In Life & On The Road
In light of my recent, cough, rather long interest in the youtube society I feel I should make click bate titles to get more attention. On the contrary I also want to avoid it because it is un authentic. Rather, I prefer to mock it. […]
Wow, I can’t believe it has been 4 months of Katherine On the Road. I started creating this blog in early August. I had just quit my job at Whole Foods Market, which I absolutely detested. I purchased the domain name Katherine On The Road. […]
Electric island happens throughout the summer in Toronto, usually over the long weekends. If you’re visiting Toronto, enjoy electronic music it is an event I recommend. An event which you can enjoy with Canadian Locals.
This September was my first time attending, even though I have heard about it for years. It happens on Toronto Island, which is probably the best festival venue I have been to in to Toronto Area. The trees, view of the CN tower and setting sun made the atmosphere relaxed and pretty.
It is also a 19+ event. Which makes a huge difference. The crowd is more mature than other local outdoor festivals such as Digital dreams or Veld. This may also be because I’ll hangout at the back of the crowd rather than up close.
The music was solid. My favourite artist of the night turned out to be Chris Lieberg. I didn’t see this coming but it took me back to last year in Berlin. Lieberg is from Berlin and it reminded of the music I heard in Tresor. His set transported me back in time and those memories, so good! It reminded me of all that happened, the people I met and things I was going through. It’s amazing that music can bring us such amazing feelings.
The food trucks were also really good. I was able to grab some vegan tacos, which was a plus for me instead of resorting to getting fries which is my go to when I can’t find anything vegan to eat.
This was the first festival that I have been to in a long time where I was sober. It definitely changes the scene, as I am not as preoccupied with getting really fucked up. It was nice to enjoy the music and not have a come down from the weekend that lasts my whole week. Even though I was sober, I was still so exhausted. I laid in bed all day and didn’t even try to show up for day two.
Check out them on Instagram at electricislandto or their website at electricisland.to
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Bergen was a city I didn’t have on my radar. I decided to stay there because I reached out to someone on couchsurfing and it was the city they happened to live in. It seemed to be really close to the Amsterdam so I thought […]
It is no surprise that the cannabis culture is a huge part of the attraction and tourism of Amsterdam. There are heaps of coffee shops around the city. It was awesome to be able to purchase from a store and smoke socially. This was something […]
This post was inspired by my quick layover in London, England. I was happy to spend my time in the city but learned that I could have done a few things differently to make it more enjoyable.
London England was my first official stop of my backpacking trip of 2016. I had been to London a few times before so I didn’t care to stick around too long. I had an 8 hour layover and wanted to get into the city, I couldn’t wait to start exploring. In the end it was totally worth it. Getting into the city was amazing, it was my first reminded that I wasn’t in Canada anymore. Although along the way I learned a few things that I would do differently to make the experience more enjoyable.
I landed at the Gatwick airport which a train which you can catch to take you into the city centre. I took the train to the London Bridge Station, it took about 50 minutes.
Once off the train I accidentally stumbled across the Borough Market, It was so cute and there were so many vendors to choose from. I would definitely check this out if you’re going to see the London Bridge. I grabbed a panini and began to head in the direction of the London bridge. There was a lovely park area, unfortunately I didn’t have enough time to sit and enjoy the scenery, I wanted to wander around a bit and was cutting it close for catching the train back to catch my flight to Amsterdam.
At this point I was so exhausted, my bag was heavy and I just wanted to relax. After being up early, catching a 7 hour flight and wandering around with my backpack on, I started to question why I thought squeezing in this layover adventure was a good idea. Finding my way back to the train station I stumbled upon a small art gallery show, stopped in a convince store to grab another snack and hopped on the next train back to Gatwick airport.
It was awesome to start my adventure asap but looking back next time I would stick around the airport for a layover 8 hours long. I had to lug around my backpack and made me that much more tired as I still had another flight and find my hostel. But you live and you learn.
Here are some suggestions as to how to spend a layover if you want to run about the city you’re in for a few hours.
If you are going to wander into town, see if you can find somewhere to store your bags for the day, a lot of airports have this service. If you can’t find it yourself go to the customer service or help desk. Ask the gate attendant as you exit the plane if their airline has any services that can accommodate you. If you are flying with two different airlines be sure to ask both. There is a possibility that they can provide storage of your bags or that you can check your luggage early. Carrying your own bag can save you some money but it can be frustratingly heavy and inconvenient if you want to enjoy your layover.
Give yourself the time to enjoy the city that you have a short stop over in. Take the time to calculate how long it will take you get from the airport into the city. Take into account the time it will take to go through customs and find a place to store your bags. Also make sure you give yourself enough time to get back to the airport to catch your next flight. Ideally 5 hours is good for a short layover and 10 or more for a longer layover. The best time layover time I experience was 13 hours.
Take the time to explore the airport, if you decided that you don’t want to rush into the city during your layover. I have been to a handful of airports around the world and each one has something interesting. Some have awesome seating areas, places to shop, hotels and sleeping pods. Most airports also now provide free wifi and plugs so you can charge any electronics that need a boost. One of my favourite layovers was in Malaysia, I had 13 hours to kill, so I bought a hotel room for a 6 hour sleep and it was the best sleep I had on my whole backpacking trip. Money well spent!
What is the CNE? The Canadian National Exhibition otherwise known as the EX is a must do event in the city. It has been around since 1879! It was set up to promote and develop Canadian agriculture, industry and arts. It has been growing, […]
Stock photography for beginners from a beginner Stock photography is the first source of income I have pursued. It’s a simple way to begin making money online. It’s not in direct contact with a client but rather a middle man handles that for you. This […]
Where to stay Hostelworld is my go to for booking hostels, its convenient and easy to compare. I booked one nights stay at Geneorator Amsterdam. The bar/hangout area was unique, it was set up like a lecture style class room and had additional balconies with […]