Nunavut Newbie v.2.0: Iqaluit Newbie

A journal that will hopefully help out anyone who is thinking about moving to Nunavut or anywhere in Northern Canada.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Jordan and Steph

I keep forgetting to include this on posts so now it's getting its own post!

Check out Shelter-The Journey to Nunavut by Jordan and Steph. They're in Ontario and about to move to Nunavut. I love their blog, it's easily one of my favourites. So if you know what's good for ya, you'll check it out!

P.S. It was 23C here yesterday. Although it's nice to have some variety in our weather, it's way too warm for me. That's how I know I've been northernized.

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Sunday, July 19, 2009

Home At Last

Well, I arrived back in Iqaluit today. It was one of those vacations where you dread returning but now that I'm here, I'm glad to be. I can tell I've relaxed a tiny bit because I didn't want to ram anybody with my cart in North Mart. Seriously, I hate shopping there. But today, it was tolerable. I hope it sticks.

I sent home all my worldly goods on Friday. Amount of my future retirement into the hands of Canada Post? Three hundred. I really didn't think I bought that much, but I always compare my trips to when I came back with 4 or 5 huge totes (hey, I was moving).

All in all, I actually had a lot of really annoying experiences in Ontario and I'm glad to be out. Sometimes I forget why I ever left but then all it takes is 2 weeks there and I'm running back north. Ottawa was the worst, especially the cab drivers. I had a very bad experience in The Southway Inn's restaurant, The Shallows. I don't know about you, but when I'm done eating, I like to NOT sit and wait an hour before the server decides to look at me again. To put this in perspective, the couple next to me was seated while I was in the middle of my dessert. They paid their bill before my server (also their server) would come back to me.

I also enjoy not being scammed by creepy cab drivers. Ottawa, can I have that 20 hours of my life back?

But happily, I've been reunited with my Suzuki, 3 cats, clean apartment, friends, and fresh arctic air. Every time I come back from holidays, I get the same excited feeling I had when I first moved to Rankin Inlet almost 3 years ago to the day. I think it's the smell of the air, it makes me remember the newness and the adventures that lie ahead. I'm not sure what adventures will unfold before I vacation again, but here's hoping they're positive ones.

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Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Obligatory Vacation Photos

After a busy, exhausting week in Alberta, my sister and I have returned. West Edmonton Mall was so much fun, especially the water park. I didn't end up doing very much shopping but still managed to have an overweight suitcase (according to Dr. Air Canada).

Jasper was amazing of course. Every single time I told someone we were going to Jasper, the reply was always, "Oh! Jasper! I LOVE Jasper! You're going to have a great time!" Indeed, it's a hard place to dislike.

Anyway, I won't bore you with words. Here are some choice photos.


My sister and I (right and left, respectively) on some space drop ride in Galaxy Land (at WEM). We staged this and then were too cheap to buy the actual photo.


A slice of heaven...I love water slides.


My sister and I canoeing on Pyramid Lake in Jasper.


Me with my hour-old tattoo (under the bandage) with 382 Galaxy Land tickets. All it got us was an inflatable frisbee.


Elk on the road...we saw so many of them.


We did a tour thing to Mt. Robson.


We rented bikes and biked down this trail (which eventually led us nowhere).

All in all, we had a great time. I love the west. I've spent time in both the Atlantic and Pacific regions of Canada and although I loved the maritimes, I think I'll be adding myself to western Canada's population some day.

Also, here is what I learned from holidays this time: don't travel on little to no sleep. I was awake basically from Sunday at 9:00am MDT to Tuesday morning at 1:30am EDT. I did it voluntarily because we had a very early Greyhound bus, however it made the rest of the day very frustrating. I ended up leaving my jacket in an airport shuttle (which I got back), then left my iPod and cell phone at security in Edmonton. I was cranky all day, and then eventually burst out crying when we missed our last flight. The nice people at Air Canada took pity on me, though (they said they thought I was 17 or 18!) and gave my sister and I a free night at the Delta with $50 to spend on meals. I imagine that's pretty standard if it's Air Canada's fault that you missed your flight, but it still made me feel better.

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Wednesday, July 01, 2009

On Holidays

I'm on holidays now...if you want to see what I'm up to, check out my Twitter page.

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