Tags: #triplog #travel-journal > I wrote this in 2018, shortly after I'd graduated college, after a trip to British Columbia to attend a family wedding. I'm re-reading it the day after Christmas in 2021, and it seems like a different world. Both because I'm a completely different person, and the idea of traveling to Canada...for a wedding...seems like something out of a bygone era. But this is still one of my favorite things I've ever written. It makes me want to write more about travel. > I didn't add this part at the time, but I remember I flew out to Seattle alone to meet my parents before we drove to Vancouver. I'd had a banquet to attend so I stayed behind in New York for a day. The night before, I stayed up until I had to Uber to the airport for my 7 or 8AM flight, drinking and talking with friends, crammed into an unsavory, likely illegal Airbnb near LGA. What a magnificent, invincible period of time in my life. I will cherish it forever. --- **January 21, 2018** > Standing above the vast fjord in the heart of British Columbia, I felt small. But I love that feeling. Because I knew the possibilities in me were infinite. Early this past June I had the opportunity to travel with my family to British Columbia in Canada for a wedding of distant relatives. I wasn’t expecting much adventure out of this trip given that the average age of my traveling party was 60 and included my 99 y/o grandmother, but I thoroughly enjoyed the treasures of the Pacific Northwest. Goes to show what can happen when you keep an open heart and open mind. Here are four love stories that shaped my adventures. ## The First Love Story: Man and Wife My second cousin married her husband at a country club, surrounded by tall trees and even taller mountains. A live quartet played all the grand love songs of the 20th century. ![[me-wedding.jpg]] *Taking in the moment.* The sun began to set as the maid of honor and best man gave their speeches. I had this mystical feeling of being enveloped by golden threads of warm sunlight as they recounted their stories of this couple’s love. Weddings are often derided as a waste of money. Some are excessive, but the romantic in me will always enjoy a genuine celebration of love and the union of two families. We toasted, laughed, and listened to the elders’ stories about growing up in the Philippines. My grandmother and I laughed as uncles and aunts pinned Canadian bills to the bride and groom in exchange for a dance, a Filipino wedding tradition known as the money dance. The family wishes them prosperity in their new life together. We feasted and danced the night away. I was 3000 mi away, but I hadn’t left home. ## The Second Love Story: God and Muse The day after the wedding was reserved for more family time, but on the way back to our Airbnb we made a detour to White Rock, a beach town north of Semiahmoo Bay. The town is named for an unremarkable white rock with a remarkable story. According to the legend of the Semiahmoo First Nation, the Salish Sea was protected by a sea-being and his son. One day, as one of the chief’s daughters was bathing in the sea, the sea-being’s son fell deeply in love with her. Her parents forbade their love. Determined to keep his love, the son hurled a huge stone over the water and said that wherever it landed would be their new home. It landed on the shores of Semiahmoo Bay, and today we have the town of White Rock. You can read the full legend [here](http://www.whiterockmuseum.ca//wp-content/uploads/2018/01/The-Legend-of-PQuals.pdf). Unfortunately the town doesn’t live up to the grandeur of its legend. ![[train-tracks.jpg]] *Train tracks at White Rock.* Beach and modern architecture clash. A dark freight train occasionally chugs along the water, spoiling the ocean views. It was a lovely way to pass time, but suffers from the dissonance of not knowing what it wants to be. ## The Third Love Story: Mother and Daughter We had one day to explore Vancouver. My mom and I visited Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, a popular Vancouver tourist attraction. The main draw is a suspension bridge crossing 70 meters above the Capilano River. ![[capilano-suspension-bridge.jpg]] *Capilano Suspension Bridge* As I walked across I could imagine how exhilarating it would be to cross this bridge when it was initially built with only wood and hemp rope. However, it barely wobbles now because chain link reinforce the sides. The view from the bridge is beautiful, but being one of the herd of tourists trying to get as many pictures as possible sullies the luster. ![[view-from-bridge.jpg]] *The view from the Capilano Suspension Bridge.* The park does offer more than just a bridge, so we went to explore both the Treetops Adventure and the Cliffwalk. The Treetops Adventure is a series of suspension bridges about 34m up around the trees. The Cliffwalk suspends visitors on a walkway stretching about 210m around the face of the granite cliffs. ![[cliffwalk.jpg]] *Cliffwalk.* While I still enjoyed our visit, I’d say Capilano is one of those tourist traps that isn’t worth it during busy months. The park faded into a backdrop for a more interesting conversation with my mom. Both of us are at a crossroads in our lives. I’m a recent college grad, disillusioned with my degree, in the midst of deciding what comes next. She’s been a nurse, wife, and mother for two decades, disillusioned with her career, has a daughter transitioning into adulthood, and wonders what the next season of her life will bring. She’s spent so many years thinking about my future and what’s next for me, that she hasn’t had much time to think about what’s next for her. As sons and daughters we sometimes forget that our parents have dreams of their own. Walking on the side of a cliff overlooking the Capilano River, we had a rare moment of brutal honesty about our hopes and fears. As close as we are, we don’t usually expose the parts of us that are afraid of what’s next. But in doing so we were able to see that while our relationship is founded upon the unconditional love of a mother and daughter, it has grown to include the mutual support and adoration of two best friends. She told me that as much as we try to plan and prepare, eventually you have to cross the bridge and face what’s on the other side. There is no other way. As we discussed life in that lush green forest, I knew that the coming years would be a season of growth for us. ## The Fourth Love Story: Nature and Child We then rejoined the rest of our family for a scenic drive north on the Sea to Sky Highway (BC 1) to Squamish. We then rode up in the Sea to Sky Gondola, a cable car that takes passengers from the base of one of the Coast Mountains up to a lodge at the summit. You glide up with a view the mountain range, dense verdant trees, and the majestic blue Howe Sound fjord. ![[view-from-gondola.jpg]] *Breathtaking view from the Sea to Sky Gondola.* There’s a suspension bridge at the summit that’s much better than Capilano. Shortly after crossing I separated from my family and walked up part of the trails in solitude. ![[sky-pilot-bridge.jpg]] *Sky Pilot Bridge at the summit.* ![[mom.jpg]] *Mom admiring the view.* I’m not very religious these days, but I grew up in a devout Christian family. I had to memorize and explain passages of the Bible every single week. Thus, despite my reservations about the whole “guy in the sky playing Sims” dogma, I appreciate religion. I respect the Divine as whatever force that’s out there that pushes us to do what we do and gives us something greater to strive for than our puny little selves. Standing above the vast fjord in the heart of British Columbia, I felt small. But I love that feeling. Because I knew the possibilities in me were infinite. Nature is Art and I am its loving child. I can’t look at any way nature manifests–the hum of a stream harmonizing with the roar of a waterfall,  stony grey mountains capped in pure white ice, an aging turtle ambling through the bluegreen sea–without seeing the brushstrokes of a Divine Artist. In my college years I quickly found that for an introvert, being out in nature is an excellent way to get out of your head and ground yourself in physical reality. Even better when your adventure is something you can see as a challenge, like hiking or snorkeling. You force yourself out of your comfort zone. The reward? A great experience and clarity to bring back to your everyday life. Shortly after, my family made our way to Shannon Falls. We sat down by a bunch of the boulders downstream to enjoy a picnic. ![[stream.jpg]] We had a picnic by this stream. My mom surprised me here. She never rides roller coasters or tries anything new that she deems dangerous. You could climb over a series of boulders to get a better view of the falls. While I was crafting a plan to convince her to do it, she asked me to do it with her. I watched her maneuver her way up the falls, deftly using her handbag as a counterweight. Perhaps her sudden bravery came from her god speaking to her? _You’re gonna die anyway, might as well die having seen more of the world._ Get outside. --- Created: December 26, 2021 Last Modified: December 26, 2021