When I grow up

...I'd like to be Ben Southall. Or Ben Southall's BFF. Or a student at the Ben Southall school of awesome (because there should be one).

About two years ago, people around the world were competing for the best job in the world. Who wouldn't want to take care of an Australian island for a few heavenly months? I desperately wanted this job, but someone who truly deserved it ended up getting it.

Ben Southall. Marathoner, fundraiser, adventurer, blogger-vlogger-tweeter, kayaker, awesome dude extraordinaire. I'm truly in awe of his life and want to start rocking my own version of it. He travelled around Africa to raise money for charity, run marathons and climb mountains. All while meeting new people, exploring the world, and living life to it's fittest, fullest best. Then he tackled the best job in the world. Now, because this man has truly raised the bar to the moon for fabulousness, he's doing the best expedition in the world.

If you don't follow him on twitter, you are truly missing out. But I am here to help: @bensouthall is his name. Prepare for a mega dose of inspiration! And awesome videos like this one that he posted earlier today:

So awesome!!

Since Ben hasn't offered me a job kayaking/running/blogging yet, I've just been running around the snowy streets of Ontario. Today they were plowed however, and the sun peeked out! I was very happy to get out there, even though I only had a 6k on the books. I was pretty tired afterwards, which I thought was odd because running usually gets me super pumped up. I chalked it up to the combination of coldness (-25 with windchill today!) and general sleepiness. So many of the folks I've encountered the past couple of days have been sick or fighting something, so I'm wondering if maybe I'm doing the same.

Yesterday I was in the big city briefly applying for my visa. I decided to spare you the details because it was basically mostly a ton of walking around in the snow. However, once inside, I found everyone to be extremely helpful. One gentleman told me all about Shanghai while we waited outside. Then inside, another visa applicant showed me where to get my forms and ushered me into the correct line. Turns out that was not only helpful, it was necessary, because I couldn't read any of the instructions taped to the walls! And because the photo line and the forms line were separate, yet another nice young man let me join him and his friend in the queue - and they were right at the front! I'd say it's about time I get on learning the Mandarin though. I was a little surprised that they wanted to keep my passport until my visa application goes through. I'm still new to all of this - it's my first visa! But definitely not my last.

(Because there's a whole world of beaches waiting to 

be explored by me in the near future! :) )