the world through my eyes…

So last night was my first night in Niagara Falls.  Michelle wanted to go to the bar, so I said why not.  Apparently she was in charge of the hostel tour, which meant taking guests with us.  As we left the hostel there was Mich, a guy from Australia and myself.  The Wild Mushroom is located on the corner of Victoria and Clifton Hill right across from Casino Niagara.

 The bar was pretty homey, decorated with $1 USD on the ceiling and wood posts.  After a few hours we were joined by 2 other staff memebers from the hostel as well.  At one point the guy who runs the hostel, invited this older woman from the bar to join us.  Wow, that was interesting.

No sooner does she sit down, she tells everyone that her husband had died 2 months ago and that she was here on vacation with her kids.  My first thought was… wow, umm where are your kids now while you’re getting drunk in a bar?  It wasn’t until awhile later, after 3 Irish girls from the hostel joined us that we found out why she was there.  I couldn’t believe my ears as she told our manager that her husband had died 2 months ago and she really needed some sex.  WOW!!  It was an interesting night as we watched her become more drunk and hit on both males and females alike. 

That being said, I was quite happy when Mich said she wanted to go back to the hostel at 1am.  as I was ready for bed and some more sleep.!

I can’t help but wonder when reality will kick in and I’ll realize that I’m gone for the next 10- 12 mths.  It still doesn’t feel real to me.  Even saying goodbye to my parents at the airport didn’t seem real.  As Mom said… “It feels like you’re just going away for a few weeks”.  I think in a couple weeks it’ll really hit me and my family that I’ll be gone until June 2009.

One hazard of living so far from the airport is that you end up being earlier than you want to be, otherwise the people who drive you to the airport get home way too late.  So naturally I was at the Calgary Airport at 9pm; 4hrs before my 1am flight to Toronto.  Thank goodness for Chili’s and wifi, otherwise it could have been the longest 4hrs of my life!  The wait wasn’t too bad and the flight was great, as I was tired enough to get some sleep.You have to love it when everything seems to just fall into place. 

After my arrival at Toronto Pearson International Airport, I managed to get to the Malton Go Station just 5 mins before the next train, a great relief when carrying a 40lb pack!  The ride was smooth, but in a way it was too smooth.  With the gentle swaying of the train, and my lack of sleep over the last few days, it was a battle to keep my eyes open until Union Station; where I was to get off.

It’s funny, no matter how long its been, as soon as I step into Union Station in downtown Toronto, I’m back in my element. The crowds of people during rush hour never phase me.  Making my way to the VIA Rail ticket windows was a breeze and I was delighted to find that I could switch to the 8:30am (which was boarding in 5 mins) train to Niagara Falls instead of waiting for the 10am train. 

Once again the gentle sway of the train lulled me to sleep as we made our way to Niagara.  The hotel I’ll be working at is about a 4 minute walk from the train station, which is great.  I’m SO happy to finally be here.  I had originally planned on trying to make it through the day, but I’ve just been told by Michelle that we’re going out tonight, which means it’ll be a really late night.  So I’m off to have a much needed nap!