Our first morning in Tapalpa was really cool. The house that we were staying in had this amazing view of the town and the forest and it was really nice to just soak up the sun from there. The friend that we were with also made us an amazing breakfast. I feel like any Mexican food is so good (although I will not be trying cow tongue tacos anytime soon!). In the evening we went downtown to the shops and for dinner. We had tostadas at a little food truck and then went to a restaurant to watch a folk dance performance in the square. The dancing was fun to see, but it didn't last all that long. Brooke and I ended up going to a folk ballet last week to catch some more of it which was really cool. ... read more

A couple weeks ago I was in Tapalpa with some of the other girls at the school. We were there for the weekend and I feel like I had so many photos that I decided to split them up. We went to see these big rocks, I think they're called las Piedrotas, and half way through our walk around them it started pouring rain! When we talked to people before going there, we were told to pack coats and boots because it gets cold there. Being Canadian, we packed neither. I wouldn't say it was cold, but after getting caught in the rain and sitting in soaked clothes for the next hour, I probably wouldn't have minded a coat! Tapalpa was super beautiful and I'd recommend it to anyone spending some time ... read more

Coming to Mexico, one of the things I was most excited for (besides the tacos) was Day of the Dead. I tried to learn as much as I could about this celebration leading up to it which was easier than I thought since the school I'm at celebrates both Halloween and Day of the Dead. On Thursday, my friend Brooke's host family invited me along to go to the Catrina parade in Tlaquepaque and it was exactly how I imagined it. We wandered through the streets for a while before the parade began and went into a few shops while we waited. I loved seeing the decorations between the buildings and loved seeing people dressed like Catrinas. Brooke and I weren't sure if we would paint our faces for the ... read more

(Literally yelling Baywatch while running slow-mo down the beach) This weekend we took a quick trip out to Manzanillo with my host family. We spent the weekend relaxing by the beach, getting massages, and drinking piña coladas. The waves at this beach are massive and I had a lot of fun practicing my Baywatch moves while running away from them. In Guadalajara it isn't all that humid, so even when it's hot it's pretty bearable. In Manzanillo it is humid as heck. As soon as you step out from your air conditioned apartment it hits you like a sweaty slap in the face. The pool was a lifesaver in the heat though, especially with the bar right in the middle of it. We're back in Guadalajara now ... read more

  I’ve been in Guadalajara for a week now and am loving every minute of it! I’ve already met so many amazing people and I’m having a lot of fun with them. On Thursday we had the day off for the Virgen de Zapopan procession. My wonderful host took me to see Hospicio Cabanas, a UNESCO World Heritage site. We took a tour of the Chapel and then walked through the art gallery. Inside the chapel is covered with frescoes painted by José Clemente Orozco. One of the most amazing paintings on the ceiling is The Man of Fire, which changes perspectives as you walk around and look up. From one point the man appears to be lying down and as you walk to the other side he becomes upright and above the ... read more

  For one of our last days on the island we went along the North Cape Coastal Drive and stopped a few times along the way to check out some lighthouses, beaches, and of course the Stompin' Tom Centre. We went to the top of the West Point Lighthouse which was a lot of steep steps up, but was so cool at the top! After that, we drove up to North Cape and had lunch there, then walked along the rocky beach before heading back home. Being in P.E.I. is always so much fun, it's such a beautiful place and I love seeing family there. I've done a lot of driving this summer, but this Coastal Drive is one that I would do again and again. I love seeing the red dirt and the lighthouses, and it's ... read more

On one of our first days on Prince Edward Island we had a big family reunion with 70 of our relatives. My dad grew up in Summerside so we go back there a lot to visit our grandparents and some of his family. He organized a deep sea fishing trip for any of the family that wanted to come a few days later. Most of what we caught was mackerel which didn't taste very good, but we got a few cod as well. They also brought up a lobster trap on board to show us how they're caught and they let us hold the lobsters too. On the way back from fishing we were allowed to take turns steering the boat. Luckily no one got sea sick while I was driving! After fishing, we went into North Rustico to walk along ... read more

About a week and a half ago I left Edmonton with my dad and my dog and set out for P.E.I. We drove across the country for 5 days and have been here for a week now. We stopped in Ottawa on one of the days to give Turner some exercise in the river and then took him downtown with us to visit Parliament Hill. He was a bit nervous being somewhere so busy, but he was so well behaved! I think he thought he might run into Justin ;) We're at a cottage on the island now with my entire family. We had a family reunion last weekend and have just been relaxing since then. Driving down here was a lot of fun, but I'm happy that I'll be flying back on my way home! ... read more

Our last day in Iceland!! We booked our Blue Lagoon experience for the day that we were flying home and gave ourselves enough time to relax and swim before heading to the airport. The pool is bigger than I expected, but even at 8 a.m. there are already a lot of people there. Everyone there was walking around with these silica masks that you get included in admission. We tried them out too, but I don't think they really did anything for the softness of my skin! There's a little bar in the pool where you can buy drinks and other little things. Frances and I both got a blue slush which was really yummy (I think I drank most of hers too!). Everything you buy there is tracked by these bracelets ... read more

For our last few days in Iceland Frances and I moved to a new hotel in Reykjavik. Our first day in the city we went on a whale watching tour. Unfortunately we saw zero whales in the 3 hours we were on board, but we did see a few puffins! We also got to wear these great onesie boat suits that kept us very warm. After the tour we went to an outdoor heated swimming pool which was really fun. I would highly recommend that to anyone travelling to Reykjavik! Our second day in Reykjavik we spent walking around Laugevegur street. We went up to Hallgrímskirkja and took the elevator up to the top where you can look out on the city. There are so many cute colourful houses and buildings you can see, ... read more