So after four months in BC, a friend's wedding back in Ontario propelled me to take an extended visit "home".
Of all the adventures I've had over the last four months, and really over my entire life, none were as exhausting and surreal as these 17 days.
My itinerary was jam-packed with visits. With hugs and kisses. With catching up. With eating and drinking. One of my hiking buddies emailed me from BC while I was in Ontario: "Let's hike when you get back!" he said. "You may have to roll me up the hill, Erik," I replied. "I've been eating donuts for two weeks straight!"
But aside from the extra pudge around my middle, the visit was perfect. It was tiring and overwhelming, but full of love and laughter. I regret nothing.
Here is how it all unfolded:
I arrived bright and early on a Friday morning (12:30 AM). Paul picked me up from the airport, after a lengthy drive from Montreal. We grabbed a slice of pizza and a cholocate milk (ah, the Ontario-gorging had begun!) and promptly drove to Pickering where we eagerly crashed at Dad's.
The next day, we drove to goderich for a three-day stint with Geoff, Sally, and my uber-cute nephew Mark! These three days included the family golf tourney -- the combination of record rainfall + windstorm + balminess contributed to this year's longest game: 6.5 hours! Dad took home the trophy for the fifth consecutive year, with the closest competition a good 10 strokes off the lead!
With Aunt C, Uncle P, Matt, Mike, Alicia, Geoff, Sally, Mark, Brenda, Dad, Patrick, Paul and I all starving by the game's end, it was only natural that would feast on Willow Glenn's own Fresh Poultry Division chicken. Mmmm... delicious!
Three days after our Goderich vacation, we set forth again to visit some friends in Windfall, then the next day Woodstock.
Next up? Omemee and a lovely visit with my brother, his wife, and their bun-in-the-oven... my new little niece or nephew who'll make a grand appearance in January. We ate like royalty (as we always do chez Jen and Trev), laughed heartily, and finished off the evening with an extraordiniarily thoughtful (and quite delicious) "Welcome Back" cake. (Consequently, it was so good that Paul and I ate it for breakfast too!)
We headed west again to our next destination: Mom's house in Guelph where we set up "home" for three days and enjoyed great food (thank you Greek Restaurant), rousing games of euchre (thank you Dave and your darned "strategy"), and a party with a bunch of my friends from all over Ontario: Jodi, Andrea, Sandi, Kurtis, Matt, Jen, Lisa, Sarah, David, Karen, Jon, etc. So thrilling to have the opportunity to catch up with everyone... I miss them dearly.
After settling in for three days, we packed up again and headed east for a small stop at Uncle Tom and Aunt Phyllis' in Williamstown where we laughed about what a small world this is, and then off to Montreal for three day's of fun: We hit the symphony, Mont Royal, my grandfather's grave at Notre Dame cemetary, the oratory, and downtown Montreal. Just as Paul's cats were getting used to us being home, you guessed it... we packed up for the 37th time and headed east again for a delicious meal at Dad and Brenda's. (We were spoiled rotten. Chicken, stuffing, chocolate-covered strawberries. mmmm... perfect!)
Then we continued our pilgrammage back west with a dinner with the coolest family in the world: the Szimanskis. After stuffing myself with Stephen's gournmet barbequed rosemary chicken with a fruit medley chutney, their young son (my future hubby) Eli beat me at a rousing game of basketball. Of course, he was kind enough to "let me win" one game. "It's nice to let people who are losing win sometimes, Kim." He said. Nice.
Then we eventually made it to our final destination, the place we had made the trip for: Burlington and Matt and Jen's wedding. It wa a beautiful sunny day. Not a cloud in the sky. A light breeze. Jen looked sensational. Matt so happy that his smile nearly came off his face. We laughed. We cried. We tore up the dance floor.
Then I keeled over in the plane the next day and began my recovery on the five hour flight home.
Whew.
Now that's an adventure!
