Hello. My Name is Krista, and I am a Departures Addict.

Travel shows are usually cheesy. I do not need someone who is traveling in first class around the world and is staying in five star hotels to tell me where I should have a meal.

Departures is not a travel show. I am a addict. Watching two (three if you count the cameraman) very attractive Canadian men actually travel the world and see things that very few people in the world have makes for the best show on television. Besides the fact that Scott, Justin and André are ridiculously physically attractive (Catherine calls it Travel Porn), they have this amazing ability to make it feel as though you are the fourth person on their trips around the world seeing villages in Thailand, mountains in New Zealand, or culture in Japan.

With Justin's laid back attitude on life, and Scott's travel smarts they make the perfect pair! And if they ever need a female travel partner I would be willing to help them out a bit! ;)

Your Lovely Places

Just found this amazing blog called Your Lovely Places.

 

The blog shares photos for trips around the world of peoples favourite places on Earth. The pics are beautiful!

I even shared a few photos from one of my own trips to Beijing... check it out and share some of your own Lovely Places!

Another of one of my Lovely Places, a photo from my first trip to Paris in April 2008

HAPPY 2011

My friend Pam and I had a wonderful New Years Eve with a trip to the "big" city of Halifax! Drinks at the Pogue, then off to (as much as I hate to admit) The Dome! Here is a few photos of our great night!

Happy New Year to all my family & friends! I wish all of you all over the world all the best in 2011!

To each and every one of you...

As a sat on my Blackberry texting all my friends from around the world to wish them a wonderful Christmas, it dawned on me how many friends I have that I am horrible at keeping in touch with. I sent messages to my closest friends; Catherine, Katrina, Keshia, Caitlin & Pam, and then scanned through my phone to send festive wishes to those I only see once a year (if not less).

Lucia, the best roommate I could have ever asked for! The Slovakia native taught me more than she will ever know! It has been ironic that we have become closer now, when we live in separate countries! Lucia is the sweetest person I have ever met, and I can only hope our paths in life will cross again.
Dawn, my fabulous Abu Dhabi friend who I have known only since 2007. Her and her husband Paul were great friends to me while I spent some time on my own in the foreign city. I though of her and how she must be enjoying her English Christmas in Coventry with her friends and family.

Christie, or as i call her "My best Abu Dhabi" friend, whom I haven't seen in years. She left me on a midnight flight from Abu Dhabi to Manchester in the new year of 2008. I miss my wino friend, who was always good for a laugh and always made sure i could keep up with conversations and jokes with other English folk. 

Dale & Jane, Though i didn't actually contact this pair, I thought of them and their daughters Eden and Neve. The time spent with this couple in Bahrain was very much once in a life time. I wish them all the best in the new year while they raise their girls in South Africa.

The Barraclough/ Bristow Family, The first year since 2008 that I will not be with them at Christmas. I hope Lydia, Ella, Joshie, and Callum were good little ones and "my friend" St Nick found them this year. Though I have heard that the stomach fly hit this Bristol family home. May each of you feel better! Hugs and Kisses to all from Canada.


Though not always the easiest, I did have a wonderful year of traveling, and learning about myself and the world around me.

Stories from a Flight Attendant

When people hearing that I was a flight attendant, I usually get one of two reactions. A) "Wow... How did you get that job?" or B) "Well you must have some stories to tell!" I have had the chance to travel the world with the world's leading new airline that lucky for me had the policy that the crew hotels had to be of a certain standard.  People are expecting to hear random travel stories that I simply... do not have.



I have never been or almost been arrested in a foreign country, but I have stolen red roses from a kid outside of a Bangkok nightclub with my crew members.

I have not caught anyone having sex in the lavatory, however I have nicely asked a woman to turn around, get off her boyfriends lap and buckle her seat belt on a flight to Frankfurt Germany.

I have not had anyone purpose on a flight, but I have had a woman tell me that she couldn't sit by her husband because they were fighting.

I have not used drugs in a random Asian country, but there was this one time in Munich that my crew had drinks with our airlines competitor crew and it got a little heated.

I have not had a passenger threaten my life, however when a fellow crew member emptied an entire bottle of Tabasco sauce on the passenger's breakfast meal, we wondered if the passengers heads were going to stay attached.

I have never been involved with an emergency landing, though I have told passengers that because i had no more milk for their baby the captain would be landing the plane just for them!

Like I said, I just don't have those scary, eventful, thrilling stories to tell like most travelers do...but I do have my own kind of stories to tell!

Flight from Frankfurt to Abu Dhabi

A little Piece of Italy

Every sell proclaimed traveler has that trip that changes their life for the better or the worse. Some it may just be a check off a mental "bucket list", others it may be a place they dreamed of seeing since they we're small. While flying I saw a lot of places in many different countries. And the trip that stands out in my mind was my trip to Italy.

It all started in May 2008 when I got lucky and got called off a standby to go to Milan for a 72 hour layover. Still being "green" in the world for cabin crew I was so excited and immediately called my mother, who's dream it is to see Italy.

The only way that I can explain why this trip in particular changed my life then for the simple reason of a very large check on my then very small bucket list. The crew and I spent a wonderful 72 hours between Milan and Venice, eating, drinking and shopping in true Italian fashion. I remember the feeling I got when I got off the train in Venice... I oddly enough for the first time in my life, felt safe, like one would at home in their own country. Why? Scanning the Venezia train station, I counted 22 Canadian flags on backpacks, suitcases, sweaters, and hats. And being a proud Canadian, my maple leaf (which went with me on every trip I may add), was happily displayed on my hand jacket!

Nothing extremely special happened on this trip, and to be honest I wasn't feeling great when I was there, it just felt amazing, knowing that something else could be crossed off my "to -do " list. :)

  

Home and Native Land



Overlooking Bear River Winery



I personally feel that Canada is the best country in the world. We have the world's longest coastline, some of the world's best "up and coming winery's", the inventions of hockey, basketball, the zipper, the push-up bra ;) and of course the Blackberry, and a little known fact... Santa Clause is thought to be Canadian! I am from the best and most beautiful country in the world.



Apple Blossoms



Even though some may feel like I bitch about having to live in this small town of mine... I love it here at home. My mother once told me to never forget where I came from and to this day I haven't. While living over seas I often showed off my home and native land, as well as this piece of heaven Valley I am from, with books and photos.



Peggy's Cove

I live where the tides are high, the wine flows, and the apple blossoms bloom and I will never forget any of these things. I believe to truly love homeland, travel will make you appreciate where you can always fall and collect yourself, which essentially is what I've done.

In 2008 I wrote a piece for Our Canada Magazine for their "Canadian Abroad" section. The one page article was about my life in Abu Dhabi and flying, but no matter where I was in the world, home was always (and still is) my favourite place on the globe, (stay tuned).

Though it seems like I just complain about my small town, I know how special it is and I am very happy to call this place home. And I know that there are far worse places to be temporarily stuck.

They kill single people don't they?

So there is no fragile way to commence this post.... I've tried... a few times without success. And I've always said that I will not use my blog as a way to vent or flood it with emotions and tell everyone how i feel... so I am just going to ask what is on my mind.

Where do people MEET people?

I ask myself this question everyday. Recently single, I am faced with the evil world of dating again, (try not to make that "aaawwwww"sound and turn your head to the side and feel sorry for me) and as i venture into the world of the unknown... I don't know where to go, literally!

So you think of the obvious places. First off school. I look around.... fail. Enough said.

And then i venture out to places that i enjoy.... the local pub. A winner one would think, but once again.... fail.

You KNOW the local coffee shop was a HUGE fail. And I'm out of places to look in this tiny little place.



My fabulous single friend Catherine & I



This weekend the single girls hit the busy streets of the city of Halifax. Thank god for Catherine... my amazing single friend... ( who just so happens to go for guys I couldn't be less interested in... bonus) who makes the new venture exciting and less evil. 

'Tis the friggen season!



The first snow of the season



So we all knew it would happen sooner or later, and I guess we did get lucky and it didn't come as soon as it could have. The first snow fall. Living in Canada is it bound to happen, and you may curse me and say its wonderful, but.... I hate it. I am not a snow bunny, nor do I enjoy cold evening walks in the snow, and therefore, I have no use for it. Cold feet (literally), falling in slush, and wearing a million layers of clothing is not my explanation of a  magnificent season. I do apologize to those of you who do enjoy a trip down the hill in the powder, I personally just can not do it (sorry Catherine). And for those of you saying "well... 'tis the season"... that saying never makes anyone feel better about the onset of snow!

First snow fall of the season

And in this hemisphere when the white stuff falls,Christmas is just around the corner. This is will be the first time in 3 years that I have spent a Christmas as home in Canada with my family. Which sounds fabulous to my family, however to me... a little less fab and a lot more dull.  Now no offence to my wonderful family, its not them.  Most of this "Scrooge" like feelings has come from a recent breakup, and now the option of jet setting to England for a English Christmas is not going to happen. At least this year I get to spend eating my mother's delectable meals and Christmas treats! So my lack of travel during this "festive" season makes me once again temporarily stuck... how many days till May?

Thank God for single friends, rum and eggnog, and PLENTY of gingerbread cookies to fill me up!