Figured I should update before too much of life passes by again.
For those of you who do not know, I am again living in Ucluelet, B.C. for another summer! I could not be happier about this decision, and moving back to the Ucluelet/Tofino area is no longer a choice, it just is. A beautiful, wild place on the edge of the world, with fantastic friendships, what more could a girl ask for.
I am again working for Paddle West Kayaking (find us on Facebook) but this time not just as a guide, but as a manager. Yes, I have moved up in the world. I find myself spending more time in our little yellow shack in Tofino than on the water, but it has been a fantastic learning experience. For the first six weeks I was training guides for the upcoming season, which gave me lots of water time. I really enjoy guide training, showing people new things and watching guides gain confidence in their skills and in their knowledge of this beautiful, rich place I have called home for three summers now.As guides were given their wings to fly, I entered the realm of management. In shoulder season this meant revising training manuals and then starting our risk management plans, emergency response plans, and setting up social media. Now that the season is in full swing, most of my time is spent organizing tours, guides and gear, making sure tours run smoothly. We have a fantastic group of guides this season, which makes operations much easier! I am still guiding one day a week in Ucluelet and it is nice to be exploring every once in awhile!
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| The little yellow shack. |
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| The sunset on my first night back to Ucluelet. |
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| Guide training, Medalion Beach, Vargas Island, Clayoquot Sound |
So what do I do for fun? I often wonder about that, but life on the coast is always fun and things just happen to keep me entertained and fulfilled. There have been many beach fires with amazing sunsets, lots of good dinners with friends, solo paddling trips to sandy beaches, the odd game of Catan, the hottest days I've ever experienced on the coast, and lots of the delicious brown stuff known as coffee. I was fortunate enough to have two of my co-workers from Banff, Rich and Drew come for a visit. I got to expose them to more of Canada and a different Canada then Banff. It was a blast. I have a few more visits from friends and family that I am look forward to.
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| Supermoon rising over the George Fraser Islands |
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| Solo trip to Whitesand Cove, Flores Island, Clayoquot Sound |
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| Whitesand Cove, Flores Island, Clayoquot Sound |
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| European Holiday to Hot Springs with Nicole, Rachelle, and Erin. |
So, the classic question in my life, what is next?
In the immediate future, Rocket and Bethany are planning visits to see me in August. Then there is the Otalith Music Festival (Ukee's very own! Come visit me for that!). Good intentions to do more kayak surfing. Just generally enjoying life.
In the near future, I guess this is the big news, I will be returning to school in January 2014. I doubt this surprises everyone as I think I will always be an academic, always on the search for knowledge. The goal is to obtain an undergrad degree by summer 2015. The name of the degree right now is, are you ready for this mouthful...a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Backcountry Lodge Management. This may change before I graduate but for now that is what I am pursuing. And I never thought I would say it, but I am STOKED to be going back to Kamloops. I have a couple of dear friends still pursuing studies there that I cannot wait to hang out with 24/7 and it means I can pursue white water kayaking again. Something I miss dearly and is not as accessible in the Rockies in winter and spring. But in general I miss the adventure family. It is a surprisingly strong bond one creates when pursuing Adventure Studies, both with your peers but also with the instructors and faculty.
In the general future, I am just not sure. I think a lot of people agree with the philosophy of, "it's not the destination that matters, but the journey" and "not all those who wander are lost" (JRR Tolkien). For me, more and more each day I even more firmly believe this. However, I am getting this feeling that I am arriving at a sort of destination, that a journey might be coming to an end, and that a new destination and journey are about to start. I am becoming more comfortable in my choices and directions, that I am actually getting somewhere, not just treadmilling any more. I am not naive enough to believe the journey will remain cruisey, but I am enjoying the cruisey-ness while it lasts. Now I've just jinxed it.
However, at this moment in time, my hopes and dreams for the future:
- paddle the shores of Calvert Island
- paddle from the Atlantic to the Pacific via continental Europe with Miss Katarina, or some variation
- paddle the shores of Baffin Island
- another white water trip through the PNW
- run a half-marathon
- open a lodge where you can cross-country ski in the winter and sea kayak in the summer
- have a child
- become a yin yoga instructor
I think that about wraps it up folks.
My mantra these days, and has been for awhile is:
"the cure for anything is saltwater: sweat, tears or the sea" - isak dinesen
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| Looking back over Catface Mountain and Meares Island from Whitesand Cove. |
All my actions are motivated by saltwater, from kayaking, to running, to finding the closest hot yoga studio, to having a good cleansing cry. When you think of me, think of saltwater. When you need comfort, look to saltwater.
Cheerio,
K
