COMING HOME | CANADA | CANMORE

There Is No Place Like Home

Mainly because I grew up in paradise.

Returning to Canada at this time of year was not our first choice. We have spent most of the past 5 years in the tropics and despise being cold these days. But with the timing feeling right to make the trip, we decided to grin, bear it, and come anyway.

After all, spring is coming, right?

When we arrived in Calgary, it was a balmy -14C (7F) as we stood outside the airport to wait for our friend while breathing in the chilly winter air. At that point, we were delirious from sleep deprivation from our long flight, and the cold air snapped us awake as nothing else could.

As cold as it sounds, though, I instantly thought that it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

We spent our first 2 nights in Calgary at a friend's place, then met my parents in the city. They then whisked us off to Canmore, the lovely mountain town where I grew up.

I wish I could easily express how fortunate I feel to have grown up in this magnificent part of the world. The forest you see in the above photo was a stone's throw from the house I was raised in. Quite literally, this was my playground.

Back before computers, cell phones, video games and all the other distractions, kids played outside. And let me tell you, it didn’t matter what time of year it was, the neighborhoods were chock a block full of kids playing in the streets and running amock in the forests.

We climbed through the trees, rode our bikes through the trails, swam in the rivers and ponds, chased squirrels, collected frogs and dodged bears. Haha, just kidding on that last point! Though, bears were always around.

It was a childhood of dreams. And I am so grateful for all of it.

As I walk these trails and take in the breathtaking scenery each day, I am reminded of my past life here. My mind can still see the tail end of my girlfriend's bike flying through the trails in front of me as I peddle ferociously behind her.

I think of one summer day when my friend and I dragged my dad's canoe down to the pond at the end of the street. We paddled around in it for a while then left it there because we didn’t want to carry it back.

I see a frozen-over bog and recall a time that I and a girlfriend attempted to walk through it doing nothing but sinking into it and getting covered in mud. My friend was paralyzed with fear and sobbing uncontrollably. Meanwhile, I thought it was the funniest thing ever.

I distinctly remember a time my mom sent me out with my last pair of clean pants. We were meant to go out somewhere for dinner that night.

“DO NOT get dirty!” Was the last thing I heard as I ran out the door.

Minutes later I found myself knee-deep in mud at the edge of the pond on our street.

This was my childhood. These are the moments I remember. These and so many more, of course.

I can’t express enough the privilege I feel of not only having had the opportunity to grow up in such a wonderful place but for being able to come back and stay here whenever I feel like it.

Though it was once just a small little coal mining town, Canmore has now become a world-class destination that is visited by millions of people.

How lucky I am to come and go when I feel like it?

Despite the cool temperatures, which are now starting to rise, we have been walking the trails and taking in the beauty of the outdoors as much as possible. I forgot that with the right amount of clothing, many temperatures are tolerable.

And of course, if the ducks can handle it, then surely, so can we.

So we bundle up, which, I will admit is a lot of work, then head out to see what we can find. It’s impossible to stay inside when all of this beauty beckons us out.

And the fresh mountain air is a delight to breathe in.

The signature mountains in Canmore are The Three Sisters Mountains which are pictured below. Last night we attempted to capture them as the sun was setting and the last of the sun's rays were illuminating them. There was a bit of cloud cover that was in the way so they didn’t have the full effect that we were hoping for, but they still looked majestic.

As I stood and stared at them, I had an overwhelming feeling that these mountains are a part of my spirit. As some claim to have spirit animals, I claim these mountains. And no matter how much the town I grew up in morphs and changes to reflect the demands of this day and age, I know that my spirit mountains will hardly change.

And for that, I am even more grateful.

In fact, I have them permanently emblazoned on my forearm, so I will always remember exactly where I come from, and how lucky and privileged I am to be from this incredible part of the world.

We will be spending a few months in Western Canada visiting friends and family as we travel around. Not all of Canada has mountains like these, but the landscapes are vast and diverse and I will be sure to share as much as I can with you all.

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