Wandering Footsteps: Wandering the World One Step at a Time » A travel journal following a family on their overland trip around the world.

A Canadian Full House

The atmosphere couldn’t have been any different from the wilds of Africa. Instead of a tiny camper van for two parked along a solitary stretch of bush, I was in Canada, without Bruno, in a huge modern house filled to the brim with people.

“You should come visit me in Canada,” I would say to friends around the world. “You are always welcome in my family home”.  The invitation was a standing one, but no one ever seemed to take it.

Until this summer.

From the moment I stepped off the plane near my little New Brunswick hometown until the moment I stepped back on the plane over five weeks later, my parents’ house was filled with out-of-town company. It was a summer like no other.

Our first guests were my childhood pen-pal and her hubby, Nanette and Karl (yep, the Karl who helped me re-vamp this website, thanks again!). As Florida residents, it’s not often they’re in our neck of the woods, but a cousin’s wedding brought them nearby enough for them to pop in for a few nights.

Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate (does it ever in New Brunswick?), so, besides a first evening walk on the beach, a lot of our time was spent playing board games and visiting the local Saturday markets. We did manage a visit to see the tidal boar on the muddy Peticodiac River in Moncton, where we watched a surfer try to catch the mini wave (surfers have been coming here from California the past 2 summers to surf the twice-daily tide).  We also drove up Magnetic Hill in reverse without having to hit the gas.  That one left stumped Karl for a good long while.

Walking on the beach with Nanette and Karl

Walking on the beach with Nanette and Karl

Bananagram time!

Bananagram time!

Waiting for the tidal boar on the Peticodiac River.

Waiting for the tidal boar on the Peticodiac River.

Our second guests, my best skating buddy from Victoria and her hubby, Gwen and Aaron, arrived on Gwen’s 30th birthday.  Nanette and Karl were still there, which was neat because Nanette and Gwen knew of one another but had never met.  We threw a big birthday party, even celebrating Nanette and myself as well, since we’d both turned 30 earlier this year.

The lot of us visited Hopewell Rocks to witness the eroding effects of the largest tides in the world. The road trip was a great way for everyone to catch a bit of our lovely Maritime scenery.

Celebrating Gwen

Celebrating Gwen’s 30th birthday with a little bubbly!

Visiting the Hopewell Rocks at low tide.

Visiting the Hopewell Rocks at low tide.

Guess who

Guess who’s profile is in the rock behind us?

With Nanette and Karl gone, we proceeded to induct Aaron into the Honorary Maritimers’ club. Gwen, who had spent a week with us out here when we were kids, was already an Honorary Maritimer, but was eager to prove her lot again.  Both devoured lobster, swam the channel not far from our home, and slurped quahogs!  The result was our first Honorary Maritimers Couple – congrats guys!

On Gwen and Aaron’s final evening, we lit two Chinese lanterns and set them into the skies to mark 18 years of friendship and the beginning of a new decade. Nanette was in our thoughts, and has likely set her own Chinese lantern out into the Gulf of Mexico by now.

Giant lobster feast!

Giant lobster feast!

Gwen and Aaron swimming the channel.

Gwen and Aaron swimming the channel.

Launching our Chinese lantern, and our wishes for the next decade, into the sky!

Launching our Chinese lantern, and our wishes for the next decade, into the sky!

It was sad to see our wonderful friends go, but we didn’t have much time to dwell on the empty house, because my school friends from Ottawa, Julia and Ashley, came for their first visit to the Maritimes.  They were treated to an afternoon family reunion at Walton’s Beach, near the bridge to Prince Edward Island, a visit to the Shediac Market, a climb on the giant Shediac Lobster (which I hadn’t done since I was a kid!), and a bit of time on the beach.

The girls even bravely rented a car for a road trip to PEI, Lunenberg, Halifax, and the Hopewell Rocks, so I’m pretty confident they got a proper first impression of our little section of Eastern Canada!

Posing with Julia and Ashley in front of the Confederation Bridge to PEI.

Posing with Julia and Ashley in front of the Confederation Bridge to PEI.

With Ashley in front of Shediac

With Ashley in front of Shediac’s giant lobster.

Chowing down on mini-donuts at the Shediac Market.

Chowing down on mini-donuts at the Shediac Market.

I loved hosting all of these friends because, not only did it give me an opportunity to spend time with people I rarely get to see these days, but it allowed me to be a tourist in my own country. The Maritimes sure are pretty!

The day I drove Julia and Ashley to the airport, I picked up my Aunt Louise from New York for a visit. Since I wasn’t popping through New York this summer for the first time in ages, she decided to come up for a visit.  It was especially a chance for her to meet her adorable new great niece, Zoëlle.  It was a visit full of family reunions and big meals – a brunch at my cousin’s place, a lobster feast at ours, and a final dinner at my aunt and uncle’s.  It was an awesome heavy dose of family!

My mom

My mom’s entire side of the family (only my brother is missing).

Heading to the beach with Louise, my cousin Christine, and the doggies.

Heading to the beach with Louise, my cousin Christine, and the doggies.

Sampling a delicious Italian red wine.

Sampling a delicious Italian red wine.

Our final out-of-town guest was the one I’d most anticipated – my brother. Nathan has been living in Quito, Ecuador, with his girlfriend and adopted family, for three years now.  I got to visit him there two years back, and mom and dad did last year, but it had been three full years since the four of us had been together.  I was longing to reconnect with my brother and to have some much-needed quality family time.

Nathan’s trip home was everything I could have hoped for. We filled our time with visits with family, parties with family friends, games on the beach, and evening meals, conversations, and games.  There were dinners out, kayak rides, late-night popcorn feasts and jam-sessions, Frisbee games and beach walks.

A family walk on the beach.

A family walk on the beach.

Goofing around with the new generation of youngsters.

Goofing around with the new generation of youngsters.

A lovely dinner with Grampa and Leonie at the Tate House in Shediac.

A lovely dinner with Grampa and Leonie at the Tate House in Shediac.

Uncles, aunts, and cousins come to play!

Uncles, aunts, and cousins come to play!

And on the final day, a kayak with my bro.  Finally!

And on the final day, a kayak with my bro. Finally!

And when Nathan flew back to Quito, it was time for me to go, too. Because this summer, there had been no such thing as an empty home.  And I wasn’t about to start that now.

Off to France, then, to reconnect with Bruno, and experience his family and neck of the woods!

  • Pierre Boudreau - Very interesting footsteps….wanderingfoootsteps.com is certainly enjoyable.ReplyCancel

  • Linda & Nevin - Hey Britt!! Love your new blog!! As I’ve said many times, you do have a future in journalism!!! I guess I need to send u a pic of Nev & I….. We seem to be the only family members missing from your pictures….. I am so happy you got to see your cousins and their little ones. As you have seen they are very special!! Enjoyed our short visit; wish we had been able to see more of both you & Nathan. Hope you & Bruno enjoyed your homecoming!! Luv, Linda xoReplyCancel

    • Brittany - So happy we got to see you this summer! Please don’t read into the face there isn’t a photo of the two of you – guess we were too busy snapping shots of the kids!

      Back in Kenya now after five awesome and busy weeks in France. You will hear all about it on my blog, and likely from my parents when they return to Canada in a week or so. Much love and see you next summer!ReplyCancel

  • Christine - awesome review of you month in N.B. Miss you already. Say hi to Bruno.ReplyCancel

    • Brittany - It was tough to pack so much into a single blog entry! It was such a wonderful time and you were definitely a highlight (as always)! Much love from Kenya!ReplyCancel

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