Grande Prairie to Edmonton

Ok, first off, Grande Prairie is neck-in-neck with Fredericton for biggest party. Perhaps that was just good timing on our part.

We got in to Grande Prairie and our couchsurfing host, Veronica, graciously picked us up at the bus station. It turned out she was having a birthday party at her place the next night, and told us we should stick around an extra night. How could we say no? And she still found time to give us a tour of Grande Prairie yesterday morning. She gave us the rundown on how the oil boom was affecting her part of Alberta. Similar story that we’d heard, expensive housing, and not enough of it, but relatively huge wages for what would normally be minimum wage jobs. So you don’t have to go as far as Fort McMurray.

Last night we got to meet a bunch of her friends while they were all getting ready to go out. They started off the evening with pedicures, and we interviewed people in between. I hate to admit how much we suck, but by the time they were heading out to the club, it was midnight, and Neil and I were just too tired to go along. I’m blaming it all on the traveling – it sucks the life out of me. And maybe the filming too, I get so focused on the interview. After a bunch in a row, it was getting late, and I just wanted to fall unconscious. So Veronica, sorry again that we bailed, but we’ll catch you next time!

And thanks again for the lift to the bus station this morning. Everyone was understandably hung-over, but we still got to the bus on time. And now we’re heading for Edmonton . . .