Wow, we're back in Canada. It's hard to believe that we are now embarking on our Canadian stint of the Fantabulous Trip. We lived out February 15th twice, as we boarded the plane for the 7pm take-off on that day. Of course, it was Air Canada, so we were late leaving :) We arrived in Vancouver at 7am on Feburary 15th. Just like the movie Groundhog Day! We had a nice time in Vancouver and got to see our friends--Carly, Fadi and Lucia. We also got to drink good wine and eat some delicious cake. mmmm...cake. The next morning we were off to Ottawa and we arrived at about 4pm. We're still catching up on sleep, but I think we've done quite well to get back on Ottawa time. It's been odd to be back in a city where we know the transit system, know places to eat, and can recognize the street people (although that last thing is a bit disconcerting, to be honest). Seeing the street people in the same places we saw them before we left has made us both realize how much we have been able to see and do over the past 10 1/2 months, while so many people lives didn't change at all. It's hard to describe the feeling. Since our arrival and recovery, we have been out searching for apartments. It's exciting, as it's the first time the two of us have actually looked together for a place to live! Can you imagine? But, that makes it just a bit more stressful as well. Luckily, we are having no problem finding potential places. The hardest part will be deciding which one we take! The housing market has opened up a lot in Ottawa, which is good news. It also helps that we're more grown up now (supposedly) and are willing to pay a little bit more. We also have a better idea of where we'd like to live. All of that helps. Hopefully by the end of this week we'll have our lease signed. Other than apartment hunting, we've just been visiting and going to all of the restaurants that we sat and drooled over while we were eating beans in Lesotho :) There are still more on the list, but that's okay. Something tells me we'll get around to visiting each and every one of them. Tonight Joel is going to a hockey game. *gasp* that means that we have to be apart for more than 10 minutes! I can hardly remember the last time that happened. On Saturday we head to Halifax for a couple of weeks. We come back to Ottawa for a few days to drop off stuff we had stored in Halifax. Then we'll load up on souvenirs and head West. If anyone wants to get in touch with us, e-mail is probably your best bet since we're sleeping here, there and everywhere over the next month and a bit. Hope to hear from you soon! :) m&j