It may have taken over 14 hours of travel, but I've made it to British Columbia in one piece! And what an amazing journey it has been to get here!

As this was to be my very first solo international trip, I wanted to prevent as many things going wrong as possible. I managed to bag myself I directly flight out to Vancouver back when I booked my tickets (which feels like years ago now!) and checked in just early enough to grab the very last window seat!

I've done a fair few long-haul flights in my time (particularly this year!) and they never really get any easier. You just kind of get used to them. Or rather, learn to tolerate them. Although, even my patience is tried when sitting next to a screeching French Canadian child who keeps accidentally hitting you with her stuffed octopus...

But ten hours in the sky gives you time to think. Namely, I got to think over my route to Victoria. I had the entire thing planned out. The SkyTrain to a bus station, bus to the ferry, then the ferry across the water. On then still to downtown Victoria and then attempt to Ocean Island, the hostel where I'd be staying for the week while I tried to find somewhere to live.

Except after the long flight, I decided to just get a coach direct to Victoria, which would handle the crossing to Vancouver Island and get me to downtown without the possibility of getting myself lost. It was a weight off my mind, but I was wholly unprepared for how beautiful the crossing would be.

Over the course of an hour and a half, we wove through the gulf islands between Washington State and Vancouver Island. I'm going to have to try and get out to them while I'm here because I absolutely fell in love with them while crossing. Sooner rather than later too, before the weather turns and I get a taste of the Canadian winter I've heard so much about...

One thing I've got to get off my chest is the sheer size of this continent! I grew up in streets half the size of the residential ones here, and the majority of the houses were terrace rows. The idea of having a garden that went all around the house was unthinkable, but it's entirely commonplace in Canada.

Once at the bus depot, I lugged my suitcase up to Pandora Avenue and I got myself checked into Ocean Island. I clambered up on to my bunk bed and somehow managed to stay awake until the very respectable hour of 11pm! Jet lag, schmet lag!