I don't think I"ve ever left for a trip on time. Unless of course I'm on a plane going by the airlines schedule. And the beginning of this trip was no different. In fact we actually left a day later than expected, which I think is the longest delay I've had for a road trip. We brought our 1980 VW Westfalia in for a routine check on Monday and that check turned into a cheque for $1700 and new shocks and rear and front seal replacements. Needless to say we didn't make our departure date as it was a 2 day job. Yogi at Prairie Autohaus was probably quite frustrated at the amount of phonecalls he recieved from us, much like a kid sneaking down to catch a peek at his presents at christmas but with a lot more stress. It was Wednesday before we got the van back in the late afternoon and after a lengthy discussion about all that may possibly go wrong with the van I left feeling relieved and scared. Ideally we would have packed the van that night, but we ran out of daylight as I worked wiring up the stereo system and we had to wait until the next morning.

Sleep was tough, as I knew it would be a hard day of goodbyes tomorrow as if the last week of goodbyes and parties wasn't hard enough. We don't really have a solid plan return strategy so I think people are wondering when they will see us again. I awoke dreary eyed and wanting just to lie on the couch for fifteen more minutes but knew there was to much to do so I slowly got out of bed to start the flurry of activities for our departure. I went to the roastery for one last coffee and then Canadian tire to finish my toolkit for the van (I have a secret plan to be a professional mechanic after this trip). I also picked up a few more things to wire up the solar panel on the roof. If you want a solar panel on the roof of your VW I'm now a seasoned professional and if I wasn't driving to Costa Rica, I think Paul and I would start up a business.

Anyways after packing up the van, which wasn't as laborious of a task as I thought, we set off after some tearful goodbyes with more space than we anticipated. Hitting the highway was a mix of emotions. The sadness of leaving and the excitement of going balanced eachother out. After learning that you can't always trust a GPS system we finally were on the open road. First rendezvous, Banff. It was here that we would meet up with my Brother and Mum to spend some quality time among the mountains and tourists. The van was running great, the solar panel was charging up and the girls in their car seats in the back were sleeping soundly. So I threw on some music and watched the highway, the GPS and Shona reading beside me. We're Off!

You'd think that if there was any province in Canada that had a plethora of gas stations it would of course be the Oil Rich Alberta. This is not the case. We stopped in Kindersley to make a quick phonecall and get some water and I contemplated filling the half full tank. We were in a slight rush and I thought I'd wait until the next town. Bad idea. The nest three towns only had cardlock gas and it was about 15km's outside of the town with a fuel pump that our little VW came to a slow and sad stop. Hmmm.. what to do now? Two fairly content babies in the backseat, a beautiful sunset on the horizon and no gas. The irony of it all us that we were basically across from oil derrick, happily pumping away...

Shona waved down the first car we saw and a lovely women named Tracy agreed to give me a ride to the next gas station where I would fill up a couple jerry cans and try and hitch a ride back to the van. It all went very smoothly. In fact when I was paying for my gas and regalling the clerk with my woeful tell I ended up inadvertently getting a ride with a trucker who was in line behind me. It was pretty neat being in one of those big rigs, I didn't realize how high class they are and have a new apprecition everytime I see one on the highway. We found the van on the highway, Cliff the trucker came to a stop and we got out and said goodbye which was accompanied by a big pull on his horn as he drove off to pick up more barley for another run. It's harvest time in the prairies. I filled up the van and we were off, way later than we thought we'd be but with more adventures and stories to share. Which are way more important than time if you ask me.

We blew through Calgary where I realized that I left the gas cap at the Cactus Corner Rest Stop, luckily Canadian Tire was still open (for 2 minutes) and I managed to get another gas cap to get us into the rockies. My eyes were tired for the last hour to Banff but we made it safe and sound and now it's morning the coffee is brewing, the bacon is grilling and the sun is shining through the window as I look at the majestic Rockie Mountains and type this. We're treating ourselves to a cabin here, to spent some quality time with my Brother and Mum, but after this no more treats.

It's begun and I'm happy. It's weird to have your house on your back, but strangely freeing. I can get used to this....