Happy Sunday,I’ve lived in Calgary for 14 years. I’ve done Banff, Canmore, Kananaskis. Explored plenty of parks, rivers, trails. I thought I had a good grasp on what the area had to offer. This month reminded me I probably don’t. I visited Bearspaw Reservoir for the first time. A little lake just northwest of the city. I knew of Bearspaw, but not this spot. It felt like finding a secret mini Okanagan lake. Water tucked between rolling hills. Families in canoes, teenagers ripping on wave runners. Felt like summer. Later in July, we camped at Little Elbow, west of Bragg Creek. I’d been before, but never wandered far. This time, we hiked down to Forgetmenot Pond. Turquoise water, a curated walking path, and a full-blown scuba diving lesson happening in the middle of it. Didn’t see that coming. Both places are within a 1-hour drive from home. Neither was on my radar. And both left me feeling energized and enlivened. It made me think: What other magical experiences are waiting just outside my usual routine? Wonder doesn’t only exist far away. Sometimes all it takes is a 1/4 tank of gas and an explorer’s mindset. Magical experiences are closer than you think.
July in 3 snapshots 🛶 Canoeing on Canada Day — 30 minutes northwest of Calgary lies Bearspaw Reservoir, a portion of the Bow River dammed to mimic a lake. For $40, we rented a canoe for two hours and paddled across the reservoir, away from the crowd. Found a little cove, parked the boat, and sat in the sun. A calm, quiet kind of perfect. 🏕️ Return to Little Elbow — 55 minutes west of home is Little Elbow Campground. We’d stayed last summer, but this time we wandered farther. We followed the stream down to Forget-Me-Not Pond, and found picnics, barbecues, and people paddleboarding across the clear water. The clouds came and went, but the vibes stayed steady. 🏡 New neighbors, old friends — At the end of the month, we helped our friends D&D move into their new place – a block and a half up the street from ours. We hang out with them the most, and now they’re 150 steps away. Good friends, close by, building something that feels like community.
3 Lessons Learned I. With clear enough instructions, anything is possible. Most quit before they start because the path is vague. The pain of not knowing blocks the first step. Ten steps or a hundred, if you keep going, you’ll get there. II. Constant consumption drowns out the muse. Inspiration without action is entertainment. The more you scroll, the harder it gets to hear your inner voice. Creativity requires space. Stillness. Attention. The muse doesn’t shout, she whispers. III. The nonconformist’s path demands exploration. An alternate life isn’t a one-time choice. It’s a pattern of rethinking, rerouting, resisting the drift back to normal. If you want different, move in different directions.
3 fun videos to check out
I’ll leave you with a quote 🤔 “Never look back unless you are planning to go that way.” — Henry David Thoreau Until next time, Scotty
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