Like many, we‘ve been hit with snow storm after snow storm up here, and its been a long, hard and cold winter. Snow drifts are almost a regular feature and never have I seen the snow piled so high in my yard. Maybe more on that in a later post. 

So how is this connected to joy? Well, sometimes you have to just find it! And this weekend, my sister and made that choice! Off we went in blizzard-like conditions to the Festival Du Voyageur, a local festival honouring Manitoba’s Francophone community. Festival is just that – a festival of food, music, history, outdoor play and amazing snow sculptures. In fact, Festival usually draws snow sculpture artists from all over the world. You can even try the local food including delicious pea soup, bannock, tourtiere (meat pie), and to-die-for maple sugar pie. You should also try the “caribou” – a port-like tasting alcoholic drink that will warm you up right away!

You also can learn more about the history of the fur trading routes including the role of Fort Gibralter, which I learned had a main purpose of being a provisioning fort for the voyageurs travelling through the region. I’ve got a curious mind, so I made it a point to ask each of the staff more questions about the fort and learned a lot about a generation of people way before my time. 

Whether you want to go with your girlfriends, or with your family, or just with you and your adult sister –Festival is for you! It’s a great way to spend an afternoon or evening, and even adults without kids can have a great time!

Bliss Reflection #11

I think my bliss moment at Festival came when out of the blue, one of staff invited my sister and I to go down a slide (with the kids). Years ago, I would have said “no thanks” – maybe too cool, maybe thought I was too old, or whatever. But this year, my answer was “yes!” And off we went.

At first I just kept thinking “don’t get stuck” but I quickly realized I had to let go of that thought and just enjoy the moment. So down I went, and I felt the “pure joy” just like I did when I was a kid going down slides in the park. For those brief seconds, I was reminded what being worry-free felt like. 

I think that’s something we forget as adults – how to allow ourselves to have those moments to be worry free or even free to just enjoy that moment without judgment or deep thought. Down that slide, for those few seconds, I was elated. And when I popped out the other end, I laughed so hard. And it made me wonder  – if I had said no, I would have missed out on this moment. And there in that moment, I promised myself not to say no to these kinds of moments anymore. 

My “inside-my-head” voice would have prevented me from going down the slide. How many times do we allow that voice to win and we miss out? I think we may do that too much. That brief slide for me, made me change the way I think. (And if you’re wondering, yes, when I go back to Festival, I am going back down that slide!)

Bliss Finds and Facts

• Festival Du Voyageur lasts about a week, about the third week of February every year (barring something like COVID-19). If you’ve never been, I highly suggest you give it a try. Everyone speaks French and English and you can play, eat, learn, and dance – all at the same time. And you’re NEVER too old to take part. Give it a try if you’ve never been or haven’t been in years. And “he-ho!”
• If you’re like me and you want to read more about the history of the area, culture etc., you can read more about the voyageurs here. At least this will get you started. And what I didn’t know is that the voyageurs didn’t just travel in Canada, but across North America.
• And in case you needed just a little more convincing about the importance of play in adulthood, check out the following site from Wanderlust for some new perspective and information.