There Was a Breach and I Was In the Bathroom

I have been so busy since I hit the state of Washington that I haven't had time to stop to write. I have however, had ample opportunity to decide what to write about. I've been staying with my Cousin Liz, her husband, Russ, and their little boy, Evan, since I arrived. I've found time to take not one, but two trips to Canada during this time, have gone camping on Shaw Island, played on the beach (without going in the water), and met a whole host of amazing people.

On Friday last week, Liz, Evan, and I, took a ferry with my aunt and uncle (and Raymond's posse from grade school) to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. I've never been on a ferry before except for the smaller sized ferries/boats that take people to and from the train station and mainland in Venice. Like any good traveler, I was doing my best to pack light and removed all unnecessary items from my day pack. Among the items removed: a deck of cards, the book I'm currently reading, and my journal. I did take enough "warm weather wear" along for the trip but it soon came to my attention that on a three hour one-way ferry ride, cards and a book actually come in pretty handy. Most of the passengers were veterans and had all the essential items to stay off boredom. I will be much more prepared the next time.

If you've never been to Victoria, you really should go. I decided it would be a great place to live. Except for one rather important feature: the weather. Now, I'm visiting during summer and it was most definitely a beautiful day but it still never got above 80 degrees Fahrenheit. With the postcard type flower baskets that hang from lampposts and awnings it's hard to imagine this place is anything but sunny and beautiful all year round. That isn't the case though and for the majority of the year, I'm quite sure I wouldn't be able to feel my fingers or toes.

While there, we visited Butchart Gardens. I'm sure it takes a small army to keep that place looking immaculate and colorful. And for people like me, who love flowers but generally don't have a clue which one I'm looking at, they have a handy brochure, complete with a picture of the plant, flower, or tree, its scientific name, its common name, its blooming season, and a whole host of other information. It's always nice when beauty and education are intermingled.

On the ferry ride home, our skipper noticed several whale watching boats converging off the coast of one of the many San Juan Islands. It didn't take long and we spotted one, then two, then three, then holy smokes! four, and finally a fifth...whale! Yahoo! As I was watching, patiently waiting to get a really good glimpse and picture of one, I could hear the Captain in the background saying "This is J Pod. They are foraging for food." I was quite amazed that our Captain was also apparently a marine biologist but I suppose anything is possible. It was amazing to see such large creatures though. We hung around for 15-20 minutes while they swam down the coast.

Then, almost as quickly as he had decided to stop, he decided we should head back to Bellingham. Once the boat turned around and started making its way south, I decided that it was time for me to head to the head. (For you non-sailing types, that means the bathroom.) As soon as I returned, all I could hear was "Did you see that breach?", "Can you believe that breach?", "Wow! There were three of them. I can't believe we got so lucky!" Oh! That's just great! I head to the john and the whales decide to put on a little acrobatic display. Just great! My luck! I come thousands of miles, and get the opportunity of a lifetime and I blow it. Oh well. If that's the only thing in life I miss because I am in the bathroom I suppose I'm a lucky girl. It does still stink though.

Today is my last day hanging out in Bellingham. Liz and I were planning to hike a trail at Mt. Baker but we kind of go with the flow. And the flow has gone this way...the babysitter (my aunt) had to skip town to fly to New York to be with my grandfather. He collapsed two days ago while walking back to his dorm room from the cafeteria. Yes, I did just say dorm room. He was accepted at Seton Hall to audit a United Nations course. And, it also appears that the beautiful weather that has been hanging around since I arrived has decided to take a hiatus and has left us with cool weather and cloudy skies. So, what to do with our spare time? We're going to take a bike ride to the market. It's also given me the opportunity to catch up on my blog and has given me some smiles as I relive my adventure thus far.

Tomorrow morning, I'm riding with my Uncle Raymond to Seattle, where I will spend the day in the downtown area before leaving on an evening flight to Denver. My journey is almost over but I still have a few more days before I reenter my "real" life. I haven't written much, well, really at all, about the journey I've been on from an internal, spiritual, and self-discovery perspective. This trip has been good for me. I've learned a lot about myself though and gotten closer to God. I don't have the universe and my role in it figured out just yet but that's okay because it will happen. I have faith.