Meet Sir Morris, a new addition to my life. He’s 4 years and 4 months old adopted from the Toronto Humane Society. He likes to sleep on the bed by my feet at night. He purrs loudly whenever he is petted and always up for a cuddle. Sir Morris is a bit of an early bird and likes to wake up at 6am but if you let him poke you enough, he’ll eventually let you sleep in some more. His ears perk up and his eyes widen whenever he hears birds chirp. Favourite hangout spot: the rocking chair.

My trip has been generously full of surprises and discoveries. It was exactly what I wanted. It makes me happy that I can say I’ve been to the east coast of Canada! I feel pretty lucky also that I had the chance to meet genuine and nice Newfies along the way.

I like lists, so here’s the list:

1. The corners of St. John’s are really interesting. A lot of them are rounded and you get a different perspective of the streets just by standing in a different corner.
2. I came across lots of kitties roaming free on the hills of downtown St. John’s. Some of them are just chilling on the front steps, others are crouching in corners beside the houses.
3. The houses in downtown are just as picturesque as people portray them to be. I went on a house-hunt to look for the brightest paint job. It was probably a tie between a bright bright yellow one and an almost neon green one.
4. Accents. I’m totally in love with their accent. There’s something genuine about it.
5. People. Strangers smile, wave and say hi to me. In one town, there was an elderly man who waved at me with a big smile when he noticed I was taking pictures outside his home.
6. It felt so nice to drive for kilometres without seeing another car. This happened to me two of the four days I was on the road. Made me not mind driving in the rain, having the whole road to myself.
7. I stumbled across a local record store and met a guy named Andrew James O’Brien. He works there and also makes music! I bought his cd and it was exactly the music I was looking to find for the road. I find it pretty coincidental that his album is called “Song for the Searchers”
8. People don’t mind leaving their blinds open here
9. Yes, I tried the Pineapple Crush. It’s decent!
10. The Newfies are fans of the Canucks! I’ve seen the jerseys for sale in multiple stores.
11. The only way to get to know a city is by walking it
12. I’m so glad I brought my winter jacket, rain boots and umbrella with me. I’ve used all three of them at various times during the trip. Most notably using them at Cape St. Mary to see over 100,000 birds flying around a cliff.
13. The sunrise here is incredibly early. I got up at 4am to drive there. It was totally worth it and might just be the highlight of my trip.

Here are my photos from this trip:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150608820760137.689823.533315136&l=68f30a4ef0

I’ve started reading the Newfoundland & Labrador Traveller’s Guide, and it’s really enjoyable so far. It comes across as authentic and refreshing. Here’s my favourite part:

Getting Lost
FOR THE TRAVELLER, NOT THE TOURIST

“The traveller sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see.” – G.K. Chesterton

Some people might argue Mr. Chesterton was just being overly fussy — that this is a distinction wihtout a difference. Those people would not be travellers. How do we know, you might ask? Because this land has been an unavoidable beacon to travellers for over a thousand years.

Take Leif Erikksen, for example. Tourist? Highly unlikely. Even John Cabot, who some might argue was on a bit of a pleasure cruise, was certainly no tourist. And the countless thousands who have followed since and landed on these shores, some staying for weeks and others for generations, were travellers one and all.

You see, tourists know what they are looking for long before they know what is really here. An experience that is knowable and containable and packageable. But these are mere parts of the puzzle.

A traveller, on the other hand, seeks the truth of a place, the essence that can only be appreciated by seeing the puzzle as a whole.

Wildlife? Check. History? Of course. Amazing vistas? In spades. And culture? We speak more dialects of English than the English do.

It’s a place where turquoise and lime green houses makes amiable neighbours on steep city streets and in snug little harbours. And where fresh air ripples freely through tiny garden and sprawling barrens, finding its way to wide open windows near and far from sea. Bringing with it a renewed sense of possibility as sweet as the air itself.

But these are only elements of what makes this place truly unforgettable. And therein lies the magic of this mysterious land — in order to find what you are looking for, you must first be willing to let go of your expectaitons, willing to really lose your self.

And then, there you will be. Lost. And found.

The best part of my day was receiving the Traveller’s Guide to Newfoundland and Labrador. It came in a neat little package with a map and a booklet. I read somewhere recently that you can be happier spending your time following your heart rather than weighing the pros and cons of a decision. There’s been countless times in the past that I’ve decided to follow my instincts and I think each of these instances have led me to a happier life. Deciding to travel alone to Newfoundland in May is also a result of one of those spontaneous decisions. I have a feeling there’s something for me to find and love there. I can’t wait to take it all in! Thanks Canada, for your beautiful land to discover :)