Revisiting the past to live better in the resent

Travelling occasionally, even briefly, is refreshing. Many of my most memorable experiences in life are from my travels- breaking out of the routine and appreciating how others live.

This week, Barb and I revisited Victoria BC, having been there once about eight years ago. We took a day trip out in the Salish Sea, to where it meets the open Pacific Ocean. It was a warm day but got colder as the chop grew and we hit the thermocline of the cold breeze blowing in off the open ocean. There we discovered humpback whales, sea lions, seals, and an impressive ecosystem unlike any on land.

It was nostalgic for me as we came close to where my childhood buddy, Pete, drowned on our fateful kayak adventure in that area 38 years ago. It stands out in my memory like it was yesterday, because I never felt so close to death, but equally present and alive. I had no business being out there, inexperienced in kayaking, let alone in the ocean. Pete, Duane, Tom and I were 20 feet apart and could not see each other because the swell was so high. The Broken Group Islands are a wild and beautiful place, untamed and free to visit. I got a sense of the thrill that adventure seekers chase, tempting fate by getting close to a harsh and unforgiving eco-system. It reminded me of our insignificance in the universe. To this day, I think back to experiences like that, when I feel worried about things; don’t take yourself to seriously because this is all a fleeting moment.