A Summer Almost Gone and a Little Piece of Home

The blackberries are already in season and I can not believe my summer here in Canada is almost over already! In less than three weeks, I will be packing up and heading home. A lot has happened in the past two months and sometimes the days seem very long but in the grand scheme of it all, time is flying faster than the Skookumchuck rapids are running.

I recently guided a trip of adults from a church in Bellevue on the Sea Sechelt Route. They were nice people but it was a challenge leading adults from the business world when I enjoy high school kids the most. I learned a lot about guiding business driven adults and how they like to have control of situations and know the plan. Here at Beyond, we guides do not disclose much information to our campers (of any age) for a few reasons, one reason being to allow them to relax and not worry about the time or what we are going to do next. Another reason is because when you tell campers they will be waking up at 5am and paddling for eight hours, they generally don’t think they can do it or just don’t want to. With this adult group many of them wanted to know the plan and the time of day constantly. This was a big struggle for me because I think it is important to keep campers in suspense but it wasn’t going to happen with this group. It was also hard to gain respect as a young female among these adults. Many of them just wanted free time and would have rather not participated in our planned schedule. Most importantly, I learned I want to work with and minister to kids into my future.

My mom and stepdad, Eric came to visit me for a few days and we had a blast! We went hiking, ate at the tree house bakery, watched kayakers at the Skookumchuck rapids, ate dinner at the Back Eddy, saw bioluminescence at night and went kayaking. I was really happy to show them the place I have been living and the things I have learned about kayaking. It was nice to spend time and catch up with two people I love so much. A little piece of home this summer was great.

I am going out on a trip next Wednesday with two great guides and a co-ed group of high school kids. We will be paddling on my favorite route, the Jervis Inlet. Needless to say it will be a great way to finish my summer here at Beyond.