Oh Canada

The things I take for granted when I am in Canada in no particular order:

1. Bathtub - To get warm, or to relax, or just for the ease of shaving my legs, these handheld showers are no good.  And the hot water runs out too fast here, like at my parent's house.

2. Treadmill/workout area - Oh to have a treadmill here so I wouldn't have to run through throngs of people.  And I miss my pole, and my insanity workout.  Who knew how much I actually enjoyed working out?

3. Fishcreek park - still with the working out, I LOVE running through fish creek.  It's beautiful there.  I love walking in fish creek w/ Lockey.  I love riding my bike in Fishcreek. I love the bridge in Fishcreek where Lockey and I spent our first date and where he proposed.  I just Love the Woodbine/Evergreen area of Fishcreek.

4. Family - This one speaks for itself. We miss being at family functions, we miss Sunday dinners, we miss seeing Prycen growing up, and seeing baby Necklace and Dash.

5. Car/Motorbike - Oh the freedom of having a car.  And of course Lockey misses his motorbike.

6. Space - not outer space... just space in general.  When there are 4 steps from your less than double bed to your toilet that your knees touch the sliding door when it's closed you really appreciate space.  There are people all over the street, in the subway, people everywhere, and they don't always understand your personal bubble.  I need me some space!

7. Home - I love our home!  It's bright, it's what we wanted, it's open and it's peaceful.  I love coming home to our home after a day of work and exhaling.

8. Cooking - I just started to love cooking, and I love cooking in MY kitchen.  I love the counter space and the oven.  (both things I don't have here)  I love having a fridge and a freezer (again, no freezer and a mini fridge that doesn't hold much).  I love being able to cook healthy foods and use fresh produce that I'm not afraid will give me some sort of virus.  It's so hard to cook healthy here.

9. Baking - I love baking, I have always enjoyed baking.  It's a great stress reliever and it's fun to use your creativity, and I won't lie, I love eating baked goods too...  with no oven it is a challenge, believe me I've tried to make cookies on the hot plate, and chicken pillows, but it's so much less pleasant!

10. Fireplace - So nice to sit in front of the fireplace and snuggle up to read a book w/ my hot chocolate or maybe watch a movie w/ my man.

11. Our BED!!! - I have not had a perfect sleep, (you know the sleep where you feel like you are in a cocoon and nothing can wake you?  Where your eyes don't want to open.  Where the next day you feel super refreshed....) since leaving in August.  Our bed is magical, with its memory foam, and comfy comforter and the organic blanket and the bed warmer.... Luxury.   Loni (my mother in law) helped to foster this love of good bedding as her bed at the cabin is ridiculously comfortable too!

12. Grass - This is one of Lockey's contributions, and it's a good one.  There is hardly any grass here, and the grass that there is, is in one small circle that half is blocked off, and is covered w/ other people and no trees.  Did you know how nice it is to walk barefoot in grass?  or lay in the grass?  or have a picnic on grass?  We do.

13. Tap water - Buying water is expensive, and you feel like you can't just drink water whenever you want to.  Therefore we are not as hydrated as we need to be, especially w/ the heat here.  Lockey also loves the taste of Calgary water, I like when it's been in the fridge for a while.

14. Fresh Air - When you walk outside here you smell fish. Dried fish everywhere.  And when you don't smell fish you smell greasy Chinese food.  The harbour on Sunday was so smoggy the sky looked almost yellowy green like when a cartoon character farts.  The first fresh air we really smelled since being here  was in the mountains in Japan, we didn't realize how much we missed it.

15. The Cabin - Oh the Cabin.  A lovely getaway to spend time w/ the family, get away from responsibilities at home, and enjoy the outdoors.  We love the Cabin.  Thanks Robert and Loni for always letting us take advantage of your beautiful cabin!

16. Rock Band - This one is silly, but true.  Rock band is a good time.  Band practice w/ Jeff and Steph is an even better time.  We will have to start this up again when we get back!

17. Canadian prices - We always complain in Canada about the prices compared to the states.  Cheese is so expensive, gas is so expensive, etc etc.  Although it is true that the states are cheaper (and Lockey and I are lucky enough to take advantage of US prices for lots of things), Canada can't even compare to some of the prices in Hong Kong or Japan!  I found a pair of shoes at Nine West that I loved, they told me the price, we did the conversion, it would have been $212.00 CAD.  We checked online, they were only $139.  When we were in Japan I found them again, did the conversion.... $300 CAD!!! What the heck?  They are Nine West not Louboutin... (although I know that those much more expensive, but you get my point!)

18. Mountains - although there are mountains here, they are not the same.  The Rocky Mountains are regal, and I miss our autumn hike and climb and then going to Canmore after for a nice meal.  Climbing in Kananaskis is also a nice treat.  Being so close to the mountains in Calgary is definitely something we take for granted.

19. Climbing wall - In Calgary we go to CCC.  The climbs are fun, and they change them up, so you can project things, but there are usually new challenges by the time you get your project.  I like that there is climbing and not just bouldering, which is all that we have here.  But at least we have something!

Now don't get me wrong, this adventure is amazing.  We are seeing and experiencing so many really great things.  We are learning about other cultures.  We are seeing the other side of the world!  But no matter where you go in the world, there will always be some things you miss from home.