Humour: A Journey into the North

I consulted the maps, found the optimal directions, checked for service stations, restaurants, hospitals and hotels along the way—just in case of an emergency. The car was serviced, the tires were pumped and the tank was full. Provisions—extra food, water and juice—were in the trunk, along with a medical kit, bug spray, sunscreen, a change of clothes, warm sweaters and rain gear. My credit cards were paid, and I carried extra cash. I reviewed my checklist; all seemed in order.

It was time. All was in place. I was ready to go.

I slowly backed out of the driveway, into the street. I shifted the car into drive. I was on my way: going up into the northern wild-lands of Canada. There was a sense of excitement. The long wait was over; I was reaching the end of the block and ready to turn onto the main street. What adventures awaited; what dangers lurked in the darkness of the forest. Would I encounter some wild beast? Images of the historic excursions of “les coureur des bois” flashed through my mind. As I drove, the barren and inert wastelands of bricks-and-mortar suburbia gradually faded into the lush green of farm land and then forest. I realized I was reaching into the northern wilds when, for nearly 3 kilometers, I travelled without one traffic light! Yet, I understood I had a long way to go. The addresses on the street were numbered only in the low-thousands. As I continued north the addresses ticked upwards like the hour-hand on a clock. 10,000, 11,000, 12,000…. There were fewer cars now on the road; insects where splashing off the window. I thought to myself that these were, no doubt, the wild-lands I sought. My mind wandered, pondering what awaited me. Then soon I realized the end point, the destination I so longed to reach, was near. The addresses were now in the fifteen thousands. 15,300, then 15,450, and then there it was: 15,675 Dufferin, the destination. It had been a long journey, longer than I thought. I knew, though, the journey home would be easier, as it always is. That was comforting indeed.