A very personal reflection on seeing Calgary again

It's been a month and two days since we departed for our fantastic trip to Calgary. Both during our fun filled travels and in the ensuing weeks afterward, I've spent a fair bit of time reflecting on some of the more poignant revelations and reminders that our journey helped open my eyes to.

Far more than just a week long venture to Alberta, this trip genuinely changed me in a number of ways - all of which, I strongly believe, are for good. It helped me to better understand the bounds and limits of my health as it currently stands, when I'm active (aka, not bedridden or housebound) for multiple days in a row, for starters. Yet that was just one of many things I felt I came to understand better as our time in the gorgeous city of Calgary progressed.

I'm firm believer in personal change and growth (a point I touched on this post from last July about the wisdom that comes with getting older). Even if you're highly content with yourself and your life as they are right now, objectively, every last one of us can still blossom and expand our perspectives to an even greater degree.

Due most significantly to the fact that I'm chronically ill, a great deal of my life is spent at home. The four walls and roof of my abode are my world for much of (and sometimes all of) any given month, and though I have the invaluable companionship of my beloved husband, two cute pets to snuggle, plenty of books to read, hobbies to pass the time (when I'm feeling well enough to do them), and of course my beloved internet and the universe that it puts at my fingertips, there are certain things that, in many cases at least, can only be gleamed and absorbed to their fullest when out and about in the world.

I was reminded of some of those, and in the process discovered more about myself, while in Calgary. Interestingly, and very profoundly for me, I also discovered that returning to Calgary - a city where I'd spent a couple of years filled with some of the hardest and best, saddest and happiest days of my whole life, when I was in my late teens - helped my soul to feel a sense of resolution that I didn't even fully known it so powerfully needed.

You see, I left Calgary, far less by choice, and much more because of circumstance. I was struck, as if by tumultuous lightning, by the first in a long series of severe chronic illnesses about a month after my eighteenth birthday, at a time when I was living on my own in Calgary and fully supporting myself by working. Dreams of future schooling, employment and life goals ran rampant through my young heart and mind. Though I tried my very hardest to continue to work and support myself after my health quickly crumbled beyond immagination, by the time I was nineteen, doing so any longer had simply become impossible.

I was heartbroken and crestfallen about leaving (to return to my hometown), but tried not to dwell too much on the negatives I was feeling at the time. Instead, almost dutifully, as if the universe was pulling a set of invisible marionette strings, I packed up my teeny tiny basement suite, handed in my notice at work, bid farewell to the few friends I still had left (most having split rather quickly as my health fell apart on me), and with emotion laden tears running down my face, took one last long, painful look at a city I loved with every fiber of my being.

For at least two years afterwards, I woke up nearly every morning, for one brief, solid moment feeling like I was still in Calgary, still on some semblance of the exciting trajectory I'd been plotting for myself as a young adult, after a childhood fraught with a thousand demons and a million nightmares.

Time pushed onward though, my health grew poorer, and though I never felt sorry for myself and the road I was forced to take, I also never stopped thinking about Calgary. Sure, it may have popped into my memory less frequently, the particulars of certain familiar haunts growing dimmer in my mind's eye, and my yearnings for it subsiding to a degree, but always, in the sleepless hours of countless nights, it would have a way of floating to the surface of my thoughts and staying put until the sun rose.

After a while, I realized I wouldn't be living there again anytime soon, and I moved on with my life, calling numerous other spots home.

When we first started discussing taking a road trip this year, a few different destinations topped our list, with Calgary eventually winning out. I didn't steer this choice, at least not consciously, with my memories at the helm, instead I felt it was an ideal destination for both Tony and I, as it was just one province away, could be reached in a few hours of driving, held numerous attractions (and shops!) we'd both enjoy, and would give my husband the chance to see Alberta for the first time.

I wondered in the days leading up to the morning we departed from Penticton, what my initial thoughts and emotions would be when the first view of Calgary's majestic skyline, jutting beautifully out from the golden prairie backdrop would be. When the moment arrived, and the city bathed in amber hued late summer sunshine finally occurred, all I felt was excitement and happiness.



{An iPhone photo I took and Instagrammed of part of the city's wonderful skyline, as seen from the lofty vantage point of the Calgary Tower.}



The memories, the assorted feelings, the lingering, long past sense of what could have been, they were all there, but the girl who had packed them in her suitcase and heart alike a decade ago wasn't. She had moved on in countless ways. Grown up, become infinitely stronger, and created a life, that was, ultimately, perhaps - for all its challenges - far better than the one she could have experienced had she never left.

As we zipped around town, that same radiant sunshine warming our faces and souls alike for a week, I was reminded of, and reconnected with, tons of places I once knew, but instead of feeling purely nostalgic, I was eager to fill them with new, awesome memories, made right here and now, with my darling husband by my side. I had an additional decade of life lesson's under my belt and the knowledge that, at long last, I had returned to make amends with the sense that I had been torn away from a place I loved to no end.

It wasn't until that skyline, then the streets that call it home, filled my line of sight and stood solidly under my feet again that I realized just how much I needed to be there again - nor how incredibly cathartic the experience would be. Both during the days of our trip and in the weeks afterward, I have been happier and more at peace with the world than I can ever remember being as an adult, and that, my dears, trumps anything I could ever bring home in a shopping bag, or even on film, from my travels.

As I look ahead to the future, though certain thoughts and feelings pertaining to Calgary will always be with me, I have the knowledge that I made it back, that I said hello, instead of just a sorrowful goodbye, and that, if fate allows, I'll get to return with open arms and smiling eyes many more times throughout my life. A prospect which brings me an immeasurable amount of happiness.

Seven of my favourite places we visited in Alberta (and what I wore to each of them)

You may notice that the title of this post says "Alberta", instead of just Calgary, and the reason for that is that while on the other side of the Rockies, though the majority of our time was indeed spent in the beautiful, bustling city of Calgary, we also enjoyed a fantastic day trip further south in the province to a fantastic little prairie down called Nanton (many heartfelt thanks all those, including to Jill from Tea with the Vintage Baroness, who highly recommended we visit this charming corner of the province - you were spot on when you said that you thought I'd adore it).




I'm not kidding in the slightest when I say that I did more, and pushed myself harder during the process, during our week in Calgary that I usually do in a half a year - sometimes even an entire year, just depending on my health's current state. I know that this long overdue trip was likely to be a rare occurrence (the last trip, a short jaunt to Montreal where Tony was speaking at conference for work, that we took was at the start of 2007) and that I wanted to squeeze as much out of the experience as I possibly could, short of wrecking myself, so to speak, to the point where I'd be too ill to do anything at all.

While at home in sweet little Penticton, I would never push myself so hard for so many days in a row, but am sincerely glad that I did while on the road, because - though it means weeks of recovery time afterwards now - it enabled me to enjoy such a rich, activity packed adventure with my darling husband, in a city that I know (the bones of) like the back of my hand (I spent a little over two years living in Calgary when I was in my late teens).

I headed to Alberta with a hefty sized list of places that I thought might be oodles of fun to visit. I knew of course that we wouldn't get to all of them, but in a way, that only made the ones that we did see even more enjoyable, because in the back of my mind, I already had a list of destination being compiled for the next time we happen to have the good fortunate of being in that neck of the woods - or in this case, sprawling urban prairie metropolis.

We went out together every single day during our trip, often for several hours at a time, and returned both very happy and very tired every night. Most days we planned our itinerary of outings in advance, but on a couple, we took a more "on the fly" approach and let the weather, our mood, and what we really hoped to accomplish while in Calgary guide our choice of destinations.

As this was Tony's first time in Calgary (or anywhere in Alberta), we knew that some of the more touristic destinations would be a must. After many years away from the city, and having loved them all myself long ago, I didn't mind seeing each of them again. After so much time, I almost felt like I was experiencing these sights again for the first time.

What follows is not a complete list of all the places, big and small alike that we visited, instead it is a roundup of seven that stand out as particular favourites of mine from this action packed, truly enjoyable journey.

Interspersed between them, were many moments that brought me equal joy, when, for example, I would find myself on familiar streets, glimpsing sights my eyes hadn't beheld in a decade, remembering which roads lead where, reconnecting with once treasured haunts, and discovering new ones in a city that had certainly changed and grown, but still retained so much of the brazen, multifaceted soul it possessed when I lived there.

{A Vintage Affair}

To say that we hit the ground running when we got to Calgary would be a major understatement. We reached town in the early evening on Friday, checked into our hotel, promptly headed out to (briefly) visit Chinook mall, get groceries, and explore the town a little. The next day, Saturday, was a big deal, let me tell you, because it saw not only my first ever blogger meet up (which I'll be posting about here in much more detail later this month), but also oodles of vintage clothes shopping.

As you may have heard me say before, Penticton does not having any dedicated vintage clothing stores, nor do the towns around us. Occasionally you'll luck out and one of the consignment, thrift or antique stores will happen to have a small number of mid-century garments, but this cannot be banked on my any means, and as a result, for all intents, I have no where in my town to shop for vintage clothes. I was practically starved for the chance to do so again and leapt into exploring Calgary's little handful of such shops with great gusto.

Bar non, my absolute favourite was A Vintage Affair located at 638 - 11th Avenue SW in downtown Calgary. The shop itself was beautiful, teaming with vintage garments spanning a range of decades, with no shortage of 40s and 50s pieces, all of which are well organized (including listing the bust, waist and hip measurements on the tags - something that I truly wish all vintage stores would do) and expertly displayed. I loved the friendly, cheerful staff who showed a genuine interest in vintage and were eager to chat on the topic, as well as about my blog and where I was from.

I've stepped foot in a number of vintage stores over the years where you were lucky to be given the time of day, even if you're sporting head-to-toe period vintage, so it was a truly awesome and much welcomed experience to be greeted so warmly by the wonderful ladies running this top-notch vintage shop (where I'm happy to say, I bought several items). The next time - and every time! - I'm in Calgary, A Vintage Affair is going to be my first shopping destination.

{Calgary Zoo}

Hit hard by this summer's tragic flooding, the Calgary Zoo has thus been able to partially reopen at this point, and on our last full day in town, Tony and I were able to spend about 1.5 hours there, which gave us time to see a small portion of the whole park.

No worries though, it's great to have the others to look forward to on our next trip. Though we might not have had all the time in the world, we were able to see the fabulous penguin exhibit, the Canadian Wilds exhibit, and stop by the gift shop (where I bought an adorable little pink plush penguin for myself).

{Glenbow Museum}

No matter where my journeys in life take me, if there's a museum there that speaks to my interests, you better believe I'll be making a speedy beeline for it. I'd been to the Glenbow Museum before many years ago and was champing at the bit to return.

With more than one million diverse artifacts and close to 30,000 pieces of art, the Glenbow Museum is the largest in Western Canada and one of the biggest museums in all of Canada. With both static and temporary exhibits, it's a true history and art lover's paradise, whether you want to learn more about Canada's First Nations People, the fascinating history of the Alberta, or even brush up on your geology via the beautiful display of rocks, gemstones, and minerals. Tony and I both adored our afternoon at the Glenbow Museum and agree that it was one of the highlights of the whole trip for us.

{Inside Avenue Antiques}

We were spoiled rotten with sublime weather throughout our travels, but in most every holiday, as in life itself, a little rain must fall, and we got pummeled with a prairie storm on Wednesday. This didn't deter us in the slightest though, in fact, we used the occasion to squeeze in plenty of shopping, including a trip to sprawling antiques mall Inside Avenue Antiques, located at 3419 - 8th Street SE.

I remember my step-dad taking us there when I was living in Calgary and how much I enjoyed the experience back then, so of course these days I was eager to return and see what this sprawling (the recently expanded into another 5,000 square feet of showroom space) antique mall had to offer.

Though there wasn't much in the way of clothing at all, and prices varied a fair bit between vendors, there was no shortage of incredible vintage and antique household items, jewelry, collectibles and sundry other yesteryear items (as well as the friendliest staff you could ever hope to encounter). I picked up a few things for myself there, including a vintage paperback copy of Gypsy Rose Lee's autobiography, as well as two awesome vintage presents, quite fitting, for my step-dad’s birthday.

{Nanton}

As mentioned above, one of the most memorable experiences of our time in Alberta was our day trip down to the absolutely lovely little farming (and tourism based) community of Nanton, which is famous for its abundance of vintage homes and buildings, as well as a wealth of antique and secondhand stores.

We were there on Sunday afternoon and most shops were open (until 5 or 5:30pm), however a couple were closed (more to see next time!). All, even those where most items were light years beyond my budget, were a joy to behold. For the sheer volume of items (filling numerous rooms on multiple floors), I really enjoyed Sentimental Journeys Antiques (where the picture above was taken), and picked up one sweet little treasure there (that I'd wanted to find one of for years - I'll reveal what it is was in my upcoming post about some of my fave items I bought on our travels).

In terms of prices and the best selection of mid-century items (for my tastes, at least), my pick of the day definitely goes to The Raven Store, located in a darling pale pink and white Edwardian home. I spent about half and hour and a hundred dollars there, and walked out with some of my favourite household and collectible pieces of the day, as well as a charming 1950s/early 60s pair of sunglasses (that I'll need to get prescription lenses put into if I'm to wear them for anything but merely modeling in). I adored this fun shop with its very reasonable prices, friendly employees and owner, and piece after piece that all but made me squeal in delight.

{17th Avenue SW}

Ages ago, when I lived in Calgary, 17th Avenue SW was one of my favourite streets in town to hang out on. It's always been a busy, exciting street bursting with diverse shops and excellent restaurants, as well as being a terrific place to simply stop and people watch for a while.

Though some of my old favourites are long gone, others remain and plenty of great new stores have sprung to life there in recent years, including rockabilly clothing shop Blame Betty, Divine - a fabulous basement level vintage clothing shop (the picture above was taken in Divine's graffiti bedecked stairwell) with the most reasonable prices on mid-century garments I found in Calgary, and Cat's Eye Vintage and Consignment.

Returning to 17th felt like rekindling an old friendship, and I'm so glad we got the chance to spend time there on multiple days throughout our trip.

{The Calgary Tower} 

Parking in the heart the downtown business district in Calgary, as it is in most cities these days, is mighty pricy, so in order to get the most bang for our ($25!) buck one day, Tony and I divided our afternoon between the Glenbow Museum and the Calgary Tower (where I posed with a super cute stuffed Mountain Goat at the base of the tower).

I've always enjoyed peering down at the city from the top of the tower and this visit was no exception. As I stood there and gazed out at the city below teeming with activity, vitality and ever greater expansion, it really sunk in that at long last, I'd returned to my very favourite city in all of Canada.

(All photos in this post were taken by Tony with either his iPhone or Canon DSLR camera.)

♥ ♥ ♥

It's safe to say that Tony and I both truly enjoyed our time in Alberta. It was busy indeed, but by the same token, it also granted us a breather from some of the many pressing demands, stresses, and priorities of daily life at home - as any good holiday ideally should. We agreed that the drive - draped both ways in an absurd amount of gorgeous end-of-summer sunshine - was as pleasant a highway trek as anyone could ever hope for, and that, during the warmer months, when the risk of snow storms is very low, we'd happily make it again anytime circumstances allowed.

Without a doubt, this is my favourite trip Tony and I have ever taken together (which to date now totals four, excluding those involved with moving). For nine years Tony had heard tale of my time in Calgary - which included some of the very best and very worst days of my life. In part, he must have felt as though he had a certain picture of it already in his mind's eye, which I hope sprang to life and took on a whole new dimension for him when we find stepped foot in the White Hat City, as it's known.

Looking back, so soon after our trip wrapped up, it's almost hard to believe how much we accomplished, saw, experienced, and yes, even found time to buy (the highlights of which will star in a post of their own in the very near future) while in Alberta. There wasn't a single moment, even those when my body felt like it had to crawl out from under a thousand pound pile of bricks to keep going for another day, that I didn't relish, didn't love, didn't try to make the very most of.

This trip was incredible. It helped me see a number of things in a whole new light and reminded me of others that I might have forgotten about over the years. It taught me a lot about my endurance levels (as they presently stand), showed me that overnight travel can be possible sometimes (especially if I cook all of my own food, which I did thanks to the kitchenette at our Marriot Residence Inn suite), and has bolstered my enthusiasm for future travel a million times more.

{A snap grabbed in the lobby of our hotel against a lovely photographic mural of the Calgary skyline.}

Calgary rocked, as did getting to finally share a city I hold so very near and dear to my heart with my husband. I don't know when we'll get back there again, but as I now have another devoted fan of Cow Town (and I use that nickname in the most affectionate of terms) in Tony, you can bet your bottom dollar that, with any luck, this will be the first of numerous trips we take to Alberta throughout our life.

Looking back at August 2013

 The last day of August, eh? My goodness, how did we get here so quickly? Was it truly quick? Am I asking too many questions? :) Perhaps, but that's okay, it's the end of summer and with the school year kicking off for many soon (if not already, depending on where you live), it's a rather good thing to have an inquisitive mind, if you ask me.

There were moments of this month, much like the past couple, that felt as though they'd drag on for eternity, but over all, I'd say that it felt speedier than June and July. One could sense the season winding down, much like way certain amusement park rides slow down before they come to a complete halt.

Living in the arid, sizzling hot corner of Canada that we do (I know, my dear foreign readers, "sizzling hot" and "Canada" are not two words that typically go hand in hand, but I assure, you there are parts of this country that give the Mediterranean, Australia, South America, and toastier areas of the USA a run for their money at times), summer isn't quite over yet. We've had temps up to 30C as recently as four days ago, and we'll likely continue to see the realm of the mid-20s for much of the coming month.

Despite July housing my birthday, I think I liked August better (even though there were a few really rocky days mid-month). It was a whisper cooler, saw me able to get out of the house at least three times that I can recall, and even included a wee bit of vintage shopping in Vernon (which, sadly, like most places in the Okanagan, doesn't have any dedicated mid-century vintage clothing stores, but it does have plenty of shops that carry vintage and antique collectibles, housewares, and to a lesser extent, jewelry), so it's always a joy to head up that way and check them out.

I didn't buy much though, because I was (and still am) really trying to save ever last penny for our super exciting upcoming road trip to Calgary, Alberta in less than two weeks time.

My goodness, I haven't found myself looking forward to something as much as I am this trip in many, many years. It's been so long since we last took a holiday, and even the three that we have been on in our nine years together (we didn't take a honeymoon), were all work trips for Tony (that I tagged along for), so this will be our first official, non-work trip ever together! Tony's every bit as eager for this to happen as I am, which just ups my own excitement level all the more.



{Three very big, very enthusiastic cheers! In less than half a month, we'll be zipping over the Rocky Mountains and on our way to Calgary, home of the world famous Calgary Stampede (held every July), where these lovely 1940s lasses hailed from. It's been a decade since I was there last and I am beyond champing at the bit to return again for a few days. Image source.}

 
There's still several days to go until we depart though, so before the suitcases come out of storage and the packing commences, let's take a little while and recap some of the wonderful going-ons that transpired here on the blog front this month.

Much as with July, August was jam packed with posts spanning a wide array of topics. I launched it off with my (still very much ongoing) search for winter snow and ski clothes, a hunt that I hope I'll have some good luck with while in Calgary, a town notorious for its chilly, snow filled winters.

We looked at a super easy trick for securing a pin back brooch in place; took a gander at some beautiful vintage B.C. beauty queens, and discussed a few of the more eyebrow raising comments about my vintage style that I've received over the years in a post called Strangers say the darndest things.

Four outfit posts sprang to life this month, including one in which I sported and reviewed a dress from online UK clothing seller, Brag Vintage. My favourite outfit post of the month definitely goes to day we spent at this year's Peach City Beach Cruise classic car show, in which I sported my most beloved 1950s frock for the first time online (an image from which appears above).

I also kept my passion for all things verdant going strong in last weekend's Sorry, Kermit, but sometimes it is easy being green, and I waxed poetically over the stunning local landscape in Enjoying Penticton in all its glorious summertime beauty, while sporting a palette of red and white.

In addition to these posts and the usual fare, such as Vintage Fashionista Friday, Flickr Favourites, and a tasty vintage recipe - this time for summertime heat beating 1940s watermelon salad, some other highlights of the month included a fascinating look at the history of tennis wear, a stellar online resource with more than 7,000 vintage images, and a fabulous giveaway this week for your chance to win any vintage hat you'd like from Blue Rose Vintage (it's still on, so be sure to enter today, if you haven't yet).

As well, I had the great pleasure of interviewing two of Chronically Vintage's newest blog sponsors: Rebekka from the awesome etsy shop Bloomers & Frocks, and Rochelle from the absolutely beautiful, inspiration filled vintage sewing blog, Lucky Lucille. We also shone the spotlight on a third (thoroughly terrific) blog sponsor in a post devoted to thriving etsy vintage jewelry, fashion and household goods shop, Maejean Vintage.

Elsewhere on the web, I was honoured as can be when Lolly, from the wonderful UK based vintage reproduction clothing site Lolly Doll asked if she could interview me for her company's blog in a post called Meet Jessica Cangiano of Chronically Vintage. She sent over some really great questions and did such a lovely job of capturing and summarizing what my blog and I are all about. This isn't the last you'll be hearing of Lolly Doll and Chronically Vintage joining forces either - keep your eyes peeled in the fall for our next (fashionable!) collaboration.

My lucky winning streak when it comes to blog giveaways continued into August, I'm super happy to say, when I won a lovely vintage scarf from etsy seller Moon Walk Vintage, that the fabulous blog Va Voom Vintage was very kindly offering readers the chance to call there own. The scarf hasn't arrived yet, but I'm sure that as soon as it does, I'll start wearing it and you'll likely see it here in one more future vintage outfit posts.

While my mind is very much on our upcoming road trip, that certainly doesn't mean it's the only thing in I have in the works for September. In the coming weeks, as summer and autumn exchange places, we'll delve into the history of the saddle shoe's extra clean cut cousin, white buck shoes; I'll review the book 1940s Fashion: The Definitive Sourcebook (as per the many Instagram and Facebook requests that poured in when I started sharing some images from it there), put together a vintage fashion themed alphabet in honour of the return of the school year, and start blogging about our trip to Calgary shortly after we return home, to name but a few of September’s posts.



{There is such a fabulous sense of a fresh start to September. I've long likened it to a second New Year's, and love the renewed vigor it brings with it - perfect for hitting the books once more, raking crunchy leaves, or just nestling in at home and starting work on all those projects you didn't quite get to while spending 24/7 outdoors this summer. Welcome September and welcome fall, I've missed you both something fierce! Image source.}

 
I'm looking forward to September for a multitude of reasons. Yes, certainly our fun little vacay is one of them, but there are scads of others as well, spanning everything from the new crop of local pears and apples to the return of a nippy breeze in the air, bringing cold weather sweaters back into rotation. There’s also starting to decorate for (Canadian) Thanksgiving and Halloween - and of course, one can never, ever forget the stunning autumn palette that nature starts decking herself out with as fall approaches and then barrels into full swing.

These in between the season days house a magic all there own, and while part of me will be a bit sad to wave farewell to summer in the coming weeks, I'm also massively eager to embrace every last, stellar element of September and autumn. First though, I've got an open road to hit, a beloved city to revisit, and some vintage and thrift shopping to do in good, ol' Calgary! :)

I truly hope that you each had a marvelous, enjoyable, and very happy summer. Here's to the start of September, the return of pumpkin spice everything, and a whole lot of fun this fall!

We're Alberta bound!

♬   This piece of heaven that I've found

Rocky Mountains and black fertile ground

Everything I need beneath that big blue sky

It Doesn't matter where I go

This place will always be my home  ♬

It is, with no small amount of elation, that I write today's post. You see, my sweet dears, for the first time in many years, Tony and I will soon be embarking an exciting multi-day trip. As you may have likely deducted from the title, as well as from the lyrics above that come from Paul Brandt's song, Alberta Bound (not to be confused with Gordon Lightfoot's 1972 classic of the same name), we're headed over the Rocky Mountain covered boarders for the gorgeous province of Alberta.

Calgary, Alberta, to be exact. This is a city that I know and love dearly, having resided there myself for a little over two years in my late teens. A thousand lifetimes worth of experience happened to me in that short span, in the shadow of the Saddle Dome, Calgary Tower, and those stunning Rocky Mountains themselves, towering majestically off in the distance.



{A circa late 1940s/early 1950s view of downtown Calgary, AB looking southwest from Crescent Heights east of Centre Street. Though the view I knew when I lived there was a bit different, whether decades ago, ten years past, or today, the skyline is instantly recognizable to anyone who has spent time in Cow Town, as the city is sometimes lovingly referred to, before. Image source.} 


I left far less by choice, than by circumstances beyond my control, and for a good many years afterwards, I missed Calgary with the sort of yearning and embedded love that, hitherto, I had only ever felt for a small number of people – I didn’t know it was humanly possible to miss a place so very much. Life moved on and so did I, but I never forgot this rugged, bustling, amazing city, and vowed to return one day (and hopefully many more times after that).

Now, almost ten years since I last called Calgary home, Tony and I will be packing up the car and headed that way for a few days in mid-September, for some extremely needed R&R, as well as plenty of fun and oodles of vintage, antique and thrift store visiting!

I know the bones of Calgary inside and out, from Stephan Ave to Kensington Village, Olympic Park to Chinook Mall, but I'm sure a fair number of things have changed in the last decade, and I'm really looking forward to experiencing what the city looks like and has to offer today.

On that note, though I have been doing plenty of online research into the topic recently and come up with several names already, if you happen to have any recommendations when it comes to vintage, antique, thrift, secondhand or consignment stores that you love because of their mid-century offerings, I would be delighted to hear them anytime.

Traveling, even for a relatively short road trip, presents a substantial number of challenges to me due to my health (a topic I discussed in greater detail here), but sometimes - with a ton of advance planning - facing our challenges in life can bring us immeasurable rewards, and I truly hope that such rings true for this exciting holiday.

We'll be staying at a wonderful hotel with a kitchen (a must because eating out safely is almost impossible for me due to medical reasons) near the airport the whole time, taking our car (which does not have a big trunk at all, so strategic planning and a maximum of one moderate sized suitcase each will be a must), driving straight from Penticton to Calgary, and working on a bit of an itinerary, though few things will be set in stone - it's so much more fun to just go where the (chinook) winds blow you sometimes. Tony has never been to Calgary before, though he probably feel like he has based on how much I've told him about it over the years, so this will an extra fun first for him.

I'll be chatting more about the trip as our departure date draws nearer - and you'll definitely hear tons about it once we get back. I'm so exciting already that some nights it's hard to fall asleep, but I must because, I need all the strength and energy I can get for when the big day arrives, less than a month from now, and we head out on the open road, Alberta bound at long last!