Saskatchewan Plates

I’m killing time in the boarding lounge in Calgary after the fastest consecutive security screens I’ve ever had. My good fortune with the TSA has given me two hours to jot down some of the post-holiday trip reflections. For the most part, it’s nothing I haven’t felt or likely posted somewhere in the archives of this blog, but I appreciate the therapeutic benefits of keying it out.

I remember when I left for Waterloo back in 2003. People asked me “When are you coming back?” Depending on the person, I would often soften the response but the answer in my head was “Never”. After seven years though, I’d be lying if I said I was as resolute as I was back then. Every single one of my trips home rattles my resolve just a little bit more. Others that left have plans to return home or already have in some cases. As Jer points out in our occasional video chats, we had (and still have) a very good thing going in Saskatoon.

The usual disclaimers apply: Returning permanently wouldn’t be the same as the concentrated hang outs that happen over my short trips and not everyone would be as willing or interested in my forced intermingling. But it’s certainly an intoxicating thought.

On the runway this morning as my flight was taxiing for take off, the pilot momentarily pressed on the throttle only to immediately pull back. In tandem, I could hear some airplane instrument chime from my first row seat in response to their action. As it did, my heart skipped a beat at the thought of a mechanical failure marooning me in Saskatoon for one more night. Alas, no encores of last night’s trip to O’Shea’s were in store (thanks to everyone that made it out!), but it does serve to illustrate my attachment.

I’ve given a fair amount of thought to the idea over the last few days, but unfortunately no conclusions were reached despite the suitable timing for a new set of resolutions. I know there’s a set of things I want (nay need!) in my life that I currently don’t have and it’s not hard to identify the things that would need to be sacrificed in order to avail myself of them, for lack of a less sterile word. It’s a tradeoff I’ve rarely made before and it’s got me to where I am today, but certainly at some cost. Now that I’m halfway through my twenties and a quarter century into life, I’m giving a lot more thought as to whether the on-going cost is too high.

I’ve been blessed with incredible fortune, family, and friends over the last year and decade, and I’m thoroughly excited about what these new ones will hold.

Happy New Year!