Reconnecting Through Simple Pleasures

Anyone who travels for work knows that it is pretty tough both physically and emotionally. Being away from routine, family and comforts of home make you long to return as soon as possible, no matter how long you're away. I'm no different. As much as I love seeing knew places and experiencing the different ways in which people live, There's no better feeling than returning to the place you call home. This past Wednesday, I returned home after my first of two trips to Edmonton this winter for work. I enjoyed my time away, being responsible for just myself, focusing solely on work, and even getting to meet up with an old friend I haven't seen for a decade. But I missed home, a lot. So since my return, I have made sure to make time for everything it is I love about my home.

Yesterday was a day of simple pleasures of home. I enjoyed a fresh smoothie and homemade latte for breakfast, while sitting at the kitchen table catching up on social media, and gently getting started for the day. I find my morning routine so comforting, right down to using my trusty electric toothbrush, which seems silly, but after a week with a manual toothbrush, my mouth never felt so clean! Then, as with every weekday, I walked with my daughter to school and we talked about her week so far, and everything she and her friends had been getting up to. At school, I reconnected with the other parents, got the lowdown on some PAC related things I had missed, and made plans for day time coffee with a close friend. I've come to really appreciate the connections I've made at my daughter's school, and truly value the community of parents, knowing I would be very sad if we ever moved to a different school zone or city. It's a highlight to the start of my day, and it's always a great way to get back into routine.

After returning home and tidying up some tasks left over from my trip, I set off for some personal errands. I am lucky enough to have returned home to sunshine, so as tired as I was, I took my bike for a ride throughout the city. I may take pretty much the same route whenever I head out on my bicycle, but that's for a very good reason. Travelling along the separated lanes on Great Northern Way and 1st Avenue on my way to the seawall is such a relaxed ride, with very little interaction with cars and virtually no stress. It also allows for some amazing and unobstructed views of the North Shore mountains, which had a heavy coating of snow yesterday morning. 

I did deviate from my normal path a bit, doing something I've been meaning to do since January. I have two pairs of boots I absolutely love and wear almost daily, so I've pretty much worn the soles right out. I headed into the Downtown East Side to visit East Van Shoe Repair, a fairly new business run by a lovely young woman named Rebecca, who is now giving my shoes some much needed TLC. I have a real soft spot for small businesses, especially those run by women, so I was happy to go out of my way to support someone doing what they love.

I then finished off my day doing the most important errand after being away for an extended period; a lunch date with my best friend and biggest supporter, my husband, Chris. Although we chat every night when I'm away, getting together gives us the opportunity to discuss all the events of our week apart, as well as plans for the future. Chris stays much more on top of the happenings in our city and abroad when it comes to infrastructure changes, so it's great to get caught up, get excited for the positives and understand the challenges still to come. Most of all, our lunches are a time when we get to just be us. Not parents, not part of the "Velo Family", simply Melissa and Chris, talking and catching up as we have done for nearly seventeen years. Nothing truly says "welcome home" like a coffee with my favourite person!