Summer Travel: Guelph, ON - July 2018

In July I took Isabelle on her first ever flight to visit some of my family in Guelph, Ontario. I had really wanted this to be a trip that all three of us went on, but we decided to use Daniel’s holidays differently so Belle and I jetted off just the two of us. It’s been over four years since I last got out to see these family members (don’t worry, they make their way to Saskatchewan multiple times a year), and it was, of course, Belle’s first time visiting their home.

My cousin, Kathleen, has been living in Saskatchewan for a few years now, but she is a teacher so she tends to head back home to visit her parents during the summer. I have been wanting to make the most of my maternity leave and get some travels in while I am off, and this definitely fit the bill.

Isabelle was a champ! I honestly could not have asked for a better baby to travel with. And we switched up the timing for the flights. The Flight there left around 5:00 in the morning, so we had to wake her around 3:30 to leave for the airport. Our flight home left Toronto around 7:00 in the evening. She was great for both!

We had a wonderful time. It was slower paced than I am used to while traveling, since I had a baby with me and all. I had to work around her naps (which were on a perfect schedule there, by the way – what the heck??), so we didn’t have the ability to go do as many things. It was really nice just relaxing and visiting, though.

The Secret Garden Tea House, Home of the Tea for Two

Tea for Two in Elora, ON
Even though we got a lot of relaxing in, we still did a few fun things! My cousin has been wanting to take me to this cute tea house in a nearby village ever since she first went herself. Oh my goodness. This tea house was fantastic, but the village was even more amazing! It’s so sweet and quaint and you honestly feel like you stepped into a little European village. I had a lovely time and I would love to head back some day.

Elora, ON

Note: When I went to look up the Secret Garden Tea House in order to link it for you, I see that they are closed as of September 30, 2018! This makes me sad. However, I would still highly recommend a visit to Elora, ON!

Outlet Mall
We made a day trip with Kathleen’s friend, Emilie, out to the Toronto Premium Outlets for some fun shopping. I almost bought a black and white Kate Spade purse, but it was right at the start and I didn’t want to carry it around. I had changed my mind by the end. I picked up a few items that had been on my wish list for a while.

Other than that, we just visited, went for coffee runs, played Settlers of Catan, and watched the first few Harry Potter movies – a half marathon, if you will.

Have you ever traveled with an infant by yourself? I hope to share my tips at some point, but if you have any of your own please share!

Isabelle and Auntie Kathleen

Ottawa Recommendations?

We are heading to Ottawa in September for my cousin's wedding and we are so excited! I have been there a couple times, but only for a few short days and always with a purpose that filled all of my time. So, with that being said, I would love to hear your recommendations for places we must go! I am more looking for restaurants, pubs, coffee shops, and bakeries, but all suggestions for what to do/see/eat are welcome! You can comment here, send me an e-mail (sarah.sweetspontaneity@gmail.com), tweet me, or let me know on Instagram!


P.S. The photo above is from my first trip to Ottawa in October 2013. You can't really tell, but all those people behind me? They're dressed as zombies. My first visit to Parliament was made all that much more interesting by the Zombie Walk that I had absolutely no idea was going to take place until I was walking out of the building and down the steps and saw all of these terrifying people coming towards me. Thankfully I don't watch many zombie movies or shows, or else I would have been terrified!

Finding the Adventure in Day-to-day Life

A photo I snapped while practicing mindfulness as I wandered around London, England.

If you know me well, you know I am one of those people with a case of wanderlust that I just cannot seem to satisfy or shake. I dream of far off places and days spent in different cultures. However, my lifestyle for the past few years has not been very accommodating when it comes to travel and I have found myself mostly Saskatchewan bound. This is not without joy, though. I have chosen to not make a priority of travel at this time, and I am not sitting here feeling trapped in my surroundings, aching to go – even though that would have been me about five years ago.

With less traveling I have really come to love where I live, and while I still wouldn’t call myself a homebody, I do enjoy being here. I have found that not knowing where my next adventure will lead me or when it will happen has helped me to find the adventure in my day-to-day life.  Surprisingly enough, I chose that as my blog tagline long before I think I actually knew what it meant. It wasn’t until recently that I started enjoying the beautiful melody of the birds chirping in the fresh morning air, or the softly fragranced breeze while walking near a garden.

Something that has kept crossing my mind lately is to be more intentional about these moments. To really be aware of the beauty surrounding me, instead of yearning for someplace else. One of my favourite things about being in Rome is wandering the streets early in the morning, before many people are up and about; the dewy air starting to dissipate with the sunshine sneaking between buildings as it continues to rise and awaken the city with it. Everything is fresh, everything is quiet, and, most importantly, I notice all of this. I cannot tell you the number of times I have been walking to work in the morning with a very similar situation going on around me, only to quickly pass it all and get in to the building that I work in. Lately, though, I have noticed the birds, I have noticed the rising sun, I have noticed the fresh, sweetly scented air, and you know what? It is amazing! The peace and calm that the 30 seconds of being mindful brings to me is worth so much I cannot even compare. Yes, being in Rome or another far-off place is wonderful and beautiful and it is extremely important to be mindful there too, but imagine how happy I would be if I allowed myself to have that same mindset everyday, all day while at home? It brings me so much joy just imagining the possibility!

What is something in your everyday that you find extremely beautiful or that reaches a special place in your heart, but you tend to take for granted? Have you ever intentionally practiced this kind of mindfulness, or is this how you have always lived? (Teach me your ways!) Please share a moment like this – big or small, I would really appreciate hearing about it!

Living Life Lately

So, it looks like I didn't post anything in June. I guess that's what happens when you're busy living life!

I have been up to a lot in the past month, and this last week especially!

We had our engagement party, which turned out to be a great evening, complete with some DIY projects like this tassel garland.

I did makeup for a couple weddings, and attended a few as well.

 Chelsey Dawn Photography

Chelsey Dawn Photography

Laura-Anne Photographer

I bought many succulents for our wedding centrepieces, I repotted a couple succulents and cacti, and I prepped the small terracotta pots for our centrepieces.

In this last week, I did graduation makeup and hair for one of my dance students and attended her graduation in Hepburn, SK.

On Wednesday, Dan I attended the free screening of The Wizard of Oz at the Bessborough Gardens to celebrate 30 years of the Sasktel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival. The weather was absolutely beautiful and we had a fantastic time!

Then, on Thursday morning, I was off to Gravelbourg, SK to get ready to celebrate my best friend's wedding. The weekend went by so fast, but it was absolutely beautiful. Friday was Canada Day, but we were so focused on the prep for the wedding that we didn't do much celebrating with the red and white. The rehearsal dinner was a tasty barbecue, though, which is very Canada Day-esque.

Tann put so much thought and work into every little moment and detail, and not bit of that was lost in the total effect of the day. She was the most beautiful bride I have ever seen, and I definitely had trouble keeping my eyes dry. I cannot wait to have her stand beside me in December as my matron of honour.

We even started the wedding day with a mimosa bar courtesy of yours truly while we got ready.

After a fantasticly fun night of celebrating and dancing, we all pitched in to take down the decorations at the town rink, and then Dan and I were off to head home.

How was your weekend? What have you been up to lately? Did you do anything for Canada Day/are you doing anything for the Fourth of July?

13th Ave Coffee House

My boyfriend and I made a quick trip to Regina this past weekend to see some of my friends for the holidays. We met up with Jessica and Jessica at Malt City for lunch on Saturday and it was great! I was so happy to be catching up with them that I didn't even think to get photos, but I'm sure I will be back.

On Sunday morning we met up with Jessica and Leah at Holy Rosary Cathedral for Mass and it happened to be when they were blessing the Holy Doors for the Year of Mercy, which was a nice surprise!

After Mass we went across the street to 13th Ave Coffee House for some coffee and to catch up. I had just said to my boyfriend as we were walking to the cathedral for Mass that I wanted to try it soon, so I was more than happy to oblige when Leah suggested it.

The coffee house is located in a refurbished house in the Cathedral Village area of Regina, which is probably my favourite area in all of Regina. If you're ever in Regina I highly recommend checking out 13th Ave Coffee House and the surrounding area - there are some great stores and sights, especially on 13th Avenue.

Have you ever visited Regina? Where is your favourite place in Regina? Have you tried 13th Ave Coffee House?

My Dream Trip

For a few years now the top trip that I have wanted to take has been a North American Roadtrip. A slow roadtrip - not one where I drive for 19 hours just to get somewhere, stay for a few days, then drive right back. I want to experience each province and state, rather than simply pass through. I'm thinking about three months would be a good time. The only problem is, I kind of have to have three months free to do that. I used to always tell myself that if my contract wasn't extended at work I would go on my roadtrip, but I just signed on with no end date - a wonderful, wonderful thing, but it doesn't quite help me make this dream a reality.

I'm sure I'll figure out a way to make it happen though, but in the meantime I'm really enjoying dreaming up an itinerary and researching all the places I could visit. I don't have anything that is an absolute, other than the general route. I would start in Saskatchewan (home), make my way west through Alberta to British Columbia and then head down the West Coast, then across the southern states, making a sort of zig-zag pattern to visit more places as I make my way east, and then head up the East Coast, dip under the Great Lakes, then head back into Canada at either Manitoba or Saskatchewan. Specific stops have obviously yet to be determined - I would actually love to tap into my network and try to visit friends and family of my friends and family while traveling through their areas.

This trip is still a long way off (possibly years!), but if you have any experience please share! I'm slowly making a list of places to visit, so if there is anywhere that you think I must see please let me know :)

Ciao Pasta Bar - Windsor, ON

I'm here today with one final post about my weekend in Windsor, ON. I've already shared an overview and about my visit to Taloola Café.

On my last night in Windsor I did a Google search for somewhere to eat and I was having a bit of difficulty, because restaurants that had been recommended to me or that appealed to me online were either already closed or closing soon (it was Sunday at about 6:30 pm). I finally came across Ciao Pasta Bar and the hours were accommodating, so I decided to check it out.

When I arrived I was definitely impressed by the décor. The yellow, white, black, and grey colour scheme is one of my favourites, and they did it well with white tufted panels and large mirrors on darker walls, offset with yellow accents throughout. I really liked the sturdy, oversized, natural wood tables and chairs - it made it feel like you were in someone's comfortable dining room. My favourite part, though, was the gallery wall on the back wall. I didn't get a chance to look closely at it, but it added to that comfortable, personal dining room feel.

Now for the menu. I really liked that you could create your own pasta dish, and that you could get a half plate; pasta is filling and sometimes you really want to plan for dessert. I went with a half plate of whole wheat capellini topped with a blush sauce with chicken cooked in and added asparagus. When the plate arrived I have to admit that I thought the portion looked a little small, but that together with the starter bread was actually the perfect amount of food for me. I also had a pomegranate martini and it was super tasty.

I decided to treat myself to dessert to round out a very pleasant meal. I ordered the chocolate Nutella tart with a latte to go with it. I can't even describe how delicious that tart was! It was a bit much for one person to eat alone, so I would recommend splitting it with another person if you ever get the chance to stop in. The latte was well made and paired perfectly with the dessert.

I would highly recommend Ciao Pasta Bar if you are ever in Windsor, ON. It would be a fantastic date place, but it's totally family-friendly as well. I saw something about family movie night on Sunday evenings that sounds like a lot of fun as well.

That's it for my trip to Windsor! I am really hoping that I get a chance to head back sometime in the not too distant future - any tips on where I could visit next time?

Taloola Cafe - Windsor, ON

I didn't get the chance to visit too many places while I was in Windsor, since it was a short trip and I was there for a wedding. As I mentioned in my recap post about my visit, one of the places that I stopped in at was Taloola Café, on a recommendation from the bride and groom via their wedding website. They have impeccable taste, so I wasn't surprised when I really enjoyed their recommendation.

Taloola Café is in the Walkerville area of Windsor, Ontario, not far from the riverfront. I was there on a lovely warm day, but I opted to sit inside so that I could take in the interior instead of sitting on the roomy patio. Also, I'm a redhead with fair skin so I burn far too easily.

The café is decorated in a very unique and eclectic style, with everything being its own statement while still coming together in a cohesive look. The exposed brick and warm hues on the walls and furniture make you feel at home, which leaves you wanting to stick around awhile.

I decided to go with the Roberto Panini and a Caffe Mocha. They were fantastic! There were quite a few items on the menu that I wanted to try, so hopefully I'll get a chance to go back sometime!

Have you ever been to Taloola Café? What is your favourite thing to order? Any other places in Windsor that I should add to my list to visit if I ever head back? I'd love to hear from you!

Jet-setter: Windsor, Ontario - May 1 - 4, 2015

I spent this past weekend in Windsor, ON for a wedding! I had never been to Windsor before, so I took a bit of extra time and toured around a tiny bit. I had wanted to try and make a vacation of this trip and head to Guelph, ON to visit some family (like I did at the start of 2014), but it didn't work out that way. It's so expensive to fly within Canada that I like to take advantage of the times I book flights and do a lot in between, but I had two new roommates moving in on Sunday while I was gone and May is a very full month, so I decided to just make it an extended weekend instead.

On Friday I flew in to Windsor via Toronto. The Toronto-Windsor leg of the trip was in a pretty small propeller airplane with only nine rows of seating. I can be easily affected by motion sometimes, although I've never truly gotten sick, so I was kind of worried it might be a bumpier ride but I am happy to report that it felt the exact same as a larger airplane. Windsor is right across the river from Detroit, and it happened that I was on the right side of the airplane to catch a pretty spectacular glimpse of Detroit from the sky before we landed. Also, the view from above reminded me so much of Saskatchewan, with the patchwork quilt appearance and flat lands.

I rented a car and then checked in to the Hampton Inn & Suites on Huron Church Road, one of the hotels that was recommended for the wedding.

I really liked how each door number had a different black and white photo beside it - I got the lucky horse shoes!

Next I looked on the bride and groom's wedding website for an idea of where to go to grab a bite to eat, I settled on Taloola Café in the Walkerville area of Windsor, not far from the river front. It was super tasty!

I then wandered over to an abandoned building across the street that had caught my eye through the
window while I was enjoying my late lunch. It was so sunny, so I didn't get a great photo, but the building is overgrown with ivy and windows on every storey of the building were shattered and boarded off.

After that I went back to the hotel before going shopping at a nearby mall. After a bit of window shopping I went back to the hotel once again and I had a relaxing night in, complete with a visit from my boyfriend's sister, her husband, and their two children, who were also in town for the wedding. I love traveling alone, but it can sometimes feel lonely - this was a nice trip that combined solo travel with still having people I know around.

Saturday was wedding day! If you'd like to see photos from the wedding, check out this post by Laura-Anne, their very talented wedding photographer! (And an absolutely wonderful person too!)

On Sunday I joined my boyfriend's sister and her family at Mass where we were able to see and say goodbye to a few of the wedding guests. That afternoon they took off and I was alone in Windsor once again. I took a nap (the king-sized bed was oh so comfy) and then went in search of a restaurant for supper. I found Ciao Pasta Bar online and it had pretty good reviews so off I went. It was delicious as well! I don't think I tried a single bit of food this weekend that I didn't seriously enjoy. Since I had napped in the afternoon, I was definitely not ready for bed so I ended up working out and taking advantage of the pool and hot tub at the hotel. For some reason I rarely ever take advantage of these amenities when staying at a hotel, I guess I rarely have extra time because I'm usually visiting for a specific reason.

 

My final morning in Windsor was Monday and I woke up to a cloudy, grey, and drizzly sky. It was actually a welcome change from the absolutely beautiful and hot weather during the rest of the trip. I had wanted to go for a walk along the river once I had checked out, but the rain was pretty constant, sometimes letting up to a drizzle, but mostly just pouring down, so I just went to the river for a tiny bit. I didn't want to miss out, no matter the weather.

Have you ever been to Windsor, ON? Where would you recommend to visit if I get the chance to go again?

Road Trip Recap: Regina, SK - March 27 - 29, 2015

The first trip of my #take12trips challenge was to Regina - nice and close to home. I've technically already taken a few trips, considering I was in Regina when I wrote the original post and we've also been to visit my boyfriend's family in Prince Albert a few times too, but I won't be including those - mainly because we just relaxed and enjoyed everyone's company so there just isn't much to share!

On to this visit to Regina. It started out as a trip for a girls night with some of my friends, but I ended up fitting in some time with family and Santana and I finally got to see each other again too before I went on home to meet my future roomie so she could tour my place. It was a pretty quick weekend, but so much fun.

Jessica decided last minute that she wanted to make our girls night a Frozen themed evening, so that's what we did! I picked up some cupcakes from Cathedral Bakery, Jessica, Sylvia, and I ran some errands to pick up supplies and food, and along the way we stopped in at Party City, where we picked up the majority of our Frozen items: a "gliding" Elsa helium balloon, props for the photo booth, and streamers! The store was so awesome, and the aisle with all of the paper cups, plates, and napkins was essentially an organization enthusiast's dream.

The evening shaped up well with about ten of us in attendance. We had appetizers, desserts, drinks, a photo booth, pin the nose on Olaf, and some wonderful conversations mixed with some dancing (of course).

 

What did you get up to this weekend?

Travel in 2015: #Take12trips Challenge

Peggy's Cove, NS - Summer 2012

I stumbled across the #take12trips challenge on the Travel Hack and decided I would jump on board. I definitely already take 12 trips a year, but I want to be intentional about them. Even before coming across this challenge, I was already brainstorming ideas with my boyfriend about where we would like to go in 2015. I suggested aiming for at least one trip a month, thinking that 12 trips was a very attainable goal. Because we live in Saskatchewan, with extremely cold winters, we will naturally do a lot more traveling in the summer, so there might be a few winter months that don't actually have a trip scheduled, but multiple trips in other months will still make up for it.

With the weather Saskatchewan is currently experiencing, all I can think about is traveling somewhere warm, but I don't have any official plans for that yet. I already know I'll be traveling to Ontario twice this summer (once at the beginning of May and again in mid-August), so the rest of the places we added to the list are pretty close to home and will involve a road trip rather than a flight. The majority of our trips will be to visit family, because family is super important to us, and what better excuse for travel is there than to visit family?!

Sometimes it's all too easy to just sit back and let time waste away while only dreaming of traveling, rather than actually getting out there and going. Follow these tips (and the ones Monica listed in the original post that inspired me) to make sure you actually get to traveling in 2015.

1. Make travel a priority
If traveling is as important to you as you think it is, show that with your actions! Choose travel over some other luxuries in your life. For me, I really like to indulge in my Starbucks habit, but cut that down to once every couple of weeks and I save a bunch to put towards travel! Another way that you can make travel a priority in your life is by setting aside the time to do it. I'm all for the staycation, but sometimes you just need to schedule your time off from work when you don't have other commitments at home and actually go somewhere while you don't have to be working. Paid time off aside, weekends and long weekends are great times to travel. Block off a weekend every couple of months that is specifically for travel and don't schedule any other commitments. When you have the time available you're in a much better place to arrange travel than if you have to go about cancelling and rescheduling just to get started.

2. Have a list of places you can go on a moments' notice
Okay, maybe not a moments' notice (but then again, maybe you're able to do that too!), but compile a list of places that are nearby and don't require a whole lot of planning ahead to be able to visit. The possibilities are endless, but these tend to be places you can reach by car or public transport and that you already have accommodations available (or places that always have openings available for accommodations). My boyfriend and I compiled our wish list of places to go and a good majority of them could be places that we decide to visit on a Friday afternoon when we leave right after work. Planning ahead is good, but spur of the moment travel counts too!

3. Plan/Prepare
For the plan ahead trips do exactly that: Plan Ahead. Book your accommodations (or call your Aunt), budget accordingly, get the car serviced, research activities and restaurants, plan for your time away. This will look different for every trip, but do it, it makes going that much easier.

4. Budget
As I said in number 3, you need to budget in order to properly prepare for traveling. If you're fortunate enough to have your accommodations covered and a large amount of your meals provided by friends and family, then that's a large amount of money that you don't have to have set aside. However, you'll still have to cover the cost of getting there and any extra activities that you wouldn't normally be taking part in at home. Figure out approximately how much your trip will cost you ahead of time and set it aside - don't rely on credit! BONUS: If you know you want to travel this year, you can start a "travel fund" even before you know exactly where you want to go, then you'll be one step ahead when it comes time to plan a budget!

What are some of your tips to make sure you travel as much as you wish to? Anyone else taking part in the #take12trips challenge? Where do you want to travel to in 2015?

Little Memories

A cafe on a side street in Pisa, Italy where I enjoyed a wonderful cappuccino.

I was out for breakfast the other morning and I ordered a cappuccino. When it arrived I took a sip and I was immediately reminded of Italy. Cappuccinos taste completely different here in Canada, and while this one was still definitely not up to Italian standards, something about it made it that much closer to those I had multiple times a day while visiting Italy.

I actually quite enjoy when little things such as this remind me of places and times far away. Each and every experience that I have had has played a part in shaping who I am today. It's not just the grand events such as travelling halfway across the world, but it's the little things too. Little moments from a street in Pisa, or from the riverbank in Saskatoon. A conversation on a park bench in Hyde Park in London, or on a bus in Halifax. Big and small, these moments are all a part of me. 

What little things have caused you to remember lately? I'd love to hear!

Road Trip Recap: Edmonton, AB - October 3 - 5, 2014

A little while back I spent the weekend in Edmonton for a weekend-long bachelorette party. The bride had originally wanted a trip to Vegas, but since she went with Edmonton instead more of us were able to make it for the weekend. We rented a 15-seater van and made our way to Edmonton, where we had rented a little house not far from the West Edmonton Mall.

We planned a pretty chill first night, after 5+ hours of driving. We had about an hour to get ready after arriving and then we headed to the Red Piano at the West Edmonton Mall for dinner and an evening of entertainment. The Red Piano is a duelling piano bar where there are 5 hours straight of live musical entertainment, fuelled by song requests from the audience. While we were being thoroughly entertained by the musicians, whose pianos were located right in front of our table, the bride decided she wanted to ride the roller coaster at the mall in the morning - something she had never done before, because she is terrified of roller coasters.

The next day we got up and went straight to the West Edmonton Mall. Before splitting up to shop the day away, our whole group headed to the Galaxyland Amusement Park to ride the rollercoaster, complete with three loop-the-loops. We had a blast and after almost backing out, the bride did too.

To be honest, the timing of this trip wasn't the greatest for me in terms of finances, so I didn't get to go as crazy with the shopping as I would have hoped. I found a few things at H&M as well as Dynamite, but I didn't really let myself wander into too many other stores because I needed to practice restraint and I knew it would be about 100 times more difficult if I were to actually go into the stores. So, instead of wandering around this huge mall with no purpose, I went to the Cinzeo stand and got myself a delicious cinnamon bun and sat by the pirate ship to enjoy it while reading some of my current book, Beautiful Ruins, before joining one of my girlfriends while she continued to shop.

After shopping we all piled back into the van and headed to a group fitness class and then went back to the house to get ready for our night out. We did some of the very typical bachelorette party games and shared stories about the bride before our limo showed up to take us for a drive around Edmonton and then drop us off at the club for the night. We had a good group of girls and the entire night (and weekend) was a blast!

The next day we got up and ready to leave and were on the road again by 11:00. We stopped off in Lloydminster for lunch and then we were home. This was by far one of the best bachelorette parties that I have participated in, even though they're always fun in their own way. What kinds of bachelorette/stagette parties have you been a part of that you really enjoyed?

Milky Way Ice Cream - Regina, SK

I had plans to head to Regina this weekend to see some family that's visiting from England, and since I had Friday off of work I made the decision on Thursday to head down a day early. Thankfully Jessica was available for a visit and also opened up her house to me for the two nights that I was there (I actually wrote this post in my pjs on her super comfy couch). After a little adventure to Michael's on Thursday evening after I arrived, in which we had to fight to get a large canvas into the back of my SUV, we decided to walk a few blocks from Jessica's place to Milky Way Ice Cream for a little treat.

Aside from not realizing they only took cash until we were already in line, we moved through the line pretty quickly for such a hot evening. I had trouble deciding because they have so many flavours, but I ended up going with soft serve vanilla and strawberry twist dipped in sprinkles, it was fantastic! I cannot remember the second flavour that Jessica got, but the other was pistachio and she couldn't stop saying how amazing it was.

As we were waiting in line I realized that this was the first time all summer that I had gotten ice cream, and I was surprised! I usually get ice cream often throughout the summer, it's just one of those things.

Do you have a favourite ice cream place or a particular flavour you always get?

Borden Bridge, SK

In June we were heading back from a wedding at Redberry Lake, SK and decided to stop off at the Borden Bridge on our drive back to Saskatoon. There is an old bridge next to the one in use now, but it is still standing so we explored a little. We had actually stopped to look for a geocache, which we found, but we continued to explore the area - isn't the bridge beautiful?!

I have driven by this bridge a few times now, I actually don't head out that way too often, but every time that I have driven on this highway I have thought about stopping to check out the bridge - I am glad that I finally did!

Have you seen any interesting bridges lately? I would love to see photos! Also, does anyone reading this do geocaching? I only recently learned about it and we have been trying to look for at least one during our road trips this summer, it's pretty fun!

Road Trip Recap: Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan - March 21, 2014

I'm back today after a bit of a break to share about one of my recent road trips! I had the day off on Friday and I took the opportunity to drive down to Moose Jaw, SK to visit a good friend of mine who recently gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.

I love road trips, especially solo road trips. Driving in Saskatchewan can be extremely beautiful, with the endless views, the stunning sunsets, and the ever-changing skies; there is a reason we have "Land of Living Skies" on our license plate.  You would think that an endlessly flat, almost always straight drive would get boring, but it doesn't. It's the perfect time to think, to reflect, and to just be. Singing along as loud as I want to all of my favourite songs doesn't hurt either.

My visit with Jessica and her new baby girl Payton was fantastic. Jessica is such a beautiful new mom! She seems to have it all together, and the day of my visit was Payton's 3 weeks! I have never had a child, but I'm pretty sure that when I do I won't be as willing to share as she is, and I definitely know I won't be as calm and collected as she is.

After our visit I went to downtown Moose Jaw and wandered Main Street. I used to have a dance competition there every year when I was younger and I love the historic feel so I wanted to revisit it. There is also a newer store there that always has the greatest necklaces so I stopped by to check out their stock.

After spending a bit of time downtown I decided to hit the road again. I set off for Saskatoon as the sun was setting, and was accompanied by some beautiful views.

Friday Plans

Today I am hitting the highway to see my lovely friend Amanda.  Amanda goes to school about an hour away from Saskatoon, and about half an hour away from where I went to school in my first year of university, St. Pete's. We have been super blessed to be able to see each other quite often this year, but it has been a few weeks now. Last year we would go a couple months without being able to see each other, but I must have gotten used to this regular schedule because I miss her terribly!