I've lost count of which phase I am at, I just know it's a good one. The value of strong relationships is something i've really learnt over the past 2 weeks. I went through a break up with my partner of 3 & a half years & argued with a friend that really I haven't known for too long while on holiday with her.

Realising in the time of need, who you call upon to help you let go of the pain & the feelings that overcome you. When you aren't at home to cry in your family or friends arms about the issues then you rely on what you have by your side & that is each other & a few emails to your support network back home. You tend to be stronger then you realise when you don't technically have your strongest relationships by your side. My mums support is the one I needed, that one hug that could make it better.
In regards to the breakup, I had to rely on the ex.
He was my best friend, & still is, But this is also the reason why we weren't going to continue this trip as a couple. When you want more of a committed relationship after this long he realises that it's not what he wants either, you get to a point where you can admit your not happy being together, although you love each other so much - you may be just friends & you are better to let it go for each others happinness in the long run. Before finishing work on the 29th March we had a work outing, which is where we got to ride on a sleigh carted by two horses to a cabin in the woods full of alcohol & food (all paid for by the bosses).

The night consisted of being snowed on by the fire, drinking with our mates & playing drinking games with the owner. The game "Titties Titties" remained alive through the whole night & managed to get the boss drunk enough that when we got to the pub he had to be escorted out by his misses. Two lessons of the night, don't whistle when your on a horse sleigh & fee your boss tequila while thinking about titties - he'll buy you what you want.

I finished work a few days earlier then what I was going to, but it was a good idea, because I got to travell with the boys & friends to Whistler for a few days before I made a weeks trip to Seattle with my girlfriend. We left Big White/ Kelowna & made the trip with a full car to Vancouver to pick up some friends & then to Whistler to meet more friends. The way up to Whistler the car lost all power, no steering & no one could figure it out. We had a car full of blokes (2 mechanics, a plumber & a tiler.) It turns out Google doesnt help this situation, the plumber could find the issue & the mechanic was the one who stuffed it up to begin with. You see when they bypassed something at an earlier date & leave wires in the engine, it tends to short out the engine & leaves you high & dry.

With this finally sorted we made the trip up to Whistler with no hassle besides a heavy full car. The town was to our suprised huge, with no snow at all. There were roads winding through every possible house, many shops & resturants, & just a big town compared to what we were use to.

We went out a couple nights while I was there including a very intoxicated house party the first night. This was the first night I was with the group I hadn't seen for a while & It was actually also the first night out where I had broken up with the boy, so the alcohol easily went down & so did the shots attached to the ski's. Trying to drink the pain & the awkwardness away wasn't the best idea for site seeing the next day as the 25 minute gondula ride up to the round house was daunting, sips of the water kept things down & a greasy lunch also made it better but at the time of the party it was the best idea I had to survive. The Peak to peak views were fair amazing but it seems once you see views from one ski hill it feels like you've seen them all.

The main thing I did enjoy finding were the Inukshuks. I was told at the time that the meaning of INUKSHUK is "safe travels" but after researching it, seems like the meaning is more "to show direction". I also found this out:

The word "Inukshuk"(pronounced In-OOK-Shook) literally translates into "stone man that points the way". The rocks erected in the image of man were erected by the Inuit and stand along Canada's most northern shores.Inukshuks are stone cairns that were erected by Inuit at important locations throughout the barrens of the Arctic to serve as guideposts or markers. They were also erected to help guide in the herding of caribou during their annual migration towards where they could be more easily hunted by the ancient Inuit. The Inukshuk is given as a gift today, to symbolize our dependence on each other and to remind us of the value of strong relationships. If a single stone is removed from an Inukshuk, the structure becomes weaker and so too is each individual in a team necessary for its strength

It makes sense as to why I needed to come to Whistler.
I also realised then who back home I could really rely on & this girl made me feel like I had the world at my feet & I wasn't weak for drinking my sorrows away, but moreso I would become stronger from this.
I knew then that the bond we have would be forever & the support might not always be by my side but will always in the heart. (& on the other end of skype.) Technology these days makes for some wonderful things...

While in Whistler we also attended an 80's party at a club that resulted in us all having our faces painted & seeing neon on only a cople of people. The enthusiasm to dress up wasn't as dedicated as Big White outings. I felt very much so like an outsider with the group I was with & the situation I was in, so I had to leave this party a few hours earlier then everyone else so I could call another friend for some more moral support. When your drinking & someone has told you to call them if you need them, you take that helping hand & apologise for babbling later. The 2 hours conversation was definitely a good ending to a hard night.

After leaving Whistler I felt the weight off my shoulders dissappear immediately & the excitement for my week away with my girl (Friend #2 of the trip) would be a nice break from everything. I met up with her in Vancouver so we could do our catching up on the bus & then enjoy Seattle with whatever happens. 2 Single Australians ready to party in America, we were out to have a good time. We managed to go out 4 nights in a row with one night being too roudy that we got into an arguement. All solved & moved on after a day it seems you can just let issues go with some friends, you just learn for next time what not to do & how you need to let some people spread their wings.

Seattle itself definitely wasn't the best place I'd been. I thought it to be worse then Vancouver in my book, raining, cold, homeless, boring. There wasn't all that much to do & the nightlife was a tad quiet too. We went to 4 different bars on our first night trying to get the take on where was busy & a good place to be. We managed to go to Kell's (A little Irish pub for cheap drinks) before we found a better off place. Being pointed in the direction of some more pubs we managed to roll up to a place with pinball machines out the back, clowns everywhere & the vibe was just strange. Moving on after a drink in each place we went to another club that only had about 20 people surrounding a bunch of tables. It wasn't managing to get very exciting so we decided we were done & to get some pizza slices on the way out. We crossed the road to get an amazing slice & a drink & then we'd just relax.

Ofcourse we sat on the biggest table at the back causing us to meet two canadian fellas who were just nice to hang about with... So after an hours chat we went next door to an underground hawain themed bar called Cha Cha's. Still was quiet but the most fun we had because we had more company.

The hostel we stayed in "The Green Tortoise" was the best place yet, besides the no wifi in the bedrooms & the creepy old men around, it was a comfortable sleep & quiet, but still a lot of atmosphere. The second night we were there for a pub crawl. Managed to easily get on the drinks agian for the occasion & make some more friends... This was the thing about Seattle. It wasn't so much the nightlife that was hapenning, but more so the company that we were with. We had managed to make friends with a guy from South Hampton & a country bloke from Australia too. Along with a French girl form Madagaskar, a man from the Phillipenes & a bunch of others too.

Waking up the next morning was good because we'd have a little group to relay with about the evening before. Reminding us what had happpened & how we got there... Sight seeing became more interesting too with more people .

Getting my eye brow pierced, a quote for a tattoo for my friend & getting drench in the rain was about as fun as it got durin that next day. For breakfast I did manage to find myself an admirer. Typically it wasn't who I wanted it to be. As I was making my eggs on toast for breakfast I could see this old man staring at me from the fridge; slurping on his drink. To break the awkward stares I said "hello how are ya" & turned around "You must be a swimmer" he mentions, "No, no I am not" (What is he saying!!). "Your legs are very long & beautiful" Thank you, I don't swim. I tried to get out of the conversation as fast as I could with not much luck. I tried to laugh off some of his comments & bag myself out so he would stop or just say thank you & move along but he continued with comments about my leggings & my feet & arms, & the continuous staring from afar.

Later that day while sitting in our little group of friends, I recieved a tap on the shoulder & a piece of paper waving infront of my face "here this is for you" it read in cursive "your jet black hair is so attractive - so unique"
CREEPY!!! After a bit of a laugh & some hilarious comments from my friends about my new boyfriend & stalker, I did not want to see this guy or give him eye contact again.

The third day we had spent wondering through the aquarium & the waterfront & saw a sign for a ghost tour, so why not. That night we came back & we learnt some history of Seattle & learnt about people who have died around the area too. Turning off the lights & taking us to the underground of Seattle was interesting but definitely not a scary outing. Taking it easy that night we crashed early preparing for the next day.

We stayed in Seattle for 2 more nights, one was only going to be a few quiet drinks after some asian quizine for dinner, with a fortune cookie that read "Others appreciate you more then you think." It turned into the 3 o'clock downpour of booze, dancing, bar after bar, jaywalking infront of the police (lucky enough not to be arrested) & argueing with the girlfriend. This is when your new friends come to the rescue with some great advise & support - it gave me faith again that there are kind people around you, you just have to find them.

The next day I made plans to get out of the hostel with a couple of blokes & go see "the Fremont Troll" It's definitely an ugly thing.. not much else to say but Fremont was fair quiet as well, although we did find a random Sunday Market that was more like a garage sale in stall form, & the Gas Works Park had a great view & the only bit of greenery I saw throughout the town.

The last night was to see the Seattle VS Houston Baseball game. The first game of the season & the last night of mine in Seattle. My English friend & Australian friend managed to reel a few others into coming all together, so we had a German girl, a Mexican & an American with us too. Turned out to be a great night of seeing a real American sports bar & making new friends too. The American bought a few rounds of drinks & turned out to be one of the most pleasant & fun loving people I'd met. The game itself wasn't the most exciting but the atmosphere was huge & the people I were with made the night amazing. The type of friends that only after a few days of meeting you can pay them out & not offend them.

After the big night & not much else left that we wanted to do, we decided it wasn't for us. We were sight seeing as much as we could, we still didn't do everything we wanted but the temperature put a downfall on our moods. We had now learnt it wasn't the prettiest, busiest or warmest place we wanted to be so we cut our Seattle trip short so I could return to Kelowna & save my money. Friend #2 returned to Van & I got to see my best friend a few days early.

Being back in Kelowna with all of my possetions set up in the new place, food in the fridge & a car really makes a difference but also seeing your best friend (who yes was your ex) makes you feel more comfortable in the place your at. It is hard being around someone you have a strong connection with, even though its not the same.. but it's worse not to have them around at all.

Next week I'll be off to Toronto to stay for 2 months & work. I'm happy to be seeing another part of Canada before we run down the states in June, but am going to miss the comfort of having everything with me again. The value of strong relationships definitely is priceless.

No one could ever understand how much somone really means to you.