Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Camping in the Urban Jungle

Our only dishes are some paper plates, and plastic cups and cutlery, as the moving company is not delivering our stuff until tomorrow. Thankfully I had a few plastic containers that served as make-shift bowls for breakfast this morning.

When we arrived in Edmonton yesterday our first stop was to the big box area to buy a guest room bed, with the hopes of same day delivery so we could sleep on it until our bed arrived! Apparently we missed the same day delivery cut off by about 30 minutes. No bed for us last night. Subsequently we found what may in fact be the largest Walmart in western Canada, and there we got a Coleman airbed and pump. Surprisingly it was a pretty decent sleep!

In the last 24 hours we have stumbled onto some great finds in our neighbourhood. We found a pet store that sells our kind of dog food, a fantastic bakery with amazing croissants, and an Italian restaurant that served the best penne arribiatta we’ve had in years. The city of Edmonton is definitely making the transition smoother.

What makes a place home? According to Eddie, home is where you sh#t the most. Its a complex concept. I feel at home here with Eddie and the dogs. Part of me yearns for our home in Saskatoon, but the physical space while still there, is no longer home. Our things are not there, our employment is not there. Is it where ever you make it? Can you have a home for a time? I think Edmonton will feel like home while we are here, mostly because we will work hard to have our house be a sanctuary, a place we can rest and rejuvenate. However part of me will always think of my parent’s house as home, and part of me will always consider Saskatoon as home.

I want to make a better effort to live in the now, to not always be looking ahead to the future. Maximize the living for each day. The balance between being content and striving to achieve has always alluded me, but I am going to try in earnest to find it.

1 comment:

Elaine said...

I agree, our concept of home broadens and yet stays the same. Home is where I grew up and where dad lives. Home is where I currently live with my husband and where we raised our darling daughters. I've also come to understand my home here on earth and the home I wll have in the future. "Home" is enormously important!