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Vancouver island bliss
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Nanaimo, bC: August 24, 2016
Due to a desire for breakfast outside of Tofino, I met a few attractive travelers at a coffee shop in Ucluelet. After expressing interest in meeting up at the Wikkaninnish Beach, I drove three more new friends to the destination and we spent a gratifying day together, plus a few more that followed.
break cordial habits. engage enthusiastically or not.
Salt Spring Island: September 1, 2016
Reminiscing about a beautifully-simple day, I sit on the beach with a hot chai next to the park where Yesterday’s events took place.
My new friend Dave and i found solace at the top of this small hill in downtown Ganges - where the Saturday markets take place. The glorious weather invited a throng of us to spend the day discreetly drinking libations, jamming, ectera. When locals Tally & Safiya arrived, they brought with them two pairs of foam swords - enhancing the scenery with some Live Action Role Playing. This became the one and only occasion I’ve been offered the chance to Larp - dueling someone with a non-lethal weapon (excluding air-soft pellet guns).
During this relaxing afternoon on the grassy knoll, I befriended a dreaded, staff-twirling Quebecois named Brandon - who introduced me to a new drink: red wine mixed with lemon San Pelligrino. Then Neil came by: a 33 year-old native son of a tribal chief from the northern-most reaches of British Columbia. Just from meeting him the other day, his uniquely confident personality made it difficult to carry a conversation that wasn’t focused on him. Nonetheless, I enjoyed observing people speak their mind and engage in random activities. Dave - a classically-trained musician - provided great tunes and covers throughout the day.
officially over a week on this island off the Vancouver coast - I’m grateful to have experienced this beautiful landscape with an open-minded group of new friends: from sharing a delicious sweet potato hash I prepared on the dock of BLack Bern lake to a unique cacao ceremony at aloha farms in a confined bell tent.
Even though I still feel secluded from the public at-large, I felt included by my temporary Salt Spring friends as our summer journeys overlapped for a brief, but charming period of time. Cherishing these blissful days - sustaining the memories we created- help me carry on until the days are ripe for bliss to bloom again.
Mt. Maxwell: August 25, 2016
Waking up on the rocky beach bordering Comox lake, I take a swig of last night’s leftover wine to alleviate the sadness from my dreams. It’s not often I have strongly negative feelings after a night’s sleep, but this day I felt the urge to cry.
On a walk to the car to be alone with my thoughts, a man idly approached me in his car. Commenting on my style of clothes and disheveled hair - “straight from the 60’s” - we entered into a thirty minute conversation, which mainly consisted of me listening to this man’s stream of thoughts. While my interest quickly tapered off, I appreciated the distraction from my subconscious feelings.
As Chris shared his ambition of creating a video game - free from violence and exploitation - he periodically adjusted his knee cast and lit up menthol cigarettes. It’s clear he witnessed plenty of traumatic experiences from his travels and/or time spent in the military, so it was difficult for me to walk away.
Now, days later, I’m reflecting on this encounter and subsequent adventures with friends as i sit in silence - perched on a mountain overlooking the channel of islands along Vancouver’s western shores - with a blank slate for the journeys which lie ahead.
Only a month into learning the guitar, I’m anxious to take a break. Rather than learning a new song in my slack key song book, I write this instead. Tonight I dance and tomorrow I start all over again.
