Priyanka is with the Student Support & Advising unit in a work learn position as an Enrolment Services Project Assistant. She supports ESPs on a variety of projects, and works closely with Cara Low on the newly created Financial Wellness Peer Program. Priyanka enjoys getting to know the team: “Everyone has such interesting and varied stories on where they’ve come from and how they got here – it’s very inspiring and reassuring. It’s made me more grateful about the contribution they all make towards the student life cycle.”
Where have you recently traveled to?
My family visited Canada’s west coast for the first time – we’ve lived in Dubai for the past 25 years so I wanted to show my family the majesty of the Rockies! We decided to take the Rocky Mountaineer Express from Vancouver-Kamloops-Banff, and drive back through Jasper! The Vancouver-Banff-Jasper road has been named as one of the most spectacular roads in the world to drive on, so we had to go!
In Dubai, the norm for us is fake grass, dull grey-blue skies, sparse date palm trees, endless scorching heat and hot sand, so this was absolute jaw-dropping paradise! We could not comprehend the sheer number and size of the trees and mountains around us.
Describe a few of your most memorable moments during your trips.
The most memorable moment was when we got hit with a snow storm on our way back from Jasper. I also had some family visiting from India, and for all 10 of us this was our first time driving in snow. We were nothing short of terrified since we were the only ones on the road for a very long time and had little cell phone reception.
Nonetheless, there was a certain amount of thrill there too because the sights were so awe-inspiring! We went from beautiful trees, glittering streams, and sunshine, to majestic mountains, heaps of snow, and a deafening silence.
The most memorable part of the day-long journey back was this bowl like bend on the Icefields Parkway that wrapped around a couple of humongous mountains, including the aptly named Big Bend Peak. It was so special because as you drove up and around, you could take a look over your shoulder and see the tiny road behind you in the distance.
The pictures don’t do it justice of course, because there’s no scale. It was definitely an experience that made us all a little more humble and grateful towards the world we live in.
What was the most interesting meal you had?
We had a hearty lunch at The Raven Bistro in Jasper; I got to try Venison for the first time! I’d already popped the Turkish venison flatbread into my mouth, appreciating the gaminess before my brother shared with me that I was eating deer. I’m generally not very adventurous with new meats, so I had a moment of conflict!
Some other delicious dishes we ordered were feta stuffed falafels, Moroccan chickpea and kale strudel, smoky Portuguese black bean stew, and steak Argentine. They all were perfectly balanced and had many elements on the plate, from sweet jammy textures to crispy salty bits.
Lastly, what’s some advice you would give to people wanting to visit the Rockies?
Like any scenic road trip, make sure you have a good camera, company you won’t get tired of but one that appreciates silence too, a wide variety of music and games you can play, fuel in the car, food in the belly, and lots of patience!