Riding along the river path. Yes, that’s parliament in the background!
A Canada Day blog post is coming soon, I swear! Why the long delay? Why, I’ve been having allergy attacks and was in bed the past two days. Well, about 36 hours. I *did* ride my bike last night to get dinner and cupcakes to help me feel better. Other than that, nothing has happened. I have, thus, missed ONE day of riding in Canada but I was legitimately too sick to climb the stairs without wheezing. Riding today, I still don’t feel 100% but I can breathe and it feels great to be back out and about. It’s a beautiful day in Ottawa and while Rogers has again screwed the pooch and we have no home internet, it was just the carrot to get me out of the house.
I’m going to Montreal tomorrow. Got my bus tickets and hoping I don’t die in a Greyhound crash or anything. However, what to say about the last week or so? Wow, a whirlwind!
Last week, I met with the Deputy Lobbying Commissioner and his chief analyst. Well, it was a really productive meeting and I learned a lot – including that the Deputy Commissioner now wants to visit us in Missouri because he LOVES the States and he thinks Indiana is “the coolest state” because of the Indy 500. He’s a real car and racing bike guy (the type with a motor, alas) but he acted as though I was cool because that’s my homestate. That’s the first time I’ve ever had that happen and had the person be genuine about it.
The weirdest part of this story is when I was waiting to meet him, the political analyst who was sitting in with us came out to meet me. She was so sweet and asked me about the book I was reading (to calm nerves). It put me at ease, we got to talking about how I’d been able to actually read for pleasure and ride since I got up to Canada since I was separated from my partner who was trapped back in the States. She asked me if I did any group rides and I told her I did. She then told me that she did on Thursdays and we ended up going to the same riding group that night! I ended up drinking with the whole lot of the group after the ride and agreeing to meet she and her cousin for a ride up to Pink Lake later that week.
So, I managed to schmooze with some bureaucrats and got immediately introduced to like 10 people in one day I wouldn’t have met otherwise. This place is so small (people compare it to D.C. a lot). The difference is that Canadians tend to stay out of huge political debates over dinner – even those working for the government – and since executive level positions are quite anti-political for a reason, these people are the LEAST apt to get involved. The way the bureaucracy works is different. Everyone is so very welcoming, though, and everything is way more laid back. I keep getting told I am overdressed. I would still feel not dressed enough for these interviews if we changed the locale to D.C. People here are happy to dress a bit down to commute for work – changing out their Louboutins for expensive carbon-soled SPD’s and a pair of work flats in-office. People just aren’t in the same hurry. Perhaps that’s because the heat isn’t nearly as bad here (although last week WAS brutal) and people are just less-label-conscious? Either way, I really like the feeling I get around here. It just seems… more sensible?
I felt really at home. I could get used to this!
Another small world thing happened yesterday. I had brought some coffee home to add to the coffee pool for Kate and Dan. A local roastery (Ottawa, like CoMo has a lot of them and they are usually CHOICE) had a bunch of Rwandan Bourbon home. If you’ve never had it, you really need to. It’s just the perfect coffee for an espresso roast. I’m not kidding. It’s buttery, carmelly, and just so nice to drink. Everyone says it is good. So, I had asked them if they wanted any when I first got here because I’m able to find it more and more and so, when I saw it, I picked it up. Grinding it for my morning espresso yesterday was the first thing that made me feel human again after being so sick the day before. It made me feel like I was back in Rwanda and I immediately yearned to be out on the terrace at Cafe Bourbon surrounded by a beautiful city view and gorgeous rain forest-esque weather.
After I got home from my food travels last night, Dan (the male host, not MY Dan) told me that it was the best coffee he’d ever had. I smiled, happy to convert him into the “club” and they confessed that this was some amazing coffee. I told them they had to go to Rwanda. And they, being the travelling type, are more interested. I’m glad to bring things to people in this way. Sharing is caring, I guess hahaha. There are days I really think back to that summer in Rwanda and think I was the luckiest person alive to get to go. I learned so much about myself, the world, and what I was capable of.
And, as I stare down my last 6 days here, I realize this experience has taught me a lot, too. It’s made me less fashion-obsessed (and for the better) because every outfit should be somewhat bike friendly. And while, much to Dan’s chigirin, I will probably never get rid of my 25+ pairs of shoes (still less shoes than my own father owns, I believe) because I almost never wear heels and they are all bike practical for the most part, I have determined that having comfortable commuter clothing makes more sense. If the bike is what makes me happiest and I have thrived this much sans-car, I’m just going to have to keep making this work.
The experience has also made me aware that I’m capable of taking care of myself without sacrificing my relationship with another person. When it works, it works. Dan and I haven’t had any fights. There haven’t been passive aggressive messages back and forth – things I have seen others go through in a few weeks of long-distance relationships. Hell, even I’ve dealt with that in a LDR before. But we don’t do that. We let one another do our own things. We have made plans to talk at least daily to keep in touch with how the other is feeling. There are times like the last couple of days where I was literally being sick all over my bedspread thanks to prednisone where I could not figure out how to prioritize shower over washing machine that I wished he was here just to help talk me down. But I did it. I even laughed at my quandary. I mean, who the hell has these problems but me? It’s been good for us. And I think if we can manage this, we can manage a lot more. That said, I will be happy to get back home to my boys again.
I’ve also come to terms with the fact that I really love it up here (minus awful telecom) and would love to move up here in the future if I could. I know I am happy to be car-free and care-free. I had always suspected this to be the case but when you just travel to a place on vacation, you never really know if you will love it or hate it. I mean, I always wanted to live in Britain since i was a little girl and once tasked with it, I wasn’t so sure. There were a lot of days I simply hated it there. Going back a second time, I realized it all depended on the city and having a community of people to hang out with.
Here, I learned to go out there, meet people, and I’m much better for my experiences abroad elsewhere. Most people are very friendly. Sometimes, you have to try a little in a way that makes you uncomfortable but that’s part of growing as a person. And if you aren’t growing, what are you doing?
Elle on Wheels 