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| After Breakfast with Bev |
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| Canada Day Festivities |
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| Ferry Ride to Vancouver |
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| Back to the Beautiful States |
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| A Dutch Home in Lynden |
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| Downtown Lynden |
After having a good discussion the night before, I (Katherine) woke up feeling pretty content with only 4 hours of sleep. This morning was our last day in Bev’s cozy oasis so it was sad to leave (there’s something so magical about the Sunshine Coast). By 10AM, we were out of the house and on our way to Sechelt. July 1st is Canada Day-the Canadian version of America’s Independence Day-so it was a pretty big national holiday. Once in town, we went to a cute breakfast joint to treat Bev for hosting us. The parade for Canada Day was already in the works and the main street was in good view from our restaurant table. As we sat at the restaurant and waited for our food, we got to chat with Bev about the confinements of modernity. People waste time using technologies that were created to save time and they instead live vicariously through the virtual realities of the internet/TV/& games.
Just as we finished our breakfasts, the Canada Day parade had begun—men marched in kilts as they played Scotch-Irish bagpipes and horns. The floats were…quaint…nothing like what we see at the Rose Parade. Nonetheless, the Canadians exhibited their patriotism, waving their paper flags in enthusiasm.
On a side note, I am so intrigued with Canadian nationalism. The Vancouver riots (which occurred after the Vancouver Canucks lost the Stanley Cup to the Boston Bruins a few weeks ago) showcased Canada’s extreme nationalism and mania for hockey! I’m just sad I missed the day (last year) when the Canadians beat the U.S. in Olympic team hockey! I can’t even imagine the joy that probably exuded from the entire country. The country was in pure ecstasy, from what I heard…
Before the parade was about to end, we decided to beat traffic and headed to the ferry that would take us back to the mainland. We drove winding roads until we finally made it to the ferry’s line…during which we belted Phantom Planet’s “California” with the windows down—a tribute to our own roots.
While we sailed the river on the ferry, Estrella, Christina, and I made sure to be those weird Americans who went out on the windy deck to take pictures that were Titanic-esque.
After the ferry ride, it was direct haul back to the states—I didn’t even notice when we passed Vancouver. Right as we were getting close to states (there were like 3 McDonald’s), we made a quick stop and bought French-labeled ice cream (which turned out to be peanut-butter flavored). With our ice cream in hand, we quickly made it to the border crossing. Entering the U.S. was really easy. The immigration officer raved about British Columbia’s renowned bud.
Next thing we knew, we were in the U.S. of A.! As we passed the “Welcome to Washington” sign, you could just feel the different atmosphere (our air is so much better…). It was refreshing to see mph signs over km/h. And EVERYTHING, especially gas, was instantly cheaper in the states.
Driving for barely 10 minutes, we had arrived at our next destination—Lynden. The climate had changed drastically from overcast/rainy/cold weather to warm/humid/sunny weather. Yoli and Charles welcomed us to their beautiful home and we were so happy to be in another place, yet again. After getting settled, Yoli took us to tour the town of Lynden. Lynden is small, Dutch-influenced community that was fun to just wander in, despite the stores closing early at 5PM. We saw strawberry fields, Dutch wind-mills, forested parks, and a charming town. By the time we got back to Yoli’s, we were in a discussion with Charles that lasted all the way through dinner. I was able to converse with Charles on about everything from Michelangelo to Reagan to Washington’s fishing laws! We were all happy to meet the entire family as well! 4 hours sort of flew by…
Can’t wait for tomorrow! I feel like I’m living on edge because of my lack of sleep in particular.
Best:
- Being in Canada for Canada Day
- Peanut butter ice cream!
- Back in the States
- Late-night convos
- Delicious/fresh Washington strawberries
Worst:
- Leaving Bev
- No thrift store for Kat
- Everything closes in Lynden by 5 PM
