Ro Wells Travel

Winter this year was a little different to last year. Last year I was focused on travelling across Canada. This year I stayed in Banff the whole winter. It was a great decision as I got to snowboard every week, I met so many amazing people and have made some lifelong friends. The last month and a half in Banff went by in a blink of an eye (this seems to be a theme of my time in Canada). I went snowboarding as much as possible, saw my friends for dinners and drinks and cheese nights. We all got together on Easter Day and I made a banging roast for everyone, complete with apple crumble for dessert – a little bit of home. I also celebrated St Patrick’s Day whilst working at the Irish Bar and it was such a great vibe. Thoroughly enjoyed that shift. Overall, I had a blast for my last month in Banff.

I also made a couple of big changes. Firstly, I sold my van, Betty. I love that van but I felt that the ‘van life’ part of my travels in Canada had come to an end (and honestly it was a bit of a money pit). I sold it to an Australian couple who I know will get great use out of her and will go on some fantastic adventures. Secondly, I cut my hair short. Like super short. The shortest I have EVER had it. And I love it. I was nervous as hell going in to the salon but the stylist was fantastic and did an incredible job. It was such a freeing experience. I’d thought about doing it multiple times over the last few years but had always been too scared. But I remembered a conversation I’d had with a friend years prior – it’s only hair. It would grow back if I hated it. Luckily I am obsessed with the short hair and regret absolutely nothing. Would highly recommend any take the plunge on any big changes, it’s such a liberating feeling.

As amazing as winter in Banff was, it was also quite intense and I was in need of a couple of weeks off prior to starting my new job (wait for it!). My friends Alice and Ellie were also in Banff this winter and were also in need of some time off. As we are all big country music fans, we decided to head to Nashville, TN for four days. It was EXACTLY what we all needed. Four days of good food, live music, dancing, laughs and a few beverages of the alcoholic variety. Did someone say moonshine? We found ourselves a great Air B&B right off Broadway, complete with balcony and pool. It was 28⁰C every day which made a lovely change from the snow and sub 10⁰C we’d been in in Banff. I’m not usually a hot weather person but even I was grateful for some sun and warmth. We had the best time, we made friends with our Uber drivers and got some great local recommendations – including a bar that serves doughnuts with shots, absolute genius.

After four days in Nashville, it was back to Alberta. My friend Lynn and I are both working at Sunwapta Falls, AB this summer so we decided to do a mini road trip on the way. We started off with a night’s camping near Abraham Lake, AB. It was a backcountry camping place so we were able to camp right on the river. We followed it up with two days in Radium Hot Springs, B.C. where we found a great local distillery and spent our time paddleboarding and playing Exploding Kittens (for anyone who doesn’t know this game, no kittens were harmed in the process). On our way from Radium Hot Springs to Sunwapta Falls (via Banff for some ‘see you laters’) we were lucky enough to spot four black bears at various points! The drive along the Icefields Parkway to Sunwapta is unbelievable. We passed two glaciers, the icefields and so many stunning mountains. Oh, and the bears – did I mention the bears?

Sunwapta Falls is amazing. It’s roughly 50km south of Jasper, AB. I cannot describe how beautiful this place is. It’s super remote – there is no cell service and spotty Wi-Fi at best – and I love it. It is so nice to switch off from technology and just enjoy where I am. I don’t know how often I’m going to get the opportunity to live in the mountains in a national park and wake up to mountains, waterfalls and wildlife so I really want to make the most of being here. We do staff hiking trips and so far I’ve signed up to as many as I can. I’m not a big hiker – I’ve probably said that previously – but the scenery here is too breath-taking to let a little thing like my fitness level stop me from seeing it and so far the hikes have been pretty chill – no mountain summits yet. There are so many waterfalls here and we’re right by a glacier as well. I will never get bored of these views and am very much looking forward to exploring the area in the next few months.