After four years of dreaming of it, I have finally moved from Toronto, Ontario to Banff, Alberta and I am IN LOVE. The two places are so starkly different and I am definitely adjusting from city life to living in a small alpine town, but I am so happy to finally live here! I wanted to share the top 5 reasons I moved:
Mountains
Oh my goodness, the mountains set my heart on fire. I seriously truly believe they’re like…speaking to me! The Rocky Mountains of Alberta are my soul place. A great way to get up into the mountains is the Banff Gondola, or a helicopter ride over the Rockies… or if you want to spend the night in the middle of a mountain range AND by a A GLACIER, then it’s all about the Glacier View Lodge and nearby Columbia Skywalk.
Lakes
They’re chilly but they are the most beautiful bodies of water on the planet! The minerals from the glacier melt and rock flower gives them their colour, with little particles scattering the sunlight, also adding to their colour. That’s the science answer - but honestly I think it’s just pure magic.
Food
Alberta has always been known for its beef, but over recent years the culinary scene has been popping. It isn’t just in the cities either; the Bow Valley in the Rockies has an absolutely banging food scene with some truly promising culinary excellence. Dinner with a view? Yes please.
Drinks Scene
I am a cocktail lover, to put it lightly, and the drinks scene in Alberta is fantastic. There are a multitude of distilleries and breweries out here and a whole load of cocktail bars and restaurants making really exciting sips. Again, drinks with a view… better than regular drinks.
Hiking
People ask me all the time how I eat and drink for a living and truly the answer is just exercise. Outdoor exercise is my favourite thing to do and Alberta has some of the best hiking trails in the world. I have so much love for Banff national park, Jasper national park, Kananaskis and even Yoho which is technically in BC but very close. The best part is that hikes are awesome year round. You can’t stop a babe with ice cleats!
Okay I haven’t even got round to mentioning the wildlife and how LOVELY literally everyone who lives here is, soooo I am going to need to make a part 2!