Calgary couple gives Falkers a day to remember
Chat at hotel bar leads to mountain adventure for American Falkers
Paul Marcello and Mikayla Burmeister flew from the southern US to Calgary for Falkbuilt Immersion a day early. They wanted to get used to the time change, the altitude, and the weather. They also got a crash course in Canadian hospitality.
That evening at the hotel bar, Paul and Mikayla struck up a conversation with Jeff Lawrence, who was there with his fiancé checking out the band. “We hit it off and we asked what we should we do on our free day the next day,” says Paul, of the Falkbuilt Fort Lauderdale Branch by CBI.
Jeff suggested they head west to Banff and the Rocky Mountains. But Paul and Mikayla didn’t have a car. “At this point I'd probably only met him for maybe two minutes,” says Jeff. “I said, ‘Well, I'm skiing tomorrow. Why don't I come and pick you up here at 6:30 in the morning. I'll drive you to Banff, then I'll go skiing and I'll come and pick you up and bring you back.”
Paul and Mikayla were a little wary but then they met Jeff’s fiancé, Genny. “She takes it a step further,” says Paul. “She said: ‘We'll pick you up in the morning. We'll take you and then we'll give you our car. You guys drive to Banff, spend eight hours, come back, pick us up, and then we'll go to Canmore and we'll have dinner with some friends.’”
They figured if the skiers didn’t show in the morning, they’d maybe rent a car or head downtown for an urban adventure. “We weren't really sure, but they followed through. We got good vibes from them so we just trusted our instincts and took advantage of the opportunity,” says Mikayla, of the Falkbuilt Charlotte Branch by CBI.
The Calgary couple pulled into the hotel at 6:30 am on the dot. On the 90-minute drive up to Lake Louise, Genny briefed the Americans on things to do on their day in the mountains: visit the Chateau Lake Louise, ride the gondola in Banff, soak in the hot springs, eat lunch at the Rimrock and walk around the Banff Springs. And that’s exactly what they did.
“I'm going to tell everybody in Miami that not only will a Canadian give you the shirt off their back, they'll give you the car keys out of their pocket in order for you to have good time,” says Paul.
For his part, Jeff says this was the first time he’s tossed the keys to his BMW to a complete stranger. “I used to travel a lot for business all over the world and I always thought it'd be cool if some stranger would take us on a tour so when we had the opportunity, we took it,” says Jeff. “Genny and I both believe in giving it away and it'll come back in spades.”
By the end of the day, Paul and Mikayla were calling Jeff and Genny “Mom” and “Dad”. It looks like the family will reunite this summer, as Jeff and Genny have invited Paul and Mikayla to their wedding.
In the meantime, Mikayla has discovered her favorite Falkskin; the beautiful blue of Lake Louise. And, Mogens and Nicki enjoyed a dinner with Jeff and Genny.
