The Last Mile

Oh boy. Tomorrow we finally leave for our European adventure. Needless to say there's about a million and five things flying around my head and my five different lists are becoming so arduous to manage I think I need to create a list list.

For those of you who are strangers to some or all of us, this blog is an effort to detail the travels of Josh, Mitch and Andrew. We're three boys who currently hail from Calgary who's myriad paths somehow brought them together to become great friends and agree to this undertaking.

The road to "the day before" hasn't necessarily been smooth and despite the best efforts of Icelandic volcanoes, RBC Insurance and the first rainy day in Calgary in 6 months for Andrew to move during we are actually, unbelievably ready to go.

Perhaps as a final trial, I received some distressing news yesterday: my grandmother of 92 passed away after a long battle with dementia. It had been years since I saw my grandmother with a hint of recognition of who I was in her face so this passing is truly a release. And as she has embarked on her final journey, I am preparing to embark on what is hopefully the first of many.

I know I will think often of my grandmother over the coming weeks and months and reflect on the kind of amazing experiences she must of had over the last 92 years - as well as those experiences that she had the joy of knowing just unto herself. Living through the Depression, World War II, giving birth to seven amazing children and the joy of watching her family grow exponentially as those children begot their own; there is no question that Mary Partington lived a full, rich life that above all was filled with love.

I have been lucky enough to share some traveling experiences with my grandmother to PEI when I was young and we shared the common bond of living and loving the city of Montreal in some of our formative years. It is in that spirit of experiencing something amazing during what precious time we all have that I want to dedicate this trip to my grandmother's loving memory and the hope that she has arrived at a more peaceful place after an extraordinary life.