I met a wonderful, thoughtful and good-looking guy through the app, and he answered my opening question perfectly! His favourite shape of pasta is dinosaur pasta, MINE TOO! We call him Dinosaur Dad. So if he’s so great, that’s the end of the blog, right? Read on to find out! Our first date at a brewery was awkward in a charmingly cute and shy way. He nervously talked all night and barely asked me a question. Turned out he hadn’t been on many dates because of his parenting schedule and a busy work schedule, so I was a lucky girl to get some of his precious free time. We both love craft beer and hiking and the outdoors. Check check!
We went on a big date to a few local tourist attractions. Through my job, I have free access to a touristy gondola and a historic site. Here is a good time to tell you that I am petrified of civil engineering. I am so scared of bridges, tunnels and, above all else, gondolas. Now this gondola is over an area called Hells Gate along the Fraser River in BC. So not only am I going to be in a glass bubble suspended in the air by just a couple of cables, but if it detaches for whatever reason, we will be dropped straight into the most treacherous part of this massive river. So treacherous that even fish don’t survive without fish ladders (look those up, they’re cool). Needless to say, the hourlong drive out there was full of anxiety and psyching myself up. He put on country music to help put me at ease and packed some craft beers and snacks for the trip. So sweet! We did the gondola and I was so brave! We had a great time exploring and then headed to a spot along the river for a beer and some snacks, then to the historic site and a brewery. By this point I was really feeling tough. I suggested we do a hike nearby that would end up an abandoned trestle bridge. So cool! We finished our drinks and set out for the trailhead. We hiked until we got to a really technical part where it was super narrow and steep with just a rope to climb up. I had maxed out my brave and could not do it. I cannot properly express how patient and kind this man is. I was almost paralyzed with fear of falling off this ledge and he was so steady and supportive. He never once made me feel stupid or silly, even though I made myself feel that way. He got me off the ledge, literally, and then took me off-roading to a spot on the side of the river and just hugged me while I calmed down. Marriage material right?!
Like I mentioned, he loves the outdoors. Hiking, fishing, hunting, camping. All of it. So after a couple of months of dates, we decided to take a weekend camping trip. I got my first ever fishing license! He organized the site we were going to, the gear, the boat, the trailer. I organized the food and drinks. Perfect division of preparation. We set out and ended up in one of the most beautiful places I’ve been in BC. It was remote but still a campsite with pit toilets and water stations and a stunning lake that promised tons of fish. Ideal location for our first weekend away. We spent hours out on the water with rods in hand and I learned about worms, sinkers and fish behaviour. It was really relaxing to be out of cell service and talking. This is where we got in trouble. I asked him what an ideal weekend would look like; his response was to gesture around and say “this”. Mine is a weekend away, but I would like to go to cute town, or another city, or, once in a while, camping. His response was “Why would I leave the city to go to another city?” Oh no. I am an avid traveller and my life plans include seeing two new countries every year. Dinosaur Dad hikes, like HIKES. He goes on massive multiday hikes up the steepest mountains. Comparatively, I am a nature walker. He had every weekend for the summer planned out with fishing or hunting trips and was not really willing to compromise switching a weekend to Whistler or Seattle. This spurred conversations about the future and goals and we were misaligned. The weekend was still such a good time; we sun bathed, explored along the lake, fished of course (caught nothing), and sat around the fire laughing until the early hours.
Once Dinosaur Dad and I got home, we took a few days to really think about the past few months and what the future might look like and mutually decided to end things romantically. Typically, being friends after the fact is tough but with him, it has been easy. We are still friends! We go for easy hikes, check out new beers and breweries, and have helped each other through a few tough life events. I’m incredibly grateful to have met him and to have him in my life even if it isn’t romantically. This is not the end of the blog, yet.
For this particular story and our mutual love of dinosaurs, I would like to introduce two areas that are rich with dinosaur fossils. The first being in Canada in an area of Alberta called Drumheller. The place has hundreds of dinosaurs around town and a big dinosaur museum. They also have a brewery called Valley Brewing. Their Raspberry Ale was delicious with just enough tartness for me and it had cool dinosaur bones on the can so I couldn’t resist.
The other place is a small town in Utah called Moab. It’s best known for Arches and Canyonlands National Parks but they also have a ton of dinosaur fossils around the area. I had the chance to see some fossilized footprints which were incredibly cool. Moab Brewery serves up a great selection of beers inside their restaurant. I tried a flight of their most popular and my favourite was the Johnny’s Fruitah Fruited Pale Ale. So good I brought home a four pack. Highly recommend a stop in Moab if you’re driving through and stopping for a burger and beer at the brewery.