While resting in Whitehorse I received a very special visit.
One of my childhood friends, Sheilagh Haney, rented a van and drove out to the Yukon to stay at her family’s cabin and to see us. It was thanks to Sheilagh’s mother, Sarah, that I attended University. She was the one who offered me a scholarship and changed my life. But this is a long story I shall tell another day…
“I will see you in Whitehorse,” she said to me over coffee in Toronto several weeks prior to my journey beginning.
Sheilagh is a woman of her word! Not only did she drive from Ontario to spend 6 days with us, she also brought a special surprise.
“No way, you came,” I yelled when I saw my friend Terry Indellicato sneak out from the bar where we had met Sheilagh.
I couldn’t believe it. Terry and I have been friends since high school where we used to play soccer together. After we graduated we lived together through most of University (we both studied journalism), hosted our own radio show for years, and partied way too much.
“I missed you baby,” Terry said with a smile on his face.
After I got over the shock, we celebrated Terry and Sheilagh’s arrival before driving out to her family’s cabin. About half an hour outside of the picturesque town of Carcross, the cabin sits in the middle of nowhere—literally.
Surrounded by tall green grass and giant spruce trees, the quaint wooden cabin has a red door, fireplace, and a stunning view. When you stand out on the deck, you can see two dramatic mountains on both sides of the structure and forest all around.
“Sheilagh, this is heaven,” I said before we toasted to our arrival.
Together with Terry, Sheilagh and Clara, we rested like kings and queens for two days at the cabin, eating way too much and laughing till our faces hurt!
The horses rested at a ranch just outside of Whitehorse owned by a friend of Sheilagh’s mother named Mary Walden. It was an amazing break for Clara and I not to have to wake up at 6:30 am to feed the kids.
I was sad having to say goodbye to Sheilagh and Terry, but I can’t even begin to explain how much power seeing these old friends gave me to continue.