Indecisive

Everyday it seems as though I have a new idea or dream I want to pursue.  They vary between wanting to being a homeowner, to getting married and becoming a mom, to traveling the world, to returning to school.  I am usually one to feel uneasy of the unknown, but it seems as though I am feeling more excitement than anxiety over this.  It's almost exciting to have so many choices and opportunities at my fingertips.  I don't think I will have this sense of freedom again for a very long time, if ever.  I want to embrace it, and for the first time in my life, go with the flow.  

The aboriginal culture I have been surrounded with the past (almost) year is one of the "go with the flow" attitude, with less structure.  At first when I was adapting to this new mind-set, which was very different than what I am used to, I felt frustrated.  I am beginning to see that maybe we all need to slow down a little and just be.  I'm not going to sit here and say that I will throw away my habits of list-making, organization and planning; but I want to try to embrace the opportunities that I have to choose from.  Be thankful that Dane and I can choose what comes next for us.  It's exciting to see what the next five years will bring!

I guess this is the beauty of being a twenty-something with no major commitments? 

That being said, I did just receive a repayment schedule for my student debt today.  Maybe I have more responsibilities than I think!

Top 5 Moments of Our Adventure

To recap our adventure out west, and remember the highlights, I thought I would do a Top 5 Moments.  So here it goes!  (In chronological order, not in the order of favouritism)

1. Mount Rushmore

This had to make the list!  It was something Dane was so excited for, and the excitement it brought him was great.  The bikers definitely added to the humour of it.  This was also on the Top 5 because it is a major American monument.  I think the way I actually learned of Mount Rushmore was from the Game of Life!  The details were amazing.  Although there was a small rain shower, it was a nice day and we got there right before a massive storm hit!  Good timing!

2. Getting lost between South Dakota and Wyoming (and finding our way out to civilization)

When I asked Dane what his favourite memory of the trip, this was his answer.  Although we were very anxious and frustrated at the time, it's one of those memories you look back and laugh about.  It will definitely be something that we won't forget anytime soon!  The cows on the road, the 20-something deer we saw, the darkening sky, and the lack of gas and food is really quite a hilarious situation when you think about it.  I still don't know why we didn't decide to just turn around?  Finally making it out to pavement and seeing the lights of a town in the distance was the hugest relief.  I definitely felt my survival adrenaline kicking in when we were lost.  Thinking of how much food/water we had left in the car!

3. Roof Rack Incident

Again, another seemingly not-so-happy memory.  This was extremely stressful, uncomfortable and frustrating.  The reason it makes the Top 5 is because it showed me how well Dane and I can work together in a somewhat crisis situation.  This made me realize how well we work as a team, and how we divvy up tasks immediately and get the job done.  This was a huge relief, as we were about to move in together!!  Since then, during stressful times, we have worked great together, each doing what needs to be done.  Good news!

4.  Judith Gap, Montana

Small, random memory.  When we were driving through the endless, s-t-r-a-i-g-h-t, flat highways of Montana, starting to get a little stir crazy and just wanting to reach the Canadian border, we drove through a town (or hamlet?) called Judith Gap.  It was just such a hilarious name, and Dane kept saying it in a Montana accent and telling stories that originated from Judith Gap (made up ones).  This had me in stitches, and sometimes "JUDITH GAP, MONTANA" (said in a Montana accent) still gets said!  I think you had to be there to really understand why this made Top 5.

5. The beautiful turquoise waters of Lake Louise (and Banff in general)

The beautiful Lake Louise and Moraine Lake were absolutely stunning.  Of course I had seen it in pictures, but to actually see it in person was an amazing experience.  I loved the beauty of Banff, and cannot wait to go back.  The stunning scenery is breathtaking.   I would love to spend more time in Banff, and venture into more areas of the park that we didn't have the time to do.  I think this was Lucy's highlight too and gets her vote!  She got to do everything with us and wasn't left in the car all day.

There are obviously tons more, but I had to limit it to just a few!  Overall, the trip went very smoothly considering the amount of stuff we had in the car, and the length of the trip. 

 

The Flight to Chip

On August 23rd, 2011 the real adventure began!  We hopped on the little plane for the one hour flight north.  I was actually a bit nervous, having never flown on a plane so small!  This is the plane before we left Fort McMurray.

The beautiful views of Northern Canada.

This is Chip!

Lucy actually didn't do too bad!  Better than I expected.

The plane flew low enough you could still text.

Very sandy!

Little did we know, the adventure was just about to begin!!  It was finally nice to be in one place for more than one night and unpack our life out of the civic.  

Peace River

Off to Peace River for Dane's new teacher orientation for 5 days!  It was nice to actually stay in one hotel for more than a night, so I caught up on sleep, while he got up bright and early for his orientation.  He learned a lot and found it really helpful, and they gave him tons of great resources.  Of course, nothing can prepare you for what you will really face in the classroom, but it helped.  He also met many board members, which could come in handy in the future!  It was a relaxing week for me after driving across North America, and a good learning experience for him.  By the end of the week, I was just ready to finally make it to Fort Chip.  We had beautiful fall weather in Peace River in mid to late August.  The hotel was very accommodating and even gave us poop bags for Lucy!!  

Dane and his first real teacher cheque!!

Can someone please tell me why you would name your tattoo shop this?

I really hope it was a family business, the family with the last name "Brutal"

Subs on the shores of Peace River

Dane and Lucy having a wrestling match.

It also seems that every time we run into Dane's board supervisor, we are walking or playing with Lucy.  I wonder what he thinks... maybe thinking we are crazy dog people isn't so bad?  Off to Fort Chip we go!  And I'm finally blogging about it 3.5 months later!

Leaving Banff National Park

Unfortunately, our day in Banff had to come to an end, much to my dismay.  Dane had to remind me that we still had a few hours ahead of us on the road to Red Deer.  Look what we saw on our way out!

I have never seen a bear in it's natural habitat! 

Bear Country USA was my first time ever seeing a bear!

So beautiful.  I didn't want to leave!!

We will be back Banff, hopefully for longer than one day!!  Plan to come back April 2012 to meet up with mom and dad!

Johnston Canyon

Johnston Canyon was one of my favourite spots in Banff National Park.  A must-see for sure.  It isn't the most popular spot, and we went around 5 pm and it wasn't too busy, so that might have played a  part in it but it was just beautiful.  Crystal clear water in the river, and water coming from cracks in the canyon.  Not to mention the beautiful waterfall at the end!  We could have hiked up to a higher waterfall, but we had to get going and Lucy was pretty afraid haha!  Next time I will make the trek up even further, I hear it's worth the hike.  Definitely a must see in Banff!

Lucy isn't so sure...

Beautiful.  I feel like a bear should be catching a salmon in this!

I wanted to go for a dip!

Scared and sad looking Lucy.

Anyone else wanna do a cannonball in that?  I know I do.

Lucy still very unsure.

Dane and Lucy thought they'd take the "short cut" (which was short lived)

Moraine Lake

Moraine Lake.  The smaller version of Lake Louise, but maybe even more beautiful.  Again, it was very busy here too, but we snatched a prime parking spot (one of the small things that just makes your day).  We ended up having bagel-sandwiches and 2 drinks here... for about 30 dollars.  It was delicious, but wow.

I love the logs in this picture.

The waters look like the beaches of Cuba!

Dane didn't think I'd make it out there without falling in or getting a soaker!

I proved him wrong!  Reminded me of my 10 year old self here.