Should We Stay or Should We Go - Our Travel Journal

Sometimes the best moments are the ones we never plan. We came up to the lake for a few quiet days enjoying the peace and slower pace that always seems to come at this time of the year. Last night I had settled into my pajamas, ready for nothing more adventurous than a Netflix video. Then my phone buzzed with a notification from my aurora borealis app: there was a chance the northern lights might be visible in our area. In an instant, my evening plans shifted. Pajamas off, clothes on, camera and tripod in hand. We grabbed a couple of chairs and headed down to the beach in hopeful anticipation. As soon as we arrived, we could see faint ribbons of movement across the sky. They weren’t dramatic, just gentle waves of light that hinted at something bigger. I set up my camera and began shooting, each image revealing an array colors our eyes couldn’t quite catch. Greens, pinks, even hints of purple danced across the screen. Every photo shot revealed the aurora borealis' colourful glory. I...

 Life often throws unexpected adventures our way, and this past week, we found ourselves on a quick, two-night trip to Montreal for our #3 son’s green card interview. It was a stressful few days prior (including our daughter-in-law having to courier their original marriage license from their home in Virginia a couple of days prior.) But what began as a brief and somewhat stressful mission turned into a memorable time away. We checked into the Nouvelle Hotel , which was conveniently located near the U.S. Consulate. The hotel was in the perfect spot for easy access to everything. It felt like we were right in the heart of downtown Montreal, surrounded by tons of great restaurants and lively city energy. After settling in, we decided to take a leisurely walk around the area and to grab some dinner. We were pretty tired from the long drive, so we were happy to grab something quick - Montreal smoked meat sandwhiches! The food was delicious, but it didn’t quite take away our nervous en...