%@&! Happens

%@&! Happens and we all must deal with it. I just dealt with some lately and while it initially breaks us down, it allows us to reflect and discover who we really are. 

I recently drove back to Vancouver after three wonderful weeks in Calgary. It was great being back home, that really is where my heart belongs. But for now I am living in Vancouver, a place I also love. But it is a big adjustment now that I am no longer at UBC. Vancouver this year will be much different than last year. I have to find some work to complement my teaching and focus on my training for ultra marathons.

I stopped by Takkakaw Falls on the drive back to Vancouver. It is good to get out of
the car and stretch the legs.

My shit occurred around missing a job posting, a job that would have been great and I would have had a really good chance of getting. But oh well, it wasn't meant to be. The person who got the job is very deserving and will make an excellent run at it. Hopefully success follows her.

I learned that I need to check the job posting website everyday. My bad. This incident and some very powerful talks with my parents and friends allowed me to reflect on all the other positive accomplishments and paths in my life. I have much more going for me than many people and I am lucky for that. For instance, a big part of my life is trail running and my focus for this year, along with teaching is running ultra-marathons. So, I can really focus on that this year. I also recently. took a canoe guiding course and will be doing some guiding this year around Vancouver. So that is another fantastic aspect of my life. Also, I plan on travelling extensively next year, to Patagonia and perhaps even the Himalayas.

So, one door slammed in my face, shit happens and I was devestated. But I realize that I am not a one dimensional person. I am going to focus on my other dimensions and have some amazing adventures. 

I learned how to use the big canoes. I can now guide people in them.

So I am going to end this post with optimism and I know Vancouver will be great this year, I just have to get used to it. I did manage to get a 35km trail run in today (Sunday) so that was great. I am starting to explore the trails on the north shore and have enjoyed getting lost while finding my way.

My "Protege" Emergeth

My latest adventure did not take place in a wild environment or alpine meadow. It happened in Calgary, my home town. I bought a car. A 2003 Mazda Protege 5. The steed that will deliver me to the mountains and the adventures inherent within.

I have my "Rocinante." Now it just needs a name of its own.

I had never undertaken an adventure such as this so I got help from my Mom and Dad. I found the cars and they went with me to look at them, helped me ask the right questions and made sure i got a very nice car. So I thank them wholeheartedly, I could not have done anything without them. Thank you Mom and Dad.

In Don Quixote, "Cervantes skirts the issue of Rocinante’s aesthetic worth by stating that Rocinante was a rocin, a work horse, rather than some noble steed." Similar to Cervantes fictional Rocinante, my new vehicle is not a flashy car or a speed demon. It is a car that will take me on many adventures and be a true and solid car. I do not need it to be flashy, I need it to provide me with the freedom to escape the city, hold me when I sleep at the trail head and take me across the continent from race to race. 

I have to support my favourite Canmore pub. This sticker is on the back of my car.

I found my "Rocinante" and it will carry me to many adventures in the future.

Forgot my shoes today

Don't head to the mountains without your shoes. If you get nothing else from this post, I hope that at least you learn to always bring your shoes to the mountains. I learned a valuable lesson today.

My sister and I headed out to Banff today in the hopes of hiking the Bloom Lake Trail. Halfway out, I looked into the backseat and realized, in my tired state this morning, that I forgot my trail shoes. After much apology, we had to turn around and make alternate plans for the day, which turned out to be absolutely fantastic. Any day in the mountains is better than a day in the city. 

Sometimes a plan does not go according to, well, plan and we have to adapt to the circumstances. Instead of getting angry, simply realize that it is okay, nothing can be one and carry on with another great adventure. You can't control life, you have to absorb what comes forward. 

We hiked into Grassi Lakes instead and enjoyed the beautiful aqua-marine lakes, the towering rock walls and the superb views of Canmore. It is not a remote hike but that does not mean it is any less awesome. I used to climb here when I lived in Alberta so it was fun to go through the area as a passer-by. I enjoyed admiring the rocks and the lakes instead of having to worry about everything that goes along with rock climbing.

After spending a couple hours in the hills, we walked around Canmore, checked out the amazing stores and then had beer, soda and food at my favourite establishment in Canmore, the Grizzly Paw. They serve the best nachos and beer I have ever had. I love walking around Canmore because it is so diverse and eclectic. You see used book stores, high end furniture stores, gear stores, fantastic candy stores, a bagel shop, a fancy itlaian restuarnat. It is truly a town for everybody.  It was a great day and we arrived back in Calgary refreshed and looking forward to our next adventure. Hopefully mine will be a nice three hour trail run tomorrow. We can only hope.