I recently read a social media post on someone with the goal of visiting 50 new outdoor places in 50 weeks. I love the idea of this, or something similar. I have always tried to create mini-bucket list items or yearly, short term goals. Before we moved to Prince George, I started a list of the things that I wanted to experience and do in our time here as well.
Making a mini bucket list
Moving from Vancouver Island, I was pretty nervous about my first winter in Prince George. Countless people responded to our big news on moving, with many comments regarding the winter. Being a mother of two young kids, I figured my best tactic was to embrace the winter in our new found city, and fulfill a mini bucket list of activities with my two favourite little humans.
Dusting off my snowshoes
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My daughter snowshoeing at Cottonwood Island Park
I was able to dust off my snowshoes for the first time since living in Vancouver, almost 10 years ago. There really isn’t much for snowshoeing…or snow during Island winters! With my youngest in a hiking backpack, and my daughter trudging ahead — it felt good to bundle up, trek through the deep snow, and experience some newfound scenery with not a soul in sight.
Lacing up my skates
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My daughter at the ice oval.
The majority of long-term Northern BC residents seem to know how to ice skate. There’s a plethora of outdoor local rinks, and some nice indoor ones as well. As for me, I am an extremely, non-graceful ice skater. With my $5 thrifted ice skates (which looked brand new!), I ventured to the Outdoor Ice Oval with my little ones one sunny afternoon. The stroller I was clutching kept me upright (and made it look like I knew what I was doing), while my daughter managed to skate laps around us. It was an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.
Taking my little ones sledding
Watching my kids cuddle up together on a sled and go flying down a hill with huge smiles on their faces warmed my heart on a cold winter day. I’m sure their shrieks and screams of excitement could be heard echoing throughout our neighbourhood. I regret not going sledding more this past winter and am now eyeing up places for next year’s sledding adventures.
Not as much snow as I expected
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Playing at a playground in winter.
I had envisioned my husband going out of town for work, and being hit with an unmanageable amount of snow while he was away. This never happened. Sure, I had to keep on top of the falling snow, but it wasn’t nearly what I expected. When we travelled back home for Christmas, we knew that several inches of snow had fallen over the weeks we were gone. We returned home, only to see that a kind neighbour had snowblowed our driveway. To this day, I haven’t figured out who, so thank you, whoever you are.
Looking forward to spring adventures
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Going for a spring walk.
As Aristotle once said, “To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold.” Even on the coldest winter days, I loved the bright sunshine, the options for indoor and outdoor activities, and ticking off a few experiences on my winter bucket list. I look forward to continuing to experience what the city has to offer as we enter into the spring season.
