Almonds
and Oreos are keeping me company right now on this six-hour bus ride to
Vancouver from Kelowna. I spent the past couple days visiting my sister who
goes to school there, and now I'm trekking through the Fraser Valley on my way
back home.
For
most of my last two years at university, I spent every other weekend on the
Greyhound to and from Seattle, and so long bus rides are something I am all too
familiar with. I can spot the woman who will recline her seat all the way (and
I mean all the way) immediately after settling in with her blanket (!), book,
and Tupper-Ware of homemade cookies, and so avoid sitting directly behind her.
I am not the slightest bit surprised (which can't be said for aforementioned
reclining lady) when the guy one seat over and three seats back gets off in Hope
to smoke a joint. I know when to look preoccupied enough that certain people
won't ask to sit beside me, and when to offer the seat to certain other people
in order to accept the lesser of two evils. I also know what snacks to bring.
Realistically, I'm never going to eat a sandwich that's been bumping around in
my bag for five hours. May as well commit to the Oreos from the get-go. I know
who I'm dealing with here.
As
un-glamorous and, well, gross as travelling by bus can sometimes be, it is
definitely an eye-opener and one more form of travel that showcases things you
would otherwise never see. I recently came this close (my fingers are
excruciatingly close together) to booking an impromptu trip back to Costa Rica,
and in the wake of deciding to stay put for now, realized I could take mini
trips in an effort to scratch my travel itch.
I
have to say that I am quite surprised that it is working so well so far. You'd
think that a bus ride through BC to cold Kelowna would pale in comparison to
the exotic jungle and beaches of Costa Rica. But the truth is that when you love travelling, you will somehow find
the same satisfaction in every new place you go, no matter where it is or how
you get there. Travelling is just as much about being with yourself as it is
about being somewhere new, and sometimes what I need from travel isn't
necessarily a crazy adventure, but just the opposite. This time, what I really
needed was a little break from life, some good sister time, a few new sights
and sounds, and some rest and relaxation. And that's exactly what Kelowna had
to offer me over the past couple days. An abundance of pancakes, long and
chilly nature walks, leisurely soaks in the hot tub, piping hot tea lattes,
good catch ups curled up in blankets in front of the TV - these are all simple
pleasures that were thoroughly enjoyed during my little vacation. I got exactly
what I needed, and I didn't have to travel half way around the world to get it.
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