Why a cowboy boot?

When I was a little girl my parents moved us out to Calgary, Alberta. There we experienced the best of the West: ranches of massive bulls, majestic mountains, arid lost lands of the dinosaur, beautiful native cultures and, of course, cowboys with their weathered boots and worn denim. It was, for a young girl, an adventure and a world of discoveries. I learnt to speak English and met fantastic people who, all on their own, had many stories to tell.

Once back in the East (Ontario), I was a teenage girl, impressionable, unsure, awkward but happy to be back among family and excited to see the Charlebois' back from the West! I had a "twang" in my English and a horrible accent when I spoke French but I quickly shed my apprehensions, mixed in well with my francophone surroundings, and realized that living in the West for nine years had made me a little different and perhaps interesting to some.

After high school and college, I decided that it was time to go back to my French roots and discover the side of me that was dormant – I moved to Montreal, Quebec. There the influence of the West really sets me apart and the cowboy boot quickly became my favorite conversation starter. Alberta may be far from me now and it almost seems like it belongs to another life, but I will always keep it close to my heart.

Here's to the West and it's many treasures!