Leaving again

Maman and Elle have just departed back to Fredericton, thus ending a whirlwind tour of B.C. While more indepth missives will be filed in the future, suffice it to say, the last five days have been as richly rewarding as they were frantic and chaotic. Ever evolving sleep schedules and overflowing agendas kept us on our toes from the wee hours of the morning until well past dark.
It was so great to see both sets of grandparents and the great grandparents. Too often family gets shunted aside in our busy lives and so trips like this one really offers a realization of how important family is and how much they are missed when you are far apart.
It was also reassuring to see that Elle can travel well. And a huge thanks to Maman who bravely made the 5,000-K trip alone with the baby. Surely that act alone must put a person in the running for an award of some kind.
We will definitely miss Starbucks cafés on every street corner. A morning pumpkin spice latte habit, however, could get very expensive.
The trip also served as a reminder on why we now embrace strict highway signage policies, strong local zoning laws and tough driver training programs. B.C. may be as close to perfection as possible but that isn't to say some improvements could be made.