New tech

I received my folding bluetooth keyboard today! It’s super compact and connecting was easy. It’s not as ergonomic as it could be but that’s what you sacrifice when you get something small. 

I’m liking the included iPhone stand, as well. Not sure I’ll use it but it’s nice to know I could just slip my phone and keyboard into my purse without having to carry my heavy iPad if I want to blog-on-the-go on my trip. Maybe while I’m enjoying that ice cream on Dufferin Terrace?? 

Keyboard when it’s open. The track pad is great to use, too. Saves reaching up to tap the screen. 

 

Keyboard when it’s folded up.

The iPhone stand works on portrait or landscape - although I’ll have to take off the pop out button thingy on the back of my phone so it fits better.

Tomorrow is beach day so I’ll post again then!

“Oh the places you’ll go…”

On Monday I journeyed to Gander for “errand day.” It was a quintessential May day for Newfoundland and I felt like it was a bit of a waste to spend it adulting but alas, I didn’t check the forecast and stuff needed to get done. When we got there, I wished we’d thought to take the truck and bring my dog Anna along with us so at least one of the beings in the household could enjoy some sun and fresh air. The sun was bright, the air just a touch crisp, and for outdoor attire, to quote Miss Rhode Island à la “Miss Congeniality,” “all you need is a light jacket.”

I admit I was dreaming about when I’ll be grabbing an ice cream at “Au 1884” to enjoy at Dufferin Terrace in Quebec City. I mean, just look at this view!

https://www.quebec-cite.com/en/what-to-do-quebec-city/dufferin-terrace

I hope you can forgive me for my mind wandering to delectable desserts in Old Quebec now that you’ve seen the photo. My hotel is super close to Dufferin Terrace and I plan to take full advantage of any sunny weather and spare time I have to enjoy that view.

Meanwhile, the clouds came out for the drive home but the rain held off, so it still felt like a lucky day. I’m from Calgary which averages 333 days of sun per year compared to Gander’s 273, so that’s a noticeable change. I’m somewhat light sensitive though so honestly, a cloudy day is often more tolerable. Plus, I’m willing to exchange some sunny days if I can keep the mild winters here ‘cause I do NOT miss -40C.

Here are a few shots from our outing:

On the road home before Gambo.

You can barely see me, but I’m there! And so are the buds on the deciduous trees, so Spring is clearly on its way (or shall we say “Summer” since “Spring” technically started back on March 19??).

It’s nice to be able to daydream about June and the places I’ll go, the things I’ll do, and the food I’ll taste in Canada’s own little slice of Europe. The Quebecois may recoil at the comparison to France but where else can I go to experience another language and such historic buildings without needing my passport? 

Random Trivia: did you know residents of Ontario used to be able to claim “staycation” expenditures on their taxes during the pandemic? They could travel anywhere in Ontario and a portion of it was tax deductible! Canada needs to implement that as a whole country, I think. We could spend our whole lives exploring The Great White North and never run out of places to go. 

I’ve had “visit all the provinces and territories” on my bucket list since I was a kid (grade 8 English class project: “write 100 things you want to do in your life!”). I have already technically crossed off all the provinces but I have barely spent any time in Quebec other than at the Montreal airport (and I don’t count airports) and that one time my friend Lisa and I rented a car in Ottawa, attended a wedding in small town Ontario, then decided we would cross the border at Gatineau so I could say I had been to Quebec. I was never very satisfied with that, though. We just basically did a u-turn and came back, didn’t even stop for lunch. I am more than ready to firmly cross Quebec off my list, once and for all! (With a return trip planned to Montreal with a couple of friends in the near future, since I’m skipping it this trip - a hard but necessary choice to make.)

The Lull

What on earth could a travel writer write when a travel writer isn’t travelling? Sounds a bit like the age-old question about the work ethic of a woodchuck in the forestry industry. Well, I’ve been busy preparing for my upcoming trip. 

It may be past midnight but this night owl is still hunting for deals. I decided I want a Bluetooth foldable keyboard with mouse/touchpad to aid in my travel writing. And prevent this bum shoulder from permanently hitching a ride on the hobo train. Quick google search told me the keyboards that Buyers Guide recommended. Which I nearly immediately disregarded when I saw three already in my Amazon cart. Past prey had landed there. Thanks yesterday-me for that! 

Here’s what I ended up with:

I’ll let you know what it’s like once it snails it’s way to the Rock.  

Here is the ridiculously long link, since I can’t figure out how to make the photo into a hyperlink:

https://www.amazon.ca/Foldable-Bluetooth-Keyboard-Touchpad-Rechargeable/dp/B07XMN6Z1T/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3RJ0COIV3QSMG&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.B9UoxDTlAii5AmFHURu3xKeZnaJjZ2gqs5R2D75vCJP57lN7WF0BvWWRZO8wgJWWO0vr5VSzKQNBiOEnzx1IliSnijaMfkA35SCWnrC62p3AEsjmElysKR0jL_cTQ1f20aWg8DMAWcqyeUXat1vVHaag3i-HkkgnzJNuhWKykdxelB2ImlIfDYwZ5E4EtpMGtpQ5pXcPy40KhS8KWhmG0GdsSs9pBa3GMv-qM51_jxbHbW7aOToeo8MqWc60E4iXvXU0DS0X1YDuN0CXQHG09d7Rx2bSSVX7kiz1gJIUmFc.XVtzcocT_jLCUSSOIKSHdE7gHlJ3uJNz8XZBNj-kFgw&dib_tag=se&keywords=Foldable%2BBluetooth%2BKeyboard%2Bwith%2BTouchpad%2B-%2BSamsers%2BPortable%2BWireless%2BKeyboard%2Bwith%2BStand%2BHolder%2C%2BRechargeable%2BFull%2BSize%2BUltra%2BSlim%2BPocket%2BFolding%2BKeyboard%2Bfor%2BAndroid%2BWindows%2BIOS%2BTablet%2B%26%2BLaptop-Gray&qid=1715744272&sprefix=foldable%2Bbluetooth%2Bkeyboard%2Bwith%2Btouchpad%2B-%2Bsamsers%2Bportable%2Bwireless%2Bkeyboard%2Bwith%2Bstand%2Bholder%2C%2Brechargeable%2Bfull%2Bsize%2Bultra%2Bslim%2Bpocket%2Bfolding%2Bkeyboard%2Bfor%2Bandroid%2Bwindows%2Bios%2Btablet%2B%26%2Blaptop-gray%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-5&th=1

Welcome aboard

Being a travel writer has always seemed like a fun idea to me but a realistic way of earning a living? Unlikely. So now, throwing caution to the wind, I’m embarking on travel writing for me, for fun, for adventure, and a little bit for you, the reader. Maybe this will go nowhere other than the Void, but then we’ll call it a “writing exercise” and the words won’t be wasted. 

My first experience travel writing was at 15 when I completed a “Special Project” course in high school on our road trip to California. My best friend and I even videotaped some of it and subjected our poor teacher to wobbly zoom-ins and nauseating action shots. Thank goodness that was before the era of selfies or who knows how much worse it would have been! But I wrote - a lot - for that trip and I enjoyed it. We were intentional about knowing what we were seeing and capturing the importance of it so we could show what we learned. I’m not sure it translated into anything interesting, but I still consider it one of the foundational things that I did that contributed to me becoming who I am today.

And now on to the matter at hand. I’ve always wanted to do a cross-Canada road trip but balked at the return trip. And one-way car rentals ding you astronomically. After spending over a year in small-town Newfoundland I decided to make it my permanent home and now I have the pleasure of jamming my car full of every last bit of my possessions left after The Purge, and heading out onto the open road to lose myself or find myself - we’ll see which. 

Stay tuned…