Maxson is Here!

Maxson Dean, our perfect baby boy, was born Sunday, November 14th at 2:59 pm. It was an absolutely gorgeous, sunny, brisk Calgary day. Ben and I watched a spectacular sunrise from our balcony while I was in early labor, and I just knew that this was our baby's day to finally join us. His timing was perfect, because the next day brought a snow storm, and a few days later Calgary was recorded as the second-coldest place in the world (only behind the South Pole), so we have loved being cozy at home with Max!

He weighed in at 6 pounds 14 ounces and 20.5 inches long (he is already taking after his dad with long legs and big feet and hands!) My labor was long, but it was amazing. I feel so incredibly lucky to not only have a healthy baby boy, but that I also had the birth experience of my dreams. I am so proud to say that it was 100% natural from start to finish. I have the most amazing husband in the world, who was - and continues to be - my rock through everything, easing me through the early stages of labor so that I was able to cope. I am amazed to say that the thought of an epidural or any other sort of pain management NEVER crossed my mind!

Labor is not as bad as everybody makes it out to be. Yes, it is VERY hard work, but if you have the frame of mind and a great support team, which I am so lucky to have had, it can be totally manageable. Not only was Ben calm, soothing and so strong for me, but I also had a doula, Leanne, who gave me the extra boost of strength and positivity that I needed as I entered the final stages.

Our midwife team was beyond anything I could have hoped for - nurturing, efficient, calm and so encouraging. And finally, bringing Max into the world in a birth center rather than a hospital is an opportunity I will be forever grateful for. During his first moments in this world, he was surrounded by a cozy environment with calm, nurturing people around, our favorite music and a relaxed mom and dad - I was oblivious, but Ben tells me that "Amber," a lovely, mellow song by the band 311, was playing when Max was born, so clearly that song now has new meaning for us!!

Without any drugs in my system, Max arrived wide-eyed and incredibly alert! Shortly after delivery, I was able to take a bath with Max, and we relaxed together and he had his first meal. He was awake for HOURS after his birth, just looking at the world all around - most babies fall asleep after one hour, so we treasured that extra time to bond with him.

Life is forever changed, and I am so, so happy for it. I never could have imagined the love I feel for Max and how overwhelming and all-encompassing that is.

Nursery!

If anybody is interested in more photos of the nursery, check out this blog post!

Eeny Meeny may make an appearance any day now, so luckily everything seems to be ready (as ready as you can ever be for parenthood, I suppose)!

Here I am at about 37 weeks, one week ago. It looks like I will make it to 38 weeks - I wonder how much longer after that before we get to meet our sweet Eeny Meeny!

Maternity Leave!

As I sit on my couch on this sunny fall morning, cuddling with Bosco and enjoying my second day of maternity leave, I must admit that I am a very happy preggo, and finally have a moment to reflect on some things...

I recently read in one of my many pregnancy books (I couldn't tell you which one!) that women today are squeezing pregnancy into their busy lives, rather than re-arranging things a bit to allow for the many unexpected aspects of growing a baby for ten months!

In this regard, I feel so grateful to be in Canada, where birth and motherhood are valued enough to offer women a real chance at caring for their babies, and where public health means that we have not once had to worry about the what-ifs of childbirth. Women here are given a full YEAR of maternity leave, and for the duration of that year, the government provides me, even as a non-citizen with a work permit, with 55% of my salary. Many companies will even top up salary for a few months.

Ben and I have always known that when we were ready to have kids, there was no way I could handle only six to 12 weeks at home with our baby - in the States, during that formative first year of a baby's life, you really are forced to choose between being a mother or keeping your career, and this seems so wrong to me! I'm not saying all women should take a year of maternity leave, but they should at least have the choice to take longer than a few months and still return to a job afterward. To me, maternity care is a totally overlooked aspect of women's rights in the US. Anyway, I will get off my soapbox now :)

Aside from the logistics of pregnancy, I am just feeling so content at the moment - the debilitating back pain of last week has passed (now that Baby has dropped into position) and the hip pain that I'm told strikes at the end of pregnancy has not yet overtaken me, so I must be in some sort of brief sweet spot! Eeny Meeny is very active still (maybe it's all the Halloween candy, oops!), and every little kick, even if it's to the bladder, makes me melt.

I'm 36 1/2 weeks along, so Ben and I are eagerly awaiting Eeny Meeny's arrival, but also feeling grateful for each day that he or she stays put, growing bigger and stronger with each moment that passes!

Another perk of maternity leave? I've finally finished Eeny Meeny's nursery! Here's a peek at it - I'll post more photos on facebook for those who are interested :)

Autumn

This time of year seems to make me feel the most homesick, probably because autumn in Tennessee is by far my favorite time of year, and Tennessee is my favorite place to enjoy that first breath of crisp air and glimpse of leaves changing to orange and yellow and red. Plus there are so many great memories of the fall in Tennessee, like our amazing October wedding, football season, and of course my birthday! After a somewhat disappointing Calgary summer that seemed to segway right into a gray, wintery September, I was beginning to worry there would be nothing nice between spring and another winter.

But Ben and I just spent my birthday weekend in the Rockies and after all my complaining about Alberta's lack of a real autumn and leaves changing, I was happily proven wrong. Proven wrong by Alberta's stunning larch trees and a couple of gorgeous sunny days! Somehow we totally missed the larches last autumn, but they are scattered across the mountainsides and valleys, offering the most spectacular bright yellow leaves, which are a stunning contrast to the deep green pines, gray mountains and bright blue sky.

I feel vindicated in a way, like I have not completely missed out on what is, in my opinion, the best time of year. The Rockies continue to surprise me! Here are a few photos of our trip into the mountains, and the view of Calgary from our balcony - even Calgary has exploded into a fall paradise over the weekend, so I will soak it up while I can!

Eeny Meeny

There is so much to say about pregnancy. And yet to my surprise, I find vocalizing what I'm experiencing next to impossible!

Perhaps the problem is the schizophrenic range of emotions brought on by pregnancy - by the time I finally sit down to put pen to paper (fingers to keyboard just doesn't have the same ring), I have moved to a totally different frame of mind than the one I intended to write about.

But I will do my best, because it is such an amazing experience that I feel my pregnancy deserves a shot at being memorialized in this little blog.

So where am I today? Today I feel joyous, bursting at the seams with anticipation and nervous energy and sheer happiness about Eeny Meeny (the nickname dubbed by my parents) growing bigger and stronger every day. Days like this - when the exhaustion subsides, aches and pains ease up, and minor irritations don't throw me into a sob-fest - are the days I cherish, when I am riding the high of my body's potent cocktail of hormones and emotions.

A pregnancy high makes you feel giddy and giggly, almost drunk. At the moment I simply can't believe my luck at making it to 29 weeks - almost the safe zone; and I am so excited to meet Eeny Meeny that I literally could explode. I have never been so excited about anything in my life. The next 11 or so weeks will fly by I'm sure, but at the same time they will feel so slow - I am dying to know who is in there, a mini Ben, all long and skinny and mellow, or maybe a little Jenn, stubborn and short!

I am not one to often use the term "blessing," but I truly do feel blessed and sometimes I think I take it for granted that very soon Ben and I will have a new little family member. We are so freaking lucky and life has been so good to us!!

Summer Fun

I feel like the blog this summer has been replete of mountaineering photos and tales of our travel adventures - and this blog IS supposed to be about Canada ... and adventures HAVE been had here this summer!! Western Canada's summer weather has, I must admit, been pretty disappointing this year. We have fallen victim to several major hail storms, lots of rain, cool weather and a general lack of sunshine compared to last summer. But Ben and I have managed to sneak in a few nice exploits!

As soon as the weather was warm enough in July, we packed up and headed a few hours south, to Waterton Lakes National Park, for a camping weekend. This has been on our "Canada list" for quite some time, so it was awesome to finally make it there! There were plenty of low-key hikes that I could still do at five months pregnant, we saw our very first grizzly bear (a mom with three cubs!), and were just in time for some amazing wildflowers. I also learned that as much as I love camping, this would be our last camping trip while I'm pregnant ... even a thick blow-up mattress layered with every sleeping mat and blanket we own (while poor Ben slept on the ground!) are no match for a pregnant woman's aching back and hips!! But nonetheless, we loved the trip and I think Bosco did too.

We had gorgeous weather all weekend, so were shocked to drive right into an extreme hail storm on our way home! It's hard to tell from this photo, but in the course of about ten minutes, there were suddenly three to four inches of hail on the highway.

*******

We have also snuck in a few barbeques with friends and walks in the park on nice weekends, and last weekend we decided at the last minute to hop in the car with Bosco and spend Saturday night at a cozy B&B in Canmore, a charming mountain town between Calgary and Banff. The weekend was drizzly and cool, but it was still a treat to escape the city and cozy up in the mountains, doing little other than eat, wander the trails around the city, and wile away our Sunday morning in a cafe, gazing out the windows at the mountains. You can see me here, beginning to finally look quite pregnant at 27 weeks!

Baby Stuff!

Well, I have officially entered the world of soon-to-be mommy-hood ... if you had asked me a year ago whether I wanted to get up early on my day off to purchase a car seat online, I would have laughed in your face and poured another glass of wine.

But oh how things change! Baby fever has overtaken me! I was wide awake at 5:30 this morning after dragging myself to the bathroom for yet another pee break, and laid in bed until 7am, hoping against hope that I would fall asleep again. When that failed, I got up and logged onto the website of a fantastic local store which I knew would be announcing a sale this morning. Before even making tea or breakfast, I was hurriedly loading my shopping basket like some sort or crack-head, except my fix was adorable tiny sleeping bags, baby carriers and car seats! I think this is probably my cutest (if least practical) purchase of the day:

Panic set in when I discovered that there was only one left of the car seat we had planned to purchase ... if you've ever shopped on eBay, you probably know the feeling - I was whipping out the credit card and entering information as fast as my fingers could type, and .... success!! I snagged the last car seat, along with several other goodies, at 35% off, and finally settled down to enjoy breakfast, feeling very proud of my bargain hunting.

And so it goes these days!

Two weeks ago on a drizzly Sunday morning, I dragged Ben to a "stroller test drive" event I had heard about. Perhaps this sounds to some like a lame way to spend a Sunday, but once we were there, we were having a blast cruising around the park with strollers, chatting with other preggos and new parents, and enjoying free BBQ. We headed home with our very own Bugaboo stroller, which we were so excited about that we assembled the whole thing the moment we got home. We knew it needed to be packed up again for safekeeping until baby arrives, but first we had to leave it out for a few days, gaze at it, imagine baby in it, and periodically stroll it around the condo ... it's just so darn cute ... and orange!

Life has already begun changing in all of these gradual ways. I was sure I would be one of those women who was young and energetic and barely affected by pregnancy; the reality?? I am lucky if I sleep for more than five or six hours or ever reach a real REM cycle, with all the tossing and turning and aches and pains I've accumulated six months into this pregnancy business! My idea of a fun weekend now pretty much revolves around making as few plans as possible, the better to fit in lots of naps, and maybe venturing out for some crib shopping or ice cream eating, and going to bed well before midnight. But I am quite content with this - it seems to make baby happy, so I am rolling with it!! I love how life is always unexpected - nothing happens the way you think it will, and that is what makes living truly awesome :)

For anybody else as interested as me in fun baby stuff, here are my two fave websites of late - they remind us non-traditionalists that you can be a mommy and still be cool and stylish!:

1) http://www.babybot.com/ - this is the Calgary store we have bought most of our gear from. The owners are a fab group of young parents with such a cool design aesthetic
2) http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ - this is the offshoot of a modern design blog I love (Apartment Therapy) that is geared to decorating and lifestyles for babies and kids. I could spend hours browsing their nursery gallery!

A November Tune

My heart is dancin', to a November tune
And I hope that you hear it, singing songs about you
-November Blue, The Avett Brothers

Life has been a wild but amazing ride lately, and I have the feeling it will stay this way for quite a while without much pause! Ben and I have been blasting through this pregnancy and are in wonder and awe at the at the fact that this baby is growing and developing every day at lightning speed. I am now 22 weeks along, and although we have felt some gentle movements so far, last night baby made our week by giving some huge, unmistakable kicks. Based on our last ultrasound, the little one may have some long legs like Ben's!

The lyrics above are from a beautiful Avett Brothers song we recently discovered, and I now find myself listening to it daily, getting all verklempt thinking about baby coming in November!

We opted not to find out the sex, which was a hard choice! Of course now I am mad with curiosity, but old school at heart, and am really excited to have this extra surprise when we meet baby for the first time.

Ben and I are still getting settled into our new condo - it has been a slow process in the midst of a fabulous trip home to Tennessee, a camping trip to Waterton National Park (a gorgeous corner of the Rockies that sits just on the Montana border, crossing over into Glacier National Park), celebrating Ben's big 3-0 birthday, doctor's appointments, and enjoying the late-arriving Calgary summer.

Aside from some nasty back and sciatic pain, I have been feeling great. I am working out the back issues - after several days of debilitating back pain, much debate, and on the advice of my midwife, I decided to see a chiropractor for the first time in my life and am blown away by the results.

Spinal health is my latest pet project - like vegetarianism, trying to live chemical free, yoga, and all things related to natural health, I find it fascinating, and amazing that I have gone my whole life without giving a second thought to caring for all of those important bones and joints that hold my body together! I'll also see a physio-therapist to learn some exercises that will help, and am continuing with pre-natal yoga, so I will keep you posted on how things progress. I'm feeling optimistic that I don't have to suffer from back pain for my whole pregnancy!

Life is crazy and wonderful, and Ben and I are just trying to soak in every moment of this pregnancy and are looking forward to all that's still to come!

Life.

Utter joy and complete frustration often seem to go hand-in-hand. As I get older, I realize more and more how important it is to learn to put the joyful things in the forefront; to allow the positive parts of life to guide you when struggles try to drag you down.

For those who don't know yet, Ben and I are expecting our first addition to the family this November and are beyond excited!! I will be 16 weeks tomorrow, which means baby is about the size of an avocado, and is beginning to hear my voice, which I think is just the coolest thing in the whole world!

But with great joy often comes challenges, and we now find ourselves in the midst of what I like to call the great mothball fiasco of 2010. Yup, you heard right: mothballs. Whatever you do, do NOT buy these poisonous, stinky balls of chemical toxins. It is not worth it!

After returning home from a fabulous European vacation to our rental, which is the main floor of a cozy house, a place we have loved living for the past 10 months, we began to notice an unpleasant odor. New tenants had moved into the basement rental while we were away, and we chalked the smell up to cleaning or hair products, maybe some strong-smelling cooking, and assumed it would go away.

By day three, the smell had become unbearable and and taken on a chemical, hair-burning sort of twinge, and we had to get our landlord involved. Upon talking with the downstairs tenants, we learned that in order to kill a few ants, they thought it would be a good idea to put mothballs ALL OVER their unit. In the carpets, along the floors, god only knows where else. The tenant cleared them out, and we saw her walking to the garbage with an armload of mothballs. But the fumes from these things do not go away. They have not diminished at all in the four days since the mothballs were removed, and from what I have read, they might linger around for another month, or forever.

Ben and I had begun coughing, getting headaches and our eyes were irritated after sleeping in our home all night. A quick google search revealed that mothballs are highly toxic and are only intended to be used in a closed, airtight container. If ingested by a small child or dog, they are fatal. And this tenant has two young daughters. In the U.S., it is illegal to use mothballs in any way other than directed (ie, other than in CLOSED containers).

Needless to say, Ben and I have "evacuated" to a friend's house down the street. We had to hurriedly move all of our clothing and furniture into the garage, as they were beginning to absorb the fumes, and in a huge rush, we have now signed a lease at a new condo and will be moving in in two weeks.

Yep, life happens, and this has been one of the most stressful and bizarre weeks of my entire life. But the moment that brought me back to my center, to my zen? At my midwife appointment this week, when I got to hear baby's strong, fast heartbeat. In the end, baby is what really matters, and we can get through a few weeks of struggles if it means having a safe, chemical free home for our little one to spend his or her first months in. All I need to do when I feel stressed is try to remember that little heart beating in there, the tiny miracle forming inside me, or to look at my ultrasound photo and see that beautiful little creature!

Just Another Day in Calgary

This was forwarded to my email account today - no joke, downtown Calgary had a very special visitor on this beautiful May afternoon. He even received a police escort. This is just a few blocks from my office!

(In the second photo, look toward the silver car in the middle.)

Nashville Will Rise Again!

It has been hearbreaking to watch from afar as my hometown has been engulfed in floodwaters these past few days. And yet while my heart continues to hurt for the immeasurable loss, it also swells with pride at the resilience and kindness of Nashvillians. As has been pointed out by other bloggers, Nashville has not experienced the looting and crime one might expect in such a crisis. Instead, everybody has worked together as one, not wasting a moment to help their neighbors, friends and strangers. And that, my friends, is why I still believe in southern hospitatliy.

Unfortunately, it seems Ben and I are taking on the task of single-handedly telling Calgarians what has happened. The Canadian media did (and continues to do) an abysmal job of covering this news - as in, I have been scouring the country's top news media websites all week and not found even a shred of coverage about our beloved Nashville. The Calgary Stampede uses the name "Nashville North" for its main concert venue, but ironically they seem to know very little about our great city, or to grasp the loss happening there now, and I find that a hard pill to swallow.

I wrote the below email and sent it out to our entire office of 500 people, hoping to reach at least a few - and at least a few have talked to me since, telling me that after taking the time to look at photos, they were moved almost to tears and generously offered me their support and sympathy. But we will have to make a lot more noise to get the support we need. If you are outside of Nashville, please consider doing the same. Let people know what is happening, and ask for help.

Like so many of us, I remember well the Nashville tornado of 1998, and I also remember the way locals rallied together and all did our part to rebuild the city. I have no doubt whatsoever that the same will happen again. You don't always realize how much a certain place means to you until you see it harmed. You don't know what great loss is like until your own friends and family are touched by it. And you don't realize how strong and how unified those same friends, family members, co-workers, acquaintances and strangers can be until faced with a crisis.

Nashville, you are my home, where my heart remains, and you will not be changed by this catastrophe - if anything you will come out stronger and better than ever.

And here's the email I sent out:

Hi All,


My husband Ben Reeves and I both call the city of Nashville, Tennessee, our home. Probably some of your favorite music, country or not, came out of Nashville!

Record flooding hit Middle Tennessee this weekend, and yesterday President Obama declared half of Tennessee's counties to be in a state of disaster. The massive extent of the damage has been overshadowed by other news, but this video shows what we are up against: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/36927001#36927001. Find more up-to-date info at www.tennessean.com.

Thousands in Nashville, including some near and dear to Ben and I, have lost homes, businesses, belongings and even loved ones. Never dreaming of a disaster of this magnitude, most do NOT have flood insurance and have a very long road to recovery.

Almost 30 people have lost their lives, shelters are filled to capacity, power is out in downtown and water supply is low. Much of historic downtown and entire neighborhoods are still under ten feet or more of water. Damage is estimated to top $1 billion, and much of the destruction is still being revealed as waters recede.

It is hard to understand the impact of a natural disaster until it strikes home. It will take money and time to restore Middle Tennessee and its people, but with help, this resilient region will bounce back!

If you would like to help Tennesseans affected by the flood by making a financial contribution, we would be very grateful. We would be equally grateful for help in spreading the word about what is happening in our fabulous hometown. Below are some organizations accepting donations:

American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/
Hands on Nashville (an excellent organization): www.hon.org
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee: http://www.cfmt.org/floodrelief/

Many thanks for taking a moment to read this, I know your time and resources are valuable!!

Jennifer

The Power of Music

The power of music to transform you to a different time and place always amazes me, and often catches me by surprise. While riding the bus this morning, still reeling from the shock of yesterday’s spring-time snow, my iPod shuffled to the song “Kids” by MGMT (listen here: http://tinyurl.com/2vglyg) , and suddenly I found myself in an emotional vortex of the past 18 months (we have been in Calgary for 18 months!!!) If you must know, I almost teared up as this song brought happy memories flooding to the surface!

I will forever love and associate this song with crisp winter ski days, blasting it on the car speakers as me, Ben and various friends watched the sun rise over the Canadian Rockies and got our adrenaline pumping for another day on the ski hill. It is also the background music on one of my favorite ski movie scenes, and I can feel the excitement each time I hear the opening of this song, which starts quietly and slowly gives rise to a pulsating rhythm.

Riding along in that crowded, bumpy bus this morning, all of these thoughts and feelings swirled to the surface in no more than a nanosecond, and then quickly gave way to my next memory of this song: our first visits to Almudena’s cozy apartment, when she played the MGMT CD all night long (I think it was the only CD she brought with her from Spain!) while we ate gazpacho and Spanish tortilla, and drank red wine and whiskey & cokes and had impromptu dance parties and explosive board games.

And of course I could not traipse down the memory lane of this addictively poppy and peppy tune without flashing back to last summer’s Bonnaroo, when we finally saw MGMT in person. The concert was after 2am and we were so tired we could probably have laid down in the Bonnaroo mud and slept all night, but we made it through at least a few songs!!

Somehow this unassuming band has become the anthem of my time in Canada. One close friend who we began this journey with (Alicia) has already moved onward to London, and our other amazing friend Almudena leaves us in two short weeks, so perhaps nostalgia is running strong at the moment. Regardless, I could not help but arrive at work, on what was beginning as a long and dreary day, feeling eternally grateful for the experiences I’ve had here so far, and for the people I have met.

I know that Ben and I will look back for the rest of our lives with smiles on our faces, telling friends and family about our crazy days in Canada, when we learned to ski and snowboard, tried our hand at curling, hiked our way through the Rocky Mountains, listened to whales chatter in the Pacific Ocean and made life-long friends from across the globe.

We still have one more year ahead of us in the great white north, and close friends whom we can’t wait to continue enjoying life with, and I’m sure many more amazing people we have yet to meet. I say, bring it on!

Already April!

It's April - holy moly, how did this happen already?! I hope everybody had an amazing Easter holiday!

We spent ours in Kelowna, a beautiful city in interior British Columbia, situated on some stunning lakes and in the midst of Canada's little-known and under-appreciated wine country. Our friend Angie's family was kind enough to include us in their Easter celebrations, complete with her hilarious, big Italian family, home-cooking from Nonna (their adorable Italian grandma), Farmer's markets (Kelowna is known for its produce), wine tastings and a full-on Easter-egg hunt in her family's orchard. We were too lazy to take any photos ... oops! But just imagine rolling hills, lakes and orchards full of trees that are still brown from winter but are just beginning to blossom in white and pink buds.

Ben and I have been staying busy and have continued to enjoy an unseasonably warm winter, which unfortunately came to an abrupt halt when we got a bit of a snow storm a few night ago. I'm hoping for a quick warm-up, but who knows what to expect around here. I'm not holding my breath!

I'm looking very forward to meeting up with my parents in San Franscisco/Napa Valley in just two short weeks, and then a few weeks later making my way to Europe for a three-week tour with Ben! We'll get to visit friends in London and Spain, and then see my fabulous family in Copenhagen, I just can't wait!!

My Social Experiment

Like my mom and sister, and I’m sure my mom’s mom before her, I’m a pretty smiley sort of person. Tennessee has its flaws, but unfriendly people are definitely not among them - the stranger who does not return a smile is more the exception than the rule.

Calgary is quite the opposite when it comes to its street culture and interaction with strangers. Perhaps I’m sensitive or simply pay more attention to these sorts of things, as Ben argues with me on this point. But when a friend came to visit in Calgary a few months ago, she commented that the polite but cold manner of locals was one of the first things that struck her. (And there was no prompting from me on the topic, I might add!)
Don’t get me wrong – most locals are unfailingly polite (they will give you plenty of space, won’t push on the bus, generally say please and thank you and avoid confrontational situations). But I don’t necessarily equate politeness with friendliness, and perhaps this is where the male and female mind differ, and why Ben describes people as being “friendly” while I pick up a different vibe: aloof and brusque, albeit polite, might be the best way to describe the “street attitude” of Calgarians. Much like Danes, I find that once you get them talking, they can be friendly and quite sincere, but it can take some effort to get to that soft interior!

I suppose this strikes me as odd because Calgary is a city the size of Nashville; in bigger cities I’d be more likely to expect this attitude.

To test my perception of Calgarians, over the past few weeks I have begun conducting a very informal social experiment when walking around the downtown streets and Plus 15 pathways during the workdays: I smile at strangers, a part of my countenance that I had partly given up not long after moving here. This is an interesting endeavor for me on days when I’m feeling thick-skinned, and when I just need some entertainment after sitting at a desk for hours.

My (highly unofficial) results have been, for the most part, as expected. The reactions are varied, but mostly I think people simply don’t know how to react to a smiling stranger. I get looks that indicate the smile recipient is questioning my mental stability (“Why in the world would she smile at a stranger on the street?”); I get angry glares (“I was perfectly polite, and now she expects me to smile, too?”); I get indignant huffs (“How dare she laugh at me!”); but on occasion, I DO get brilliant smiles, and those can make my day.

I was discussing this experiment with my loveliest of lovely Spanish friend and she shared the story of her father visiting Calgary from Spain. He continued to smile and greet strangers, only to be met with blank stares. My friend finally told her father he should probably just stop putting himself out there so much, as people would not reciprocate, and she hated seeing him in such a situation; his response was that smiling was his way of making people feel comfortable, and he did not intend to stop!

I still believe in a culture of smiling at strangers, but I suppose it’s also ok if others aren’t accustomed to this very Southern attribute. Just another of the reasons I love traveling and living in new places: there is so much to learn and observe, and so much about yourself that you discover! I, for one, will be tuning into my iPod and reading books while walking around and riding the bus for the next year or so, and taking the Calgarian street culture with a grain of salt :)

A Quick Ode to Nashville

I know this blog is supposed to be about Canada, but I must digress for a moment to write about my super duper hometown south of the border...

When I saw today that Gwyneth Paltrow was offering a write-up on her blog about Nashville, I was skeptical. What sort of real advice could a big-city actress possibly divulge about a friendly southern city that prides itself on an eclectic mix of modern, old-fashioned and just down-home South?

Well, I ate my words (or thoughts, at least), because she did a pretty good job of pointing out some of Nashville's best, including the more obvious like Robert's Western World, the Ryman and Loveless Cafe (a gimme, really), along with a few lesser known spots like my old haunts The Family Wash, Margot and Marche, and even a few new spots that I have yet to try since moving northward. Now I'm jonesing for a trip home to bask in all the good eating, drinking and music that Nashville serves up every day!

Read Ms. Paltrow's aforementioned blog here: GOOP

More Photos for your Enjoyment

We had to bid farewell to our good friend Alicia a few weeks ago as she headed to London for another adventure, but not without a final ski trip to Lake Louise! This winter has been unseasonably warm, making for some beautiful days on the mountain (if not the best snow conditions).

We also enjoyed a foray deep into the Calgary Farmer's Market and then took a stroll along the Bow River which is already melting. Last year it was frozen solid until the end of April, so things are looking up! The huge chunks of ice alongside the river are evidence (I hope) of an early and beautiful spring coming our way, although if I've learned anything about Calgary in the past 17 months, I'm sure it has at least one more cold spell/snow storm in store for us!

Photo Updates!

Have I mentioned yet that I was lucky enough to go to the Vancouver Olympics last month?!

Sadly, Ben is in the middle of "busy season" and could not escape work to join in the fun, but Almudena and I managed to sneak out for a short but sweet weekend. It was all completely last minute - we booked airfare on a whim when a sale popped up a few weeks prior to the Olympics, booked one night in a hostel about a week later, and purchased event tickets the day before we flew out.

The atmosphere was beyond amazing - I have never seen such goodwill in the midst of huge crowds and long lines. We attended the women's mogul skiing event at Cypress (the infamous mountain which experienced delays and cancellations after downpours washed out much of the venue - and yes, we were watching our event DURING said downpour, but that is a different story!) We saw an American win gold and a Canadian win silver, and were still in the city (although on our way out) at the moment the first Canadian Olympian won gold on Canadian soil. From inside our hostel, we could hear cheers throughout the streets ... and man was there a party that night!

I met up with my fabulous cousin from Cali and her husband, and the girls had a photo-op with the superstar of the moguls event - Canadian Snowman, who was sporting not only his Canadian flag, but also a Molson Canadian beer :) After hours in freezing rain at that event, the next day was absolutely gorgeous - sunny and warm, so quite a treat for Almu and I after a cold Calgary winter! I just love Vancouver - the entire city seems to be on the water, with harbors and beaches all around...

Trucking On in the North

Many of you have been hearing rumblings of this for a while now, but it's official: Ben and I are extending our time in Calgary by one year!!

After much debate, we decided it's the best choice for us right now - life is pretty darn good here and the winter has been significantly milder this year, making the decision a bit easier! Of course don't ask how I feel when it drops back to -30 degrees in December!

We're looking forward to another fabulous summer in the Rocky Mountains (one was just not enough, not when summer is so short!) and one more ski season before heading southward again. If all goes as planned, we should be home sweet home in May 2011. Until then ... cheers and happy travels!! (Yes, if you have not made it up to visit yet, we are giving you an extra year of leeway, so come see us - this amazing area has to be one of the world's best-kept secrets!)

Things I Don't Love:

(On a less positive note!)

1) Escalator standers - you know who you are! If you insist on not walking up the escalator, then at least stand to the right, please :)

2) Not being able to smile in passport photos - which for me means ten more years of carrying around a passport in which I look like a stoner!

3) Local residents (most of them) who don't wak on the right side of the road or follow normal accepted pedestrian etiquette.

Things I Love:

1) Unseasonably warm winters

2) The big, wide-open Alberta sky that so many locals take for granted, but that repeatedly inspires awe in me

3) The spectacular sunsets that occur on every clear day, in aforementioned big sky. Extra love for a view over the city skyline or the mountains (which is not hard to do around here)

4) Knowing that in my heart, in spite of all the directions and places I pull myself, I'm still a Southern girl :)

Good Karma

I think that every company should offer employees the opportunity to volunteer during work hours. I’m not talking lots of time – just a few hours a month or every couple of weeks.

I would make the argument that giving people the chance to take a break from the frenzied work day to volunteer for causes they care about will sustain a happier, more productive workforce. Individuals who volunteer their time not only improve interpersonal skills and confront new (and unique and exciting) challenges, but also grow as human beings – and then they bring all of these life experiences to the table at work. It’s a win-win situation for everybody involved.

I am lucky to now work for a company that values community service, so every month I have the privilege of continuing my involvement with The Walk-In Closet. I have been working with this group for a little more than a year, and every month I still look forward to the time I’ll get to spend with the amazing women there. It’s so easy to get bogged down by day-to-day life, to feel bored and sorry for yourself because you spend the day sitting at a desk, or because you have to get up early, or because it’s cold outside. But each time I walk into the doors of the Walk-In Closet and interact one-on-one with a woman who is trying to change her life for the better, I’m reminded of how lucky I am.

In the face of huge adversity, whether it be conquering cancer, healing an addiction or escaping an abusive situation, almost every woman I work with comes in looking for a fresh start - willing to work hard and fight for a positive outlook on life against all odds. I love this – I love seeing this resilience and often wonder if I pull more inspiration from them than they do from me!

I will be curious to re-examine the corporate mentality toward volunteering once I return to the US - I find that community involvement is a huge part of life in Canada (or at least in our little region that we've grown to know and love!) I supoose it goes back to that more "socialistic" mentality. Even though Alberta is the most conservative of the Canadian provinces, it is still more liberal than most parts of the United States, and there is a strong sentiment toward taking care of your own. Cheers to that, and let's hope the attitude spreads!

News Flash!

So last night, I broke my 18-month vegetarian (err... flexitarian?) streak with half of a filet mignon at Canada's favorite steakhouse, The Keg. Not only did I dig into a meaty piece of steak, but I also happily devoured the pepper bacon wrapped around said steak.

Now I know a lot of you are really happy to hear this news, but don't get too excited - this meat "fix" will probably tide me over for at least another few months - maybe even another 18 months, but only time will tell.

I should explain that this turn-of-events was pre-meditated: I had been craving steak for the first time since going vegetarian, and the protein monster in my stomach was no longer satisfied with beans, tofu and nuts. My conditions were that it 1) be a piece of decent quality steak, and 2) that it was Alberta-raised, since I am, after all, living in beef country. I also trust that by eating Alberta steak, I'm not only supporting local farmers, but am also supporting a higher standard of quality and ethically raised animals.

Anyway, the long and short of it is that I ate steak and enjoyed it, but probably not enough to go back to a carnivorous diet. I also fulfilled one of my "to-do's" of living in Calgary, as Calgarians love their steaks and it would have been blasphemy to leave here without trying the local specialty!

The Funk

Well, it's that time of year again... the winter blues! I could blame Canada, which would be an easy scapegoat, but I think "the funk" (as I endearingly like to call it) will find you no matter where you are. Whether it's below freezing, snowing and I'm sliding around icy sidewalks - or just gray, rainy and blah (another of my favorite descriptive terms) - January and February are not my cup of tea!

My self-prescription? Lots of soup-making, baking, movie-watching, hot yoga, cuddling with Ben and Bosco ... and as of today, Vitamin D supplements, apparently a winter survival secret of Canadians.

The upside? Snow is beautiful! I've never been a big snow person, but it's growing on me. Case in point: a few weeks ago, after a frustrating ski day for me in Fernie, British Columbia, Ben and I suddenly found ourselves alone in a winter wonderland of the sort that I had only seen in ski movies.

It's these moments, when I realize I'm striding the side of the Rocky Mountains, surrounded by pine trees ensconced in fluffy piles of snow, that all the cold and stresses melt away and I find myself thrusting off my skis and throwing myself into a powdery pile of the white stuff, laying down and soaking it all in. Or when I feel the thud of a snowball on my back as I'm coasting down a clear hill, only to turn to see Ben crouched down with a "catch-me-if-you-can" grin, and we take off after one another on skis and snowboard, feeling like kids.

It's True, Home is Where the Heart (and Family) Is!

I have been the ultimate blog slacker of late ... and the farther behind I got, the more daunting it sounded to catch back up. However my ever-helpful sister-in-law (thanks Jenny!) pointed out that it's not necessary to comb over every detail of the past few months, since our return from our epic roadtrip in September. Perhaps a photo highlight reel will suffice to cover our adventures (my birthday celebration, our new rental house, ski trips, hockey games, out-of-town visitors, hikes ... pretty much the usual stuff for us!) Stay tuned - I will try to do a future blog with a quick photo update :)

Oh, and did I mention that I am now working full time? I've joined the ranks of 9 to 5-ers at Ben's company, partly to counteract my growing restlessness and desire for more daytime social interaction, and partly to compensate for our travel expenses, past and future!

At the moment, Ben and I are happy to be back in Calgary with Bosco, but after 10 days of visiting with family and friends in Tennessee, it feels strangely quiet to be in a house with only the two of us. We are licking our wounds a bit after non-stop drinking and eating over the holidays, but what a fantastic trip home!

In spite of all the deeply stunning and dramatic scenery we've discovered in Western Canada over the past year, a short hike around the mountains in Chattanooga (pictured above) reminded me that Tennessee will always be the most beautiful place to me. There's something about the hills and valleys, the emerald green moss, willowy trees, humble mountain streams, and the limestone rocks that make my heart feel at peace.

It's funny how sometimes you have to go far away to discover where home really is. With talks of extending our contract here in Calgary, it may take us longer than planned to get back to Tennessee for good, but we are definitely looking forward to getting there!

On that note, a very happy New Year to all and I hope your holidays were full of joy and happiness!