Jordan, Ontario: Where I'm from will always have a part of me

                     

                      

    

As I arrive in my new home of Chiang Mai, Thailand, I can't help but reflect on my past 6 weeks.  I was able to fly back to Canada and spend some much needed time enjoying all that is familiar:  being in the place I grew up and seeing the people I love.

I grew up in Jordan. No, not the country beside Israel (yes, I've been asked that before!), but a wine country village in the Niagara Penninsula of Southern Ontario.  Looking back, I realize just how lucky I was.  Though there is no grocery store or shopping mall in Jordan, there is a beauty that cannot be denied.  Coming back after travelling and living abroad, I found myself seeing this place in a new perspective.

Chiang Mai Jungle Trek

Quick Update:  From England to Thailand... it's really happening!  

In mid August, Zack and I (Sarah) parted ways.  I flew back to Canada to visit with family and friends, and Zack took off to the opposite corner of the world.  Zack has now been living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand for just over one month now.  Thankfully, because of technology, we've been able to keep in contact quite easily and both of us are jealous of what the other one is doing.  I fly out next week(!) to join him in the adventure and can hardly wait (though I have loved catching up with family and friends). 

Here's what he was up to last weekend, written by Mr. Zack himself!  (Mr. Zack is what his students call him... :))

Living in Chiang Mai has been very exciting so far. I have loved trying out all the new foods, whipping around town on my motorbike, walking the streets, and taking in all the sights and sounds. Unfortunately it is not the most pedestrian friendly city and it can at times become overwhelming for someone who enjoys strolling around town. Fortunately I have been able to do some exploring on weekends. I have made it to a quarry to do some cliff jumping and swimming. Gone to the lake for a swim and hiked up to some local waterfalls. Twice I have hiked up the local mountain to find beautiful views looking out over the city. It is always nice to escape the craziness of the city and get back to nature. I was therefore so excited to have a long weekend and signed myself up for a 2 day 1 night trek through the Thai jungle.

Sarah Reimer Designs: Open House!

                    

                    

    

Wow, what a feeling it is to have an entire evening dedicated to what I've been working away at.  Thank you to everyone who gave up their evening last night to join me!  Together, we explored more of Sarah Reimer Designs and the stories behind my photography.  Also, I know there are many of you that couldn't make it out last night who would have liked to.  Thank you for all your phone calls, emails, etc... it means a lot to me!

We're moving to Thailand!

(Sorry mom- not coming home yet)

I blame it on the travel bug.  Look what this year has done to us.  It has left us with a desire to see more of the world, and chase after doing the things we never thought we'd do in our lifetime.  Not a bad thing though, eh?  In fact, it gives me goosebumps!  The cultural experiences, the new people, the food, the warmth, the adventure... it has all been calling our names ever so loudly this past year!  So we've decided to make a bold move, and will be relocating to Chiang Mai, Thailand for the next two years.

A Weekend in Paris

What a dream this feels like.  As I begin to form my thoughts on how to describe our weekend away in Paris, I'm thinking, "is this real life?".  Picnics under the Eiffel tower, cheese, red wine, baguettes?  Yes, that happened.  Our own Parisian flat complete with brioche bread waiting for us in the kitchen?  Oh yes, that happened.  Crepes, fancy hats, red lip stick and more cheese?  Why not.  That's how we did it last weekend in Paris.

Brugge, Belgium

Well isn't this exciting... a GUEST writer on our blog?  When Jon accepted my "request" to write about Bruges, not only was I (Sarah) excited because it gave me a little break from writing, but because it's exciting to have a different perspective on our travels.  When he sent me what he wrote, I honestly laughed the whole way through.  Which really, didn't at all surprise me.  Zack and I both have been friends with Jon for years now and we always spend the majority of our time together laughing.  We were estatic when we found out he had booked a flight from Canada to visit us in England, as we knew it would just be like old times.  Aside from the fact that we never would have thought we would road trip from England to Belgium...  So, without further adieu, here's Jon (with a few comments from myself, which will be in italics):

Chocolate, Waffles and Beer.

I admit - before this trip I didn't know much about Belgium, or the city of Bruges in particular. I knew they made waffles, but other than that, I hear the chocolate is good and the beer is better, that is all.  So when Zack and Sarah suggested we go -- why not? Off to Belgium we go.

The adventure started with renting a car in Cambridge, a process that apparently takes 3 hours. Renting a car in Cambridge is probably what Anger Management instructors use to test their pupils to see how long it takes before they crack. Zack would have been given a B, later lowered to a C when he threw his water bottle at me(out of anger) because he missed the exit for the euro - tunnel to France. I had nothing to do with him driving past the exit, but I guess sleeping in the back wasn't exactly helping either.  Luckily Z + S pride themselves on owning water bottles that are glorified ziploc bags with a cap so it wasn't so bad. (Sarah: just to be clear on the water bottles, they seriously are great for travelling..  Ziploc bags have nothing on our foldable water bottles.  Also, on behalf of Zack.. sorry Jon for waking you from your beauty sleep.)

Bremen, Germany

     

    

If there's one thing I've learned throughout our travels (though I have learned a lot!), it's that: it's all about the people.  Whether it's someone you breifly come in contact with, or someone who ends up a life long friend, people shape our travel experiences more than we realize.  After coming to realize this, I've tried to become more intentional about engaging with people during our travels.  Although I wouldn't say I'm shy, I am definitely not as outgoing as I'd sometimes like to be.  At times, it can be easy to go somewhere, take it all in, and leave before even engaging with the human beings that actually live there!  My goal of travelling is not to have my life be like one super long vacation (though I can't deny that it's pretty good!), my goal of travelling is to learn, to engage in other people, and to hopefully give that back to the people I engage with.  If it wasn't for the people I've met throughout our travels, we wouldn't have made this trip to Bremen.