In the 51st State

Canada is definitely fake

I had not been to Canada in 25 years. I was too young to notice back then, but now I am old enough to realize this is definitely an elaborate prank. Canada looks just like Montana (no surprise there), but with monopoly money and every other word is misspelled. They post distances and speeds in kilometers. I bet they sell gas at the pump by the pint! Also, the variations in accents are wild—like, they didn’t even make sure all the actors could talk the same way. Nope, I am not falling for it.

But I guess I can enjoy it all the same. As one would expect, everyone has been inordinately nice and polite. Lovely place, lovely people. I am confident that will be the case throughout my travels. I love their Canadian spirit, too. My hotel is “proudly owned by Canadians,” the super store is “real Canadian,” and the flag is everywhere. There is something deeply comforting about people loving their community, even as an outsider.

On the downside, I had to fill out paperwork to buy bear mace! It was kept behind the counter at the gun store. I am probably in some sort of registry now.

I get new tires tomorrow. They are 50/50s (50% on road, 50% off road). Waiting for the shop to open also gave me a day off.

Tomorrow I hope to make it to Jasper National Park. I feel like that’s where the real adventure begins.