- feeling overwhelmed in the best way browsing the multiversity library at the ubc moa
- having a nice cauliflower curry tart & mushroom lentil roll in a cafe in duncan
- spotting a bald eagle, otters, seals, a sunfish, a bear & her 2 cubs, & a whale on the zodiac boat to & from hot springs cove
- being the one to spot the bear cubs even tho i never spot anything first
- the way the trees grow right up to the edge of the islands w no beach in between
- speeding between islands on the boat ride back watching the landscape unfold and shift like acts of slow magic as the wind whipped my face
- when closer & more distant islands had their mountain peaks layered over each other in a perfect collage
- getting drunk off 2 sips of maple whiskey on the beach at sunset & surreptitiously pouring the rest of the cup into the ocean
- jade playing noah kahan in the van
- jade explaining how new trees grow out of dead trees & feed on their nutrients and sabrina saying "when a tree dies it's really giving birth"
- jump roping w/ a long piece of kelp on the beach w/ jade & sabrina
- eating wild crowberry and huckleberry straight off the bush
- mike's plant app identification app diagnosing nearly every plant as "unhealthy" or "could be further optimized"
- jade misinterpreting a "healthy" designation as meaning the plant was healthy for humans to eat & me thinking she'd known all along and was simply joking
- watching goats & wandering thru quirky shops in coombs, incl 1 w a large assortment of miniature room building kits & 1 nearly empty of ppl filled w wooden sculptures where listen to your heart was blasting
- nice gluten-free cafe in ladysmith where i impulse bought baked goods & grape ice cream
- lake picnic in cowichan where i met a sleek brown dog named zelda w little wrinkles on her forehead that made her look perpetually concerned
- drive along pacific marine rd seeing a stunning array of greenery from walls of dense green to open fields, amazed at every turn
- sombrio beach + climbing a sea boulder to lie down & look at the sky + slippery walk over river stones to see a secret waterfall plunging thru a mini slot canyon (sheer awe!) + meeting multiple labradoodles all belonging to unrelated ppl + possibly seeing a whale spout on the walk back
- being the only one in the hotel hot tub + lounging alone outside in the cabana looking at the moon reflect on the water
- trying to put my feet in the ocean at every opportunity
- drinking the best kombucha i've ever had at the sooke brewery
- how friendly everyone was and assiduous abt checking in w each other (tim was esp good at this)
- crying while saying goodbye to jade
- laurie saying something along the lines of "good luck in your artistic endeavors, i know you can do it" which made me cry again
- the extravagant fun of being inside sabayon's w/ artsy vignettes & an unexpectedly labyrinthine layout
- the simple joy of riding the ferry back to vancouver at dusk, seeing the little lights and lighthouses scattered among the islands we passed, & the moon emerging from behind a cloud to make a glittering bridge on the sea
- savoring the feeling of looking at bodies of water my last weekend there, knowing there were none back home
- trying to be present and savor every opportunity to look at tall trees and greenery, even & esp thru the van window
oct 9 2026 ∞
oct 9 2026 +