I never really thought that it would be allowed, to be granted freedom to carry out the modus operandi of the school district - Learning for Life - and take on an exceptional experience abroad with the insured understanding that I would bring back and share these experiences and accomplishments. Learning, through experience, is what drives me, and it has driven me away from the kind and wonderful life that I dug out for myself in Prince George and aimed me towards Asia.
But to get to Asia, I had to leave BC and make it back to my homeland of Ontario. What follows is the brief version of that 8 day journey.
ABOVE and BELOW: Leaving home, leaving our memories behind.
ABOVE: You all know this peak, and despite its commonplace addition to the life of a Northern BC'er, it was a moving thought to realize that this would be the last time I would see its towering presence for a real long while.
ABOVE and BELOW: Before we could rightfully say our goodbye to the Rockies themselves and face due East, we had to have our last moments together. one stop in Jasper to rock climb.
ABOVE: And finally to the top of Parker Ridge....after all these years, we finally took the time.
ABOVE: Camping each night among the towering peaks, the endless flatness of the Prairies and the rocky outcrops of northern Ontario...
ABOVE: One last scramble among the inhabitants of the glorious alpine
ABOVE: Running out of gas at the absolute most completely and utterly wrong time. Lesson learned. When we finally did make it to a gas station for a renewal of our cars vitality, we we welcomed by a man who just filled his diesel truck with pure, 100% petrol. He was a bit, um, upset.
ABOVE: Sometimes we didnt make it to camp before the pangs of a nighttime meal hit, and we ended up shucking peas and stewing our meal on the side of the road.
ABOVE: So flat. So beautifully flat.
ABOVE: And finally home to see my nephew again...9 months old and learning how to deal with teeth.
ABOVE: And helping to build a new house for my sister, brother in law and nephew. We are, at the time of typing this, far past the point in the picture. Tomorrow we should be on to the interior walls....and here we are. Taiwan is on our minds, our bags are packed and waiting. Saturday we leave for Toronto, stay overnight and catch an early morning flight. 15 hours to Hong Kong, 2 more to Taiwan. Then the new life and the beauty of Taiwan begins for us, once again.
Ill keep you posted....
