May Long Weekend

This weekend was a fun one. I had been looking forward to our getaway for a while, especially after feeling kinda down about being "alone" up here. We left Friday evening for Blue Lake Resort, just North of Boston Bar. (I found out during our trip that it's actually owned by a family from Maple Ridge.) We found our site and J's sister and her husband along with our other friends were already there, setting up their tents, etc. I was so excited to see everyone again. I know it's only been a few weeks but they've felt long, and the comfort of being around people you know and love is incomparable. We chilled by the fire and went to sleep.

Or, we went to our tents. Sleep... not so much. I was FREEZING! I kept waking up, probably every hour, if not more often. J and I had zipped our sleeping bags together but because we were each on a twin air mattress, I kept falling into the crack between the two. I decided in the middle of the night that I was going to reclaim my sleeping bag for the next night.

The next day was cool and rainy! I hadn't seen rain like that since before I moved, and honestly, once we got everything set up (tarp, etc) I really didn't mind it. I had a good book and the warmth of a campfire. It was actually a really beautiful sight. However, getting to this point was a cold and wet experience which left me longing for the desert... haha :)

We even ran into some friends from church that were also there with their families! What a bonus! It was really great to see more familiar faces!

The next night was better, although I did wake up a few times very cold. But I think I was more tired from lack of sleep the night before and so I was able to catch a few more Z's.

The next day we went for a hike to the top of a hill that had a great lookout of the lake and surrounding mountains. I love lookouts like that where you can get a feel for the beauty that God's created that we so often overlook or take for granted.

We were going to stay the extra night and head home Monday morning, but after the first two nights and the ongoing coolness and showers, we decided to head home Sunday night. We were expecting visitors during the day Monday so it gave us a bit more time to get ready. On the way home we decided to take a small detour. There was this road we had passed on our honeymoon called "Venables Valley" and we were both very curious as to where it would lead. We decided that ONE DAY we were going to take that road. Well, we found our opportunity. We drove about 5 or 6 km into this valley that had obviously been hit by a forest fire. It's crazy how black and dead the trees can be, and how vividly green the new growth looks in contrast. Anyways, we ventured into this valley to find a crazy place... (I looked it up on the internet when I got home). Basically it's a Hare Krishna community ... or "eco-village" as they refer to it. They live in this secluded valley, away from the city and the 'high tech' culture so to speak. It is a cool idea, although the whole spirituality thing creeps me out a bit. It was a very weird drive, I do recall saying that it felt like we'd found a different world all of a sudden. Creepy! But interesting.

Today brought more familiar faces as my Mum, Lydia, and Captain Awesome (Justin D) stopped by for hamburgers on their way home from May Camp in Salmon Arm. They didn't stay nearly long enough, but it was awesome seeing them. I missed them all a lot. There were good times, lots of laughs, and we even had tasty smores that we had forgotten to eat on our camping trip! (Actually, the best smores I've ever had... we made them with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups instead of just chocolate, wrapped them in foil and put them on the bbq)
We capped off our visit with a trip to Starbucks and hugs goodbye. I must say that I did shed some tears on the way home after Starbucks. I miss them already, especially my Mum.

All of it made me realize how hard it is to make friends... But how great it is when you get to that place of comfort. When you can stop pretending to be someone you're not, or hiding your flaws, and just rest in the comfort of being yourself and knowing your friends will love you for it. How much time it takes to get there. I know I'll get there eventually here with people, and that it just takes time, but I wish it were easier. I wish we were back in grade 1 when you could simply ask, "Will you be my best friend?" and they will right then and there. But it's not that easy. Sorry, I suppose my post is long enough without my whining.

Overall it was a very good weekend. We finished it off with a fantastic 2 hour season finale of 24. Kiefer Sutherland rocks my socks off. And with that, I bid you adieu until next time. Here's hoping this week will be filled with calls for interviews!