"* Just another rolling stone *" Marpessa's Profile

Hi and welcome to my pages on VT!

I first started travelling at the end of 2003. I had just finished university and had been working for a year, and decided to spoil myself with a little trip up the coast to Sydney and Cairns. Seven months after that I spent 5 weeks in Europe (Rep. of Ireland, Scotland, England, France and Norway), a year after that I spent 8½ weeks in Europe (England, Finland, Estonia, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Austria, Czech Rep., Rep. of Ireland, Scotland and Denmark) and a year after that (July 2007 if you're counting) I left my home in Australia to live for a year in Sweden, to study and do a masters course.

Whilst living in Sweden, I took the time to explore the country and also to go and explore other parts of Europe as well (Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary). Through all of them I found something I loved - the culture, the people, the architecture, the landscape... and through a lot of them I have met people I can now call good friends.

"It's the dream afraid of waking, that never takes the chance."
Bette Midler
(From the song: 'The Rose')

Capuchin Monkey in Manuel Antonio NP

After being at home in Australia (from Sweden) for two and a half years I decided it was time to go see a new corner of the world.

So, at the end of February 2011 I packed my things and moved to Costa Rica. I took a TEFL course (Teach English as a Foreign Language) and am now certified to teach! Scary and exciting! I also spent some of my time in Peru last year taking Spanish lessons and volunteering with kids at orphanages.

My travel plans are not mapped out exactly... I'm deciding from day to day or week to week what I will be doing (thus how I ended up going home for 10 months and then moving to Canada) and I am loving this kind of travel. I am pegged down by nothing but my own travel desires... this is definitely my style of travel, much more freedom and the ability to just go with the flow and enjoy life! Pura Vida!

My Travels in 2011:
February - April
Costa Rica: Quepos, Manuel Antonio, Montezuma, Monteverde (Santa Elana), Jaco & San Jose.

April - July
Peru: Lima, Cusco, Pisac, Urubamba, Ollantaytambo, Huacarpay, Aguas Caliente and Machu Picchu.

July - August
Bolivia: Copacabana, Isla del Sol, Rurrenabaque, La Paz, Death Road and Sucre.

August
Peru: Arequipa, Lima, Máncora and Los Organos.

September
Peru: Máncora y Los Organos.

October
Peru: Máncora y Los Organos.
Ecuador: Quito.
USA:
Utah: Salt Lake City, Park City, Moab and Arches National Park.
Idaho: Boise.
Washington: Seattle, Kent and Wallace Falls.

November
USA:
Oregon: Portland and Eugene.
California: San Francisco, Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe.

December
USA:
California: Sacramento and Kings Beach.
Nevada: Crystal Bay and Incline Village.

December - June
Australia: Geelong (home), Torquay and Melbourne.

June - October
Australia: Mt. Hotham.

October - November
Australia: Geelong.

November
Canada: Vancouver, Vernon and Silver Star.

December - now
Canada: Silver Star and Vernon.

Travels in Australia

One of the Triplet Falls, Cape Otway Ranges

I have spent most of my time in Geelong in the state of Victoria, Australia. It is a great place to live as the city is not too large, it sits right on a bay and it's close to the bush and some great beaches (found further south).

I don't think that I could live anywhere that was too far away from the beach (or a really large lake or something). I love the water. I love walking on the sand, rock pools, waves, beach cricket... the beach is just fun! Even in winter when you can have it all to yourself.

Besides travelling around my own state, I have spent some time further up on the East Coast (Sydney, Blue Mountains, Cairns, Fitzroy Island) and also through central Australia (Alice Springs, Uluru, Kings Canyon) and even managed a trip to Adelaide as well! :-) It seems only after spending time in Europe that I have finally started to see more of my own country - partly from going to visit other Aussies I met overseas in their respective home towns and partly to show foreign friends my home country. I'm very proud of my country, it is a beautiful and eclectic place.

"I'm not mankind. No one is. We're all individuals"
-Christopher Pike, "The Starlight Crystal"-

Biking around the Sacred Valley w/ my buddy Isaac

My current favourites...
(from the photo, hanging out with my friends and doing something crazy/fun is always a favourite of mine :D)

-currently reading-
Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis

-just finished reading-
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
This Is A Call: The Life and Times of Dave Grohl by Paul Brannigan

-activities and interests
In November 2011 I started snowboarding and absolutely LOVE IT!! :D I also play indoor football and enjoy running.

Other interests - definitely TRAVEL... and not just holiday travel where you look at churches, art galleries or beaches... but the kind of travel where you live somewhere and invest your life in the place. I love learning about different cultures and their history, I'm trying to learn Spanish and I also have a huge love of music!

"Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced."
-S. Kierkegaard-

Boise, ID - USA.

Reading!

I love books :). I am a huge fan of Stieg Larsson and the 'Millenium' series. What an amazing trilogy! One of the most original female protagonists I've read in a very long time! Loved it!! I also loved the films and found them to be very loyal to the book. Although I am not so excited about the English remake - why bother when Noomi Rapace, Michael Nyqvist and Daniel Alfredson nailed it!

'Of Mice and Men' by John Steinbeck is probably my favourite novella.

Last year I think the book that had the greatest effect on me was 'Shades of Grey' by Jasper Fforde. A great writer and a book you can either take the surface of the story and enjoy... or read it and see a lot of political musings.

I am also a fan of Harry Potter (and the films, although I like the books better) and The Lord of the Rings (even though I found it hard to get into at first, I love the mythology, history and depth of it). I also like Christopher Pike, Tony Hawk (English comedian - not American pro-skater), Robert Harris (brilliant and scary mix of history and fiction), Brian Thacker, George Bernard Shaw and specifically 'Hamlet' by Shakespeare.

I have a BA in literature and history, and went to Sweden to do a masters in Scandinavian history (however my thesis is yet to be completed). Living and studying in Sweden for a year was definitely a memorable experience.

"Your words in my memory are like music to me."
Snow Patrol feat. Martha Wainwright
(From the song: 'Set the Fire to the Third Bar')

Hong Kong.

Music!
Friedrich Nietzsche once said "without music, life would be a mistake" and I agree. I have an eclectic taste in music which suites my eclectic moods. I love rock, pop, country, jazz, heavy metal, soul... old stuff, new stuff (although not too much of a fan of people just remixing old songs with new beats). I constantly have my iPod with me, whether it's for a 15 minute bus ride or an 8 hour train ride, I never go anywhere without it. I don't always have it on, I can appreciate the sound of silence, the sounds of nature or the sounds of the hustle and bustle around me... but it is nice to have my own personal soundtrack selection with me.

Groups/artists I like:
The Music, Jimmy Eat World, Blink-182, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Killers, Gotye, Dishwalla, Beatles, Metallica, Sheryl Crow, Robyn, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Die Happy, Guns N' Roses, HIM, Muse, Tool, Kings Of Leon, Pearl Jam, Linkin Park, Coldplay, Dixie Chicks, Snow Patrol, Foo Fighters, Tracy Chapman, Bon Jovi, America, Pink Floyd, Sarah McLachlan, John Butler Trio, U2, The Cranberries, Lauryn Hill, Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac, Kent (på svenska inte engelska), Rage Against The Machine, Led Zeppelin, Motion City Soundtrack, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Jebediah, Grinspoon, Motor Ace, The Superjesus, Killing Heidi, The Butterfly Effect.... and many more.

Intro Updated Jan 6, 2013
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Personal Pages (1)

Written Dec 21, 2005

8 photos

Pictures From The Air!!!

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Comments (264)

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yellowcab Feb 19, 2013 at 7:45 AM

hi how are you. i like your jumping profile pic on top of the mountain. is that in canada?
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  Marpessa Feb 19, 2013 at 6:48 PM
  
  Hey! Nope, that was when I was on a trek to Machu Picchu! :-)
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  yellowcab Feb 20, 2013 at 2:42 AM
  
  nice. Are you permanently living now in Canada? where/
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kandoi Jun 10, 2012 at 11:54 AM

Happy Birthday
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DaHongHua Jun 10, 2012 at 2:48 AM

A warm happy birthday greeting from Malaysia.
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pieter_jan_v Jun 10, 2012 at 1:34 AM

Happy birthday wishes from the Netherlands. PJ
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hollybugg Jan 25, 2012 at 10:56 PM

I am looking for volunteer opportunities in Peru. If you have any info for me please let me know! Looking to go for a month and have tons of experience in home building.
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willy_wonka Oct 22, 2011 at 8:36 PM

how is/was mancora? its on our itinerary for our next peru visit :)
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giampiero6 Sep 3, 2011 at 10:21 AM

superior page, and I love the new opening and member pic too! Great to see your pages evolving. Keep up the cool travels!
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a5floor Jun 11, 2011 at 7:09 AM

Hi Cassie, belated Happy Birthday! Enjoy this day. :)
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Donna_in_India Jun 9, 2011 at 8:13 PM

Hi Cassie - wishing you a very happy birthday!
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polardabar Apr 13, 2011 at 1:45 PM

tack! ;) have fun!