A New Day and a New Province
I finally reached the Manitoba boarder! I had driven over 5000 kilometers and I still had at least another 1500 to go. My goal today was to reach Brandon, Manitoba, a four hour drive. With such a short drive, I hoped for a good detour opportunity.
Not long after crossing into Manitoba, I saw my chance. There was a sign for the Mennonite Cultural Village. I had no idea what it was, but it sounded interesting, so what the heck...Detour!
What I found was an incredible facility which included: a gift shop, meeting rooms, exhibit galleries, a restaurant serving traditional foods (Komst Borscht, Foarma Worscht, Vereniki), and an entire village to explore. It was early in the season so, although all the buildings were open, there were not many interpretive staff working yet. From looking at their website, it appears that during the summer months there are cart rides, the windmill turns, the blacksmith fires up the forge, there's baking in some of the houses, lots of exciting experiences for visitors. Their motto is "Travel Back in Time" and that's what I did, all the way back to the early 1900 hundreds, for a few hours at least. It was fascinating and a welcomed change from driving.
Reaching a Major Milestone
Now back to 2018 and my drive to Brandon. Up ahead, on my right hand side, there were huge signs, so I pulled into the parking lot. It was the "Centre of Canada Park." I was half-way across the country! It felt like a real achievement. I thought back to the first few days of my Happy Adventure, I was scared. I thought something devastating would happen. But here I was in the "Centre of Canada Park". I had dealt with each challenge along the way. I had overcome my fears. I certainly had more confidence than when I began. I knew I could cope with whatever lay ahead.
So many times we lose the joy of the present by worrying about the future. That has been true for me at times. This trip was one of personal growth and I don't regret a moment of it. I did a lot of reflection and made a conscious decision, early on, to live in the moment and not concern myself with what might happen. Being showered with all the generosity, hospitality, and kindness while traveling solo across Canada, reaffirmed my belief that there is more good in the world than bad. Reaching this milestone on my happy adventure, felt pretty darn good and became a symbol of a life milestone; to apply the lessons learned on this journey to my life. Enjoy today, be grateful for all the blessings received, and remember, I can handle whatever life brings my way.
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