If you're unfamiliar with the above line, it's from the legendary and amazing Neil Young's tune "Prairie Town". I never knew what town he was referring to when I first heard it, but now I'm getting a pretty good idea. It's about my new home - Winnipeg, Manitoba. I've been here just over a week, and it'll be a while before I'm totally settled into my new place, but I'm slowly starting to fall into the Prairie routine. The sky is wide. The wind blows a lot harder, but gets milder as spring gradually progresses into the most serene of seasons: summer. And the sun goes down a lot later, delaying the frustrating dim of twilight.
A short walk along the Assiniboine will get you to the Forks, where that river intersects with its mighty and intense brother, the Red. A place where people have been meeting for thousands of years. The Cree, the Ojibway, the Dakota, and eventully the Metis and European settlers. The amazing sense of history at that intersection is overwhelming. And now I'm here, hoping to carry on that tradition of bridging gaps and telling stories that (I hope) will reverberate across cultures.
I rented a cargo van and drove my stuff out at the end of April. It was a mind-blowing visual spectacle. The monstrous cliffs, broad scope of water, and monolithic islands comprising the north shore of Lake Superior had my eyes glued everywhere but the road. Not exactly a straight road either, so I'm sure we escaped death a number of times. Fortunately the lovely Martha accompanied me, relieving me driving duties at times of fatigue, and keeping me sane on those stretches of highway that were a little more on the "plain" side. The drive was basically from Toronto to Winnipeg: through Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, and Kenora. We dropped my stuff off in the 'Peg, had lunch, then drove right back. 4200 km in 4 days.
The reason I had to return to Ontario for a few days was to congratulate my good ol' Momz on finishing school and turning 50. Becoming a nurse is one milestone, but hitting the half-century is an even bigger one. Congrats, Mom! Love ya. I also wanted to say a few more farewells to friends and family before coming back for good.
So here I am, working a new job, making new friends, starting a new chapter of life. Work has been amazing so far. I'm really digging it, and looking forward to diving in even deeper as time goes on. I won't say too much more about it, but you can click here for more background.
Spring can be an intense time here, with floods and all the problems that come with them. It's been a little hectic for me too. But when I walk through my new neighbourhood under the dense shadow of leaves, or feel the mild breeze crossing the Osborne bridge, or stroll wide-eyed late on a luminant evening down Portage, I know I'm ready to
forge ahead.