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| Mitja, Me, April and Jonas |
This last month has been jam-packed with events, socializing, comings and goings, new resolution completions and trip research for South America. The Manifesting Magic workshop (story at http://thirteensquared13.blogspot.ca/2013/06/manifesting-magic-forest-festival.html) opened a whole new world for me and took me East of Ottawa. Only one day later I was in the Rockies with family (story at http://thirteensquared13.blogspot.ca/2013/06/surprise.html & http://thirteensquared13.blogspot.ca/2013/06/graduation-surprise-part-ii.html). Upon my return, more exciting opportunities would have me back on the road touring my own backyard astride a couple of imported Harley’s and one sexy Honda Shadow.
Couchsurfing? Crashing on random peoples couches. The cheapest and most illuminating way of traveling. To see another instance where I hosted: http://thirteensquared13.blogspot.ca/2013/05/hosting-nishant.html
Let me rewind for a moment.
As I was loading my bags into the car for my impending flight to Calgary, I received a couchsurfing request from a couple of German bikers determined to crisscross North America on their motorcycles. It broke my heart that I wouldn’t be here to meet them but I could not let this opportunity slip through. Hosting couchsurfers is much more to me than giving back to my traveler community, it’s a chance to travel and learn about the world through others. I passed on their request to April, a fellow biker and aspiring film-maker (remember the videos she’s made for ThirteenSquared? You can find them all on the YouTube channel ‘KN Extraordinary Life’). Did I mention these boys are making short films about their journey as they go? It was a match a made in heaven.
My return from Alberta marked the beginning of a record breaking week for resolutions accomplishments. It all began with our very first meeting:
CHALLENGE ACCOMPLISHMENT # 6
THE RESOLUTION: Meaningful Hangouts
CHALLENGE ACCOMPLISHMENT # 5
THE RESOLUTION: Food from 13 Countries
Jonas and Mitja rented a place to stay not even 5 minutes away from me. An excellent choice seeing as I would be spending more time with these two bad-ass looking bikers in the next few weeks than my usual yearly ration of socializing combined. Of course they made an excellent first impression when they invited April and I over to their new Canadian pad for a home-cooked German meal. I would surely butcher any attempt to name and positively identify the kind of bratwurst we were so generously served (there are dozens of varieties!?) Even the beer’s name had about seventeen letters in it. But the entire meal was delicious. The potatoes were soft and gooey like a dumpling (which is, in fact, a staple of German cuisine - I looked it up). There was sauerkraut and gravy. And the funnest part, the bratwurst you have to peel like a banana.
Not only was this ‘meaningful hangout’ a start to our blossoming friendship, I accomplished a fifth checkmark for food from around the world in a much more unique fashion than trying out a local restaurant.
The stories will continue in the next episode of ThirteenSquared :)
One woman. One year. 85 down. 84 to go.
P.S. I just found out the sweet little sausage thingy wasn't even bratwurst! It was something something/w?$#???? *()!@>????wurst :) Ya, something like that.
P.S. I just found out the sweet little sausage thingy wasn't even bratwurst! It was something something/w?$#???? *()!@>????wurst :) Ya, something like that.
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