YOLO

Hello from Canada! Figured this would be a good time to update you on my adventures. Because s*** is about to get serious. I'm writing to you now from a (super fancy) hotel in Vancouver. My dad is taking the philosophy of "YOLO" very seriously this vacation. He went all out and treated myself, mom, Liz and Matt (sorry Becca!) to a pre-family reunion reunion. We've spent a few days exploring the BEAUTIFUL city of Vancouver and the fabulous ISLAND of Victoria before we meet up with cousins and aunts and uncles and so forth on a cruise to Alaska.

One week. Dozens of Joneses. Hundreds of adventures are about to go down.

So yeah, you definitely have some more blogs to look forward to this week.

Liz, Matt & Dad

DAY ONE: I've been very curious to see what traveling with my parents as an adult would be like. The last time I've vacationed with them for this amount of time was probably when I was 13. Though I could be wrong. Mom has been having some difficulty walking the last couple years too, so getting through the airports took a little bit of patience. TIP: NEVER wait until you get off of a plane to eat lunch. Especially if the plane is landing in a foreign country. Also, always carry granola bars. Always. By the time we had made it through customs, and retrieved our bags, and taken (MY FIRST EVER) limo ride to the hotel, it had been about 9 hours since the last time I had eaten. And, fun fact, by the time you feel hungry, your body has already gone into starvation mode. "Hangry" is a real thing and it doesn't help anything while traveling.

But like I said (as you can probably tell from the fact that we took a LIMO), my dad went all out. We're not only staying in a fancy hotel that is ocean front with a heated outdoor pool and a terrace garden where they actually grow and harvest herbs and such, but we are staying in the fancy hotel within the fancy hotel. We are on the ninth floor which not only has continental breakfast, but also has continental tea time, hors d'oeuvres, and dessert hours. There is an ocean view, heated outdoor pool, separate terrace, and concierge services. To top it all off, our bathroom mirror is also a television.

This night, we explored the area for a while and ended the night with a couple rounds and fried pickles at a nearby pub. There is nothing so good as sit-down sibling time and beers. And fried pickles. Matt and I have also decided to be work out buddies on this vacation.

Stanley Park

DAY TWO: Today, there was an anime convention taking place across the street from us. The costumes were amazing! There were also quite a few Pikachu staying in our hotel. We took an afternoon City Tour of Vancouver and discovered many new sites in the city! We saw tropical birds, totem poles, and an amazing market on our stops. After the tour, we met with my Aunt Ruth, Uncle Bill, and cousins Eric and Chris for dinner. The cousins just graduated from Vancouver Film School--it was that event that prompted this whole shindig! We tried poutine, which is one of the few national Canadian foods. Fries with gravy and cheese--as delicious as it sounds!

DAY THREE: This morning, we hopped on a float plane, which is a plane which takes off and lands in the water. So cool! We headed to Victoria Island and explored the city. Next is a tip I have discovered useful in almost every country and place I have traveled to. TIP: When in doubt, there is always a bathroom at Starbucks. Buying a drink is worth that fact. Then, we explored the Butchart Gardens. They were SO BEAUTIFUL! If anyone is looking for a wedding location, this would be the place. I like gardens a lot more then museums. In gardens, you don't have to look at every flower to appreciate the whole experience. After the gardens, we took the ferry back to Vancouver and enjoyed the view of mountains, islands and the sunset along the way.

Tonight, we met up with our cousins again for a night in town. TIP (for the ladies): If you're ever looking for a little confidence boost, the bathroom of a gay club is the place to go. I have never been called so many sweet things (beautiful, adorable, cute, etc) by so many men and women at the same time. I really found my element at this club--we danced like mad! Its so cool to be able to dance somewhere without the fear of people attempting to grind on you! It was a wonderful ending to a fantastic little vacation in Vancouver. Today, we embark on a cruise ship to Alaska and the real adventure begins! Then, on September 2nd, I'm off to Greece for a semester.

Did I forget to mention that? Oh yeah. Like I said, s*** is about to get serious. You only live once!