Upon my arrival in Canada at the end of September, the weather was kind enough to stay sunny and warm while I enjoyed bike rides around Stanley Park, hikes in Vancouver's outskirts and bright after-work evenings.
But like any great song you've been waiting to hear, it was over before I knew it, leaving me with rainy, grey days after only two weeks.
In the meantime, I've lost count of how many Canadians have pointed out to me I should have come in summertime. While summer equals pleasant temperatures and far-reaching views, winter equals pouring rain and misty mountains - so I've been told.
That didn't soothe my eagerness to visit the Rockies though. So as soon as I had made peace with the cold that would accompany me on my journey, I booked a tour with Vancouver's West Trek agency and prepared myself for a long weekend in the mountains.
Armed with four layers of shirts, pants and socks, I left early Friday morning.
And while the bus ride to Golden - the first destination - took about 11 hours, the cheery songs, fun quizzes and relaxing naps made it seem like no time at all.
One of the first and absolute highlights of the weekend was a visit to Lake Louise. While the sun lit up the mountains behind the lake, steam hovered over the water.
There was no rain, no fog and no crowd of tourists - only a stunning view in the freezing midst of a winter wonderland.
And even as we took the gondola up to the top of the Rockies to soak up the best views of Banff National Park, the sun spoiled us with its gentle rays.
However, while marvelling at those snow-capped peaks, my toes and fingers had slowly frozen. I thought I was prepared for minus 25 degrees, since my home country of Belgium is famous for its bad weather; but this was a level of cold I had never experienced before, cutting right through my four layers.
Travelling through the Rockies in wintertime is synonymous with adventure. While pulling up a mountain, the bus slid off the icy road, leaving one of the wheels in the air.
Fortunately, nobody got hurt and the bus got pulled back onto the road. Perhaps it was that experience that made the s'mores at the nighttime campfire smell even better and the songs sound sweeter.
My weekend was completed with a visit to the hotsprings and a hike through Banff's Johnston Canyon, before heading back to rainy Vancouver.
It was like I had spent four days in a different world. One in which there was no room for my phone, email or Facebook, only for my quiet mind and the perfect beauty of Mother Nature.
My very first encounter with the Rockies can hardly be captured in a photograph or a word, but I made wonderful new friends to share the experience and memories with.
And even though my toes will probably remember the cold, I've never loved winter as much as I did during those four wonderful days spent in Canada's pride.
Anne-Fleur Kamst, from Belgium, is completing an internship with the News.
