Lovely Outliers

Eight years ago, I took a road trip with my grandma in Alberta and British Columbia, to visit family and celebrate a wedding. Nearly a decade later, this continues to be the most beautiful road I have ever driven and I still think about this road and the astonishing beauty of Canada.

My grandma was pretty longsuffering, as I was constantly pulling over to take pictures. Something I had not considered when we started our drive was that radio reception in the mountians is dodgy at best. We spent many hours in the car, and I am constantly listening to music to keep me from the brink of madness. After a few hours of static, I purchased a double CD of 60s cover songs, and to this day, when I hear these songs, I am transported back to this trip.This is also a flashback to my early days discovering photography and experimenting with my first dSLR.

I definitely don’t remember all the details of these places, the names of the mountains, or the details of the receding glaciers, but I can remember what felt like to stand surrounded by the towering Rockys and drink in the astounding beauty. Here are some photos from that trip:How extraordinary is this place! Every lake a different hue of green or blue, the mountains and skies an ever-changing pale of grays, jagged peaks and fluffy puffs. This little stretch of road will always hold a special place in my heart.

BONUS: A selfie from deep in the archives! In the years before front-facing cameras built into smart phones, when you were travelling alone (or with a grandma who has limited vision), you would balance your unwieldy camera at arms length to try to capture a moment where the strain of not dropping said camera and pressing the shutter was not too obvious on your face. Just so effortlessly cool and casual. So much tourist chill.  

Recalling this trip and the stunning beauty of Canada has made me a touch homesick. I need to find myself a butter tart ASAP! (For more on butter tarts and other Canadian food trends, check out this NYTimes article!)