Day twenty one was a travel day for us. We had to leave Fairmont by 11am to go to Banff. However, we couldn’t check in there until 2pm, and there were only about 85 miles to travel. So, there was time to kill.
Since we were traveling, I didn’t take a lot of pictures. I will say that the scenery was, once again, absolutely breathtaking. I remember when I told people I was taking 3 months off to go to Alaska, a pretty common reaction was to wonder what I’d do all that time. Most everyone assumed I was flying there, and they couldn’t imagine what I’d do with myself for that amount of time. When I told them I was driving, many felt that this was not something they would ever do–or even consider. Granted, I am someone who doesn’t mind driving. And I’ve always loved road trips. At the time, I just thought that there were a lot of people who preferred to get to where they were going, and flying is obviously the fastest way to do this.
Now, however, I feel sorry for those people. When I think about what I would have missed out on by flying past all I’ve done so far, it’s unfathomable. And I’m still very early into this trip–we don’t cross into Alaska until July 1st!! I had NO IDEA how amazing this trip would be, from literally day one. This is the best thing I have ever done in my life, hands down.
As I thought about how many people would miss what I’ve seen and experienced, it struck me that this is an apt metaphor for living life. A lot of people are too focused on an end point. Nothing matters but getting there–ambitious careers, lots of money, certain possessions, etc. They miss out on the day to day smaller joys and events that truly make up our lives. I have tried to remember to live in the moment and not to chase a far off endpoint. As Ralph Waldo Emerson so eloquently said, “It’s not the destination, it’s the jourey.” This trip has solidified this concept for me.
As we drove into the national park, there were a bunch of Dall sheep at the side of the road. I thought I got some pictures of them, but now I can’t find them. I’ll post them at some point if I run across them again.
While I didn’t take a lot of pics on this day, I more than made up for it on a bus trip the next day. Stay tuned!
Travel with Me! 