Susan Reboot

Wow, did that really happen?! Is it really over?! Still trying to wrap my head around this first experience. For the first adventure on this journey, I could not have asked for a better experience or a better group of travellers than the Galapagos.

Started in Quito, spent the first day sick (cold and altitude sickness), exhausted and starving in bed. Not a very promising start. I was DETERMINED to get rid of the cold and thankfully the local drug store was able to assist with something I later found out was banned in Canada and the US. Hey, I may grow hair on my back but I felt better within a couple of days.

After about a day in bed ordering room service and trying to adjust to the high altitude, I ventured out to walk around. Quito is nestled into the mountains of Ecuador surrounded by a large volcano. Very pretty city with lots of parks, bike lanes, people out running and public art. Took a ride up the local cable car to get a look at the city during sunset. Quite warm out, about 18 degrees, just needed a light jacket in town but gloves and a heavy jacket at the top of the mountain after the cable car. Also had to pick up a few items at the mall and met SANTA and FROSTY!!! The next day I took a tour of the city on the hop on/off bus. With the ancient, narrow, steep, cobble streets, I am sure that huge double decker bus needs new breaks and the driver needs a stiff drink. I had my doubts and we were told a few times to keep our heads down in tunnels and because of low hanging wires.

Now it was time to meet the other people joining on the adventure to the Galapagos and a representative from G Adventures to review the next days itinerary. We had a very early start the next day and I was partnered up with another single women from Britain to share a hotel room. So far our group consisted of a mom, dad and 2 grown daughters from Ontario, another couple from ON, a couple from Britain, a women from Switzerland and a grandmother from AB. Thankfully my roommate was adorable and we got along easily. Everyone in the group was quite bubbly and personable. That’s great considering we were going to be in close quarters on a boat for over a week. As we left in the early morning for the airport we were joined by an American couple from NY close in age to me who are very lively. We later picked up another solo woman traveller from OR and a solo man from Germany.

Our flight landed at the small airport in Galapagos, we watched as a drug sniffing dog jumped on our luggage to sniff out contraband and then he was followed by a second dog just in case something was missed. The Islands are a park and are very strict with not introducing any  foreign items into the environment. After getting our bags we were met with a friendly pelican while waiting to get onto the boat. I think we were all a bit surprised to see a couple of sturdy dinghy’s coming to pick us up and not being able to walk onto the boat directly from the pier. After finding our rooms I realized I totally scored! I got a room to myself!!! Unsure how that happened as I did not request it or pay extra for it. Total bonus! We then got our itinerary for the day and went over safety and basic rules. Things were going great! I was a bit concerned about getting sea sick as I generally stay off boats smaller then a BC Ferry.

 

Now for our first outing! Saw some sally lightfoot crabs, pink flamingos and sea lions. Our guide grew up on the islands since he was 2 and he was an encyclopedia of information. Very personable, funny, kind and an advocate for the preservation of the park and our safety. After returning, we got a light snack from the crew and a bit of down time (nap) before dinner and then review tomorrows schedule in the daily briefing. This was to be our routine. Early breakfast, outing, snack, nap, lunch, another outing, snack and free time/nap before dinner and a briefing. A bell would be rung for meal times or to gather the gang for an outing. Gotta tell you, I really miss snacks and nap time. As the days were busy and we were being given a lot of information with early start times, we were usually in bed by 8pm.

During the days our boat would typically drop anchor and would travel at night to the next destination. Our first night sleeping on board was going great! And then we pulled up the anchor and started to move. I don’t think anyone had a good sleep the first night. I had to run a couple of times to throw up and reach for the ginger tabs. Then I got serious and got out the ear patches. The patches started to kick in after a few hours thankfully. No sea sickness after that but the nights could be a challenge to sleep with the movements of the boat and the rough waters.

The weather was mostly overcast but generally very warm. Some days the sun was beating down on us with no shade on the islands. We would have to apply sun screen a few times a day because even if it’s overcast as we were on the equator and it would beat you up.  Our winter is their warm and wet season. It rained once for a few minutes and we had some mist on a hike but that was it. Generally we just had a lot of humidity. Clothes would never get 100% dry when hung outside and everything would remain a bit damp….everything except our enthusiasm! Below are our itineraries and map of our travels.

Our first outing included Red Footed and Nazca Boobies. They tend to live in colonies while the Blue Footed ones live on the side of cliffs and hang out in groups of 2-4.

Went to Isabela Island for a hike to look inside Sierra Negra volcano. Here’s some of the locals

 

 

 

The hike up to the volcano was a bit steep, misty, and a bit muddy. When we got to the top we were disappointed as the fog covered up the view but….within 5 minutes the fog started to move and show us the volcanos secrets.

Next up was the tortoise breeding centre. There used to be about 6 different types of species who would adapt to the local conditions but most of them were gone as sailors would eat them and use their fat for candles. After looking on in amazement at our first sea turtles mating in the ocean, we quickly realized this was a very common site and sea turtles do not need assistance with mating like the tortoises did. After a while I stopped taking pictures of the sea turtles mating as I started to realize I was filming turtle porn.

 

 

 

Next up was a tour through mangrove trees in the ocean. This was a huge maze of trees and wildlife. We cut the motor on the dingy and paddled through. On our way we FINALLY saw BLUE FOOTED BOOBIES!!

Now we had a short hike up the side of an island to see a brackish lake that looks out over the ocean….and more Boobies on the way! If you visit the Galapagos,  make sure you bring an underwater camera. I do not have one so I am unable to share pictures of the sea lions, turtles, golden rays, sting rays, assorted fish and sharks (yes sharks) we swam with.

 

 

Fernandina Island,  was COVERED in sea lions, marine iguanas, crabs and other wild life. You really had to watch where you stepped or you could easily step on something. Saw sea lion babies waiting for their moms to come back with food, other sea lion moms nursing their babies. Such a magical place!

As our time was coming to an end we went out to look at more landscapes and squeeze in some more boobies.

 

 

 

Now the Galapagos portion of our trip was over, back to Quito! It was New Years Eve and we wanted to get as much in as possible. Four of us chipped in, hired a driver to take us to Mindo, Cloud Rain Forest for the day. First stop was a hummingbird viewing centre. My pictures do not do it justice. You really need a good camera to capture all the different species zooming around. The buzzing from the birds was quite loud. Seeing them all zooming around was beautiful. I eventually stopped trying to film and put my camera away to just watch in amazement. Afterwards we went to a butterfly breeding centre! You almost forget how fragile and beautiful these creatures are because we rarely see them. They are fluttering all over! Very magical moments to witness. Then we took an open cable car ride across the rain forest, no time to take in a hike as we had to go to a Chocolate tour. My legs will never forgive me for this as they got eaten alive from bugs. I truly left a piece of myself there. On our way back to Quito we stopped off at the Center of the World as this is where the equator is. Then it was time to take in some NYE activities! Our hotel was ground zero for activities, streets were blocked off, police manning the crowds, young men dressing up as women stopping cars for cash donations, people selling effigies to burn a a big bonfire, fireworks going off…it was BUSY!! Then…..it wasn’t. The crowds were getting to be a bit much so we went back to the hotel for drinks, we looked outside around 8:30 and …..the streets were empty….and clean! We later found out that the city shuts down events early and sends everyone back home to burn the effigies in their neighbourhoods.

 

What a great first adventure! I am always curious to see what other travellers will be joining and who I am supposed to meet. We all come from different parts of the world with different backgrounds but for some reason we are brought together to share this experience and learn from each other. I am so grateful to have met such a great group of people and teachers. One thing I have learned from the Galapagos is that life goes on. No matter how harsh the conditions or struggle…..life will prevail.

Fun facts

– the Galapagos Islands are right on the equator line. Some are in the Northern Hemisphere and some are in the Southern. We would hop over the equator line as if we were jumping rope.

– there is NO wifi on most of the islands as there are no people living there. We have data for a bit as we got closer to an island with habitants. Data is very sketchy and not reliable. If you go, do not bother buying a SIM card as there is no data for most of the islands.

– Darwin spent the entire 5 years sailing seasick. He was only at the Galapagos for a few weeks while gathering his data on finches for his theory of evolution and natural selection.

– The islands to not get involved to save any of the species if there is an act of nature (volcano eruption). But they will intervene if it was caused by man.

– The animals do not have humans as a predator and are not shy. Sea lions are passed out on streets and beaches like drunken collage kids after a party, most animals will start posing if they see a camera and are generally big hams.

– The islands were created from volcanos and the landscape can be very harsh and seemingly bare with the hardened lava creating most of the landscape. Each island is quite different, some have lush vegetation, white sandy beaches, black sandy beaches and another island had a red sandy beach.

Stats to date

5 flights, 4 airports, 12,856+ kilometres travelled (unsure how many knots we did while at sea)

#herosjourney #journeyisitsownreward

 

It’s the journey, not the destination

People have been asking me all week “how are you feeling?” Well….I’m feeling like I’ve done all my work, it’s time to take a leap of faith, go have some fun and really connect with the world around me. I’ve learned valuable lessons in getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, letting go, dealing with the negative tapes playing in my head that limit me and really listening to my needs and emotions.

I’ve taken this from a dream, to a manifestation and now a reality. For 2 years I’ve been focused on this moment, sitting in my seat on the plane waiting for take off…..and now it’s here.

The journey awaits

0 km’s

#herosjourney #journeyisitsownre

Shit is not only real, it has seriously hit the fan. Moving date of Dec 8 is 2 weeks away and departure date of Dec 18 is very near. Resistance is something that loves to pop up the closer we get to our goals to test us and it is being persistent. More and more tasks and obstacles to overcome with less and less time to complete them. Some days it feels like a game of beat the clock and then some days I get a brief glimpse of insight and realize some of this is my anxiety rearing it’s ugly head.

While I am making room in my life for wonderful things, I am challenged looking at the things I will be giving up while I am gone. Christmas, friends, my pet, birthdays, my mom, weddings…..it’s a big learning process in having faith and trust in myself and the universe.

Sometimes wondering ‘was I like totally drunk for the past few years while planning this?!'”Doing 4 months on the road ALONE?! Selling my home?! No home to come back to?! What were you thinking?!” Then I take a deep breath and realize, my home was awesome and WAY too far out for me. It served it’s purpose well and it is time to close that chapter and get something closer to town. Alone…yup….I get to do pretty much exactly what I want and I doubt anyone else would be available to join me in these shenanigans. No home….I will be fine. I will find something temporary until I can buy a place again. Hopefully the market will come down more or….who knows maybe I will live somewhere other then BC. The possibilities are endless. That is so freeing and can be overwhelming too.

Have to keep reminding myself of the following:

Everything you’re going through is preparing you for what you asked for.

Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.

My partner in these shenanigans will be someone who has been on every trip with me since I was 9. As a kid, I was sent to spend the summer with family in Denmark travelling  alone (my mind is blown thinking about that now. As a kid, I looked at it as a HUGE adventure and was taken care of by flight attendants). Before the trip, my sister gave me a small bear to take with me and he has come on every adventure ever since. Here’s Ted E. Bear in a Cannes train station and a close up.

Wow, things are really falling into place. Very humbling to see something you have had in your head for a few years come to fruition. Scary too. My home has just sold (pending subjects), travel is paid for, gave work the dates for my leave of absence….shit is getting real.

Putting everything I own in storage for a few months, selling my home, finding a loving, temporary home for my cat, spending 4 months without ANY of my friends/family close by, living out of a suitcase, having to show up in every moment and oh yea….my mom has stage 4 lung cancer.  As one friend put it “you’re pulling the pin on the grenade of your life”.

Most days I don’t know if I am crying for gratitude, because I’m scared, anxious, happy or just as a release. It almost feels like I am letting go of everything to make room for something new into my life….but I have no clue what that ‘something new’ is yet. For the past couple of years I have been going through my home in preparation of this and decluttering. Going through everything wondering ‘why am I holding onto this?’. For the past 6 months I have been going through a similar process emotionally. Looking into every fear and action asking the same questions. Why am I holding onto this? What do I really need? What isn’t serving me anymore?  Thank God for my coach and her insight.

There is a very good chance my mom will not be here when I get back. Thankfully, mom and my family have all encouraged me to go. I think she gets a kick of seeing me do something she would have loved to do herself. It’s still such a huge mixture of feelings when your mom tells you her cancer has spread and a few minutes later you get an email from your travel agent with your schedule and tickets. While my relationship with my mom is not smooth, there are things to be grateful for and learn from and….she is my mom.

I did not set out with any intention when creating my itinerary. Looking back, it seems to have fallen nicely into place without my realizing it. Animals/nature/people/spirituality/beliefs/art. For me, it is a celebration of life itself and creation. That will be my intention on this trip, celebrate life on this ‘Hero’s Journey’ of sorts.

First off, if you are reading this…thanks! Been going through quite a bit and my travel agent suggested writing a blog. A while ago, a good friend Lauren tasked me with writing something for her website. I was a bit hesitant but thanked her profusely afterwards as it was such a therapeutic experience and there is also power in sharing our stories. One last thank you for Bradley for helping me set up this blog!

As most of my friends know, about 7 years ago I started a weight loss journey that was a huge transformation in my life (151 lbs!). The process made me own up for everything in my life and be accountable for all my decisions (big and small) and where they have led me to. I took that opportunity to seek counselling for long held negative beliefs and issues I used to turn to food to deal with and numb myself.

I have always known the transformation was not over yet (is it really ever over?). I was not living the life I really wanted to, there was still some things to work out even though I had come a long way. A large part of this includes taking a few months to travel. No, this is not ‘to find myself’, more to expand myself. I wanted this opportunity to reconnect with literally EVERYTHING. Nature, animals, ocean, people and all the stars in the sky. The thought of selling my home, living out of a suitcase, traveling alone and showing up in every moment over 4 months is terrifying. And it is something I have to do. Life is lived outside of our comfort zones, this is where magic happens.

Over the past few months I have been working with my financial advisor, realtor, travel agent and I got an awesome life coach. I knew this process would bring up issues for me to work through and I wanted a bit of guidance throughout the process. While this plan has been in my head for a few years now, to actually execute on this was overwhelming. I would get chest pains and have trouble breathing when I thought about the whole process and the big picture. There were so many rabbit holes I would dive into mentally. I know if I kept this up, I would not get anywhere. My mantra now is ‘what is the next right step?’. Just do the next step, that’s it. Amazingly, a lot of things have fallen into place with this mentality.

That is the cool thing too…..as I am executing this, so much is falling exactly into place with ease. Letting go of the outcome and having faith in the journey. Never an easy thing to do as we all want control.