Got home on the 2nd of July and then left on the 3rd to go to Squamish to look after a friend's dog and cat. I was able to catch up with some friends from Whistler but mainly kept a low profile. Needed a little time to just hang out. Before heading back to Victoria, I caught one night of the Vancouver Folk Festival and found the best mojitos in Vancouver!!
Back to Victoria on the 14th of July to pack my gear for a week long kayaking trip. My best buddy from Whistler came over and we headed to Salt Spring to set off on our adventure. We had to have a coffee and a wander through the book store before setting off. In the book store there was a man who looked like the doctor who worked on Jean-Luc in Nanaimo. It turned out to be him. I approached him outside and explained who I was and that I just wanted to thank him for his compassion. He listened politely but when I mentioned Jean-Luc's parents coming to the hospital to talk to express their gratitude, it clicked for him. He instantly knew who I was talking about. He even remembered Jean-Luc's name. I was stunned that someone who treats hundreds and hundreds of people every year would remember one case so clearly. That's my Jean-Luc, memorable right to the end! It was a little tough for the next couple of days as seeing the doctor brought back memories of the time at the hospital - the agony of losing him.
Fortunately, we had such a wonderful week of kayaking that I didn't get stuck in those memories. We spent our first two nights on Wallace Island and then headed south to Prevost Island for two nights. On the Friday, we paddled into Ganges on Salt Spring to meet up with a friend who would be joining us. And then on Saturday, we paddled to Village Bay on Mayne Island to meet up with another friend. The next two nights were spent at Beaumont Marine Park on South Pender Island. Our final night was back on Prevost Island. We had lots of different paddling conditions from flat calm to battling wind and tide. But the most exciting was dodging the BC Ferries!!! Lots of seals and eagles and one porpoise but unfortunately no whales. Oh well can't have everything. I really enjoy the whole paddling experience. Gone are the days were I would lie in my tent worrying about the next days weather or what conditions might be like or if I could keep up. I really feel in my element now. I'm not sure that I'm a better paddler, I think it's more about enjoying the moment and not getting worked up about what might happen. And what can I say - we had an awesome group of women to paddle with.