BANFF IN MY HEART

This is a photo of Cascade Mountain in Banff, Alberta, Canada.
At sunrise.

Banff is my favourite town. I have been to many places in Canada and this place has a special hold over me.
I settled in the area in the 1980's. I was merely driving through on my way from Vancouver to attend university in Ontario to study for my teaching degree.
I made it no further than Banff.

Having been there many times previously as a visitor, the place held a certain attraction.
It is difficult to explain, but it was like a magnet.
The earth there had a draw both physically and spiritually for me.
It was a place where I felt entirely at home - where I belonged.
And it still is...

I grew into the person I am while living and working in Banff.
In the years before, I felt that I had been waiting for... something.
I had been soul searching.
In the mountains I became reborn.

I met kindred spirits with a love for the great peaks and valleys and the adventures they offered.
While I worked there, I also skied, hiked, camped, rode horseback, lived, loved and gave birth to my oldest child.

Although I now live an hour's drive away - west through the mountains, in a valley no less beautiful - I cannot pass by Banff without being drawn in.
I might pause for lunch, take a walk or simply drive down Main Street on my way.

I cannot pass without saying Hello and Thank You.