Just a thought… Whenever you feel uncomfortable, instead of retreating back into your old comfort zone, pat yourself on the back and say, “I must be growing,” and continue moving forward. [T. Harv Eker]
Whoo – so much to catch you up on this week! Now, if you listened to Gracefully and Frankly last week, you may know some of my stories (including losing my weighted blanket ’cause I put it in carry-on) but here you’ll get pictures, too. And if you do listen to my podcast with former Toronto broadcaster Lisa Brandt, thank you. If you don’t, you’re missing out on a half-hour of weekly discussion between two Queenagers on things that affect us and, more importantly, you. So give it a whirl!
Of course, we couldn’t do the show without support from our sponsors sierrasil.com (the Canadian natural anti-inflammatory my Rob, Lisa, Derek and our dogs have used for years) or envypillow.com (the women-run company that sells quality and unique pillows, sheets and other sleep accessories that make your life and ours so much better). Even flying, I took mine with me for the comforts of home in a yurt on the mainland, near Vernon, BC!
My sister Leslie and I had a three-night stay in a glampsite on a lovely king-sized bed, and I can honestly say that although I went in with a lot of trepidation (outdoor toilet? Yikes!) I hated to leave and can’t wait to do it again. I’ve been looking at sites to take Rob in early September before he gets back into hockey. Here are a few shots of the inside.
We slept so well that after the first morning awakening at 11 am I had to set an alarm. So, Leslie out-slept me and I was the one going out and boiling water on the barbecue and making coffee with the ground beans Rob had blended for me before I left home. It was delicious, and can I say that the chef’s kiss on the whole experience was only slapping at bugs once.
We toured the area and found a beach with gentle access to put in our inflatable paddleboards on the Sunday of the long weekend. Mostly we paddled gently, tethered by ankle rings to each other, but I did attempt to get up on the board a few times, without success. My next possible yurt stay is near a pond, so I’ll have better luck there, methinks. If not, the frogs will be in for a good laugh.
The best memories were made on that trip: getting ice cream at a dairy, dropping in to any working bathrooms we passed, so as to stave off outhouse visits, laughing with my sister as we attempted (in vain) to powder dip her nails, and just sharing stories. I can’t believe she doesn’t remember getting stung by a bee on her girl parts during an outhouse visit when we went camping as kids; I’ve remembered it ever since. Well, friend, I can assure you: she’ll remember it now from my telling!
I didn’t completely “unplug” as we had cell service and a few battery chargers, but we did enjoy a lot of time of just relaxing, unwinding and being together. We had a lot of privacy, the weather was great during the day, with dramatic thunderstorms and downpours at night (such a glorious experience in a big canvas yurt!) and our dinners of glammed-down charcuterie were perfection.
We laughed every time I threatened to take a picture of her peeing in a large plastic potato salad tub (and she returned the threats) but it reminded us of sleeping in our grandparents’ basement where the pee pail was a life saver in the night!
There’s something so freeing about trying things that scare you – and yes, I did have a lot of trepidation about the entire experience, assuaged only by the knowledge that Les had been camping a few times already this summer – and coming out even better in the end.
Plus there’s the added bonus of coming home to a husband and dogs who missed you, hot showers and a flush toilet, plus that glorious coffee Rob makes. There’s no place like home, but sometimes you have to venture outside it to grow. Have a great week and thanks for sharing the adventure!
