Panelist

When I said yesterday how I'm over my jetlag, I forgot to factor in actually getting to sleep in the night... I took me over two hours to finally drop off last night. 

My only commitment today was being part of a speaking panel about being in the TV industry. I got sent the prep questions early so I had time to get my head around things, but when I arrived and saw the stage and the microphone my nervousness bubbled up. But in reality I was in a room with people who were all super keen and eager to listen to what we had to say. I would have killed to go to events like that when I was starting out of Uni so it was nice to be a part of it. Best thing though was bumping into a lot of familiar faces, after it was all done we headed out for a single pint to catch up, then it was time to hit the road. 

Just Lag Be Gone

I really feared my jet lag would be the slow death of me, but to my surprise all it took was a couple of painkillers and some coffee and I was right as rain. Rebecca and I took the day to goof off and get ready for the week, playing some games together as we went. All our holiday laundry has gone through the works, all bags unpacked and all debts to each other after all the dinners out have been squared off. I'm going to be playing house husband for a while so I'm going to settle into that role as best I can, gotta enjoy it while it lasts.

Losing a Day to Travel

Flying back to the UK has meant we crossed over a bunch of time zones and sat on planes for basically the entire day. We left Seattle in the middle of the day Saturday and arrived back home late afternoon Sunday... I've missed a day in the maths and the travel there, but the main thing is we're home. The cat gave us a wide berth before she remembered who we were. Otherwise I spent the day in a daze, not knowing if I'm coming or going. In a delirium I feel down onto the sofa to see what was in Film4, it was Toy Story 2 - a film that ends in an airport terminal. Even when I'm done with travel the topic continues to haunt me. 

24 Hours in Seattle

We got up a little earlier to enjoy 24 hours in Seattle. We bumped up our appointment on the Space Needle to 9:30 to accommodate and we're very glad we did since it was much quieter. We shot up to the height of a skyscraper in just 45 seconds and silently revolved around the city. Back down on Terra Firma we enjoyed the Glass Gardens and Museum featuring several blown glass exhibits which were enthralling. The only other spot on our Tourist hit list was Pike Market, where it seemed the whole city congregated to because it was teaming with people. Think Borough Market but by the harbour and you'll get a sense of it. It's also home to the first ever Starbucks where Rebecca and I took the coffee pilgrimage to.

In our last day in North America we found a board game shop with a free play games with strangers event where we played games with two locals who took us under their wing. It was a surprisingly social way to end our time here, Rebecca and I spent so much time in our own little bubble on holiday that it was easy to forget that what makes a city is the people. 

Seattle Shuttle

We did one last potter around Victoria. Rebecca headed back into a bookshop to get a few more paperbacks. There was also a Japanese lunch spot that served sashimi rice bowls that we'd been meaning to try for all week which we at last got to sample - it quickly snuck into my top 3 meals of the holiday. 

We boarded the ferry outbound to Seattle, clearing customs while paying the extra $30 for the privilege of having our fingerprints kept on file. The sun was starting to set over the bay as we got into the city which was honestly pretty magical. We got less than 48 hours here though so we're aiming to get up early and cram all we can into tomorrow. 

Canadian IPA'S

We took the old hire car for another spin up to some nearby harbour towns. Nanaimo is comparatively quaint when put next to Victoria but the waterside views were hard to deny. Once we got back to our hotel we just wanted to read in bed, then get pizza, then get a couple more drinks in before we cross the boarder tomorrow. I've developed a real taste for Canadian IPA's this time around. I remember them being tasty but I genuinely can't get enough of them now. I think it's because they're quite high percentage, which is good because I don't have to drink so much to feel the desired effect. 

Rebecca and I will bid farewell to Canada tomorrow, all while riding a boat towards the land of opportunity. It'll be my first time ever to America, let's hope it lives up to the hype. 

Wrong Side of the Road

Rebecca did a mighty brave thing today, she hired a car and drove on the 'wrong' side of the road for the first time ever. A feat I've never done. All I could do was be her co-pilot, uttering directions and gentle words of encouragement. We were on a trip out of town to go visit the cemetery where of of Rebecca's family is buried. We paid our respects and admired how peaceful the area was. A short drive away was also a small park with some very pretty waterfalls which we toured around before doing the long drive home. 

The thought dawned on us over dinner how we're slowly approaching the end of our trip. In many ways it feels like all I know is the Canadian way of life now, but it also feels like we're still fresh off the plane. Only a few more days to go now, we plan to make the most of it. 

Where's Rebecca?

It was only a matter of time, but today was the day I finally lost Rebecca in a bookshop. 

We'd been walking around Victoria for a couple of hours, taking the very scenic route into the shopping district. After a thift store (where I got two very nice bargin shirts), we found ourselves in a huge double-floor bookshop. Rebecca doesn't like it too much when I stalk her around when she's perusing so I put my nose into some other sections. I ended up in the film and TV areas and somehow found a nearly pristine copy of Bart Simpson's Guide to Life, a boom I read cover to cover then back again a hundred times over growing up. Flicking through those pages was like a heady dose of nostalgia that I was not prepared for. In the midst of all this, Rebecca finished browsing and managed to check every aisle, minus the one I was having a moment in. We kept passing eachother all over the place til we were eventually reunited on the stairwell. We always magnetize to one another in the end.

Over to Victoria

I rolled up my clothes into a tight wad once again as we hit the road today. We big farewell to Vancouver and hello to Victoria. Only took a bus ride and a ferry to make the crossing but now we're firmly in a city that we can legitimately walk across in just a dozen minutes. Our hotel is pretty quirky, offering Gilmore Girls vibes with the biggest bed we've ever seen! We'll explore the town proper tomorrow, till then we're having a double king sized snooze.

Smitten with Squamish

One of the main things I wanted to do while out in Canada was go up the mountains and see some snow. That dream came true today with our visit out to Squamish. We caught the bus out of town and rode the gondala up almost above the cloud line into the frost dusted peaks. There were a multitude of view points and short hikes to go on, the latter of which took us along some fairytale looking routes through a snowy mountain trail. Rebecca wasn't quite wearing the right shoes for the trek though, so I effectively became one of those plastic penguins on skates that they give to children to hold into at ice skating rinks. I was her crutch for the slippy patches but she did really well considering. I was too smitten with the scenery to pay much mind.

Stanley Park

After five days of rain the weather finally let up so we ventured out into the mighty Stanley Park - a hunk of nature only a bus ride away from downtown. It's vast, wild and gorgeous. We took a walk up and through it before ending up on the Sea Wall. The views there were spectacular so we just kept on walking, marvelling the whole time about how one skyline could contain trees, a metropolis, mountains and oil tankers all in one.

We he back to the same bar as yesterday, the beer menu was longer than my arm so I still had plenty to choose from but we really wanted to try the food. I had a near religious experience with a burger in one hand and a dark IPA in the other. It set us up for a cinema trip to see Project Hail Mary - a book Rebecca and I have both enjoyed. This is also my first real movie-going experience in another country. Aside from the adverts, it was pretty similar as it turns out. I was low-key expecting more whooping from the audience, guess they used up all that enthusiasm for the hockey game. 

Go Cannucks, Go

With the rain reaching its zenith today, we decided to take it very slow - a kind of mini recharge day. We popped out to a trendy cafe for brunch and coffee then headed Downtown a bit later on to check out the library. That passed the time til the big ice hockey game in the evening anyway. We hit up a bar on the way to get some cheap happy hour drinks, that at least got me just buzzed enough to get hyped about eating stadium food. I was gassed for Poutine, but that's more of an East Coast thing we discovered so it had to be a hot dog for me. I was a bit nonplussed when they handed it to me, but then they gestured to the condiment bar where I rekindled my love affair for sauerkraut.

Going into the hockey stadium I was once again reminded that North Americans don't do sports in small measures. It was huge, with pumping music and a jumbo screen. The hype for the Home team was built up to legendary proportions, before the game even started we were treated to a massively overproduced video starring all the Vancouver players as they literally save the world from an alien invasion. Thank goodness I was half cut because I don't think my retinas could survive a sober eye roll. Then after witnessing all the hype and build up, the home team got totally glazed, losing by four goals. But they had a lotta heart and in my books that counts for something.

Another Big, Wet Walk

We naively thought we saw the last of the rain, but the weather instead doubled down, giving us a deluge just in time for another big outdoorsy walk. We caught a bus to the outskirts of the city to visit another suspension bridge followed by a mini hike along the river. By the end my jeans needed to be peeled off my thighs. I hung them up to dry and slid into my only other pair of trousers: my pyjamas. I had to slip my still wet jeans in once more though to head out for dinner for an Asian fusion place that provided the best meal of the holiday so far. Vancouver's weather occasionally leaves something to be desired, good thing the restaurants don't disappoint.

Vancouver Suspension Bridge

With the weather still being rainy in the Rainy City, what better place to spend the day than in a rainforest? The world famous suspension bridge was our daily destination, a chance to marvel at the engineering and to climb high above the canyons and the treetops. It's certainly a one of a kind attraction, at several moments Rebecca and I just had to pause to take it all in. Doing it in a raincloud kinda made the whole thing a bit more unique too, misty vistas and the constant downpour gave it all a tone I don't think you'd get on a clear day. Our clothes need a day or two to dry out but it was well worth it.

Fair Weather Ferry

The rain threatened our plans but we adapted and endured. The best place to be in a drizzle is down by the docks, so we bought a day pass on the City's ferries so we could spend some time on the water and visiting the places that would have otherwise been a mission to get to. We sampled the markets on Granville Island and took a rainy stroll along Kitsilano Beach. Back home we caught 40 winks then moved on to get a North American staple: a good old burger. Luckily we have a half dozen pubs in our area and finding a good watering hole was easy enough. Now we're both a mite tipsy, but that might help us sleep off the last bit of Jetlag.

Jetlagged to the Max

Day 1 in Vancouver was a real 'get to know the place' kinda day. We started off with coffee and a pastry from a place just a few doors down from our Air B&B. From there we caught the Sky train to Downtown, we stood along the seaplane strip, watching them take off and land while quietly processing the fact there's mountains next to a metropolis. 

I firmly believed I could best jetlag, yet I found myself at its mercy halfway through the day. I couldn't quite muster a nap in the afternoon but an early night should help me recoup. We both had ambitions to head into a bar for happy hour, but after dinner we both just wanted to crawl into our pajamas .

Vancouver Day 0

Can't believe I woke up in London and will be going to sleep in Vancouver. Rebecca and I travelled 4700 miles today over 12ish hours, 1 bus, 3 metro trains, 2 planes and 1 of them little runway bus things they always fit too many people onto. We did a brief change at Reykjavik, alas, not long enough to see the Northern Lights, nor long enough to really warrent going in the country's gift shop (I mean we did anyway). I packed my Kindle with a 800 page book loaded up, I locked in pretty hard on the flight and already took a big chunk of it out. We arrived in Canada feeling somewhere between jetlagged and jazzed. We checked into our Air B&B and took a stroll up our high street. A late night pizza filled our bellies and now we're ready to hit the hay.

We did just travel 4700 miles after all... 

Packing Light as a Feather

The final push before the big holiday. Rebecca and I have checked if we have our passport two dozen times already, you know, just to make sure. Aside from clothes and toiletries, the only fun things I'm packing is my notebook, my kindle a d a very small Gameboy/emulator device. Bag feels approximately light and I'm ready to roll onto that plane tomorrow.

Before all that though I waltzed up to meet Louis to discuss his new game. I read his script and we went through the beats, blow by blow. It was a really positive meeting I thought, good to share notes and to hopefully be of some good use to him. 

Emergency Packing

The most stressful part of going on holiday is emergency purchasing all the bits you need. I've told everyone I'm packing light for this holiday which is still technically true, but now I have a sleep mask, ear plugs, portable lunch box... Basically a lot of extraneous stuff I hadn't fully factored in. But I got it all now, all that's left to do is cram it all into a bag.

Script Nodding

Still chipping away at some of the residual work that creeps in at the end of a big job. But in between that I had a superb day in. I read the script for Louis' new game which is in a much better place than he lead me to believe. I'm writing up my notes on it all now to hand over soon. I needed to catch up a bit on my movie watching quota so I caught It Was Just an Accident on Mubi which was well worth my time. While Rebecca was out doing yoga I headed to the digital mines and hung out with a few chums online. 

Now that I'm unemployed, I don't know how I'd ever find the time to do my job! 

D&D

I put the F in Funemployment this afternoon. I drummed up some enthusiasm for a cowboy themed Dungeons and Dragons campaign that I've been working on for the last couple of days. Working on it was like cramming for an exam, I did my best to flesh out the world and the people, I prepped answers for any rouge question and planned rewards and outcomes for any scenario. My over-worrying paid off though, I sat down with my old coworkers (who are out of work now, just like me) and we had a whale of a time playing through my little scenario. I mentally locked in, and before I looked up from my various notebooks I noticed that three hours had gone by. My first every lengthy TTRPG campaign completed!

Opportunity comes with Freedom

First day of freedom! Aside from the stint of work I did this morning to mop up my lingering to do list. I suspect there'll be a few more odd jobs and bills to settle as the dust settles, but I'll take those as they come. In the meantime, I noticed just how content I felt. The days are getting longer, my obligations are only to myself and the horizon ahead feels vast in an inspiring way. I've got a small hit list of activities to crack on with before my holidays, the most important being having Dan over for some games. So I messaged him out the blue with the offer of dinner and beers but he honestly didn't need persuading because we had a great time hanging out in the evening. 

Mr Popular

Took our guests up to North Street where I was spotted by not one, but two other groups of friends. My network of Bristol people is clearly growing, nice to know that there's a small chance of always bumping into a familiar face. Rebecca and I bid our guests farewell as the Sunday scaries started to set in.

I mean, they should have done, but I'm free as a bird! Monday tomorrow will just be an extension of the weekend, no obligations, no stresses, no income... But I'll be more than fine til the next one rolls along, just got to enjoy the time I got, it'll be over before I know it. 

Pit Stop X Pub Stop

I don't even remember closing my eyes yesterday but I slept for a good long time, finally catching up after the end of the job. So I felt rested, better yet having house guests over (Matt and Ben) meant we had an excuse to cook an all-out breakfast which really brought me back to life.  

We took a walk into town for coffee, cookies and charity shops... Plus a few pub stops along the way. A Mexican place I was at the other week was on the ticket for tonight too and lighting did strike twice because it was a huge hit. We rounded the evening off with a final cute pub stops alongside some dice games which got us whooping. Just a lovely Saturday all in. 

See Ya Production Office

 Work drinks are fun, but boy you gotta pace yourself. My sleep was interrupted by my survival instincts telling me 'something is wrong', turns out that was my gut churning out the booze, never quite deciding if it'll come up or not.

Thankfully it didn't, and I wasn't alone in being in hungover so we commiserated together with a McDonald's breakfast than got to work on the big push to clean out the office. I had to really dig deep at times, moving bags of rock salt and peeling off hazard tape off studio floors was not on my mental agenda for today. But we got it done, or there's abouts.

We packed it all down then all just quietly took in our office one last time. The space we worked, laughed and panicked together. A lot of memories in that space, and it was bizarre to think that after just over a year it's all over. I'm officially unemployed now, but I already cannot wait for my time off. 

Work Drinks...

Every job must come to an end. 

But before that must come a bit meal. To be exact, one that starts at 3pm then goes on til 10pm. 

All paid for.

Including drinks.

You do a lot alof crazy stuff on a job but it's occasionally worth it for a mad one. 

Pontoon Pub

I recently adopted using a standing desk at work, not only are my legs getting a real workout, but it's gotten to the point where sitting down just feels wrong. I mean, now that I've been sat at home for a bit it's felt extra nice, but now my thigh muscles have all seized up a bit, guess that's a sign of my legs getting stronger but it's crazy to think how quickly I've acclimated to standing and working.

Back at home I returned to Minecraft and spent longer then I'd care to admit to make a pub on a pontoon. I really wanted to make some pirate looking lanterns that require iron to make, which only spawns in the dark, dangerous depths of the world. Cut to me dying multiple time in trying to get some, every time I do die the server let's all the players know that I succumbed to a terrible fate and everyone laughed at me...

They won't be laughing when I refuse their bar tab at the pontoon pub.

Return to Minecraft

Been a while since I've had such a physical day at work which makes a nice change. I broke down about 60 costume rails and shimmied a whole bunch of stuff into our shipping container to go into storage. There's been a big push to clean out the office today so it looks nice and clean for the team coming in tomorrow - more and more it's looking like a blank canvas of an office once again.

In the evening I hopped onto a Minecraft server with a bunch of friends online. I heard stories of how impressive some of the builds were there but nothing quite prepared me for when I logged on for a 'house tour' which lasted about half an hour. I saw windmills, underground sushi restaurants and frog sanctuaries. Grand temples and mossy grottos. Boats, castles, market streets and their shady back alleys. After devoting most of my life to exploring digital worlds, this one blew my socks off because everything was wonderfully curated and bespoke to the person. It was a dozen visual styles and stories all coexisting in some kind of harmony.  

Skipping around Skips

A colleague has left the job a week ahead of the rest of us so a bevvy of their old jobs landed with me. The chief one being in charge of skips which really blew up in my face first thing this morning as I scrambled to understand then resolve the situation. All the while we continued to slowly load bits into our storage crates and finish up the online paperwork. The clock is ticking now and I'd love nothing more than to close the door and walk away on Friday... But a niggling feeling tells me there'll be some bonus bits.

Earplugs or Nay?

Did the last few bits of prep for our Canada trip, booked a hire car, ferry and our US visa. Rebecca's attention is now turning to 'how to sleep best on the flight'. We're talking earplugs, sleep mask, compression socks etc. I'll probably just tilt my neck to the side and suffer in silence, but I should probably invest in some goodies to make the trip a little more comfy. 

One more week at work now too. Lots to polish off but it should all be achievable. With any luck it won't turn into a photo finish and we can continue gliding over the finishing line. I'm ready for a break now though, I'm already planning all the things I want to do while I'm off. One way or another, it'll all be over soon.