Brandon to Fredericton: MB to NB: Our Epic Road Trip

Since I'll be moving the 3500km from Brandon, Manitoba to Fredericton, New Brunswick at the end of this month, Cowboy Tex (formerly known as Farmer Joe) and I planned our holidays around taking a road trip there so that I could get a feel for the place! It was lovely and I'll try my best to create a mostly-pictures-few-words blog post all about it.

I've always known Canada is a beautiful country. I've driven all the way to the West Coast and taken the ferry to Vancouver Island, but I hadn't, until this trip, driven East. (Manitoba is in the centre - kind of - of the country, for those not up to snuff on their Canadian geography).

Northern Ontario is majestic, almost as much so as Western Alberta and British Columbia. It makes up the southern portion of the Canadian Shield and it is wonderously rocky and full of coniferous forests covering rolling hills and valleys.

Lake Superior, living up to its name.

Quebec is a bit more like the prairies that I am familiar with, very much an agricultural province. Quebec intimated the heck out of me because its official language is French. Despite the fact that I wish, more than many things, that I spoke French, I do not. I feel very guilty about that. Perhaps after I complete my Master's, learning French will be the next thing on my list.

I spent a lovely, albeit swelteringly hot, day and two nights
in Montreal with a dear friend of mine. 

The city is brilliant in its historic nature and vibrant culture.

I've been told by many people that I would love Montreal and they were not wrong! 

It would have been wonderful to have taken
actual engagement photos here, but it was so
hot that I just couldn't bring myself to change
into something engagement-photo worthy.

New Brunswick was breath-taking! After a rather flat Quebec, our most eastern destination presented us with rolling hills and vibrant greenery. The St. John River runs right through Fredericton creating a consistently cool breeze to blow throughout the city. 

Fredericton, as a city, is wonderful. It is a small city (60,000 people). It is a city full of art and culture. It is a city with a strong government and military presence.

It is an old city.

It is a city with a strong university presence. 

 I felt at home there. 

Celebrate the Small Things - July 26 (3 week back log)

Yikes, folks! I haven't written a blog post since July 5th when I Celebrate[d] the Small Things with VikLit and the other blog hoppers over at Scribblings of an Aspiring Author. That means I have three weeks of celebrations to catch up on, but I'll try to keep them brief.

On July 6, the last day at my sister's in Leduc, Alberta, she and I, and a friend of hers did the Colour Run in Edmonton. I did it for fun and to raise a few more funds for the Student Refugee Program. It's an ongoing effort of mine, so if I can twist your rubber arm...click HERE!

I thought I would be celebrating handing in the final version to the committee on Friday, July 12. I was wrong. My advisor had other plans for me the likes of a third extensive edit. Those edits along with packing for my trip on July 13 are the reasons I didn't post that week. I can celebrate, however, the completion and handing in of my third massive edit!

Friday, July 12 was also my last day of work before heading out on two weeks of holidays! Now that is really something to celebrate!

Sometime in that week between July 6 and 12, we welcomed Memphis into our home. He's an adopted 5-year old Chihuahua from a local animal rescue organisation in our city.

The whole next week, July 13 to 19, was just one massive celebration. Farmer Joe, who I have now taken to calling Cowboy Tex since we moved from the farm into the city, and I started out on a massive 3500km road trip from Brandon, Manitoba where we live, to Fredericton, New Brunswick where I will be starting my Master of Arts in English this fall. I even enjoyed the driving. The main points of smaller celebrations within this major celebration are:
-Spending two nights and a full day in Montreal with my beautifully brilliant friend, Haley.

-Spending three nights and two full days in Fredericton familiarising myself with the university and the city.

-Getting a tour of the campus (especially the library) and meeting my grad school advisor.

Other celebrations that occurred from July 13-19 include:
-finding out that I got into the mature student residence for the fall and connecting with my roommate to start planning our living arrangements.
-finding a UNB Mom t-shirt at the campus book store to bring home for my Mom.
-being offered (and, of course, accepting) a position as a Regional Coordinator for WUSC starting in September. This volunteer position comes along with two trips to Ottawa, Ontario! I am really excited about taking on this leadership role with an organisation that means so much to me.

We started the trip home from Fredericton on July 20. The biggest celebration on the return trip, short of actually getting home, snuggling with my dogs, and sleeping in my own bed, was staying in Kingston, Ontario with another brilliant friend of mine. After 5 days staying places without air conditioning when the temperatures were 35 degrees Celsius above, Yvonne had central air and provided me with my first excuse to have a hot shower. It was heaven.

All of that brings me to one more celebration for this week, July 20-26. On Wednesday, I met with my thesis advisor again and despite a few, ok a lot, more edits, she did say that this time (the fourth time) she didn't need to see the entire document again, only a few short pieces! That, my friends, is celebration worthy indeed!

Cheers, everyone! Now, to try and catch up on visits and comments! See you and your blog soon!