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Hayley on Holiday

Australian Solo Female Travel Blogger

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Home // Expat Update // Australian Expats: 11 Months Away From Home

Expat Update · May 7, 2014

Australian Expats: 11 Months Away From Home

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please read the full disclosure policy here.

Can somebody please tell this year to slow down? I can’t believe that not only have I been away from home for nearly a year BUT that it is already May. Yikes! Vancouver’s weather is still having the mood swings it is known for: cold and rainy to gloriously sunny and warm in 24 hours. For a girl whose wardrobe back home consists of shorts and shirts year-round, it is hard to keep up. You never know what you will find when you leave the house.

April: The Highlights

April began with me being a busy bee, doing two jobs still and trying to have a social life! I did, however, get to visit a new brewery with fellow expats: Craft Beer Market. Boasting Canada’s largest selection of draft beers with over 100 beers on tap, it is a massive space in Vancouver’s Olympic Village. Even though there is a lot of tables, still be prepared to wait a while, particularly on weekends. But once you are inside, you won’t be disappointed with the selection of both drinks and food.

We followed this night with a trip to the Commodore Ballroom again to see another favourite Australian band of mine, Boy & Bear. This indie-folk quartet provided us with the perfect, chilled set.

The next weekend I had the pleasure of attending a free two-hour Introduction to Photography Course through Broadway Camera, where I bought my camera six weeks earlier. It was so worthwhile as I am a total rookie when it comes to capturing photos, so I learnt how to get the best photos possible out of my camera. The same day I went bowling for the first time since I got here. Turns out moving to the other side of the world doesn’t improve your tenpin skills. Darn!

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REVS Bowling in Vancouver, Canada

The next week saw me finish working at Starbucks. I loved meeting my Starbucks family but Aussie Pie Guy offered me more hours over the summer, which I couldn’t refuse! We have already done some great events in April including #foodtrucks4hope in Richmond with two other favourite trucks of mine. We also celebrated ANZAC Day with ANZAC biscuits and new Australian friends. I am looking forward to meeting even more new people this summer and celebrating meat pie love.

Check out my some of my favourite food trucks here

Which brings us up to Easter and my excellent weekend away in my new favourite American city: PORTLAND! You can read all about my Portland experience here. I enjoyed the food, the culture, the scenery, the places, the atmosphere, the architecture, the friendliness… oh, and the doughnuts!

Portland is one of my favourite American cities.

On the final weekend in April, Kate and I journeyed over to North Vancouver to have some cheap-as brunch from Cheers before hitting up a spring sale outlet to add some new finds to our wardrobe. We visited this sale last year and it was amazing. It is bargain priced and you know you are getting good quality clothing. Winner winner!

May will be work and a little play: I hope to get out of the city at least once this month to see a different British Columbia sight! But in Vancouver, the food truck is going to lots of different markets, which I love as you already know.

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In: Expat Update · Tagged: Canada, Food, Lifestyle, North America, Vancouver, Working Abroad

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Hey honey! I’m Hayley – an Aussie solo travel blogger living it up in tropical North Queensland. I’m here to help you travel boldly, solo, and on a budget. Let’s chase freedom and explore this beautiful world together!

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