new places...as a lot of people have told me, I'm doing what most only dream of!

I'm writing this blog to not only update my friends and family on where I am and what I'm doing on my trip, but also as a sort of diary for myself. I expect there will be many experiences and stories that I will not want to forget, so this is the perfect way to document it all! And of course, if my blog becomes some phenomenon where thousands of people start to read it and then it turns into a book and then a movie (I admit, I just saw "Julie & Julia" and was a little inspired), well that's okay with me too!

So what do I hope to achieve with this trip? Do I want to meet some rich European man, fall in love, marry him, and live happily ever after in my mansion on the French Riviera? I admit, that would be kinda nice. Do I hope to come home a "changed woman", wise beyond my years, full of knowledge, wisdom and insight? Also kind of nice, but probably unlikely. To be honest, the only thing I want from this trip is to have FUN. Anything on top of that will just be icing on the cake!

Love, Dianna