CLASS OF 77 REUNION

On Friday we hiked out from Skoki Lodge and drove to Vernon, B.C. for the University of Alberta Medical Class of 1977 reunion. It was held at the Sparkling Hills Spa and Resort in the Okanagan Valley.

Sparkling Hill is the only 5 star resort we will stay at during our Continental odyssey. It is luxurious and the location is spectacular -- each room has a wall of glass overlooking the Okanagan Valley and Lake or the BC mountains. There is a huge spa with 2 swimming pools, multiple hot tubs, saunas (including a "cryosauna" at minus 166 degrees Fahrenheit), and a Wellness Clinic to "restore the natural balance between body and mind with naturopathy, homeopathy, acupuncture, yoga, botanicals, and crystals." Clients wander the resort in white bathrobes morning to night looking like a sci-fi movie extras. It is a bit comical. When Tarjei came with me to check it out he wore his dark glasses hoping to remain unrecognizable.

It was really interesting to see our classmates. We had spent 4 years together as a fairly tight-knit group. We all went on to have some sort of medical career -- from family practice to specialty to research to administration. We have changed over the last 40 years. About half of us have retired, although many are still doing occasional locums for fun, or finances, or just because it's hard to change old habits. A few die-hard surgeons were keen to get back to the operating room Monday morning and "get cutting". Most of us are at that stage of life with grown children and grandchildren, but some of us have new young families. We all show signs of wear and tear -- more lines, less hair; more scars (physical and psychological), less raw muscle mass; more skepticism and less naive enthusiasm. However, on the whole we seemed to be relatively healthy and content with our careers and lives. We all had stories to tell -- our careers in medicine have been varied and not boring.

Every one of us had plans for the future, new interests and passions. We discussed: Cooking, reading, writing, scuba diving, skiing, hiking, traveling, learning new languages, carpentry, yoga. We still have lives ahead of us.

We meet again in 5 years, location to be determined.Read more