Auspicious beginnings (not)

Yesterday, I left Edmonton, somewhat unceremoniously, for what will work out to be roughly two months of travelling across Canada (and back!) by car. It was a grey day, but I can’t resent the rain too much when it is so badly needed. Well, I resented the rain that forced me off the road for 20 minutes or so, but that came later in the day’s drive. 

I said I left somewhat unceremoniously because Edmonton/Alberta roads had one last parting gift for me before I made my break for the Metro Vancouver area of B.C. and my parents condo. As happens all too frequently on my adopted province’s roads, a large rock came flying through the air and hit the windshield of my husband’s car almost dead centre, leaving a large chip.

It wouldn’t have bothered me so much except we’d just gotten the darned thing replaced three days before. And while his car (I’ve named it Bluebell, because, well, it’s blue and he doesn’t seem to hate that name) is more or less mine for the summer, it’s still his car and….

Well, I hadn’t even gone 20 kilometres yet. I hadn’t even gotten out of Edmonton city limits yet. And we’d just gotten it fixed. Here’s hoping the rain and the exciting new window chip aren’t signs of things to come.

I estimate the nearly 14 hour drive from Edmonton to New Westminster will be, hopefully, the single longest travel day of this trip. I’ve driven from B.C. to Alberta and vice versa a lot. I wasn’t in it for the (gorgeous) views or other great stops.

So here I am, chilling in the Metro Vancouver area. I’m from here, my family is still here, and I have many friends here so it’s not so much a tourist thing as it is a several-day long session of catching up with as many people as I can jam into my schedule.

I slept, finally, last night. The night before my departure was unbearably hot, I’d made some stupid calls regarding caffeine consumption and I was super worked up about leaving for about two months, so I was doing things like getting up to double check I’d packed certain items or deciding I couldn’t take those rough feeling calluses and simply had to use a pumice stone on them right now (it was 1 a.m.).

So sleeping is better. This “I’m unemployed for more or less the first time in my entire adult life” thing hasn’t really sunk in yet. Tomorrow is Canada Day and I’m off for more visits, and maybe some fireworks, to celebrate this country that I adore. Right now I’ve lived in three provinces (B.C., Alberta, Quebec) and I’ve visited a few more (Saskatchewan, Ontario and a two-day business trip to Nova Scotia that shouldn’t really count). In two months time, I will have visited every province and been on the longest trip of my life, both time wise but also in terms of the thousands of kilometres I will be racking up. I head back to Alberta on Monday for a brief overnight stop in Calgary before it’s onwards to Saskatchewan.

Anyways, that’s it for days one and two on the road. Yesterday I drove over 1,000 kilometres in about 13.5 hours. Today I walked 10 kilometres, most of it along New West’s lovely boardwalk near the River Market/Quay.