The travels and travails of one finding her history, roots and some adventure!

Beginning in 2010 a whole lot of planning, thinking, worring and dreaming will start.
A Pilgrimage to where her father was born, lived and worked will be investigated.
Some items from a personal "bucket list" will be crossed off.
A journey of some thousands of kilometers will begin.
It will truly be an epic journey of a lifetime.
It is through family that I am blessed to have this opportunity.
It is through family that I will discover many new things.

And so it begins.....

Monday, January 31, 2011

An Engaging Personality

There are times in our lives when we have the opportunity to meet a person who really makes us be glad we're on the planet.
Maybe they've awed us with something they've accomplished.
Maybe they're nice to talk to or have a great story to tell and tell it well.
Maybe they're a 'star'.

On Saturday I had the chance to meet and be present for a one on one interview with Paul Henderson.

If you're doing a little head scratching. It's the Paul Henderson who scored the winning goal in the 1972 Team Canada vs. Russia Hockey series.
The hockey series that the entire country was glued to fuzzy TV images of.
The hockey series that I, along with the rest of the classes, were piled into the Armour Heights Public School gym to watch the games on a few TV's set up.
The hockey series that set a bench mark for all other hockey series.

That Paul Henderson.

The Man was doing an interview with Mr. Henderson in Kincardine at a travelling display of Paul's hockey jersey that he wore when he scored the goal.
Sounds silly right?
Well, it's Canadian, it's hockey and it's an iconic moment in history. So we, as Canadians, celebrate weird things like a hockey jersey that the player wore when he scored the winning goal (this is for my Czech relatives who may wonder!)

I was present for the interview. There were only the 3 of us in a cramped storage area behind the display.
I took some pictures of the Man and Paul during the interview. They're great.
This was an amazing glimpse into what a truly engaging personality is.
Paul was honest, articulate, enthusiastic and you just wanted to hear him say more about his days in hockey. What he felt about hockey now, what he felt about the display of the jersey and what it meant to Canadians and what it meant to be Canadian himself at that time.

I know, I know, he's just a guy who scored a goal. But to hear him describe it you can imagine still the energy and thrill it was to compete in something as big as the '72 series was.

His philosophy on life is no less energetic and uplifting. I was inspired and honoured.

I hope in my lifetime to meet many people that have that love of not only their country but of their own accomplishments and their own faith and belief in what they do is good and for good.
Paul inspired me to think about what I do from day to day and it may not be totally amazing or something that makes the nation sit up and take note but it is good and for good.

Paul Henderson is truly and engaging personality and I have been honoured to make his acquaintance.

Oh yeah, and the jersey and the interactive display around the series was pretty cool too.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

The Routine of It All

We get up via some electronic device each morning.
We have our routine.
Don't mess with our routine.
Sometimes it's a very easy routine.
Sometimes not.
But...
It's a routine.

As I trundled along with a few hundred other silent, contemplative, sleepy people this morning I thought of how much this is routine.

I'm up, fed, watered, brushed, clothed and out the door about an hour before "starting time".
I travel, hopefully smoothly, to St. Mike's where, after picking up the 2 freebee papers handed to me by bundled up distributors at the subway exit, I wander in the Victoria street entrance.
I pass by Grate Lady (I don't know her name but she's always lying in her sleeping bag with her worldly possessions around her on the same grate each morning.
Up the stairs, inside, to the right. Tim Hortons....
I present my stainless steel travel mug and Tim Card to the nice ladies there.
Sometimes I don't even need to talk, they know what I like.
Good old plain black coffee.
I swipe my card, lid my coffee, wish them a good day and head to the elevator, up to 6, the work day begins.

It's routine.
I could go on about knowing most of the patients that come to the lab, or knowing what tests there will be that day. I might even guess correctly what T has for lunch (I can't believe he doesn't get tired of the SAME thing every day) but it's still routine.

In a few months I will be turning my routine on it's ear. There will be NO routine.
Wow, there, I said it, it's now on paper....or computer screen and you are a witness to it.

After 24 years of the same kind of thing every weekday I'll be able to invent what may day will hold.
For a whole year!
Could it be that I'll actually want the routine back?
Okay, maybe. For right now.... nope, no-way, uh-uh

A break from the routine has been said to be refreshing, educational and like taking a mini vacation if you change your daily routine for only a short time.
Right, I hear that but soon I'm going to really experience it.
To be out of my routine.
Weird.

Oh yeah, and I can't wait!!!

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Technology vs.Old School

Hmmmm. Which way will work for me?

See, I'm an "old school" map person.

Maybe it's my Girl Guide influence and the hours we spent pouring over maps to find our way through or around some obstacle to make it to "home base". I love maps. They can tell so much in a small glance.

Now there's technology.
GPS.
Satellite.
Weirdo things in the air that will send us a signal and point us in the right direction.
Hmmm.
I'm skeptical.
I still like my maps but my new car will probably have a GPS system.
Oh dear something to learn.
My Smart phone has one. I've found it handy but...
I still like my maps.

For Christmas this year I received a couple of really cool atlas'. Right, I admit I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to that. Ohhh she's excited about a book of maps. Well it's the beginning of a plan of travel. With a map I can see the big picture. Where will I end up?

This much I know right now.
I will leave in July, probably the second  week, and head to the east. Through Ontario and Quebec. With the odd pit stop included. Then I think New Brunswick. Then PEI for a tour around.
Lobster included in these two provinces. Then to Newfoundland/Labrador, I want to see a puffin.  Then Nova Scotia, ooooh more lobster!

What month might we be in now? Probably later in August or early September.
Then to Maine via the Cat boat from Yarmouth to the state. (Another thing off the bucket list).
Visit Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream in New Hampshire then head back to Ontario.

Repack, restock, visit. 
Head west.
Need to be in Cranbrook BC by September 14th.
Three Bars Dude Ranch.
Yay! Saddle up girls and boys!!!

Then to Vancouver/Surrey to visit family. Whistler Peak to Peak tramway is a highlight in my book.
Then south to the Pacific Coast Highway.
Then Vegas in October when a group of cousins will be there for a few days. 
Then???

Okay so that's as far as I've gotten in the planning stage.
I'm now in Nevada and it's close to November 2011. 
I think I need to be in Ontario by December for the holidays.
Right. I think Arizona and the central states will be hacked through on my way back.

I think I need a map.
A big one.
One I can draw my route on and figure out where I'll be each day.
Hmmm I think I have a wall in my bedroom that will fit a huge map.
Ya can't do that with a little screen and an electronic map.
I'll get my highlighters warmed up.

For now I'll still be the nerd and stick to the "old school" way and the paper maps.

I want to see the big picture.
Excitingly it's coming together.
Whee!!!

Saturday, January 8, 2011

"I Know Where I'm Going"

Really though I don't. (With apologies to the very old song, I think I sang that in Girl Guides...)

But, I digress...

One of my cousins (Thanks A-M), who is an awesome proof reader noted that Graceland is in Memphis not Nashville.
Ooops

Okay, it's all country music down there to me and what's one town vs. another.
I'm going to get in trouble for saying that I'm sure.

Anyway I need to start to write down my plan for the driving trip. I don't want to do too many switchbacks to where I'm supposed to be (Memphis rather than Nashville for example) and see the sights I want to.

Having said that the Canadian dollar is over parady (spelling A-M?) and I need to get to a bank...

Still a Happy New Year!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Happy New Year 2011

Well it's the year of the traveller (with apologies to the Chinese calendar that always has a "year of...)
This is the beginning of the calendar year that will hold the beginning of my travels.
I've figured out that the number of months that need to elapse before the travelling starts will pass by quickly if I don't think about it all that much.

Christmas was fun with many folks asking what the plans are. Most who know me know that I plan things quite thoroughly and were shocked when I said that for most of my tours I have no idea what I'm going to do. Other than the dude ranch which is booked and seems to be a popular choice with my friends and family, there is some wonder to where I'll end up.

The possibilities so far might be:
 Las Vegas in October when a group of my cousins are going there. I'll just meet them when they arrive there. I will be in the west anyway I figure.

I'd like to go to Graceland. Right, that Graceland. I'm not a drop down drag out Elvis fan but I love people that followed their dream and did/dressed/sang the way they wanted to. It's in Nashville. I'm sure I can fit that in somehow.  I've been to Dollywood so I need to round it all out with Graceland.

I think I'd like to try a short cruise. I've never been on one and The Man doesn't do boats soooo why not go on a cruise. No real desire to go any one place. Just something that sounds kind of neat and I'd see some kind of different flora and fauna.

As the whole trip becomes more focused (ie. gets closer) there is a list of possibilities that is working it's way into an itinerary.

My research in the next little while is health travel insurance and how much money and what type to I need for my trip to Europe. Oh yes and a trip to the Tilley store with my Christmas gift certificates.

Happy New Year to my blog readers, may it be adventurous for you all too!