Making Do

May 28th, 2015

I remember in grade 9 leadership class, we had to come up with some quotes out scrapbook project, a project that had a bunch of pages about ourself.  Some of the pages had pictures of us doing leadership-like things, or having fun, or working on something, others had words, poems, quotes and the like.  I don't quite remember exactly what was on my quotes page, but I remember one that essentially said "do the best you can do with what you have and don't feel down about what you're missing".  I like to think I do that every day, I chose that quote at the time so I must have listened to that at some point.  

Living in Lake Louise, away from home, among strangers really, has forced me to do that.  But I feel I'm good in situations like that.  I can adapt, make the most of what I have and leave with those strangers becoming friends, this once strange place becoming home.  In short, having limitations works for me.  It forces creativity, adaptability and really puts you in possibly uncomfortable situations, in turn making you grow as a person with a new skill to brag about.

I've been doing that here.  I notice it a lot with food.  Food is harder to come by here, there's only one place nearby to buy groceries, and they tend to be expensive with not a whole lot of selection.  So, you have to go in a shuttle, or a friends car to Banff or Canmore and stock up on a load of groceries.  Then, you're limited in fridge space and you have to manage what food goes where, what foods that should be frozen can afford to be in the fridge, you have to use within a few days.

I've been cooking a lot of food.  Pretty simple food, but it's really good if I may say so myself.  I just put more time that others use to go drinking or smoke, and put that into making my own food.  Sometimes I share it too to be nice, plus it makes me happy to see others not eating crap that they normally would be.  There's a handful of people who just live off instant noodles and frozen pizzas and such.  It's pretty ridiculous to think about, such a different lifestyle than what I'm used to living, or seeing my friends do.

On the other hand, I've spent a lot of food on groceries.  Maybe the most per time spent here.  Although I haven't bought any alcohol or cigarettes, so I probably haven't spent as much as other people, it's still a lot to be spending money on food.  But it's what I'm used to.  Spending less on food is something I have to learn how to do, just because I know that I'll be relatively happier with the incremental money I would have saved.

I mentioned before how strangers become friends.  that turnaround is really quick here, at least for me.  With everyone living in such small proximity to each other and literally nothing much around to do outside, people are hanging outside a lot.  And it's so easy to just go outside, start talking to people, stay there and leave later than what you thought, with an entirely new group of people.  It's great.  It reminds me of my Cuba trip, there's something interesting going on everywhere.

Things are going well so far.  No discrepencies.

Aaron