Sometimes you make a trip for beaches and wineries. Sometimes you make a trip because life reminds you that family and old friends matter.

Our six-day whirlwind tour back to Saskatchewan wasn’t exactly a vacation. It was a chance to celebrate two lives well lived, reconnect with family and friends, and revisit some places that helped shape us.

May 20 – Back to Regina

We landed in Regina, picked up a rental car, and, naturally, drove past our old house on Albert Street. We do miss that house – it is just in the wrong climate.

Then it was off to Mark and Jenna’s. After making us feel immediately at home, they handed us a glass of wine, which is really the proper way to welcome guests. We finally met Jenna face-to-face after lots of conversations over Zoom in the last year, and before long we were nibbling, sipping, and catching up for hours. A perfect first evening.

Mark and an example of his creativity! And Jenna – you are sitting in my spot!

May 21 – Remembering Barrie

After a bit of a sleep-in, we headed to Strasbourg for Neil’s cousin Barrie Dickie’s Celebration of Life.

We met up with the cousins and attended the graveside service at the Strasbourg Cemetery. It was wonderful to see so many neighbours, friends, and the remaining relatives gather to honour Barrie. There was plenty of visiting afterward, which was really what the day was all about.

Mother Nature apparently felt she should make the trip memorable. The drive back to Regina included an incredible mix of torrential rain, hail, and even snow. In May. Because Saskatchewan.

We stopped in Craven to see our friends Bev and Garth. It was great catching up.

After a quick supper at Mark and Jenna’s, we headed to the Cathedral Festival festivities and, naturally, ended up back in the kitchen for another evening of conversation.

May 22 – Old Neighbours and Old Memories

We stopped by to visit Jeannie, our next-door neighbour for twenty-nine years, and took a peek over the fence at our old place. Seeing the fence slowly surrender to gravity made us a little sad. Let’s just say maintenance standards have changed since we left.

Jeannie wasn’t home, so we took a walk around Wascana Lake for old times’ sake and stopped behind the Legislature to say hello to Darla at the Tennis Court Café.

That evening was all about celebrating Tim’s birthday at Crave Restaurant. The birthday dinner was a surprise, and the four of us walked over.

It was wonderful to see Tim, Martine, Dan, and Sandra. Even better, our favourite server Katie was still there. She had no shortage of stories about us over the years—including the time she apparently drove us home.

Perhaps some stories are best left untold.

May 23 – Family and Farewell

Up early and off to Saskatoon for my Aunt Marion’s Celebration of Life. She was my mother’s sister and the last of that generation in our family. Having Marion as my middle name has always made me feel especially connected to her.

We took the scenic route along Highway 20, stopping in Hatfield to see the PFRA pasture yard where I grew up before continuing on to Nokomis to visit Neil’s parents’ graves. After that, we did what we used to do as teenagers—cruise around town. Some things never change. We drove down Main Street and, naturally, past Neil’s old house. We also passed the United Church where we were married, although it isn’t even a church anymore. Past our school where we met in Grade 1. 

The only difference for this cruise around town we weren’t driving around drinking beer and munching on Hawkins Cheezies. Growing older has made us slightly more responsible. Well, somewhat.

Quite unexpectedly, we ran into Lois, who had been in Grade 1 with us. Yet another unplanned catch-up on a trip that seemed to be full of them.

Before heading to Aunt Marion’s celebration, we made a detour to Lawson Heights to see our first house. We built it when we were just 20 years old, starting with a foundation and a framed-in shell and finishing the rest with plenty of help from family and friends. We tackled almost everything ourselves—plumbing, electrical, drywall (although we wisely hired a mudder), landscaping, and just about everything else. It was a huge undertaking considering we were both working full-time jobs and farming on the side.

The house looked remarkably similar to how we remembered it. The back deck was still standing, although showing its age. The fir trees that we had dug out of roadside ditches and planted as tiny saplings are now towering over the yard. Seeing them brought back a lot of memories and was a reminder that some of the things you build in life last longer than you ever expect.

The celebration itself brought together cousins, children, grandchildren, my nephew and his family, my brother-in-law, distant cousins, and even my former hairstylist, who had been a dear friend of Aunt Marion’s.

Afterward everyone gathered at Patti’s for more reminiscing and visiting. At one point I had to take charge and organize a group photo. Otherwise there would be no photographic evidence that this gathering ever happened. Herding family members is apparently one of my hidden talents.

Eventually we made it back to the hotel, emotionally full and thoroughly exhausted.

May 24 – One More Day in Regina

Before heading back to Regina on Sunday, we met up with some dear friends, better known as the NOBS—short for Network Operations Ball Squad. This was our softball team, although we shared far more than just a love of the game. We were a pretty crazy bunch and had lots of fun times at “The Pat” after games.  We spent many weekends camping together, creating stories that are probably best not repeated here. Over the years, we’ve lost one member of the team, and others were off on their own adventures, but a few of us gathered for a leisurely brunch. There was plenty of reminiscing, and lots of laughter.  Like old teammates everywhere, we simply picked up where we had left off.

Sunday was a straight drive back to Regina, with a nostalgic detour past the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses office.

I don’t miss that place. Just some of the people. 🙂

Back at Mark and Jenna’s, where we joined a neighbourhood barbecue for Cathedral Festival volunteers. We basically crashed the party by tagging along, but several people remembered us and even remembered our old house. It felt strangely comforting to reconnect with a neighbourhood we once called home.

May 25 – Home Again

An early morning trip to the airport and we were headed back to British Columbia. It was a short trip and certainly not a leisurely one, but it was exactly what we needed.

Side note:  I’ve said this before, but I absolutely hate it when the seat belts are all crisscrossed across the seat when you board the plane. You’re juggling your phone and ID, hauling your carry-on bag, trying to squeeze into your seat, and inevitably have to put something down just to untangle the darn things. Meanwhile, there’s a line of passengers stacking up behind you, all eager to get past. Nothing like a little pressure to start a flight. Am I the only one who finds this incredibly annoying? 

Great view of South Saskatchewan river, Sask Landing and Cabri Regional. Great times over the years hanging on that river!

Two celebrations of life. Countless conversations. Lots of laughter. A few tears. Old friends. Family. Memories.

Sometimes the best journeys aren’t about where you go.

They’re about the people who are still there when you get back.