Date: 21-23 August, 2014
Cities: Ottawa, ON, and Gatineue, QC Canada
Notes:
6:30PM arrival into YOW following delays out of ORD due to thunder storms. PDX to ORD flight highlighted by having the Portland Thorns on the flight, the 2013 NWSL Champions. Got chance to meet them when I landed in Chicago. Wait in Chicago frustrating, spent most time looking for power outlets to charge up. A total of 4 devices on this trip made it all the more interesting (1xMacbook, 1xiPhone, 1xiPad, 1xSamsung Tab, 1xNikon camera).
Lightning storms in Ottawa had the airport on standby, we landed and pretty much stopped immediately to wait for clearance. Final found a gate to disembark. Through customs in 30 seconds, but at the final checkpoint was diverted to immigration. This didn’t sound good. After 45mins of questioning by an immigration officer, I got the all clear to run a workshop in Canada without having a work visa. I had only done this four times in the past six months!
Quick meeting on arrival in Ottawa Downtown, final prep for workshop the next day. Finding a reliable wifi connection should not have been so difficult, but it was. Asked front desk for diner recommendations, “nothing really in Downtown” was the reply. Just to confirm, this is the nations capital. Decided to head straight to my hotel, which was across the Ottawa River in Quebec, in the City of Gatineue. Bring on the french!
Another late night finalizing a Powerpoint presentation, while watching the madness in Ferguson unfold live on TV.
An all day workshop on Friday completed, followed by site tour. Walked around and through a number of amazing old buildings, more than 100 years old. Wandered through parts of the Chaudiere Falls site that have not been publicly accessible for over 80 years. Nothing short of spectacular. Reaffirmed my love of adaptive reuse projects.
A much needed full night of sleep, something my wearable device (Jawbone) has been telling me for months I needed. I achieved 115% of my sleep target, but still felt tired.
Set out on YOW-ORD-PDX return home.
Next Stop: Los Angeles, CA
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