Ten years ago today I embarked on a Cross-Canada hitch-hiking trip just for the helluvit. I sometimes think that was the most extraordinary thing I ever did, at least in the sense of being both hardy and foolhardy, but on the other hand all it took was a thumb. Heh get it? A thumb on the other hand? Never mind.
I headed east- from Edmonton to Saskatoon the first day, to spend a few days with friends there. Then to Winnipeg to visit more friends, and from there across the huge Canadian Shield where I eventually made my way to Kingston, again to visit friends. Eventually I made it all the way to Cape Spear, Newfoundland, the Easternmost point in North America- it's really considered that even though Newfoundland is an island. That felt pretty good. Heading home I got as far as Ontario when I gave in to the November cold and bought a VIA Rail pass, using it to go up to Churchill to look for polar bears. I only saw one, from the train, but that was just as well since I did most of my polar bear hunting on foot. Remember what I said about foolhardy?



Well, I suffered no harm on that entire trip, though there were some interesting moments for sure- then and on subsequent hitches I did. I'm retired from hitch-hiking now, though. Marriage (surely the ACTUAL most extraordinary thing I ever did) will do that, but obviously hiking of the non-hitch variety is still an option. But I'm glad I did it- and proud. It takes guts to do something like that, and when you're a suburbanite with a mortgage it can be easy to forget that you ever had guts.
Well, thanks for indulging me in my self-aggrandizing reminiscences. I'm off to my sister's wedding to celebrate with her as she embarks on her extraordinary adventure.
I leave you with this- what is the most extraordinary thing you ever did?