Down by the bay

 On June 13^th I said goodbye to my Yukon family, all belongings packed up in the Taur-star and I ventured south. My final destination was Charlotte, BC – Haida Gwaii. Nick and I planned to live in his cabin on Robertson Island, a small island housing 7 other families off the community of Charlotte. 

I arrived in Charlotte two days of driving and an 8 hour ferry ride later. I drove out to Spruce Point, grabbed a kayak and made my way to the cabin. This would be my first experience living on the ocean. I wasn’t really sure what to expect or what I was going to do with myself for the first week before Nick arrived, but luckily as I kayaked over to the cabin for the first time, our lovely neighbour Sheila yelled out her window “Is that Jayme our new neighbour? Come over for dinner!!” A heck of a great way to start this adventure. Over the first week I fumbled my way around the island trying to keep busy, but not really know yet what to do. Marvin (Sheila’s husband) helped me get set up and told me about some edible berries on the island. I picked berries for 7 days. Marv and Sheila had me over for dinner three times during that first week before Nick arrived. 

Once Nick arrived we were in a race against time to build a greenhouse because his mom had sent him up from Vancouver with a load of preplanted veggie plants that needed to be replanted. We plowed through building and setting up the cabin over the next few weeks. I was the queen of berry gathering by then, Nick started catching crab and he shot a deer. We had our hands full. 

Currently we’ve just about finished the greenhouse. Once the plants were in and the walls were up we took a break, so we’ll be putting the final touches to the roof this week. It was pretty cool to be a part of building something that will feed us for the next two months. My parents also helped out with the green house during their weeklong visit. We ventured around the islands together, but mostly ate a lot of crab. 

I’ve been getting used to island life, loving it really. Nick’s cabin is right on the water. I’ve managed to snag myself a few friends, get out dancing at community dances, surf in Masset, and hiked up sleeping beauty and land a few hogs off the west coast. I'm managing to keep quite busy and social now that I'm settled. This place is heaven.

I haven’t much clever to say for now. Just wanted to give everyone a peak at what I’m doing out here!

Processing berries and sun tanning. View from our front porch

Eagle party in front of the cabin

 Big ol sitka spruce

The beginnings of our greenhouse

North beach outside of Masset for surf and sun

A friend let us stay in their beach shack

Genevieve lives in HG too! She milks goats along with a dozen other activities. Always a riot this lass.

 Toe hill road. I love how the road has to make way for the trees.

Slowly coming together

Catchin hogs and takin names

20 lbs spring, my biggest hog yet.

Many delicious dinners

 

Keeps on coming

Skidegate days! I was able to race in the Lootas canoe

 

Diane crushing in the fish filleting competition.

Hiking up sleeping beauty right up to her nose. 

I'm pointing at Robertson in this dorky photo. It's the bigger of the islands off Charlotte.

Who needs a prince charming if you've already got the Whitehorse

A statement that I'm sure many Yukon lasses would disagree with, but the Yukon is so much more than long winters and a lack of eligible bachelors. Whitehorse is the hidden never-never land of my generation. We don't grow old living within the magic of this final frontier... there are simply too many fun activities to be done. It's the land where the want to see a friendly face is fulfilled by walking into Baked at lunch hour. Where the Jickelbot (Peterball, PEETA - Peter Jickling) heads the local paper and his jabberings are sure to put a smile on your face. Where simply contemplating crossing the road will create a traffic jam, where Eric Telford is the happiest man. Where our summers and winters are filled with music fests,beer fests, road relays, bike relays, theater performances, hairy legs, beards and plaid.

Many people fret about the winters of this north land, but it only takes a 'RUFIO!!' or a "LIL JON" to get a wolf pack together for potlucks, local beers/coffee, 80's dances and a plethora of outdoor winter sports. The Yukon is the final frontier and I consider myself fortunate to have fallen in love with this land and community.

During my time in the Yukon I developed a strong adoration and respect for untouched earth. This connection to the earth keeps me grounded and balanced. I can easily say that I've transformed more in the past 3 years than I have in my entire life. I've explored only a fraction of the Yukon even though I spent the majority of my weekends hiking and camping. This only means my return is essential.

 I was able to reconnect with this land for one month after my South American quest to do some final visiting, adventuring and packing before beginning the trek south. A wise friend once told me that after living in the Yukon and leaving, everything else in comparison is beige. I made the best of my final month in the Yukon which was full of amazing friends, laughter and exploring. To my fellow Horsians, I miss you dearly. Come visit me soon please. I'm dreading the beige that I fear will creep deeper into my bones as I continue farther south.

Old fort Gams and I found 

 

Top 3 favs of Whitehorse

Only the coolest couple

Kbird - fellow Narnimette

Haines Alaska on a clear day, few and far between

Nicky and myself

A solid polish bag

Caribou hike 

Gams and Jams reunited 

Darc, checkin out the seen on top of caribou 

Nanners, Gammers, Jammers

Fishing outside of the Horse 

Arctic char

Lucy's bday on windy arm lake

 

Telford 

Sangria to celebrate! 

 

The birthday girl herself!

Rock gardens in Whitehorse 

Final hike in the Kon, Mount Lorne

Real Life

Traveling is easy. I say this because I've been home for some time now reflecting, and in regard to the title of my last post : “Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” – Cesare Pavese.

In my opinion - though the quote resonates with me, I think it might be a bit forceful. Traveling is not a brutality. True - it forces us to trust others quickly, to push our boundaries, but most choices and consequences are short term (at least with the way I have been traveling). Real life is hard. Real life forces us to make serious decisions with longer term consequences. It's not as simple as which bus to catch or what hostel to stay in - it's whether or not returning to school is worth years of debt or  whether to return home and take on the responsibilities of an ailing parent. These are concrete decisions that can affect us for a very long time.

For those of you who think traveling on your own would be tough and scary, you'll get over your fear of unknown buses and strangers much quicker than the rest of us will get over our fear of commitment and lack of purpose.

By no means am I slamming my fellow traveling brothers and sisters, I'm sure many people would strongly disagree with these statements, it's simply my opinion. I don't travel to run away from something, but to run towards something. When I travel my mind is clear without the fog of everyday responsibilities. Traveling fuels my quest to find experiences that provide me with happiness and encourages me to continue seeking these simple pleasures when I return home. While traveling I am quickly reminded what makes me truley happy, good friends, good food and a warm place to sleep. I challenge my boundaries and fears while traveling so that I'm well practiced for a time when I'll need special skills, when those 'BIG' decisions enter into my life.

I do believe everyone should travel. It is easy to stay in your comfort zone at home and avoid anything that makes you slightly uncomfortable. Traveling allows us to develop strengths that aren't easily developed at home. It opens our minds and challenges our perspectives and stereotypes. On the other hand, I acknowledge how important it is to face the major, longterm challenges and decisions that arrive at our doorstep. The ones that we can't avoid by hopping onto the next bus or changing our length of stay in a certain place.

When I return home, the reminder of big decisions weigh on my heart. I don't live close to home and don't plan on returning longterm for a long time. But every time I go home, I am reminded by this little girl the weight of these decisions are harder to bare...and now I'm sure her little brother will make it even that much more tough. 

 

Kissing her baby brother pre-arrival

 

Playing in the corn box

 

My little Livie

 

Exploring at Oma's farm