Hello Blogoverse!
Happy Thursday to you all! I apologize for my lapse in regular posting; between getting settled in our new place and getting to know my future in-laws, it’s been a crazy few days! I hope the week has been treating y’all right so far. If not, here’s some gratuitous cute to make you smile!
Meeeeeow!
Anywhore, I’m sure y’all are chomping at the bit for details on the adventure out to the 250! On Friday of last week, Vega and I picked up the U-Haul in the morning, got some Wendy’s, and (after nomming, natch) got the majority of our belongings packed up and ready to go.
We didn’t even have this guy halfway full. Gotta love the freedom that comes with purging a whole bunch of stuff!
In the evening, Veggie, Chef and Mouth came by to have a beer and to say our final goodbyes, which was lovely and (as always) lots of fun. We sat on the floor pow-wow style and sipped Oatmeal Stout, and there was plenty of laughter and good memory making and gratitude for the amazing friends and good times that the five of us had together in the 403. I’m pretty exceptionally lucky that way – the good folks in my life are truly the very best.
Counter-clockwise from bottom: Mia, Vega, Visa, Veggie, Chef, and Mouth
Saturday morning, we woke up, had a coffee, and got a serious move on. Once everything was loaded into the U-Haul, we said our goodbyes to the old house, Visa enjoyed one last stint in his favorite patch of weeds (ahem, flowers…)…
Soakin’ up some UV rays
…and we were on our way! We hit the road shortly after noon, which put us way ahead of our initial schedule.
ROADTRIP!
The drive was surprisingly straightforward – we’d been bracing ourselves for terrible traffic – between the flooding in Calgary and the fact that it was Canada Day long weekend, we’d anticipated a long haul; however, the only bit of traffic we encountered was in Canmore, and even that was only about a half hour delay.
“Road trippin’ with my two favorite allies/
Fully loaded, we got snacks and supplies/
It’s time to leave this town/
It’s time to fade away/
Let’s go get lost in BRITISH COLUMBI-A!”
We had a great time taking and laughing and bullshitting about the future, Vega and I. It never ceases to amaze me how we always seem to be able to talk for hours on end – I suppose that’s one of the many, many major perks of being engaged to your best friend. When words became thin, we’d pass the time listening to metal and enjoying the scenery. If you’ve never made the drive from Calgary to Vancouver, do it. It’s simply STUNNING.
We live in such a gorgeous world. Salmon Arm, BC
We made it to Kelowna and pulled over for some food and to let Poochie Fantastico go pee, then it was back on the road to Vancouver underneath the gorgeous sunset. It was truly beyond beautiful, the skies looked like something from a watercolour painting.
Magical.
We made it to Vancouver around midnight, and having missed the last ferry out to Victoria by a mere two hours, we decided to cruise Tsawassen for a potential pet-friendly hotel for the evening. Following a slight GPS snafu (Google Maps decided that we wanted to cross the border into the USA, so we had a rather hilarious encounter with a rather confused border guard), we established that there was no such available hotel room, so we parked the U-Haul and passed out (well..) for a couple of hours (note: it is bloody near impossible to get comfortable in a 10′ U-Haul). We woke up at quarter to five in the morning, and by 5:15, we were watching the sunrise in Tsawassen and en route to the ferry.
Good way to start a morning!
A few minutes later, we were the first vehicle in line to board the 7:00 boat. We were dying for caffeine and food, so we promptly found Starbucks and got some Venti dark roasts and bagels with cream cheese.
Coffee coffee coffee coffee. And a very tired (albeit excited as fuck) Wallace.
Before I knew it, we were on board the M.V. Spirit of British Columbia, pulling away from Tsawassen and making our way towards Victoria.
The ferry ride is always one of my favorite parts of the trip – it’s just so peaceful and pretty, watching the scenery and the birds.
I’m a sucker for the blue skies and the blue ocean and the smell of the salty ocean air.
Naught but three cigarettes later, it was time to disembark – we’d actually MADE IT to the island. Lots of “WOOHOO”-ing and excited smiles ensued.
WOOHOO!
A half hour drive later, we’d arrived at View Royal, where mama and papa Vega’s house is. You guys, this place is off the damn chain.
This is looking up towards the house from the dock. INSANELY gorgeous; both the house, and the surrounding landscape.
We unloaded the U-Haul in less than half an hour with papa Vega’s help, then enjoyed a beer (or three) on (one of) the patio(s) underneath the sunshine.
Patio, beers, cigarettes. Perfection.
A few hours later, we were passing out in our chairs, so we took a short nap before having dinner with Vega’s parents and his baby brother. We had a fantastic meal (Thai food = nomnomnomnom), chatted for a while after the sun had gone down, then called it a night. I don’t remember the last time I passed out that hard! The next morning, Canada Day, I woke up in a semi-confused state of “where the fuck am I? Was that all a dream?” before looking out the window and seeing this:
I live in paradise, fo’rillz.
…which was basically the most amazing reaffirmation that this is, in fact, my life. I’m a lucky, lucky girl. Anyways. After a coffee,
coffee coffee coffee coffee.
we went and returned the U-Haul, then came home and enjoyed good conversation with mama and papa V before heading out to the 4-Mile Pub for a lovely little date night and a nummy meal.
That’s a mixed green salad with balsamic vinaigrette + a chicken, avocado, tomato, edam, and garlic aioli on focaccia sandwich. A+ meal. A++ dinner company (Vega, natch)!
Then, we came home and watched the sunset over the water and reveled in our new surroundings.
Pictures just don’t do this place justice.
We fell asleep happy and buzzed from the sunshine and the beer. The next day, my 23rd birthday, we woke up to a gorgeous, sunny, hot morning. Vega and I had a smoke and a coffee, then he had to resume his usual working days. I capitalized on the heat and the solitude by heading out to the dock armed with cigarettes, a book, and my iPhone (music, natch), and spent 5.5 hours sunning myself and napping intermittently.
Best possible way to celebrate another year alive.
I also got a lovely card from my lovely love, and a lovely card from my future in-laws:
Meep
When the workday was over, Vega, mama Vega and I headed down to the 4-Mile for a birthday dinner (this time, crab cake salad – which I hoovered before I remembered to snap a picture. Oops), then we came home and read in bed (note: Damned by Palinhuk. Hilarious) before passing out, sun-baked, full, and all smiles.
Unrelated photo! I also painted my toenails and wore my new summer kicks. Gratuitous shoe porn > pictures of me in my jammies!
Yesterday was a repeat of Tuesday, I basically did nothing but suntan all day long. I am getting browner by the day, which Vega seems to enjoy (possibly more than I do haha!). We had dinner, then went to Superstore for necessities (pork, eggs, coconut milk, oils, spices, coffee press, pot, pan, forks, knives, spoons…). Got home, unpacked, then went on a quest for beer, which we enjoyed on the porch. We were enjoying some downtime in our suite, when my mother pulled one of her infamous passive aggressive moves on me. I’m not proud of it, but I cried for a long while on Vega’s shoulder before realizing that she’s really only lashing out at me because she’s jealous. It’s pathetic, really, but there’s nothing I can do about her behaviour. Hell, I’d be jealous of me, too. I ROCK a bikini like no one’s business.
The most skin you’ll ever see from me on EIB22. I love my itsy bitsy, teeny weeny, pink and white and black bikini 🙂
Today, I woke up with Vega, he went to work, and I made brekky (eggs and yam hash, standard fare), which we enjoyed together. I then put our clothes away, took a shower, and had coffee on the deck. Then, a good friend of mine who happened to be on the island came by with her kiddos, and we enjoyed a good laugh and swapped some stories on the dock. It was great to see them! When they’d gone, I popped dinner in the oven (pork roast, roasted eggplant and red cabbage coleslaw) and started this post. Before I knew it, two hours had gone by, dinner was ready to mow down on, and Vega was finished work for the day. We nomnomnommed and then enjoyed a smoke and a beer on the dock. Now, I’m here. I’m right where I am supposed to be, and I couldn’t be happier. We’re debating the possibility of a walk with Visa before bedtime. I’m uncertain as of this moment whether we’ll be accomplishing that, or continuing the trend of sipping craft beer and being lazy.
I didn’t take pictures today. So this little segue sentence will have to placate you.
Anywhore, that’s pretty much everything that’s gone down in the last few days. We’re elated and still adjusting to our new surroundings, but from what I can garner, this was the right choice for the two (three including Visa) of us. Life’s good. Island time is brilliant. My new hometown is spectacular.
I still wake up and have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. If you would have told me a year ago that this is where life would take me, I’d have laughed in your face.
Anywho, I’m going to call this a post and go snuggle with my handsome man.
Gratuitous cute:
For now,
Wallace (and her tan lines), out.
|Eloquence is Bliss| 