New Brunswick

Welcome to NB! We've been making our way through the Kennebecasis Valley, Saint John area, Moncton area, and are now slowly heading north.

We spent yesterday in Cap Pele. Despite the cold weather our bus received a wonderfully warm welcome from the village fire department. During the morning our visits were exclusively from men, which was definitely unique! We always welcome men on board, however it often takes some coaxing, as many tend to be hesitant, or only come to accompany women. These men were full of great questions and friendly information about the town. By the end of the day it seemed that word of our bus spread like wild fire from one end of the village to the other! The hospitality was incredible! I would love to go back to Cap Pele on my own time when the weather warms up a bit.

Last night we headed up to Rexton for the night. We stayed at a B&B - our first on this tour. It was SO nice to be out of a chain hotel and into a warm home. I was particularly excited because the house was built in the 1850s, and the owners had made an effort to maintain much of the original integrity of the building. When we walked in I felt my nerd sense tingling. We randomly chose rooms and settled in. Later in the evening our hostess revealed that the Right Hon. Paul Martin had stayed there only two nights previous! I squealed with glee! The girls laughed and said that they were glad that I got the room because I am really the only one nerdy enough to find that exciting! Don't worry - I took pictures of everything!

Today was another pleasant day! We spent the afternoon in Big Cove at the Health Centre. We had an impressive turn out from the community. We love seeing lots of people come out to the bus, but especially love when there are groups of family and friends, and everyone is excited to take in the information that we have. The people in Big Cove were so eager to greet us! I think all three of us felt a warm glow as we pulled away at the end of the day. Hopefully this is a trend developing, and we'll have more days like today in our near future!

S-T-U I love you!

I've slacked off a bit with this blog! I could sit here and make a million and one excuses as to why I haven't posted lately, but then I'd just be wasting time. Instead, I'll just jump to the good stuff.

Last week we spent a day in Fredericton at UNB and STU. Having spent four years at STU I was really looking forward to returning to a place where I made so many happy memories. To be honest, I was also a bit anxious. I haven't been back to Fredericton since graduating in May of 2007. I was worried that I wouldn't like the changes that had happened in the city. I thought it would be weird to be on campus and not see my friends coming across the courtyard. Luckily my angst was brought on for nothing. When we pulled out of STU at 6:00pm last Thursday I was feeling euphoric! The day had been incredible!

We started the day with breakfast at the Diplomat - a favorite restaurant of mine! When I first visited the city for a campus tour in 2002 I had breakfast there; when my parents drove me up to move me in in September 2003, I had breakfast there. When I graduated in 2007- I had breakfast there. I had more breakfasts at the Dip (and many at odd times of the day, night, and morning - some via take-out), than I could even venture to count. Needless to say my day started off on the right foot!

As we drove through town towards UNB my excitement mounted. Driving down Beaverbrook Rd. I saw my old apartment building looming in the distance. I felt a sense of comfort as we passed by, turning through the campus gates. We drove through UNB to our resting place at the SUB. It was raining and cold, but I couldn't shake the excitement. Several people came out to meet us at the very beginning of our day, which was really positive. I looked up at one point and saw Colleen - a friend from band and school, as well as a former colleague at the tourist bureau. It was great to see a familiar face, and was awesome to get to share my bus with someone that I know!

We had lunch at the Cellar - something I had actually never done before. Thankfully it was pretty good, and very cheap, so everyone was happy with that. Before heading up the hill I popped into the bookstore to buy a new STU water bottle. When we finally approached STU I felt as though I were coming home after being away. Immediately I saw a number of familiar faces of some of the fabulous staff that make STU so incredible. My co-workers were so impressed with the courtesy of the STU community that I was filled with pride. Our afternoon was filled with positive visits from interested students. Just when I was pretty sure that the day could not get any better we had a surprise visitor boarded our bus. Sue Johanson (renowned sex educator) was on campus for a talk and decided to pay us a visit. She came on board and discussed being breast aware with us. We gushed - barely able to be believe that we were discussing breast health with SUE we humbly revealed our stories of being 'Sue-fans'. She was incredibly easy to talk to (as one would expect), and very willing to pose for a photo with us. I don't think that any of us will forget our afternoon at STU. It will probably go down as our favorite tour memory.

From the valley to the island...

Our day at Acadia started out a bit frustrating. We thought that someone from security was going to meet us to show us where to park, but they apparently didn’t know about it. Everything worked out in the end and we got settled in. Several students came to see us, as well as a reporter from the local paper. One student who came to see us was so excited to tell us that she is a survivor – at 19!!! Her story was incredible, and she was so nonchalant about it. We were so impressed by her! Later as we were pulling out of town we passed her downtown with a friend and she jumped up and down waving to us! It was awesome.

Our lunch stop that day was fabulous too. We found a neat little vegetarian restaurant where we got grilled sandwiches and vegan desserts. One of my co-workers is a vegetarian so she is always excited to find restaurants that offer her a broad selection. I, of course, love any kind of food, and absolutely love eating healthy and flavorful meals, so veggie restaurants tend to be a good option for me too. We can’t wait to go back there in the spring!

I was a bit anxious about our trip to Truro. I wasn’t sure if the turnout would be great at NSAC, and was trying to think of somewhere where we could go for lunch that would live up to the meal we had had the day before. In the end we settled on a little bistro downtown. It was a bit of a gamble as I’ve only been there once, but everything turned out fabulous in the end. We had a great location to park at the AC and the students were really excited to come see us! We had our second best turnout from all of the university stops!

That night we headed up to Amherst to stay the night at the Wandlyn Inn. The girl at the front desk was one of the friendliest front-line service workers I have ever encountered. She offered to help carry our bags, and was generally genuinely very concerned that we were happy and comfortable. After dinner Cap and I went to the gym for a bit of exercise. IT was bigger than most hotel gyms, but was kind of hilarious thanks to its overtly 1980s décor.

The trip over to PEI was amazing. The sun was shining and our driver invited us to come to the front of the bus (our seats are at the very back) to take in the view driving over the Confederation Bridge. There are concrete barriers on the sides so if you go across in a regular car you really can’t see much. In a 3.8m high bus you can see all over though! It was so breathtaking – the water was blue, but was dotted with ice and snow floating. It was definitely an awesome experience.

We had a day off in PEI, so the night before the girls and I went out to a local pub for dinner and drinks. It was nice to just relax and enjoy ourselves and talk about something other than work. We spent the rest of the night just talking and laughing. The next day (our day off) Cam and I walked all over Charlottetown exploring the local shops and restaurants and snapping photos. We realized we were on our feet for almost 8 hours! We had a quiet dinner and an early night because we had to work early the next morning, AND we were losing an hour due to daylight savings.

Our experience at UPEI was pretty amazing. Two survivors came out to see us an share their amazing stories. One shared that ten days after her surgery (while she was still undergoing treatment) she returned to her job as a fitness instructor! We all agreed that we no longer had a good excuse for skipping out on the gym or exercise! Her energy was contagious! She encouraged us to think about living to die, instead of dying to live. She said that even when things were she made the most of each day instead of suffering. It reminded me of the Trooper song that says: “We’re here for a good time, not a long time, so have a good time – the sun can’t shine everyday...” --- “Every year has its share of tears, every now and then it’s got to rain…”. She was a great example of that philosophy!

Later on in the day we met a women who is currently undergoing treatment. She came along with her family who were all obviously a big support for her. They seemed genuinely happy to be able to talk openly and ask candid questions. It felt good to be able to facilitate that discussion, and also to be able to give them some helpful information about some of the services that are available.

Now we're in Miramichi and just about to go out exploring. We're only here for one night, but later on during the tour we will be here for several days so it will be good to get the lay of the land now.

Off I go...!

Hanging out with Sir. John A MacDonald in Charlottetown

Crossing the Confederation Bridge

As the waves roll on...-

My day off in Port Hawkesbury was awesome. The sun was shining, the wind was brisk, and our spirits were high. Cam and I scurried about taking photos around the town. It was fresh and relaxing and a nice change of pace.

On Sunday we set up at the Port Hawkesbury Civic Center. That is one incredible facility!!! I could have just moved in...it had a great fitness center, a fabulous rink, arts and crafts rooms, meeting space, and much more!

While there we met a number of survivors, and families of survivors. One woman shared her incredible story with us. She was so calm and peaceful as she explained to us that she had a near-death experience with cancer. As she went into detail describing the feeling of being lifted out of her body by a warm golden glow, and looking down on her dying body and grieving family. She said she felt so safe and warm and was put at such ease that she said to God "It's okay. I'm not scared anymore. You can take me if you want, but I'm ready to fight to live". That was five years ago and she looks fabulous today. Her story left us all speechless and moved to tears. How do you respond to something like that?! We just couldn't find the words...

Later that day we packed up to head off to Sydney. We planned to stop in Whycocomagh for lunch. Cap's boyfriend was heading back to Halifax from Sydney, as his band was playing in the ECMAS. We stopped at a little greasy spoon on the side of the highway and had our lunch. We made our way back to the bus only to find two women waiting for us. It turns out that they are the sister and mother of the man from the car wash in Port Hawkesbury. They saw our bus and really wanted to meet us. We had a great chat with them and they promised to come out and see us again when we come back to Cape Breton in August. Cam and I went out to take a few pictures before leaving and ended up meeting up with an elderly gentleman who approached us only to make a donation for the cause. He revealed that he had lost six people in his family to cancer. We couldn't believe that at one little unscheduled stop we could experience such support.

In Sydney we arrived at our hotel to find it packed full of ECMA go-ers. I have to say that arriving to find musicians and groupies was a welcome change from the hockey teams during our stay in Port Hawksbury! Unfortunately the hotel itself was a bit of a dud. The place wasn't particularly clean (the rooms weren't too bad, but everything else was awful). The front desk staff were not very helpful (very strange for Cape Breton!), and there were serious issues with the wireless internet connection. It was a bit frustrating, so hopefully we won't be staying there again when we return to Sydney.

Our brief visit to Cape Breton left us wanting more. We can't wait to return in August!!!

Cape Breton...coming soon!

I have some incredible stories about Cape Breton, but haven't had a chance to post them yet because our internet connection in Sydney was awful. Am in the valley now, but rushing off to Acadia for the day. That will feel weird, since I'm used to being there in the summer with dorky band kids running around. Looking forward to seeing it all again though!

Will write more later...

Photos...

GRR. I've tried about five times to add photos to that last post. I have no idea why they aren't attaching properly.

Port Hawksbury

Yesterday morning was spent under the grey skies at St.FX. After a particularly slow morning we grabbed a bite to eat downtown (Sunshine on Main = DELICIOUS), and then headed off to Port Hawksbury. As we approached the Canso Causeway the sun broke through the clouds and we were treated to blue skies for the first time since the tour began. Wendy, our fabulous bus driver, assured us that the sun is always shining in Cape Breton (the 13th province, according to her!). Can you guess where she hails from?

We spent the rest of the afternoon taking care of work things (uploading photos; responding to e-mails; writing out blog entries for each of our stops), then grabbed a bite to eat at a local pub. After picking up a few essentials at the grocery store we headed back for an early evening of rest at the hotel. I had developed a bit of an allergic reaction to something so I took a Benadryl and turned in early.

Now I'm off to make the most of this day. I think Cap and I are going to grab a bite to eat, then we'll head down to walk along the water. I feel so relaxed here, wandering the quiet streets, watching the clothes blow on lines, and breathing in the smell of wood stoves. I want to take it all in while I can!

First day out on the road!

So I said in my last post that I was going to try to stay up late and pull a marathon night to get everything on my to-do list accomplished. I can't remember the last time I did that, and clearly I wasn't factoring my 'old age' into the equation. I got a bit done around my place, then sat down at 10:00pm to watch Modern Family. I figured I deserved a half hour break and a good laugh. Next thing I knew I was waking up and it was after 11:00pm. I was so sleepy that I decided to just give up and go to bed. I guess my days of "all-nighters" are long gone. I set my alarm to "super early" (aka 6:00am) and settled in for the night. Because I was so anxious that I wouldn't get everything done in time I ended up waking up every hour or so. Finally at about 5:30am I decided to just get up and get on with my day. I ended up getting everything done and dusted, and was actually able to head out early to meet the bus. To be honest, I am surprised I'm still awake now!

At 10:15 I trotted out my door into the freezing rain and down Tobin St. with my two giant blue suitcases in tow; computer on my back, and purse on my side. I made my way through the puddles and the muck to our meeting place only to find I was the first to arrive. Thank goodness I had my long winter coat on because the weather was atrocious. Eventually my co-worker arrived, and shortly after we saw our ride looming in the distance. After a quick stop at the office to pick up a final package, and another stop to get our other co-worker, we were heading towards Pictou county.

We nursed our morning Tim's while chatting about this, that, and the other thing before deciding to break into my new travel Scrabble set. Luckily there is a table at the back of the bus, so playing games isn't too hard. We're trying to keep variety on our bus rides so that we don't get bored with the travel. So far, so good!

As soon as we arrived at the NSCC Pictou campus we headed inside to the washrooms before we set up the bus. Within that five minutes people were already anxious to see what was on board! We ended up having our busiest day yet! The students and staff were flocking to us in hoards! The Principal of the college was extremely supportive of our bus and had apparently sent an e-mail out about it, and personally went around to individual classes encouraging students to come visit. The people we spoke with ranged in age, and in experience with the issue. Some were survivors, others were relatives of survivors, and then there were many who really knew very little about the disease and early detection. We were particularly impressed with a very attentive group of men!

At the end of the afternoon we packed up the bus and headed off to our hotel. After a brief break to settle in and change out of our work clothes we met and headed out to dinner. The hotel staff recommended a local favorite. The food was good, and the place was filled with old pictures from the local industry, which I found interesting. We couldn't find out bus driver when we left the hotel so we decided to call a cab. After dinner we called the same company, and got the same driver! Welcome to small-town Nova Scotia! Once back at the hotel we had a bit of TV-time, then Cap and I hit the gym. We both really want to make an effort to stay active, since our job is somewhat sedentary, and we are no longer walking to work. The hotel also had a nice pool with a water slide and a hot tub. It was a great way to end the day.

Now I am showered and am settled into bed for the first of 165 nights on the road. The bed is deliciously comfortable, the sheets soft, and the pillows encapsulating! Time to put the computer away and get some rest because tomorrow will come soon enough. We're off to St.FX in the morning, and Port Hawksbury in the afternoon.

Looking for my second-wind!

Short update:

Departure time is T-minus twelve and a half hours. I'm apparently supposed to get some sleep during that time. That said, I still have to:

1. organize my suitcases (everything is set aside, and loosely packed in, but I need to make sure I've got everything, and tuck in my 'final' items
2. find and pack my 'carry-on' tote for the bus
3. clean out my refrigerator and take out the resulting garbage
4. take out the recycling
5. clean bathroom
6. sweep and steam floors
7. changes sheets on my bed
8. tidy up the rest of my apartment

Sure it sounds silly to worry about cleaning up when I'm not going to be around for so long, but there is nothing I hate more than coming home to a mess. After sleeping in hotel rooms for so long I am just going to want to relax in my clean apartment, and sleep in fresh sheets. It's the little things...

So, it's 10:00pm. My energy is at an all time low. When I was in university I was my most productive after 10:00pm. I am learning the hard way that I am no longer the vivacious, energy filled person I was five years ago.

And now to get back to the last minute to-do list....