So after a super quick trip back home, I’m back in Calgary. On the flight back I was thinking about some of the things I managed to do while I was at home. In addition to spending lots of time with my family and cousins, I had a nice walk through downtown Milton and visited the Mill Pond; headed to Toronto for dinner on the bustling night of Nuit Blanche; and took a fall drive on the escarpment.
I realize that I miss the area. I miss home. Milton has grown so much since I was growing up. The city that I remember to have a population of 30,000 has now exceeded 100,000, and it is the fastest growing city in Canada (apparently!). It’s filled with diversity and strong communities in sports and the arts. There are simple things too: I’m able to walk a few minutes to Target to get a Starbucks. It’s no longer Becker’s and Zellers. There was a time when Milton did not have a movie theatre, or Walmart, or laser tag. Now it’s quite the place to be, with a full bus transit system. And I never took advantage of its close proximity to the escarpment where one can find Rattlesnake Point, Kelso, and the cliffs of Mount Nemo. And I miss the fall. A lot. The yellow, orange and red colours that one can see during the fall months in Ontario are gorgeous, and even though I didn’t have spectacular weather during this visit, the colours were still incredibly vibrant.
But then I think about where I am now. I love how I can go home to Milton and visit family when I can. But I also love my life now. I love the relationships I have with people in Calgary. My work is enjoyable and challenging. And not surprisingly, I love the mountains. It’s difficult to imagine what it would be like to move away from here. The world is so full with opportunity that moving away may very well happen, and I know I’ll approach that transition with a positive attitude. But boy is it difficult to imagine a weekend without Kananaskis being 45 minutes away. All in all, the weekend definitely made me think… about life changes, city changes, and how exciting the future seems. Who knows what’s next! And at the same time, I was reminded to just enjoy the moment. While in Milton, enjoy Milton for what it has to offer. Walk to Starbucks. Visit Toronto. Spend time with family. And take a drive to see the fall colours.
Christmas comes once a year… and for me, the holiday season flies by as quickly as it arrives. It’s definitely been a great few days with lots of catching up, video game battles, and lots of eats that go against my general dietary intake of the day-to-day. I don’t think I’ve had a legitimate serving of vegetables since I’ve arrived!
HIKES & HAMSTRINGS 