Would you lay with me and just forget the world?

I kissed the Canadian Tarmack and burnt my lips.

2006-11-05T13:19:30Z

I honestly did, and I have friends to back me up (rather mock me) as I bent over and kissed the Canadian soil. I landed in Canada to be greeted by my parents, sister and grandparents and it was amazing. The plane ride, seeing everyone, waiting for my baggage; everything just all came together and it was the most amazing expeirence of my life.

So the plane ended up being a little delayed and we all chilled in the airport, catching up on sleep (our wake up call was 3am) and playing serious rounds of yuker man. Competive much?

We boarded our first plane and then landed with no time to spare before we boarded our second plane that would bring us back home to the oh so lovely Canada. Long flight man. And the movie was terrible, but it was hilarious because Cotey and Melynk say the funniest things ever.

I slept a little, got hit on by the creepy flight attendant and was mondo tired by the time I actually arrived in my house last night.

We did go out for dinner ANNNND I got a water, with half a glass of ice, and I got a free refil and I didn't have to pay for the first glass of water AND I used the bathroom (yes the sign did say bathroom and not water closet) and I didn't have to pay a DAMN EURO for it. WOOOOOOOT for the Canadian system.

Haha. So its 8:16am in Canada and I've been up for a long ass time, considering that it feels like 2:16 in the afternoon for me and I'd be on freetime right now, roaming the streets of Europe.

It feels like another vacation, just you know another place I'm seeing and that tomorrow I'll be back in Europe going somewhere else exciting.

Europe has always been my dream and now it finally came true. So what happens now?

We'll just have to wait and see.

The world is full of endless oportunites for Kimiko Carter.

The Final hours.

2006-10-26T00:34:14Z

As I stand here in the middle of the airport in Zurich I am overcome with an emotion of something I have never expierence before. For the past ten days I have traveled around many of the most beautiful places in Europe, snapping pictures, making memories with my friends, making new friends and maybe most importantly, following in my sisters footsteps making junior european footprints.

Everyday, 39 students from Marvkille SS crowded the streets of Europe. To strangers and other tourists not part of our group, we appeared to just be a sea of prospectful students managing are way around the crazy streets of a forgien citz. But up close, each individual feature that differentiates us from one another and makes us who we are, starts to appear.

We trapsed down the streets on the other side of the world, thinking of all the amazing things we were having the chance to expierence, expressing our individualitz and just being ourselves. We showed the rest of the world who we were as the spirit of Markville no matter what age or grade we were in. We hung out with the teachers, tour guides and let our own qualities shine through. The beauty and creativitz in us all was evident.

Yeah, every person is different, and we are all different faces in the sea of people. We are unique with our own beliefs, dreams, excentricities and voices. But string all these individual things together, and you will see, we make up the Markville Euro Trip of 2006.

This trip wasnt just about us as singular, it was about us as a group. We worked together to navigate through the confusing streets and somehow managed to form and forge friendships during the day and during the night. This trip wasnt just about what we could do for oursevles, but rather what we could do for others.

Each morning whether the wake up call was 730, 630 (or todaz 330) we came together to really show what Markville is all about. We are have our strong points whether it be english, math, sciene, geography or even history, but as we worked together, its like we form one huge superhero.

We captured photos of our friends teachers and even ourselves in action, showing the world and our familes what the population of Markville is capable of. We are capable of climbing the alps, taking European subways and being able to stand up to crazy drunk pizza throwing Czech boys. The friends we made are going to be friends with us froever. The memorable moments with fellow classmates and staff will also remain in our hearts forever. We mad memories that will last a lifetime as the students and teachers of Markville Secondary School.

For most of us, high school is just what is is - high school. Another stepping stone or whatever to get to real life. You know that real life I mentioned in my first post? The one with the high paying job, children and hot spouse. Yeah that one.

What this trip taught me was, that high school....is real life. The things we are taught not only inside the school, but outside the school on trips is real life.

No one ever told us that high school is real life. No one let us know that there would be moments between classes, trips, duedates and deadlines and all the other mundane details of high school that would make these four zears worth it a million times over. No one mentioned the diverse people we would meet along this journez and the friendships wed form. The laughter and tears and everzthing else have become ingranined those deep crevices of mz mind as the defining moments of high school. Like this trip.

This trip has changed us all and despite that certain lost of self that this trip presented, we have all changed for the better. When that real life begins, you know the high paying job and all that crap, I doubt that it will ever measure up to this melodrama, complexitz regrets and relality and trips so much like these.

Somewhere down these forgien cities, there was a moment when I realiyed that every single snapshop, every single tear, laugh, meal, friend, and everything else has counted for something.

In a few long hours I will land on Canadian soil and be changed forever. I succeeded in my journey of making junior european footprints.

See you all on the flipside.

Packing With Kim.

2006-10-25T00:21:58Z

1 days 21 hours 51 minutes 53 seconds until I hit the other side of the world. Those feelings I mentioned in my previous post; excitement, joy, fear...the works; have may dimmed over the past couple of days due to the insane busy state I had seemed to be in with meeting due dates and deadlines in my courses. Things have seemed to slow down a bit and although it still hasn't hit me yet that I will be on German Soil quite soon, the anticipation of my arrival continues to grow.

I spent the majority of my weekend, shopping for the essentials; which in my opinion is clothing. Haha I'm sure most thought that I meant shampoo, soap, toothpaste and all that sort of travel stuff. Don't worry I've got that too, but generally I'd rather have more room in my suitcase for an extra pair of shoes. Yes, I am bringing about 5+ pairs of shoes. I did manage to scope out some good deals, some nice clothing and some really fancy stuff to put the shampoo and that stuff in.

For those who can't see what I bought, I did take pictures because hey, its all about sharing the ENTIRE adventure isn't it? And well shopping and getting ready is a big contributing factor. So without further ado, I present to you, my purchases.

three pairs of shoes I bought at Payless. Just some of the shoes I am bringing. ;)

A coat to keep me warm. Seriously its the most comfortable thing ever.

Blue sweater, goes great with jeans. I love it.

Two pairs of pants. Proud to say that my waist has shrunk and I am able to fit into smaller pants. Woot for losing weight.

A shirt, bed shorts, and a charlie brown shirt. NOTICE how the CB shirt reads "The World Needs Messy People." I must say, I AGREE!!!

A farmer Girls shirt (love love, the farm girl in me rings out), and probably one of the most comfortable sweaters on this planet.

Blue sweater, looks really hot with the farmer girl shirt.

Hehe. Love this

Pff. Other travelers essentials. Tolietries Bag, Deorderant (the good smelling kind. I hate the kinda that smells like crap because then you end up smelling like crap and B.O), Mittens, Undeeeeewear, Hair elastics, hair pins, hair bands, soap, toothpaste, watch, necklakce, memory card for camera, battery for camera, halloween earrings, wallet, kleenex (i'm sure my sister Melissa will explain to you why THIS is the essential.

Shamppoo is so cool it gets its own picture.

Speaking of melissa, she sent me a CARE PACKAGE for Europe. I love my sister to bits. Like seriously. It came in the mail today and I was super party excited. THanks <3.

1 days 21 hours 29 minutes 31 seconds till Europe.

A New Beginning

2006-10-16T01:37:14Z

Each passing minute, is another minute scratched off as I mentally count down the exact number of days, hours, minutes and seconds till I board my first plane ride ever to Germany. Some may call this a frightening experience none-the-less as my parents see me off to a country where really the only thing I can associate it with is Hitler (seems Canadian history did come in handy) and the Berlin Wall. I like to look at it as an adventure to experience a whole new culture and way of life.

As I sit here and type from the comfort of my own home, there are only 10 days, 19 hours, 57 minutes and 6 seconds until my plane takes off the runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport. A mixture of excitement, joy, fear, anxiousness, happiness among several other emotions seem to fill my mind as the seconds tick by on the clock of the computer. Never in my wildest dreams (and trust me, I have wild dreams), did I ever think I'd have the opportunity to travel abroad during my four years of high school. I thought that my opportunity to travel the world would come much later on, when I was out in the real world living a real life with a career and a family.

Germany, Switzerland and the Czech Republic hold so much opportunity for me to discover the many wonders and joy that the world can offer us in the simplest of things. Something like a smile from a stranger or even the sunset will capture my heart and I'll never want to leave the streets of Europe. I am quite certain my sisters prediction that "It will only take a taste of Europe before it has you wanting to come back for more," will be fairly accurate. Traveling through Europe with my possessions strapped to my back ranked in at number four on my list of things to do before a die and I think a huge part of that comes from the fact that my oldest sister, Melissa, has introduced me to a whole new world through her Europe escapades. After living in France for four and a half months she came home with slightly random stories of stupid European boys and snow, food, travels but most importantly, she came home with the knowledge of a foreign country that would influence me to want to follow in her footsteps; her European footprints.

So I can only hope that during my ten day European adventure I am able to return back to Canada with stories and pictures to share with my family and friends, especially my sister who will be able to have a find the deeper meaning hidden beneath the coloured ink of the photographs. I also hope I that I will acquire that same knowledge my sister once did, and be able to influence someone else to experience a whole new world full of possibilities.

Look out Europe, the Second Carter girl (who maybe isn't as crazy as the first one) is about to adventure over in 10 days, 19 hours, 25 minutes and 32 seconds.