there's no place like... home...

usually plane rides equal turbulence fears and white knuckles... i am by no means a frequent flyer nor do i favour the journey... however, with bloated eyelids, i watched as each speck of toronto disappeared as i made my way to vancouver yesterday morning... once clouds took over the view, i realized i'd completely forgotten my fear of flying -- i'd replaced it with thoughts of a not-so-distant future filled with unknowns...

flipping through pages of well wishes quickly made the flight unfold seemingly in seconds before i finally had succumb to my tired eyes... even the new bond flick couldn't keep me from passing out for a much needed nap... i awoke to the stunning view of miles and miles of peaks and valleys... the world below me had such character -- small spots weren't cars or buildings, they were evergreens speckled across a sea of snow...

after dealing with a slight glitch in luggage, i found myself relaxing at gate c40 in the vancouver airport... next stop: whitehorse... it was all materializing so quickly... the next plane was tiny, fitting only 50 of us en route to the great white... as i dozed in and out of yet another chance at slumber, i awoke to the most amazing sight of nature i have ever witnessed... out of my tiny cabin window stretched a vast land of angles and depths... sharp cliffs were married with the smooth visual of a blanket of perfect white north snow... in the distance were glaciers and an artic land i'd never dreamt of... it truly appeared to be the tip of the world, with a horizon that stretched for miles upon miles with nothing but a perfect, soft, blank stare...

skyscrapers have been traded in for mountains... everywhere you go in the city is lit with the backdrop of a gorgeous commanding mountainside littered with tall evergreens and sprinkled with snow... as i stood outside of our bed and breakfast with a pile of luggage, the air around me was crisp and absolutely silent... a crooked sound echoed from the beak of a large raven perched on the telephone poll in front of me... the roads glistened with ice and snow...

i am grounded... and this is where i stand...