everystepannatakes

An Abrupt End to An Incredible Adventure

My time as a VAC guide in Europe has come to an abrupt end as Europe becomes the hotspot for COVID-19. I hope to write about my last few trips, Luxembourg, Barcelona and Tunisia, in the next few posts. In this post, I hope to bring clarity to this abrupt change. On Thursday, March 12th,Continue reading “An Abrupt End to An Incredible Adventure”

A Day in the Somme

This week I was primarily at Beaumont-Hamel and I’m going to share with you what a typical day looks like for a guide at BH. BH is about a 40-minute drive from where the guides live and most of the ride consists of country roads and farmland. Work starts at 8:45 so we leave betweenContinue reading “A Day in the Somme”

Anecdotes from Vimy

This week I worked at the Canadian Vimy Memorial and I hope to share with you what my days are like. The days move quickly at Vimy with rotations lasting between 30 minutes and 2 hours. We always have a guide stationed at the Canadian flag in the trenches sector and two in the visitorContinue reading “Anecdotes from Vimy”

A Weekend Tour in Belgium

This weekend I traveled to Brussels and Bruges with three of my fellow guides. To clarify my “weekends” are on Thursdays and Fridays because it’s a customer service-based job and most people come to the site on Saturdays and Sundays. At 6:40 on Thursday, my friends and I got on a train to Lille andContinue reading “A Weekend Tour in Belgium”

The First Week

It’s been one week since I started working as a guide at the two international memorial sites run by Veterans Affairs Canada; Newfoundland Memorial at Beaumont-Hamel and Canadian Memorial at Vimy Ridge. The Winter is a quiet time at these sites but still, visitors come from all over. I have had the pleasure of givingContinue reading “The First Week”

Training to be a Guide

I’m in Arras, France and I have finally completed my training to become a guide for Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) at their two international memorial sites, Canadian National Vimy Memorial and Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial. Training took nearly two weeks with half of focused on historical training and the other operations and site management. The firstContinue reading “Training to be a Guide”

Warmth and Family Abroad

I arrived in Manchester absolutely exhausted and disoriented looking around every corner for familiar faces. I had never gone through an automated border control system, but I passed through seamlessly much to my relief. As I passed through the exit, I was greeted my warm hugs and smiles from my great-aunt and uncle, J andContinue reading “Warmth and Family Abroad”

Taking the First Steps

All my bags are packed; I’m ready to go. Before starting my job, I will be visiting family in the UK. I took a train to Toronto where I caught the UP to the airport and my flight will levae from there cross the Atlantic and land in Manchester. I’m happy to know I willContinue reading “Taking the First Steps”