A new outlook on the prairies

I'm writing this from a coffee shop in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. While my boyfriend runs errands around the city, I am enjoying an americano and chocolate cake, and getting caught up on emails and other junk.

I decided to take my last day of work to clean and run some errands to get ready for my trip. I ended up packing late into the night. Apparently I am the slowest and most scatterbrained packer on the planet. Part of the problem was my lack of space luggage. I bought a backpack at MEC for this trip, hoping to pack light and replace my ergonomically disabling duffle bag. Unfortunately, idealism isn't always practical and I am still very much a woman and very much Kat when it comes to packing. By that I mean I need to be prepared for every circumstance. Thus, even though I only brought two pairs of jeans, 2 hoodies and a few t-shirts, my new backpack was bursting at the seams and oh-so-heavy. I blame toiletries and the salesman at MEC who said I didn't need a very big bag and that a bigger bag only meant I'd pack more than I need. I beg to differ as my smaller bag only caused frustration and the need to use Jesse's more appropriately sized backpack for my extra necessities (sleeping bag and running shoes, to name a few). If I buy anything on this trip there will be no room to take it home!

Moving on...

We left on the first and drove through the night until we got to Regina on Saturday evening. "We" would refer to Jesse and his best friend, Mark, who was the one with the wheels. Conveniently, Mark is working at a camp near Regina and was able to drive us. While I don't sleep well in cars, and therefore got maybe four hours throughout the trip, I was very grateful for the ride. It was much cheaper than even the bus. Unfortunately, we went the shorter and more boring route through Ontario and missed the beauty of Lake Superior along the TransCanada Highway. We also were making good time which meant we couldn't stop at Thunder Bay Restaurant for breakfast. We did, however, stop in Upsala at a roadside diner for a reasonably priced greasy meal. I groggily woke up to Neil Young's "Harvest Moon" as we pulled into the parking lot. The meal was cheap, the waitress had no personality, the decor was expected and the coffee, well, horrendous.

Jesse has just returned from his errands so I'll end this roadtrip ramble. I will mention that we're staying in Outlook, Saskatchewan at his parents' place, hence the above photo. Outlook is a tiny town between Regina and Saskatoon, along the South Saskatchewan River. His parents have a beautiful home with an even more beautiful view of the river. I hope to buy a camera soon so I can snap some photos of the place and of course, the people with whom I am staying. This insignificant town happens to hold the world's largest footbridge. Who knew? So a camera will come in handy for that, too.

The last thing I want to say is that I was very bored in the car between Winnipeg and Regina. The prairie view from the TransCanada is not the prettiest. However, things started to look up as we approached Outlook, and look even better from the outskirts of town. The sky is massive and the sunsets last for hours. I could do without the mosquitos, but the falcons are fantastic.

That's all for now. Peace.