reflections on the past few weeks from a little coffee shop over looking the main street in Ucluelet, BC:
i have taken a position working with children for the summer in this little town bordering the Pacific Rim National Park, and consequently, i have moved my life away from victoria for three months. "life on the edge" is the motto here, and it fits in so many ways.
i starting my morning with a 50 minute jog along the Wild Pacific Trail, a spectacular gravel path skirting some of the most beautiful coastline i have ever seen. i can't think of a better way to start my morning. i am hoping to improve my trail running while i'm here, and why shouldn't i when i have such a perfect training ground! the trails are wonderful, but my true love is the beach...Long Beach, to be exact. i've taken to running the beach in my vibrum five fingers or even just in bare feet. the run along the sand is surreal.you can dip into the ocean waves anytime you like and the mist comes in off the water to catch in the trees beside you.
to complement my running, i have found a weight centre in ukee! this pleased me greatly, and although it is small, i find it has everything i need. i also want to check out the local kayaking here as well as the indoor rock climbing gym in tofino.
so far, life is good on the edge...
20.06.11
Your face is sunburnt.
like a tomato.
and your back aches between your shoulder blades.
your legs are stiff. and your arms.
your face hurts. were you really laughing for hours?
you have a nagging feeling to see the ocean again and you check the wave report online.
you sway slightly when you walk, as if you were still floating on water.
but despite all this, you feel like you could take on the world.
this, my friend, is a surfing hangover.
i spent several hours riding the surf last sunday and it was spectacular! not my surfing mind you, just the act of surfing! i have never tried a more exhausting and addictive sport. i have been surfing for years now, coming to long beach as a child, but i am still only a beginner with so much to learn! my friends and i had many rides, laughs, and wipe outs to share. i also explored the rainforest boardwalk and the bog boardwalk which were both extreme examples of our west coast environment. extremely different and extremely beautiful.
04.06.11
i sat listening to the waves and watching the surfers and skim boarders play. the surfers looked like little black seals bobbing and floating in the ocean until a lucky one caught a ride.
children played in the sand as my brother and i used to, so many years ago. i have not lost my love for this place though. it has been my paradise for as long as i can remember. a true west coast love affair.
i have found work a little challenging but my reward is to live in this spectacular place surrounded by the ocean and forest. today's beach day was a welcome reminder of what i have here.
today was a good day.
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