6AM – day of the wedding. The surf is pounding to the quiet beat of Lightning Dust. Wish I’d seen them live, but seeing as we are now in their home province maybe I could call them up, ask them to busk somewhere so I could sit on a bench nearby and listen. Hmmmm….
The morning was spent on the big tree trail. Tofino is in an inlet, filled with small, jewel like islands. It is also in the Clayquout Sound Biosphere, which is classified as a rain forest. You can feel it all around you – on your skin, which is so soft here, to wafting into your nostrils as the most intoxicating perfume ever. My urban lungs are powerless to resist such a powerful entity that I succumb entirely to it’s hypnotic power, and I float around in a blessed out cloud, at one with nature. Damn smog. It leaves me defenseless to the natural environment.
The big tree trail was accessible only by boat, a 10 minute ride through the mountains to a cove. The weather was fantastic – warm sun, clear day, not much wind. We arrived at the rocky access point to the forest. The Nordic hiking poles my Dad bought me proved invaluable, as they allowed me to navigate the hilly, moist, boardwalk, providing support and traction.
The forest was crisp and beautiful, with majestic old trees soaring overtop, a dark green tinted with golden sunlight against a sky blue. Truly beautiful. The air was thick with the smell of the bark and earth. The calls of birds provided backdrop to the chicanery and giggling that comes with hiking with your friends. Eliav found a Douglas fir to fall in love with. Tim caught our spirits with his camera, but ultimately catalogued our delight at the incredible environment of the forest. Trees so big we could crawl through to stand at the middle. Eliav, when trying to scrabble out of the tree, caught stuck in the trunk as his blackberry was hooked on a branch (?????). We have the pictures to prove it.
Although I kept my glance down, to watch my footing, I was filled with elation that I was actually capable of doing this. A year ago, in my hospital bed, I would have never thought I’d be able to go on vacation, let alone find myself hiking a West Coast trail!
T and A lent us the car for the afternoon, so we went to a local eatery, that I had found last time I was on, to feast on a hearty seafood chowder. I got Erick a surf t-shirt from an espresso shop and Erick inquired into surf lessons for Saturday. We headed to town and say on a patio by the main road, chatting with the E’s as they worked on schoolwork that couldn’t be ignored.
Most of the wedding guests arrived today and convened on the lodge deck for a BBQ, and meet and great. I finally met some of A’s friends who I’d heard so much about. Saw some old faces, which I realized I still didn’t know how to talk to.
My social anxiety crept in around dinnertime. I had to leave the party and go back to my room so I could cry like a baby and purge the mounting anxiety I’d been feeling socializing. With PTSD, the fear can creep in any time. So many of A’s friends told me they’d heard so much about me. This struck a chord, as I assumed they’d meant the accident. Not something I had wanted to be known for. My career goals, fuelled by my disappointment at my predicament fueled together to render me a sobbing wreck. This sorrow, it overtakes me till I barely recognize myself. Convinced I was a bad person because the accident had occurred, I blubbered to Erick that I clearly deserved what had happened to me. Erick, being the incredible person he is, built me back up, he allowed me to cry all over him, said exactly the right thing and got me to smile sooner rather than later. After a calming cigarette, we rejoined the party.
I chatted to many new and old people. The lodge served the most sinfully fantastic cookies at around nine PM, and thankfully, the rum in my drink was Sailor Jerry.
I finally met Kyla. We chatted about traveling, knitting, her Etsy store and growing up in BC. She asked me about the Shed Project, Bindu and the Diamond Cutters writing workshop. Neat chick.
Wedding tomorrow. But first, morning yoga class, which was put together by Caroline, who is my fantastic Thai masseuse, a talented yogi and even better friend. Then back to the lodge to primp and get dressed at Ariella’s cabin. Then the ceremony, followed by dinner at the lodge and the party afterwards. Such a busy, awesome day packed with love and light and socializing and imbibing and dancing and posing.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
VACAY DAY 1
Pitch black outside. The sound of the roaring, rolling surf filtering in my open window. The air smells so fresh, so clean. Like a drug.
By a limo to a big plane to a little plane we arrived in Tofino, BC by mid afternoon. I’m still in a daze. So much planning, nail biting, healing, praying and now, here we are.
ON VACATION.
The wedding is the day after tomorrow. We were the first guests to arrive. We figured taking an extra day to settle in was wise given the frenzy of arrivals that will monopolize tomorrow. A. and her mum are taking us to the big tree trail tomorrow morning on a nearby island, to walk along a boardwalk and take in the soaring cathedral like trees of the coast line.
The last time we went away, we went to Egypt to dive in the Red Sea. Absolute heaven and tranquil calm awaited us under the sea. Exploding colour and serenity with so much marine life, we would sometimes just float in the ebb and flow of the current. One of the best parts was the chance to adventure independently, at our own pace. The second half of our trip we journeyed up the Nile and were taken back in time to the time of the pharaohs. Spent our last week in Rome – eating, walking, shopping and more walking. 3 weeks of ancient wonder.
Tofino is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Small fishing town with stellar surf, nestled on a bay below the rain forest of Clayquot Sound. The craggy mountains and rocky shores, with big majestic redwoods and Douglas fir, moody gray and silver toned sky. There is so much natural beauty. It’s mind blowing.
E’s never been to Vancouver Island. Only half a day spent here, and already he’s in love with the rain forest and ocean. I doubt it would take much convincing for him to consider moving our life out here.
My back has been acting up all day, due, I think, to the cramped sitting on both flights. Lounged in T-botz’s hot tub, took an easy stroll along the beach, sipped some honey mead. Resting in bed while E joined the families for dinner in town. I’m too sore to go along. I am worried that this will be a common theme this week. Unfortunately I don’t have the crazy endurance that I did the last time I was here.
I love the sound of the ocean beating against the shore. So lulling, so captivating. I love falling asleep to the sounds and hissing of the ocean. I’m thinking of renting a wetsuit and bobbing about in the shallows while Erick has his surfing lessons. Hydrotherapy and negative ions = optimal health.
By a limo to a big plane to a little plane we arrived in Tofino, BC by mid afternoon. I’m still in a daze. So much planning, nail biting, healing, praying and now, here we are.
ON VACATION.
The wedding is the day after tomorrow. We were the first guests to arrive. We figured taking an extra day to settle in was wise given the frenzy of arrivals that will monopolize tomorrow. A. and her mum are taking us to the big tree trail tomorrow morning on a nearby island, to walk along a boardwalk and take in the soaring cathedral like trees of the coast line.
The last time we went away, we went to Egypt to dive in the Red Sea. Absolute heaven and tranquil calm awaited us under the sea. Exploding colour and serenity with so much marine life, we would sometimes just float in the ebb and flow of the current. One of the best parts was the chance to adventure independently, at our own pace. The second half of our trip we journeyed up the Nile and were taken back in time to the time of the pharaohs. Spent our last week in Rome – eating, walking, shopping and more walking. 3 weeks of ancient wonder.
Tofino is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Small fishing town with stellar surf, nestled on a bay below the rain forest of Clayquot Sound. The craggy mountains and rocky shores, with big majestic redwoods and Douglas fir, moody gray and silver toned sky. There is so much natural beauty. It’s mind blowing.
E’s never been to Vancouver Island. Only half a day spent here, and already he’s in love with the rain forest and ocean. I doubt it would take much convincing for him to consider moving our life out here.
My back has been acting up all day, due, I think, to the cramped sitting on both flights. Lounged in T-botz’s hot tub, took an easy stroll along the beach, sipped some honey mead. Resting in bed while E joined the families for dinner in town. I’m too sore to go along. I am worried that this will be a common theme this week. Unfortunately I don’t have the crazy endurance that I did the last time I was here.
I love the sound of the ocean beating against the shore. So lulling, so captivating. I love falling asleep to the sounds and hissing of the ocean. I’m thinking of renting a wetsuit and bobbing about in the shallows while Erick has his surfing lessons. Hydrotherapy and negative ions = optimal health.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
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