Travel

The dog days of summer are the hottest days of the year. Named during Roman times, this spanned from July 24 to August 24. In summer the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, rises and sets with the sun. Sirius translates directly as burning or scorching and is known as the dog star as it is the binary star of the Constellation Canis Major. 

July has always been a month of thinking and planning for me. When I taught, I would be finishing the annual yearbook and grad video for the first week of holidays in July. The second week was needed to unwind and feel relaxed. By the third week I was in the holiday mode and I was thinking about trips.

June is the start of summer, or, at least it was. My grass was green on April 30 and all my trees leafed on May 1. The first three decades we lived here there was always snow and ice in the back corner of the yard until May long weekend.

When I coached youth soccer it rained the month of May. At least two practices of the eight-week season would be called on rain. Not just light rain but pouring rain that would damage the field. The practices were often cold and wet. 

Do you remember summer camp? This winter I discovered that resort living is like summer camp. Most people go to camp for a week or two, we went for eight weeks and stayed in a variety of three, four and five-star resorts in Puerto Vallarta.

Developing a sense of community is important when travelling. As a long-term guest, you can feel community develop within the resorts. One of the most interesting parts of this community is the securing of the daily pool lounger. 

Travel can be a powerful tool. It can expand the mind, satisfies the need for wonderlust and be an empowering experience for anyone, including women. My mother travelled by herself to Europe aboard the Queen Mary back in 1952 and again in 1955 with me at six months old. That was not the norm of the time.

If you’re travelling to Mexico this winter (and I hope you are) and you want to use your phone there, it couldn’t be easier. You can order a SIM card from a Mexican carrier online, but it is much easier to do once you get there. 

December and January are festive times to celebrate our commitment to the ones we love. When we join as a community to share our time and resources, we can make the holidays wonderful for everyone. 

During the holiday season, family and friends come together to share love and good cheer. For many that means distant travel. There are a lot of things that you can do to make travel easier on yourself. 

Anticipation is the feeling of excitement when you are planning a new travel adventure. It is that anticipation that raises your level of happiness and it can bring your spirits up for a couple of months before you even leave, according to studies. In Fernie at this time of year, the anticipation is for a great ski season. The dream of all those perfect days of blasting down the slopes with a smile from ear to ear. 

The RDEK Board of Directors has unanimously passed a resolution calling on the Provincial Health Officer to introduce stronger measures and provide additional clarity around travel between communities in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.