I’m told this (Saturday, July 21) is day 10 of our odyssey. My husband tells me this and I choose to just believe him because, honestly, I’ve lost track of time. (This morning I realized I had screwed up my vitamins seriously, but I’m not going to worry about it. I had 14 days worth, it’ll even itself out in the end.)
We are camped at Klahanie RV Park in Squamish, BC. Randy is cleaning the dinner dishes and I am writing – we decided that we would alternate writing/internet days so we both get a chance to post (providing the wifi works!) Today is my day. Day 10. Saturday. I’m trying to stay focused.
This morning we left Port Hardy and after a brief interlude in Coombs (Goats on the Roof. Seriously, you have to check this place out!) we caught the ferry in Nanaimo, headed for Vancouver, BC. Something unexpected happened to me as we climbed back into our Westy to disembark the ferry…I felt a real wave of sadness. It felt like I was going home, but the West Coast is not home anymore. I felt anchorless, adrift, and longing. None of the friends we had hoped to connect with here were available. We both felt bummed, neither one of us saying anything, but it was obvious.
Then as were driving off the ferry, Randy suggests ‘maybe we should go to Squamish.’ And he didn’t have to ask me twice. I’d never driven the Sea to Sky highway before and that’s kind of become my thing, places I’ve never been before, things I’ve never done. What a beautiful drive! I mean, every inch of this highway is breathtaking – mountains, trees, water. The view from a Westfalia is like nothing I’ve ever experienced; you sit high and the windscreen is huge, so you almost feel like you’re just out there in the middle of whatever you see.
We found a great campsite, just the perfect balance of seclusion and amenities for us today. We claimed our spot and then went across the highway to hike up to Shannon Falls – crowded with tourists, but we were feeling pretty good by then and nothing was getting to us. Even SweetEsther being down a litre of oil, whatever. I cooked dinner, Randy cleaned, I wrote (writing) while Randy set (sets) up the campsite for a perfect picture…..we’re having fun, we’re staying in the moment, and looking forward to the rest of our adventure.
We have a plan, we have a loose schedule, I also know that when we have veered from the plan and made navigational changes or stops on the fly, that we have had a lot of fun. We’ve ended up in places we hadn’t previously considered and I’ve loved all of those moments. And in just a few more days, we will be back in Vanderhoof. We will pay the money, sign the papers, and we will have a home again. But for now, SweetEsther is home, and this moment is enough. I will try to remember the past fondly, I will look to the future, but I will be in the present moment and cherish each one!
(I have some pictures, but I haven’t been able to get them to upload. Might add them later if I get the chance.)
SweetEsther Chronicles 