Romance In The Mountains: A Travel Story

The coffee chats, dinners out, and nature walks with calmer people were just the thing I needed. It was a quieter life in the beautiful mountain town. All I needed was to be patient and soon enough, people who were more like me arrived. I noticed something forming between Seb and I, but I didn’t want to rush anything.

I was just being myself. I was back to going out dancing on Sundays and he seemed attracted to my carefree attitude. One night while out at a club, I remember dancing with a nice-looking Australian guy, yet all I could think about was Seb. I hoped that something would form between us.

On our lunch break, Katelyn remarked how cheeky it was that I danced with that guy the other night. She thought I did it to get back at the British guy. It wasn’t that calculated. I was just trying to enjoy my life again and I wasn’t going to wait around for someone to pursue me properly. Sometimes you have to make your own fun.

“It was just a one-time thing,” I said with a shrug.

Seb stared at me. I blushed, realizing how nonchalant I sounded.

One evening, Seb invited me to stay at his place after everyone turned in for the night. We talked until the wee hours of the morning, and he told me how much he liked me. He was really into pop punk and metal at the time like I was — his favourite band was Greenday.

We’d listen to great music together and it was like being with someone I’d known for a long time. I hadn’t been in a true relationship for a few years. I worked through a lot and had some finished stories on my laptop. I was finally saving some money. I wasn’t the unstable manic pixie girl anymore. I was becoming more open to a true relationship again.

It was wonderful to have someone to trust and share the magic of Banff with. I’ll never forget how Seb assured me one day.

“You’re my girl,” he said while we cuddled.

I didn’t want to be with anyone else either. He admired that I was a writer, but he saw the other aspects of me as well. He didn’t use my hobby as leverage to try and use me, but instead took the time to get to know the girl behind the writing.

“You never have to be alone,” he would often say.

I’ve always liked my alone time, but I think he was referring to something else. You can be with a big group of people and still feel alone. That was what he meant. There will always be people out there for you, no matter where you are.

One of my favourite experiences with Seb was the night we went out dancing with everyone. I always wanted a guy I could dance with sometimes and most of my nights out in Banff were as a single girl dancing with random guys. It was awesome to spin around on the dance floor and laugh with someone who was mine. We didn’t drink very often and that’s what made it special. That’s what I liked about hanging out with him and his friends — they were more balanced. Most evenings we’d grab dinner and go for a walk or we’d cook at home and watch movies. One evening we went to the Banff hot springs with his friend and girlfriend which was amazing. The view all around us was gorgeous. It felt great to spoil ourselves since our job was so active. My sore muscles felt soothed.

As lovely as summer romances are, they usually have to end. Seb needed to go back to school in Germany and I was ready to move on from Banff. We didn’t realize at the time we’d be making memories, we just went with the flow and had a wonderful experience. Our mountain romance was coming to an end, but the best part was we would both leave the beautiful place on a good note. The darkness I felt earlier in the year was long gone.

I wish I could say that we maturely parted ways and smiled rather than shed tears, but I was a mess for our final evening together. I was able to stay composed until dinner then the tears kept falling; we cuddled on the couch for hours until we had to go to the bus stop. Some of my house mates were concerned that I was so upset. It’s why I had to leave a few days before him. Being the one left behind would have been awful. I already watched a few people leave so this was my turn.

“You can stay here, you know,” said Ryan, one of my friends. “You don’t need to go just because he is.”

“That’s kind of you, but it’s really my time to go,” I said, feeling a pang at the idea of leaving a place that had so many memories.

The evening I was scheduled to leave, he and his friend waited with me at the bus stop. I’d already said good-bye to Katelyn, Ryan, and the others. The bus was scheduled to arrive around 10 P.M., but it was an hour late. It bought us a little more time together. We looked out at the moonlit peaks and I was amazed that I experienced so much in one year. Banff had given me the experience of a lifetime — all the highs and lows brought me to that special moment with Seb.

“So, that was Banff for you,” said Seb softly. “What an amazing journey you’ve had.”

“Yes and you were the best part,” I said, shivering in the cool air.

He took off his blue Billabong hoody and gave it to me. “Here, you can wear this. You’re so cold.”

“Are you sure?” I cried. “It’s your favourite hoody.”

“Yes. It’s yours. Every time I’ve worn it, something good happened. I wore it the day I met you.”

We hugged. Soon after, the bus appeared through the darkness. It really was time to go. He gave me a final hug and I’ll never forget the look on his face. He looked deeply into my eyes as tears began to stream down his face. He turned around and walked away with his friend who put his arm around Seb’s shoulder. Choking back a sob, I got on the dark bus and cried. His scent was still on the hoody he gave me. I put the hood over my head and snuggled into it as the bus drove away from Banff. I was grateful to have a part of him with me as I moved on to the next chapter of my journey.

“Good Riddance” by Green Day played in my head before I fell asleep. I remember not being close with anyone the year that the song came out, so it didn’t mean much to me at the time. I was in Grade 8 when the song was really popular. It was satisfying that I just had an amazing romance with someone who listened to that song with me.

Now when I hear that Green Day song play from time to time on the radio somewhere, I think of my time with Seb in Banff and all the other amazing experiences with everyone I met there.

“I hope you had the time of your life.” I did.

I kept Seb’s hoodie for several years after our parting at the bus stop. It was a beautiful reminder of the connection I found in a beautiful place after so much emotional struggle.

As I slept, the bus drove toward B.C.

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