Thelma and Lake Louise

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel only read one page."

-Saint Augustine

My excitement kept me from getting a good night's sleep. I remember helping my grandfather load the van full of fishing gear and he told me to get some shut-eye because we had a long drive ahead of us. I was maybe 9 years old at the time when I made my first trip to Fernleigh, Ontario. I had been to Canada before as a kid, going to Marineland and such, but this was the first time I could conceptualize what it actually meant to travel to a "foreign" country. Using a different kind of currency, different television shows and just doing new things were appealing to the younger version of me. In fact, they still are.

Throughout my youth, I had a sense of wanderlust, the strong desire to travel and explore the world. There were class trips to Boston and Montreal, while there were chances to go to New York City and Washington D.C. that I was not able to enjoy. Sometimes, it was a bit cumbersome to travel as my family didn't have disposable income and you can only sell so many candy bars door-to-door. Life always has a way of working itself out and when I thought I have been priced out of being an exchange student, I met someone who was involved with the Rotary Club. The Rotary Club doesn't charge an up-front price for exchanges, they find 1 to 3 families that host an exchange student and even provide a monthly stipend. All I had to do is find the airfare to get there, which my grandfather purchased for me. He'd also make sure I had enough walking around money and I was never left wanting. It was in Finland where I got the chance to travel throughout the country and into neighboring Estonia, Russia and Sweden. I was even enjoying the airport experience in Copenhagen and London where I bought probably the most expensive toast and cappuccino I will ever buy.

Traveling alone is one thing. There were road trips to Montreal and Toronto that I would do on a whim. Life in Buffalo became too mundane and I need french fries covered in cheese curds and gravy. The trip from Buffalo to Montreal was a 6-hour jaunt east the I-90, north on I-81 then east on Highway 401. Poutine Paradise! Something was missing though. Previously, I usually went with someone or a group of people. Also, this was at a point in my life where I wasn't quite as affluent as I'd like to be. Either I'd sleep in my car or just make the long drive home.

Then there's traveling with someone. It's an interesting concept because sometimes things have to be a compromise. People's preferences vary. When I was online dating, women would list where they've been (but not whom they've been with). A lot of them had pictures with them on some beach somewhere and I'd sit there thinking, "I'd never go to Thailand in a million fucking years." Apparently, they hand out trips to Bali to every basic white girl, along with a fedora and barre fitness classes. They'd always be in that stupid yoga pose where you have one foot on your knee and your hands folded like you're praying. Give me a break. *Swipe left*

Leading up to a planned vacation could cause some consternation. Planning where to stay is especially difficult. I already hate planning and I often love waiting to the last minute, but I end up shooting myself in the foot, so it's always good to have someone who wants to figure it out first. Do you know where Banff, Alberta is? My girlfriend and I didn't. It may as well have been in space but it was through one of her co-workers that gave her the tip to stay in Canmore rather than Banff in order to save money. Prices were negligibly different, so we differed to the pro. Canmore was great but you could see it in a few minutes. Banff would have been a good base as well because we'd end up going back a few times throughout our stay. Specifically for the pastries of Le Fournil bakery. They are by far the best pastries I've had and I've eaten plenty.

Your choice of travel partner is important. Look what happened to Thelma and Louise, what started as a weekend road trip ended up in with a murder and double suicide. If you were on the S.S. Minnow, a 3-hour tour turned into Jean-Paul Sartre's vision of purgatory. So, what to do during a vacation could be difficult if you're not on the same page. Personally, I have no qualms with going somewhere and just bar/brewery hop. Most people I travel with will oblige my desires. Looking back over past trips, I'm realizing that I've been pretty selfish when it comes to reciprocity. I don't think I've said, "just water for me, it's the girl's turn to let her hair down and cut loose." That might be something I look into more.

Needless to say, but the scenery of the Canadian Rockies is breathtaking. Maybe that's because of the altitude. Mountainous terrain with snow-capped peaks. Banff & Lake Louise is where a lot of the area's skiing happens. Lake Louise is the first stop for the Alpine Skiing World Cup circuit takes place. We decided to take a gondola to the top of the mount and the view was amazing but it was there I remembered I wasn't a big fan of heights. My Olympic downhill skiing aspirations were dashed right there, but we concluded that there was no real reason to get out. Japanese tourists were flashing their gang signs so we decided to head to Chateau Fairmont for a few pictures. After getting our fill of picturesque panoramas, we decided to go to my favorite brewery in all of Alberta, Banff Avenue Brewing.

We visited Banff Avenue Brewing the previous day on our way to Canmore. We had some time to kill before checking in, but we didn't drink our fill because the girlfriend thought it was a bad idea to drive drunk in a foreign country. LAME!!! So we sat exactly where we did before, with the same bartender. It was great because he was a great bartender, jovial and helpful. We got a couple of inside tips of where to eat and drink. I also got a chance to talk shop with one of the head brewers. Brewers are great people to talk to because it's one of those jobs you have to have a passion for. You typically won't hear a brewer wake ups and say "Aw shit, time to wake up and make beer." We chatted about hop profiles and all things brewing related. He also gave us a tour of their brewing setup, which was impressive given the size of the operation.

You don't realize how easy it is to talk to people, but a vacation will remind you of it. In our first night in Canmore, we were at an English-style pub and met a couple. We spent a large chunk of the evening talking about what we did for a living and after a few beverages, we turned to politics. Politics is a volatile topic, to begin with, but the current climate doesn't help things. Being the worldly man I am, I was able to deftly explain the current state of affairs as well as talk about Canadian politics. Kevin and Shelly were sweet people and I wish only the best for them. But it goes without saying, sitting on a bar stool with an open mind goes a long way. We were able to talk to bartenders and fellow bar flies. On our last night in Canmore, Erika began speaking with someone at the table next to us. He was sitting there with a sketchbook and they were talking about something. I couldn't hear initially because I'm already hard of hearing and there was a Jack-and-Jill party going on. As an aside, don't do a Jack-and-Jill party. Bachelor and bachelorette parties are already annoying for everyone except the party involved. Somehow we got on the topic of creativity and making time to create. When I have downtime at work, I like to think about topics I'd like and research them, but this blog, in particular, I have been having a hard time with. My drinking habits have changed overall but in the last year specifically. Outside of the rare occasion where I get together with friends where I go above and beyond when I'm at home, I am rarely tying one on. I'm not content to have just one or two with dinner or get the creative juices flowing. My conversation with Peter helped recenter what I want to do with this page and I decided to renew it for another year.

This trip through British Columbia, Alberta, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon was a good one for me. It reminded me of the natural beauty of the region. Specifically, when we were driving through the Columbia Gorge, I was reminded that that beauty is here in my backyard. I will definitely visit the Canadian Rockies again, however it may be during the summertime. Lake Louis was still frozen and the trails were a bit soggy. Beyond the physical splendor, it gave me a chance for repose. Away from the computer and phone screens, it was just me and the girlfriend. We had some great conversations and some sour ones. We were able to overcome those differences and harsh words because when you're among giant mountains, things seem trivial.

In my valedictory, I implore you just as Saint Augustine did to read more than just one page of the book of life. Get out there and have a beer with someone special and start a conversation with a stranger. Maybe even read and share this blog?