The day I have been waiting for has finally arrived! When those two little people ran through the airport doors, their smiles alone took my breath away. Today was the first day of a three week journey with my niece and nephew–and what an adventure it was.

We woke up in Banff at 6:00 AM ready to start the trip.

During breakfast, we mapped out   our trip together, named the flags that hung from the ceiling, and just caught up with life. Afterward, we stopped at the hot springs. While we played in the water, Zal and Natasha told me about their summer and asked me about mine. It was remarkable how we hadn’t done anything substantial yet, but we were already having the time of our lives. We focus so much on goals and results sometimes that we miss out on the most valuable things of all–the small, precious moments we share with our loved ones.

Our first real stop was Lake Louise. The plan was canoeing, but when we got there, Zal was nervous. He knew the water would be cold, since it was a glacial lake. It took some cajoling, but when he saw everyone else having fun, his focus turned from fear to total excitement.

As it turned out, we all had a great time–especially Zal. In the end, he told me he was so grateful that he hadn’t allowed his fears to take away this experience we shared together. His comment stopped my thoughts cold, reminding me to never walk away from life experiences due to my fears.

We went to Moraine Lake next. The water there is so blue–you have to see it to believe it!

The kids were blown away, but when I tried to show them the rocks we could climb for a better view, they went silent with uncertainty.

I told them I would take them one step at a time and that it was okay to be scared. They grabbed my hands and were ready to face the adventure again.

The view from the top put the bottom to shame. It is so important to go the extra mile. It is amazing how much we miss out on by not taking that extra step. No matter where you want to end up, you can only take the journey one step at a time.

By the time we finished, we were so tired. We thought about turning in, but decided to make one more stop at the Ghost Town. At first, I was worried the kids would be bored, and actually suggested we drive right by. Natasha screamed, “If we don’t try, how will we know what we missed out on?” Well, needless to say, my only answer was the sound of brakes screeching. I truly recommend taking the time to go see the Ghost Town. Seeing this history come to life was a reminder that so much of who we are and what we’ve accomplished is connected to the past.

It was 10:30 at night when we finally rolled into my driveway in Kelowna, exhausted but happy. Looking back on the day, it’s so clear to me that children can teach us all we need to know in life. You just need to take the time to connect with your children, and you’d be surprised what you can learn. Spending this day with Natasha and Zal has taught me the following lessons. I can hardly wait for what tomorrow will bring.

Lessons from Natasha and Zal

1. While chasing your long term goals, do not lose sight of the day to day interactions with your loved ones. That is where life is truly lived.

2. Never let fear take away all that life has to offer.

3. No matter how big and scary the destination may seem, just focus on the next step. By taking it one step at a time, you’ll be enjoying the destination in no time.

4. All the answers you are looking for can be found in the past. That is why archeologists search the past–to find the answers to the future.

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