Water: A gathering place
![Exploring Banff with some good friends (Photo by Jamila Jones)](https://www.natureconservancy.ca/assets/images/blog/Exploring-Banff-good-friends-Jamila-Jones-thumb.jpg)
Exploring Banff with some good friends (Photo by Jamila Jones)
I have always lived down the street from bodies of water. From the ravine behind my house, where I used to splash around as a kid, to Lake Ontario, where I would meet up with friends for walks and go for bike rides with my dad along the pier. Most recently, bodies of water became a meeting place for me to reconnect with my best friend who had moved away. Last fall, I took a trip out west to Alberta, where my best friend and I caught up over a road-trip through Banff National Park. We stopped along the way at every look out point we could find and found ourselves hiking up extremely steep hills, (some so steep that it began to snow!) using the promise of the view as motivation to keep going. Traveling alongside rivers and lakes was a wonderful bonding experience and helped us to appreciate the beauty and value of our Canadian landscapes. When we finally made our way to Lake Louise it was difficult to leave, not just because the view was so spectacular and pristine but because it meant we had to say goodbye to each other. Bodies of water have always provided me with a sense of place, and being with a good friend makes any lake, whether it’s Lake Ontario or Lake Louise, feel just like home.
Finally made it to Lake Louise, AB (Photo by Jamila Jones)
Enjoying the views at Lake Louise, Alberta (Photo by Jamila Jones)