Alberta Canada

I figured for sharing purposes, and to drop a pin on the map of where I have traveled I’d do a short reflection on a trip I was invited on back in May of 2014. This trip began through a 2 1/2 week road trip I took in February of that year. After an amazing time roaming the east coast, which peaked with the ordination of my friend in the Boston area, I had this yearning to return to roaming, This is the same friend I would later go to Vietnam with.

I had gone back into management the previous year, and as usual they we taking advantage of my abilities and not respecting my personal time. I had stepped away from managing and I took a road trip to reflect on where I want to go in my current phase of life. The hope was to be free and roam again, and shortly after this a family I helped one random night with a flat tire invited me to go to Canada with them to reopen a retreat house in the area. With almost no hesitation I said yes. It’s what I was waiting for. Ironcially the flat tire happened days before my road trip which was delayed a couple days, because my boss asked me to hang around for Superbowl Sunday. I’m always fascinated by the little things that lead to big experiences.

I was fortunate to spend 3 months living at what is now called Mount Carmel Spirituality Center, Ironically it was July 16 the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel that we arrived there, several years before the name change. It was then called Ephphatha House. During these 3 months. I saw the northern lights for the first time in my life, we visited the Canadian Rockies in Jasper, which is where this photo is from. We roamed the city of Edmonton which was very peaceful and enjoyable. Most of all we lived off the grid when we were at the retreat house, the only thing I had was wifi at the main lodging area, which was among 25 cabins. The skies every night were speckled with stars, you could hear the wildlife moving around at times and the sun setting at 10:30 pm with a glow until midnight was fascinating.

Sadly after 3 months our stay came to an end and we returned to the U.S.A. It was something however that began an appreciation for me of the United States. I began to see the little things I took for granted that we have. Simple stuff like good technology like cell phones was far more advanced in service in the USA. Buying food mozzarella at a local grocery store was double the price I would pay in the states with half the quality. It was more like cheddar cheese than anything else lol. I loved the clean environment of Canada though and I enjoyed the contrasts between the two countries. Calgary was another beautiful city I spent a weekend in. It felt like Denver Colorado, but in Canada with the Rockies in the background. Alberta has a lot of beautiful natural sites to see in a short radius.