I’ve always been curious to get older. Does that mean I get wiser? Richer? Happier? Funnier? It turns out that getting older feels just like every other birthday I’ve had. I’m still me…..I’m 40 years old…..but I still feel like the me I was when I was 18, 24, 33, and now 40. Age is just an indicator of time passing, but the adventures you have and the people you share it all with is an indication of how you’ve lived.
So big that it’s taken me a while to actually catch up and blog about it all. Expect a lot of catching up from me – there are many posts to come after this one!
First off – I finally moved into my first home ever in the middle of April. I took possession on April 15, and I did the walk-through and key hand over with my realtor over lunch.
Little did I realize that I had a surprise landing in Saskatoon that afternoon – my friends Courtney and Paisley flew in from Calgary to help me move into my new place on the weekend!
We had the best weekend laughing, moving, setting up, and taking in the Saskatchewan Rush lacrosse game. That was definitely the highlight of my April!
Moving on to May – I was so excited to have a new home and a new neighbourhood to explore. I was definitely looking forward to learning a new bike route to work and had big plans of using pedal power to get to work all summer long. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
On Monday, May 2nd, on my inaugural bike ride to work from my new condo, I was hit by a SUV in the middle of an intersection, about one block away from my condo. I was able to get up and walk away from the accident, but I still ended up with bad sprains, bruises and road rash to a lot of my body.
I’m so thankful to my family, friends and co-workers for helping me out over the slow recovery process. I’m also thankful that I got access to the health care I needed right away. After the first three weeks of intensive massage, acupuncture and chiro I looked and felt almost normal. It was an ordeal I tell you. One thing I’ve learned, don’t assume anybody can see you when you’re cycling. I’m now hyper-sensitive as a driver and a pedestrian. I hope someday soon to get on the bike again and not let this accident set me back. I also cannot say this enough – WEAR A HELMET when you bike!!!! It literally will save your life someday. It did for me!
I won’t lie, I’m always secretly thrilled when friends willingly choose to come and spend time in Saskatchewan. Maybe it’s been the years of being from a have-not province, or being treated like a some family black sheep when I’ve lived elsewhere, but it isn’t often that people choose to spend vacation time in area code 306.
Not so for my good friends Ted and Nisa. Two weekends ago they made the trip east from Edmonton to come and spend a weekend with moi and I couldn’t have been more tickled. We poked around Saskatoon – visiting the University of Saskatchewan, sampling local fare at the Saskatoon Farmer’s Market, visiting local breweries, hitting up some of the hottest restaurants in town, and getting out to see Batoche National Historic Site (a place I haven’t been to since I was a kid).
Thank you Ted and Nisa for coming to visit me, I had such a great time with you, showing you around my city and my province. Come back again any time!
It’s funny what can spur you back into action. For me, getting back into blogging has been a struggle. The desire just hasn’t been there – until recently.
Two weekends ago I participated in the Dare to Lead conference in Saskatoon – a conference that brings together all of the board and leadership from IABC (International Association of Business Communicators) chapters in Western Canada for a weekend of learning and celebration. I’ve recently joined the board of directors in Saskatoon and for me this was an eye-opening experience to what IABC really means, the people involved, the challenges each chapter faces, and the resources that are available to help overcome the challenges. I was in my element!
Even better than learning from some of the best communicators in the west was the extra-curricular activities that were planned as part of the conference. For many of the attendees it was their first visit to Saskatoon and the planning committee made sure we all got out to see as much of Saskatoon as possible, via a walking tour of the downtown core.
We walked. We visited. We shared stories. We posed for photos. We learned the history of the city. We had a great time. And at the end, we had beer. 
What a wonderful weekend to fall back in love with a familiar city. But my love affair wasn’t over just yet.
On the Sunday that the conference wrapped I met my good friend Dave at the Mendel Art Gallery. As this beautiful building is soon closing its doors to the public, I wanted to visit it before it went. Dave and I had a wonderful afternoon looking at the exhibits, wandering through the conservatory, stopping for a coffee at the Living Sky Cafe, and poring over the discounted items in the gift shop.
From the Mendel Dave and I wandered down to the banks of the South Saskatchewan River, hoping to catch some more photogenic scenery. Instead we caught something even better – a spontaneous trip on the Prairie Lily Riverboat Cruise! I have been wanting to do a cruise on this boat for years and all it took was a great afternoon with a good friend and lots of sunshine. We had a wonderful time snapping photos, people watching and taking in  some of the multi-million dollar homes along the riverbanks.
Such a fantastic weekend, and a great way to get me back into blogging again. Thank you Dare to Lead and Dave for kickstarting my interest!
travel tales and a lifetime of wanderlust in sneakers
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Adventures of a Saskatchewan Girl 