Canada: Trip Planning

I’m getting ready for an amazing trip up north to the Canadian Rockies! I’ll be gone for a total of 11 days, spending most of it exploring Banff and Jasper National Parks. I’ll be driving the whole way, most of it with a friend, until I say goodbye and she continues on to meet up with family. We will hopefully be able to squeeze in a bit of Glacier National Park on the way back, but we’ll have to play it by ear. I have always been enthralled by the Canadian Wilderness and now I will actually be able to see and photograph its grand beauty.

I love planning and preparing for a trip, but this one has just about done me in. I think I've been so concerned about making it absolutely perfect that I've forgotten about letting things happen as they will. That’s all part of the adventure after all. It’s always good to have a plan and be prepared, but leave a little leeway for exploration, the unexpected or, heaven forbid, when things go wrong. Like Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia Clothing Company, said, “It’s not an adventure until something goes wrong.” I may not necessarily want things to go wrong, but there is something to that. There must be room to wiggle, to make last minute rash decisions. Planning is great. Don’t get me wrong. You can get more out of an “adventure” by wise planning, but there is something about living in the moment. Don’t be so stuck on an idea or plan that you forget where you are and experiencing it first hand. Sometimes I don’t recognize the beauty around me when I've had my mind set on a “picture” or an idea. Like my grandma and mom always say, “Don’t wish your life away” or in this case, don’t plan your life away. Soak in the goodness, keep an open mind and leave some room for when the adventure really begins.

I’m hoping to get one more post of my packing list in before I take off. We’ll see if I decide to bring the computer along...I might just be able to post along the way (pending wi-fi availability) and bring you along for the ride!