Heading West.

When I stepped off the plane in Calgary and walked the narrow path of the jet bridge, the first sight that met my eyes was the Starbucks sign.  I'll admit that I'm a bit of a coffee snob and in that moment I thought; if there is a heaven, this is what it might feel like to approach it.

On a normal day I'd stop for a jolt of dark roast, but my brain (still somewhat hazy from getting up way too early and suffering the lag from few sprits from the night before) was filled with the excitement and anticipation of seeing my dad and getting down to the business of scoping out what's new in the place where I grew up.

It's awesome how much Calgary and Airdrie have progressed in the time since my true love and I left to live in London.  Leaving the airport terminal, there seemed like there were enough cranes in the area to par Dubai and the familiar roads from the airport have subtle changes that suggest this place is always getting better.

Walking in the door of the house I grew up in will always be familiar.  The first thing I noticed was that Scooter wasn't there and for the rest of the day her memory would pop into my mind as I half expected her to come around a corner or let out a sharp bark by the back door.  The second thing I noticed was that my parents keep an extremely clean and tidy house; a trait that I'll admit I only half inherited.  I'm here to help my dad renovate two bathrooms and install a new back door.  It was really fun to unpack my luggage, abandon any notion of getting to work and set up my video equipment to produce my Two Minute Tech Trip's while I'm here.  The support and interest from my dad as I pursue my career in broadcasting really means the world to me.

We eventually got started on the renovations and I'm optimistic the labourious amount of work ahead of us will be shadowed by the memories we'll create as we share in the frustrations of solving problems and later revel in the satisfaction of finishing up.  And I know that might sound cliché, but that's okay with me.