Erin Karpluk: My perfect Saturday

Erin Karpluk has won fans for her inspired portrayal of time-travelling heroine Erica Strange on the comic drama Being Erica. The show’s unique premise—lucky Erica gets to time-travel and correct her past mistakes in love and life—not to mention its spunky leading lady has made it a hit with audiences here and in the US. It’s even prompted talk of a remake south of the border.

As warm and funny off-screen as she is on-screen, the Alberta born Karpluk took a moment to share her perfect Saturday with Chatelaine.com.

On my perfect Saturday I’m not going to be time travelling, but [instead] teleporting.

I’d start by sleeping in. Saturday for me, especially when I’m working, is the day I give myself to sleep in. [On] I don’t have to worry about getting up or worrying about appointments or whatever. It’s a luxury not to have to set the alarm clock.

I’ve lived in Vancouver for ten years and I really like my condo there, so I would be there in the morning. I’d curl up in my window which faces downtown. You can hear the seagulls, and in the spring the fresh air is coming through and there’s [the] cherry blossoms. It’s a nice way to wake up, with the sun sort of peeking through the blinds at you.

I’d make a pot of coffee.

Then I’d go to my girlfriend Pam’s [place]. She has this infrared yoga studio and she does this really good yoga there. It’s something I’ve really enjoyed doing with her the last couple of years because it’s just such a great way to start the day. You get a huge sweat on. I like to exercise in the morning because it wakes me up. It’s right in Kits Beach so then you have the luxury of being by the ocean and getting all that fresh air. I’d hope that it’d be springtime in Vancouver, on my perfect day.

We’re going to do a lot of eating on my perfect day, so after yoga I would teleport to Los Angeles and meet my girlfriends from Being Erica at the King’s Café. The big thing in L.A. is the Cobb salad, so I’d have that. It’s a pretty hefty meal so when I do have it I like to have it midday. And I’m big on coffee so I would have an Americano misto coffee too.

Then I’d love to be in Toronto. I bought a really cool bike from Kensington Market. I call her Beatrice because she looks like an old Cadillac. It’s old school. It’s not funky and hip. It’s teal and has a brown wicker basket and brown seat. It’s my best purchase in Toronto; I love it. I don’t have a car there so it’s a nice way to get around.

My favourite thing to do in Toronto—hands down—is to go across the ferry to Centre Island. There’s a place called the Rectory Café. They have the nicest patio and I think when I’m there I’d want to meet with friends and have a white wine spritzer. Then we’d zip around the trails along the water. I’m always so surprised being in Toronto that the lake, at certain points in the summer, looks like Caribbean waters. It’s so beautiful.

From there, I’d love to go straight to a Blue Jays game. I don’t follow sports adamantly, but I enjoy the experience of it. I get caught up with the people and I like having a hot dog. I’ve brought my script down with me a couple of Sundays to watch the game and do a little bit of work at the same time. But I always have to keep one eye on the ball because there have been a couple of foul balls.

For the evening I would definitely want to zip back to my hometown in Jasper, Alberta—it’s in Jasper National Park. I grew up there and my mom has a bed and breakfast there. It’s the most beautiful place. I would want my family there, my parents and my brother. I’d have a nice dinner with them, very relaxed. One of my favourite things to do in Jasper in the summer—my mum has a really nice landscaped backyard that she puts a lot of work into—is barbecue. We’d have steaks and baked potatoes and asparagus and salad and a Caesar or glass of wine and just reconnect with each other in the mountains.

My brother is a fishing guide so we [would] do a family fishing trip—Oh, that’s what I’d want to do before we eat dinner—I’d want to go fishing on Maligne Lake. It’s the largest glacial-fed lake in North America. It’s four degrees though so you don’t want to go swimming! When you go, you pass by Spirit Island, which is one of the most photographed places in the world. It’s a very spiritual place. You can see glaciers and waterfalls. There are no people around and no motorized boats after a certain point; it’s just so still and quiet and spacious and open.

I love fishing. It’s very relaxing being out on the water and you can hear the wildlife. It’s nice to have that stillness and quiet and when you get a fish it’s amazing. It’s like spending the day in a postcard.

After dinner, I’d want to teleport my family and myself to Maui. We’d sit on the lanai and have a game of Honolulu rummy, which we play a lot. As I get older, I really enjoy spending time with my family.