Cruisin' to Canada

We thought this day would never come...that I'm back at work! It feels wonderful as I write this from my hotel in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It's reassuring to know I really do have a job, and it really is to fly a really cool airplane. I love visiting the Great North, but more so in the spring than the dead of winter. This trip has been great so far.

It began yesterday with a 7:00 AM departure from Willy-Gateway Airport, where we had some maintenance done over the weekend. We headed east but needed to stop for some fuel in Salina, Kansas before being on our way to Montreal. Boss #2 even served us some in-flight goodies from his Sprouts stash. Because he is so awesome, I munched on grapes, string cheese, Pink Lady apples, sweet potato chips, and sesame seed crackers. You certainly don't get service like that on airliners! Granted, it was a little backwards in that he brought it up to us instead of me serving them. I won't complain.

Something happened for the first time ever...we were met by an actual PERSON employed by Canadian Customs. Usually, a simple phone call is made and an entry number is received before we go on our merry way. In Montreal, however, we had two Customs ladies waiting for us! We got to answer a lot of privacy-invading questions and even show our passports. It was fun. We do this every time we come back to the States, but I have never experienced it on the Canadian side. When she asked if we had more than $10,000 in Canadian money on board, my three passengers just burst out laughing. Luckily, she had a sense of humor, too.

We left Montreal this morning and landed in soggy Halifax in Nova Scotia. My job provides the opportunity to see parts of the world that probably would have been previously overlooked by me. I don't know that I would have put Halifax on my list of must-see places, but it's incredible! Not so much today...their twenty-third day of rain in a row. Other than sneaking out for a bite for dinner tonight, I've been relaxing in my hotel room with a good book. And HGTV. And I feel an early night coming on...I'm beat!

Headed back west tomorrow to one of my favorite stops in Ontario. I really do love Canada. And all of the neat language accents that come with such a northern visit.

Good night from the Atlantic Time Zone...four hours ahead of Phoenix at home. Wow!