I got back from my recent travels last night and have been feeling rather reflective today. I had a moment of panic getting out of bed this morning when I realized that my current space and routine will be gone forever in just four to five weeks. This is it. The big transition from school to work. Although rationally not the transition and just one of many...
My travels ended up being quite the adventure with last minute changes in plans and bookings, getting literally stuck in snow banks, and facing numerous attractions and road closures - but what's travel without some good stories? :P
In Edmonton I stayed at a hostel in the same room as some German woman on one year work visas, an older woman in the safety business, and a comedian from Calgary. I explored Whyte Avenue (the historic arts/shopping.clubbing district), saw a little bit of downtown, the legislature building, part of the UofA campus and of course, the West Edmonton Mall. I didn't do any shopping even though I was in a mall. I looked at all of the attractions, themed hallways, animals (lemurs, sloths, fish), and watched the sea lion show - six hours later I had walked almost every inch of the mall, had only purchased a few things from the souvenir store, and had to get back to the hostel as it was getting late and already dark outside.
Onwards to Calgary was a nice 'girls night' and a morning of exploring downtown and Stephen Avenue. It was nice to see what the city looks like when it is not full of crowds from the Stampede. I had really wanted to visit the Devonian Gardens again but unfortunately they were one of the attractions closed for renovations. I got lost on my way to the bus station in Calgary and walked way too many blocks in the wrong direction. Although I planned to arrived almost an hour early, I managed to get there 15 minutes before my bus left and still get a seat, thanks to the many strangers that helped point me along and the cars on the highway that refrained from hitting me!
Traveling towards Banff, I was again awestuck by the mountains. I admit, the gorgeous view made me question why I am looking for jobs in cities that are full of buildings and not mountains. Banff was my longest stop and I was able to see quite a bit even though the snowy weather stopped us from getting everywhere we had planned to go. I was able to see most of the local lakes: Johnson, Mannewanka, Two Jack, Vermillion. We drove out to Lake Louise and Crowfoot Glacier. I took the gondola up Sulphur Mountain and explored Banff Avenue one night. I did two little hikes through Jonhston Canyon and the Hoodoos - both are amazing natural sites. I also ate lots of good food, had a tour of the fancy hotel, and saw lots of animals! The elk were everywhere - I saw 27 in total and was quite close to many of them, which is nervewraking when on foot but exciting all the same. The weather was not very cooperative. I only caught a few glimpses of blue sky and entire mountains disappeared behind the snow (which is an amazing thing in itself). Winter is beautiful but I would also love to see all of those lakes in the summertime when the blue water is shining through and not covered by ice and snow. It looks like I will just have to go back to Banff! :)
The snow followed me to Kelowna, but it was still a pretty fall picture there with the ducks along the waterfront and leaves on the ground. I stayed with extended family and so spent lots of time catching up and swapping stories. I had a tour of the city and walked along the waterfront, did a wine tasting, ate some great food, learned a new card game, and visited the casino. Kelowna is a pretty city but unfortunately I didn't get to experience the warm weather and sunshine that it is famous for! The winery was beautiful and I was very excited to finally try ice wine, which was delicious. Maybe I can justify buying some for after my defence!
Thank you again to all of my gracious hosts and tour guides! Looking forward to more adventures to come and beautiful sites to be seen...