Monday, January 03, 2005

Luxurious is a synonym for a good vacation

How absolutely wonderful to do nothing AT ALL for a week and a half. It has been so very long since I've had a break like that, which made it all that much sweeter!

I visited friends (some twice!) who I hadn't seen in a long time, ate, drank, watched movies and not much else - okay, so maybe for you that ain't heaven, but for me, that's downright celestial bliss.

My brother in law and I took the kids to the Leisure Center on Christmas eve [note: going to the Leisure Center on Christmas eve was a brainstorm - we had the place almost to ourselves!] The kids loved the waves and waterslide - I spent much of the time following my 7 year old nephew through the complex and waiting at the bottom of waterslides to catch him... which was cool!

Our whole family was together for Christmas and Boxing Day - something that hasn't happened for probably four years... longer than we've been gone even. My nieces and nephews are getting big! My far-away sister and I braved the shopping malls on Boxing Day and I was rewarded by finding a Board Doctor jacket for Angie at half price - guaranteed to -35C - not that we have those kinds of temps here! but she'll be warm anyway.

We also drove out to Banff for the one day that Dwayne was with us and it rose above -15! The wind was chilly, so we ducked quickly into our favorite candy store and the Cow store, but the wind was blocked up at the Hot Springs and the contrast between the air temp (about -12) and the water (41!) was very, very relaxing... I was glad Dwayne was driving 'cause my muscles felt like putty after all that heat!

Coming home was a bit depressing - I know we've only been here for a little more than 2 years, so I can't expect to be as familiar with the city as I am with Calgary, but I felt more comfortable with the familiar surroundings of Calgary (even though I was staying in my sister's house and my niece's bedroom - surrounded by Avril Lavine posters) than I do in my own house here in Boston. I think one of the things that makes me feel uncomfortable here is the whole visa thing at the border every time we come back - it reminds me that I don't belong here, I'm only a visitor... an "alien"... and that my stay is only temporary... at least under our current status. I suppose comfort comes with time. I just hope that some day I'll feel just as comfortable here as I do there.

Great vacation! just wish it had lasted even longer...

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