For 10 days we have been traveling south back from Alaska towards the lower 48 – Tok, Destruction Bay, Watson Lake, Iskut, Kitwanga, Prince George… each stop along the way bringing us closer and closer to being back. Labor Day weekend has brought us to Banff, AB which is a picture-postcard perfect mountain town in southern Alberta – part Vail, part Aspen with just a touch of Gatlinburg… mountain chalets, stunning views of the nearby peaks, and the cutest little downtown!
We knew it was a popular town, and I guess we didn’t realize that Canadians celebrate Labour Day… but wow, it is PACKED here! But it isn’t just the crowds that have taken us by surprise…
We really haven’t been in a “city” with this number of people for many months now… and I feel a bit like I did after returning from a month in Africa back in the 90’s – overwhelmed with the people, the noise, the choices (who needs 15 different kinds of milk anyway?).
It’s just… weird… to have all of these people around and I feel a bit out of sorts to be honest – I didn’t realize how used to being off-grid we had become. There is a certain level of stress in being way “out there”… you have to be prepared with gas, food, and stay on top of the things you need for the journey ahead.
When you live in the city everything is a cell phone call away and survival comes easily. Don’t get me wrong – we haven’t exactly been fighting through the wilds – but it takes some time to get used to being aware of having enough fuel, and knowing where the next fuel stop is or making sure we have enough food to get us through the next few days of travel. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for the original settlers of Canada and Alaska- what brave men and women they were!
But there is a relaxation that comes with being off the beaten path – no traffic, no noise, and plenty of time to think… breathing room.
Banff is beautiful – and I know we’ll have a great weekend here – and little by little we’ll get used to being “back”…
UPDATE: Phase 1 adjustment complete… I think we are going to adjust just fine…
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