My western family

During my college years, there was one family in particular that took me in as theirs, and I can't forget their kindness. Even years later, after not really being in touch, they were so glad to see me, and went out of their way so that it would work to get together. Just thinking about it, I'm touched.

See, can't you tell we're related? heheh.



I ended up attending the local trade show (my first) with the whole family except the parents, and it was simply enjoyable to just tag along with whatever the family was doing, just hanging out, doing everyday things. We all went out for breakfast the morning after I arrived, which was funny since it's the parents' tradition and they weren't even there, since they were out of town.

I had rented a car to drive up there, and enjoyed the trip, singing along with the radio or by myself:) I know you're all thankful you weren't there for that.


I left in the evening and had the loveliest drive back, through the flat, flat prairies that made poems spring to mind, it was so beautiful. The threat of rain made the clouds hang dark and heavy, and the short, pale stubble in the fields glowed as though it was lit from below. (Okay, that was the poem. In prose format.) :)


That night, I met up with the parents, who had just flown in, and had the most amazing talk with the mom. We talked of church, family, our own ups and downs of life and relationship. This was so impacting; encouraging and challenging at the same time. It's incredible how profound a conversation you can have with your own kin, even after four years of little contact. Because that's what we are, kin, in the global sense. What a thought!


Something that struck me during the first week of the trip and never quite left me was the different manifestations of faith that I could see in those friends I was visiting. How differently each person expressed their beliefs. How much of a span there was in the way that we each held onto those. How personal or public they could be. It was really humbling to think that in many ways, I've changed, I've grown, since living there. In many ways, I'm not the same person, but there is something for me to learn from each person, by being their friend, by seeing how they interact with those around them.


Okay, I'm getting down off my soapbox now, but I just wanted to share that, because no matter how closely I hold certain beliefs, I always need to be able to look at them from others' eyes, to question them, and see if they need to change. If they don't, then they are strengthened, and they change in that way. Again, it was such a central theme of my trip that I couldn't leave it out.

Righto, next time- Edmonton!

Back in the land of lakes and hills and trees

It's high time for another update, as I've been told:) I think I'll break it down by location, like I did for Europe- not original, but it works, especially for a scatterbrain like me.

I was surprised to find the north about as warm as where I had just left; so much for my heavy winter jacket that I didn't wear once the whole trip, but who's going to complain about unseasonably warm weather!

The first few days in were a mix of delightful/awkward/refreshing moments, in catching up with old friends and getting to know new ones. I stayed with some previous roommates and friends, and was glad to find that most of the awkwardness I had anticipated in plomping myself back into people's lives for a few days dissipated; either that or I was unaware of it, but I think that, being sensitive to the possibility, I was a bit relieved over the whole thing. I guess I just didn't want my sense of reconnecting with these dear friends to inhibit or hinder them, or to be inconvenient.

I could go on and on about that, the concept that oftentimes, it can be seen as inconvenient for people to visit from out of town, but that I, as the visitor, can alleviate some of that, and some of it I can't control. I would hope that the end result was the good memories we made together, and that the rest would be periphoral.

...As you can see, I tend to obsess on an idea at times and not let it go till I'm done chewing it over...a bit typical, I'm afraid...

Anyhow, it was balm to my soul to walk the streets of the little town where I went to school, shadowed by the grain elevators on one side whose actual height it seems impossible to determine. I even wandered into the local library, because I'm a nerd and I like that library, so that was fun for me, personally:)
Maybe this will be more concise if I tell the story with photos.

This is the northern chapter.

My roommate of two years got married and had a baby, and we got to spend some great moments together. Really, it's great to look back on memories and make new ones at the same time.

The farm photos are from my friend Missy's brother's farm, where I got to help her work on her sculpture. I love this place, and I couldn't resist snapping some shots since I was there. To be kind, I've put just a small photo of us, taking a break from the project:)

At one point, I also had Ashlee as a housemate, and she was so generous to share her apartment with me and let me crash there. With as much interacting as I did, it was so gracious of her to offer me this space to unwind, and we had some great conversations when she was around.

This amazing lady was my discipler through most of my years at school, and catching up with her was so refreshing. I love seeing what people are up to, what they've been thinking of over the past few years, what direction they end up taking at different times in their lives.

In my first year, I lived on the other side of a duplex from Sharon and Shelly; we were all in the same year. In the winter (which was most of the school year), I used to squeeze past the hot water tank in the basement to get to their side so I could visit, and could avoid a trip into the bitter cold to walk around the house:) They are both still in the area, and I have so enjoyed being in touch with them, and it was great to get together for coffee.

In short, that was my trip to the northern regions of Alberta (although I suppose Edmonton is northern, but hardly seems it in comparison!), but there's more to come, I promise!

In the land of prairie and dust

Hello, friends!

I'm posting here in beautiful Alberta. I'm revisiting where I went to school (Bible college) and it's a bittersweet experience so far. I'm relishing the opportunity to reconnect with old friends (or should I say, long-time; they aren't exactly old heheh), but to be wandering around on a campus where every student looks so young, or else I went to school with their older siblings, is a bit surreal, for lack of a better word.

This trip, for me, is what I've decided to call a sabbatical from my own life. A time to draw back from the busyness I've incorporated into every waking day and hour (or most of them), from the person I am every day, in an attempt to truly enjoy each day for what it brings, and to hopefully take the opportunity to pursue some long-forgotten pursuits. Well, one in particular, really; I'm working on a story at the moment, and wondering if that could turn into something...only one way to find out, right!

It's time to stop letting life just happen and slip by, and time to take advantage of each moment, while taking the time to smell the flowers on neighbouring lawns. Believe me, it can be somewhat awkward when those flowers are tiny crocuses, and you are leaning over with a bag on your shoulder, trying not to fall flat on your face while desperately trying to catch a whiff of the scent, since after all that, it's the least you could gather from the encounter:) Sometimes I think, if someone were to follow me around on any given day, they would enjoy seeing me fall over lumps on the sidewalk, or veer around corners in a manner that could only be described as teetering.

I digress.

It's not so much a search for myself as a desire to stop searching for elusive truths, and employ those I've already grasped or am grasping. I'm not entirely sure that even makes sense, but I will keep you posted on this anyway!

Ciao for now, going to meet up with a friend! Thanks for reading:)

p.s. if you are near GP/Edm/Calg and would like to get together, let me know:)