Thanks for joining me!! I would firstly like to acknowledge the great response I’ve received from my recent post. I’m extremely grateful for the interest and support shown by loved ones and cannot wait to share more of the ideas that I’m currently working on. The concept for this post came to me while exploring the mountains in Banff. It started as a simple silly thought… “If Canada were a friend it would be the show off” I thought this because I was in awe and it seemed that the mountains were just sitting there flaunting their own beauty. However after contemplating, I realised it was more than that and I will explain further. Enjoy!

If Canada were a friend it would be the strong, selfless, beautiful yet unassuming friend that everyone respects and wishes to emulate. Let me elaborate. It would be a friend that does not think about competing with others as it exists with such harmony and yet its power is undeniable as the mountains, though magnificent stand with humble grace. This friend is aware of its beauty but is selfless as it shares its knowledge that there is more to life than worrying about the small things. If you’re lucky enough to be in the presence of this friend, even for a short moment you are forced to escape the reality that as humans, we give too much energy to unnecessary thoughts of doubt and worry.

Canada can be the unforgiving friend with extreme moods that vary from cold, similar to the winter months, heated discussions comparable to the intense summer, with times of sadness during the rain and occasional spells of anger during the wild storms. However, there is a time of complete bliss during fall, when this friend is at its happiest and therefore it’s most beautiful! At the end of the day Canada would be a friend that would inspire you by offering a positive experience and encouraging you to become a better person. I would like to perceive every country I visit as a friend that has something to teach me, even the countries that may not be my cup of tea as we learn from every experience. Likewise some friends unfortunately become lessons. This in no way relates to the people of Canada, more the landscape and the country itself.

Now I do realise this concept is relatively abstract and I will further explain why I had such a powerful experience during my time in the mountains. I’d been craving a road trip to the Rockies for a couple of weeks after realising I’d only ventured out twice since arriving in Calgary in September. I went with two Au Pairs whom I’d just met and I can honestly say it was one of the best weekends I’ve had since being in Canada. Through this experience I’ve made strangers out of friends…friends out strangers and I’ve found that this is exactly what traveling and being away from home is all about. We arrived late in the afternoon and after getting to know each other a little more we chatted about Canada, Australia and being an Au Pair.  We then decided to head to the hot springs at the Fairmont Resort and now let me tell you… this was absolutely amazing!! I felt so fancy sipping on my beverage, relaxing in the all-natural mineral water with the mountains as a backdrop while chatting with a great group of girls I’d just met. I was also lucky enough cross off a couple of things on my bucket list on this weekend away. I jumped out of the hot springs and laid on the snow for a short 10 seconds before running back into the warm water, my body was burning but it was so fun and such an incredible experience. We then went for dinner which was delicious and had a couple of drinks at a bar.

The girls went snowboarding the day after but I really wanted to explore Banff so I decided to have a solo adventure. I told the guy who checked us out of the hotel that I had a day to myself to explore Banff and asked where he suggest I go. He then proceeded to draw directions on the map and after I made a joke that if I got lost I could just search the place on my phone and after laughing at me (in a nice way) he then said that it’s not possible. So there I was, driving through the beautiful snowy mountains following a real life map and thank goodness I didn’t get lost! The view from Mt Norquay lookout was out of this world and photos do no justice! Unfortunately I didn’t take my good camera but I will next time to capture more of its beauty. Reflecting now I believe that what made this experience extra special was that I was alone for the entire day just appreciating my own company and being still and content within nature.

I intend on continuing this idea with each country I visit. Identifying and examining countries in an unusual way as ‘different kinds of friends’ will give me a diverse outlook on the places I travel.

Lots of love and always remember, to be present in life.
Leticia xx