On this wonderfully sunny Sunday I am looking forward to my week ahead.  Many of you know that I’ve had a bit of a rough ride this past fall and I find myself a little careworn, bedraggled, bumped and bruised.  Despite this world-weary-ness I also find myself remarkably hopeful and energized for good things in the New Year.  To celebrate surviving this recent bump in the road, I have decided to do something that I’ve rarely done before – take a vacation that has nothing to do with work travel.  Starting this coming Tuesday evening, I am taking a train ride across Canada, with my end destination the stunning, rugged, soul-satisfying Long Beach Lodge, Tofino!  Since my last visit there in the spring, where I took the snap above, I have dreamt of going back and one such dream this past week prompted me to take the plunge and find my way back, by way of train, ferry and rugged highway. Cue the Gordon Lightfoot soundtrack 🙂

I have always wanted to travel across Canada by train, and Via’s “Canadian” tour is just the ticket. Rarely a passenger, I am reveling in the opportunity to sit back, relax, and watch Canada’s rugged expanse float past.  I imagine many books will be read, photos taken, and blog posts written.  But like the surfers above who seem to be running away from the camera but also eagerly towards the next perfect wave, I may just wind up staring out the window and dreaming of the future while letting the past fade away in the distance. Bygones!

One of the books I might just re-visit on this trip is my once upon a time yearly Christmas holiday read, Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. As I am writing this post I am reminded of the lead character’s poem as he set out on his long journey into the unknown. Please pardon my geek-i-ness as I quote it here to end this post. I think you will find it fitting:

“The Road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

And I must follow if I can,

Pursuing with weary feet,

Until it joins a larger way,

Where many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say.” – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings