I’m back! Wow, Newfoundland was incredible. I honestly would love to move there and I can’t wait to tell you all about it. However, there is so much to talk about and so many pictures to share. So, I will have a few blogs to write. All pictures are ones that I took, including the featured photo that you just saw. Without further delay, let me tell you about the journey there, because it’s a story in itself. Let’s go.
Packing/Last day at work
In true procrastination form, I packed very last minute. I knew that I had one last night shift at the hotel before I was leaving and so I had to be sure to pack before that shift. After packing, and wondering what I forgot because I always forget, I loaded my bags into my vehicle and drove to work. Perks of working in a hotel, I can sleep there. I put in hours during the night, which meant I was up all night. Then I went into a room in the morning and tried to sleep. That didn’t go according to plan. I only got a few hours before I gave up on trying to sleep. I was too excited for Newfoundland.
Toronto first
I went with my best friend, Rosie, and her parents picked us up and drove us to the airport. After checking in our bags, we headed to our gate to wait. The great thing about travelling with a friend, you don’t have to wait alone or take your bags with you when you go to the bathroom. On the flight from Winnipeg to Toronto, after we got our complimentary drink, we got a surprise. Not sure how, but we each got free alcohol. I had a beer and Rosie picked a red wine. Let the vacation begin.
The dreaded layover
We arrived in Toronto and now was the time we did not want. An 11 hour and 46 minute layover over night! Now, if you remember, I had just done a night shift and got maybe 2 hours of sleep. We found our gate and prepared for the long wait. We spent the time with some supper, cards and snacks. We found a quiet corner and tried to nap, but it was impossible as we couldn’t get comfortable. After a few attempts we went in search of coffee. Thankfully there was a Tim’s that was open in the airport. Unfortunately for me, they didn’t have dairy free options so I had to get a black coffee. I added some sugar, but it wasn’t the best. It was then that we found some benches. After the coffee we tried sleeping on those, but again, this was unsuccessful.
Other restaurants started to open, but the one I chose didn’t have breakfast available, so I got banana bread and a cliff bar. By this time, I was so exhausted that I actually felt sick. We then got a notification stating that our gate had changed. We grabbed our bags and went in search of the new gate. Just as we found it, another notification. Another gate change. We got to that one, waited a bit longer and then were able to board the plane.
The final stretch
We were now on the final leg of our journey and both of us were exhausted. I still felt a bit ill, so I tried to get some sleep on the plane. I’m going to be honest, I don’t remember if I was successful or not in getting any sleep. I took some pictures, drank some orange juice and watched the map on the screen as we made our way to St. John’s International Airport in Newfoundland. The views as we began our descent, and even before, were absolutely stunning. After 3 and a half hours, we landed in Newfoundland. Rosie went to stand in line to get our rental car and I went to baggage claim to get our suitcases. We were ready for bed. Once that was done, we located our car, plugged in the address to our Vrbo, and off we went.
Home away from home
Okay, before I begin, let me say that the people we were renting from were the best. While in the airport they messaged the information we needed on how to check in. Originally the check in time was a few hours after we landed. However, when I mentioned that we were exhausted, they said the place was ready and we could check in early! We were so happy. We arrived and were taken aback. We had seen the photos they had online and expected just an average looking apartment. However, this place was absolutely beautiful. The pictures did not do it justice at all. After exploring our new home, with some unknown new burst of energy, we picked our rooms and crashed for a few hours before heading out to find a place to eat supper.
Newfoundland – More to come
I think this is where I will end this blog. There might have to be a separate blog on what we ate because there was so much. I took pictures of almost every meal and drink I tried. So, that was day one of our adventure, minus our first meal in Newfoundland. I hope you enjoyed this and I look forward to writing all the other blogs and getting those out to you. Until the next one, remember that anything can happen if you try.
