People & Places
Hobden's Canadian blog September 07
In the middle of September we received our latest blog from Darren Hobden and it was filled with jam!
The blackberries are coming out and we have been busy picking them to make jam to go on our stall with the plum jam. Our jam is becoming quite popular and we are establishing a few regulars at our stall.
August has been a travelling month. I went back to England with Daniel, Anja and one of Daniel's friends. It was the first time I had been back since emigrating three-and-a-half years ago. Daniel was already booked to go and Anja had said she didn't want to go but with a week to go she suddenly changed her mind and said she would go if a parent went - and guess who got the short straw! Daniel's friend Cody also booked his ticket at this time.
It was an unusual feeling stepping of the plane in Gatwick – a bit unsure how I felt, not overexcited, not overly despondent. I met my parents in the airport and then went on those fast, busy roads that seemed a distant memory away. The roads felt small and after driving on the other side of the road in Canada it felt strange sitting in the passenger seat with no steering wheel.
We were back for two weeks altogether and it was nice to meet up with family and friends. The kids also enjoyed meeting up with some of their old friends and seeing how much they have all changed (Daniel was 11 when we left and is now 15, Anja was 9 and is now nearly 13). One difference this time was that I took photos of touristy places like Beachy Head as, although I have been there many times while living In England, now it would be nice to have a photo keepsake as I don't know when I will next be back to enjoy it.
I must admit that it didn't take long for me to miss my sanctuary of Vancouver Island (I think it was when I boarded the plane in Vancouver) and as time went on I was longing more and more for the return date to come around and I found out that a lot of the reasons for us emigrating was still evident. If nothing else, it has reinforced why we emigrated in the first place!
On our return to Canada, Daniel went of to a summer camp for a week and at the end of August we went on our family holiday. We went to Whistler for two nights and during this time we saw 14 bears! Mette and Anja tried out the Zipline, which goes through the air at a height of up to 200 feet and for distances of up to 2,000 feet. Daniel and I decided that a nice leisurely ride up the top of Whistler in a Gondola was a better idea and we enjoyed the views and a little bit of snow.
From Whistler we went to Salmon Arm for one night. We then went onto Ainsworth Hot Springs, visiting a few small towns on the way including New Denver and Kaslo, both very pretty, and enjoying our drive through the mountains. We spent two nights in Ainsworth and can thoroughly recommend the Hot Springs. We also visited Cody Caves, which was fun.
We moved on from Ainsworth and stayed one night in Hope. On the way we went through some more nice towns including Osoyoos, which is in a valley between the mountains, and is hot. There is a big lake there and we all agreed that we would like to come back and stay there another time. From Hope we went to Hells Gate, which is a Gondola over the Fraser River. It's a nice place to visit and have lunch followed by an ice-cream the size of a puppy!
We carried on from here to North Vancouver, to my sister's house, where we stayed the night before returning home to Vancouver Island the following day.
As with all holidays reality is always waiting and so it's back to work, back to school, back to all the sports and clubs and back to being a chauffeur again.
Tip Of The Month: Relocation time is a great time to clear out clutter and decide what to take and what to get rid of. Whatever you decide to bring, remember you are paying to bring it, so ask yourself: do you need it? We brought around 90 boxes of assorted sizes yet still have five or six boxes left unopened in the garage - and we have been here since 2004. Obviously, there are sentimental items that just have to come along but think what non-sentimental items to bring. We didn't bring much furniture, no electrical items, no bedding, but we did bring plates, cups, bowls, cutlery etcetera. These do not take up much space but can cost a bit to replace. We sold stuff at boot fairs, held garage sales and sold items on Ebay. We put the money in a pot and used it to replace things here. The kids did the same and enjoyed getting involved. Relocating to your new life doesn't have to mean bringing all your possessions with your old life with you.
Be back next month!
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