Another weekend is coming to an end. Not my favourite time of the week, but it's inevitable. This weekend happens to be Father's Day, which is a bit disconcerting because in Australia they celebrate Father's Day in September so none of the usual reminders are out there at the moment. Nevertheless, I do know that in Canada, it's definitely Father's Day. These are the things you miss when you live overseas. Birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, anniversaries, holidays, and just the normal day to day stuff. When you go home to visit, it's always a visit or a vacation, never the same routine that would normally be happening if you had stayed or come back. But that's the choice you make when you decide on this lifestyle. Sometimes I feel sad, nostalgic, or like I'm missing out...but I don't feel regret about this decision. I should talk about my dad for a minute. Dads really are special. When I think of mine, I remember countless hours spent running around playing baseball, soccer, football and hockey. He was the dad who was out with the neighbourhood kids throwing a ball around and having a great time. Sometimes just him and I would go out and spend hours tossing a football around, or practising batting skills. I loved it. When I think back...no other dads in the neighbourhood were doing that, just mine. He had some wacky ideas, like tuna surprise or experimenting with getting us kids to go in and buy romaine lettuce at the grocery store on our own. I called into a radio show during "Ice Storm '98" to tell the host about how my parents had a new fireplace installed and my dad had us running in circles around the house to try and circulate the heat faster. We went on long bike rides, including one particularly great one in Ireland from Roundstone to Clifden as well as tons of local ones. The first time I ever went in the ocean was with him, in Ireland. I guess with my traveling back and forth between Adelaide and Clare I've been thinking a lot about his travels for work and the sacrifices he made. I think that when you have a family to provide for, it's important for your mental health to work at a job that you like or even better, love. For my dad, his ideal job opportunity was in Toronto. For many, many years he traveled back and forth between Toronto and Ottawa, coming home on the weekends. It must have been exhausting. It must have been difficult for him and my mum. I think only now do I realize how hard it must have been. I am pretty free to do whatever I want, with not a lot tying me down. Certainly not a family of three kids and all the responsibilities that go with it. But I still find it draining to live in two places at once. Anyway, I just want to recognize my dad and thank him for everything. Love you, Dad.

I am also fortunate to have an awesome father outlaw. I was absolutely terrified the first time I met Ross and Jeremy didn't help matters by immediately rushing off to the store in Athens to pick up some things for his parents and leaving me there alone! It's crazy to think that was about 9.5 years ago at this point. I have managed to become slightly less intimidated and get to know my father-in-law since then. I'm not sure who else regularly exchanges e-mails with their father-in-law or who gets detailed feedback from book recommendations...but I do. Visiting the farm is always a great time and I am typically greeted with the Ross special "sin and passion". I really am just a lucky person with these wonderful dads in my life :) So, Happy Canadian Father's Day!