"trekking" the Grey Canal Trail...

So I finally stopped talking about breaking in my gear and actually got out there and began to determine where I'm most prone to get 'hot spots' on my feet, (precursors to blisters) and how tight I can cinch my pack's waist buckles without hearkening back to the corset days.

Mornings here are beautiful in the Okanagan Valley, and I enjoy them no matter what the weather. On this particular morning I could see from my bedroom window that the sun was just peeking over the mountains and warming up the snowy hills as I was preparing to walk the Grey Canal Trail just a few minutes down the road.


Practically in my backyard, this trail (shared by many locals and their canine friends) has always been a refuge for me; it's where I've cried, rejoiced, vented, and prayed during every season, in every sort of weather, at every time of day. It's a great place to run or dawdle along, spend time alone or with others. Some of my most meaningful times with God, conversations with friends, photographs of the landscape or of others, and effective physical activity has taken place along this trail, so it seemed only fitting that part of my trip preparation take place there as well. It is also a place where I gain mental clarity and really enjoy the fact that its pastoral setting brings me back to the reality that I truly am a country girl at heart. The soft sound of dirt beneath my feet, the smell of manure carried by the breeze from nearby farms, the views of the Okanagan's agrarian countryside, the occasional runaway black lab that comes barrelling at me along the narrow trail, and the cheerful, down to earth nature of the local folk who also call the Grey Canal their own all stir my heart in a way causes me to deeply cherish my rural upbringing. This communal backyard of sorts is a delightful treasure close to the hearts of those who live in Vernon's BX area, and along the trail's heights are vistas unmatched by any other lookout in the region. At once a visitor can take in three different lakes, an unhindered view of the whole city, and a broad scope of the northern section of the valley from Coldstream to Spallumsheen, and from Silver Star to Ellison and Kalamalka Provincial Parks.

The day I shot the pictures featured above I could see all of these things. This morning I could not as the fog had socked the trail right in, giving my familar path a strangely eerie feel. I enjoyed my time thoroughly, however, and enjoyed the pleasantries of passerbys who had also chosen to venture out into the mist. One couple, when taking note of my pack (which continues to grow each time I increase the weight) wondered if I was planning to get lost somewhere up in the foggy hills! Others must have just thought I was nuts but didn't fail to greet me with a friendly hello.

I will miss my times on the Grey Canal while I'm traveling, and already can't wait to walk her trails again with new knowledge and insight to ponder, new tears to cry, new prayers to pray, and new conversations to have. That said, I'm realising that this entire entry became WAY more sappy than I originally intended, which means I'm ending it right about now!

I Could Write a Book...

Well it's been a month since I've been on here and I keep telling myself that I'll become more faithful to my blog once the trip is officially underway, however, I'm beginning to doubt how realistic that may be. Then again, maybe once I ACTUALLY have something to say (aside from random blather about buying tickets and packing) my fingers will be crying out for these keys. Time will tell I guess.

So two and a half weeks to go and I'm drinking in the last couple weeks I have of central heating, my parents' cooking, and personal transportation. On the other hand, warmer weather, foreign food, (excluding the predictable after-effects) and the prospect of sharing varied and unpredictable methods of public transport keep me from falling asleep at night--especially because they are now complemented with a set of LP guidebooks to call my own. Residing next to my bed in my night stand are the Lonely Planet guides to Morocco, Moroccan Food, and Moroccan Arabic. As we speak the LP guide to Andalucia is making its way to my door via the mail. Now if only I can make room for these in my pack, not to mention within the airlines' weight restrictions!

Speaking of backpacks, my 70 L ASOLO pack wound up being a Christmas present from my parents. Now Jacqui and I have similar packs for our simultaneous adventures. We're going to have the two of us photographed donning our packs to send to friends and family. I thought it'd be fun to each wear the headlamps we got for Christmas too, but Jac wasn't too in favour of that idea!

Anyway, I'm fading fast here and need to catch some sleep. I can't believe it's Christmas already!!! Praise God for another great year and for the reason we celebrate this holiday in the first place--the birth of Jesus Christ.

Taking Care of Business...

...with only six and a half weeks to go, I've been trying desperately to juggle trip planning, a social life, and oh yes, SCHOOL...believe me, it's getting very hard to sit through classes these days, not to mention force myself into the darkrooms...therefore I am determined to keep this blog clear of anything in my life that isn't associated with my trip! So no worries, I won't be using this space as a dumping ground for all of my stresses regarding overbooked studios and bad print jobs!

THAT said, I have been doing all I can to make sure I'm as prepared as possible for everything from lisping Spaniards (can anyone say 'muchos grathias'?) to making sure my left hand is reserved only for...well...let's just say that Morocco's a Muslim country and therefore it is customary to keep your right hand clean for eating and your other free for...um, taking care of business...

My main source of preparation has come in the form of study. If anyone is hoping to travel to Morocco or Spain anytime soon, they had better not seek out the Vancouver Public Library for travel advice because I have it all...in fact I've almost reached my limit of books I'm allowed to reserve! Language cds, food guides, pictorial collections, timeless travel anthologies, and a good chunk of the Lonely Planet publications have taken up residency in my room here at Menno, and most late nights are spent poring over them as I am gluttonous for insight and ideas.

Last night I spent several hours salivating over the LP World Food Guide for Morocco...and I am delighted to tell you that meat (most specifically chicken, lamb, and fish) is a larger part of Moroccan meals than I'd already anticipated! Kebabs, (brochettes) stews, (or tajines) and other traditional meals revolve around meat and its counterpart couscous, and are accompanied by a variety of spices and sauces. Fresh-squeezed citrus drinks, almonds, olives, and grilled bread are other delicacies often on hand....oohh I'm going to LOVE the Mediterranean...

Definitely not booking with Aerofart...

wHoooOhOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just booked my flight to London and I leave Vancouver in exactly two months from today! Okay, so it's a big deal for me...I know you're thinkin' 'people fly all the time...what's her story???' Well not only did I just solidify my plans with one click of a button, but I also just graduated to a new class of international travel by booking with British Airways. Let me explain...

Seven years ago I traveled to Russia for a missions trip one summer. I was 16 and pretty stoked to be flying overseas for the first time. As I walked down the jetway to the plane I was thinking two things: how thankful I was to God for this opportunity to serve Him abroad, and how fun it was going to be spending 11 whole hours on a 'big' plane. I should just stop now and tell you that the 3 weeks in Russia were luxury compared to that plane ride...but why stop when the story just gets better!

I'm pretty sure my face turned ashen the moment I boarded the non-stop flight from Seattle to Moscow, and no, that's not because it turned out to be a SMOKING flight, (more on that later) but because the airplane was the drabbest, most depressing piece of fuselage I'd ever layed eyes on. Not only was everything beige and yellowed from decades of use, but I'm pretty sure that duct tape (a Russian luxury) was the key structural element in this aircraft. This was the pride of Aeroflot, Russia's international airline. I closed my gaping mouth (instant lung cancer was not the life-altering experience I was hoping to acquire on this trip) and took my window seat. I proceeded to wipe the film of SOOT off the glass (not really) and settled in to the most boring ride of my life. My traveling companions were virtually silent the entire trip, the view from the window included a survey of the North Pole, (overall, very white, interspersed with large areas of white) the flight attendants spoke no English, the seats were so tightly arranged that I was seated in almost five laps at once, and here's the kicker, THERE WAS NO INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT. I'm serious. I would have been grateful for a Russian film with Mongolian subtitles at thas point, a troupe of dancing Russians even, but no, the most exciting part of my Aerflot experience were the two trips I took to the lavatory. All that remains in my memory from those long walks to the back of the plane are the stoic babushkas plumply overlapping into the seats of Stalin-esque men surrounded by clouds of smoke. It looked like the mafia were bringing their immigrant mothers back to Russia just so they could make borscht. "Borscht camps...the New Gulags..." Anyway, when we landed (amazingly enough the aircraft was capable enough to do so) all we heard about from the Americans who flew over that morning was how amazing British Airways had been to them. British Airways, with its sleeping masks, 31-inch seat pitch, non-stop entertainment, RECOGNISABLE in-flight meals...I mean, COME ON...

Anyway, I feel I'm moving up in the world with this flight! Can't wait! More later...

Feels like Home...

Now really, how conceited can I get? A blog about me, for me, by me...what level of conceit have I reached here???

Uh, actually I really just wanted a convenient way to post travel info and stories up while in Morocco and Spain next semester, and figured a blog would be much easier than mass emails. Not to mention cooler. So here goes...hopefully this works better than the My Space account I set up and never used, or the online forum for Media History class that I avoided like the plague.

Anyway, someone once said that traveling with good friends was like home in motion, and that's what I hope to achieve with this blog...some sort of connection to home while on the road...an online abode where I can reconnect with all y'all...and there's nothing like a good dose of home when the road's lookin' lonely!

So if you care to join me on this journey, welcome home!