Reconnecting In Squamish

Why does it seem like we have the most fun when we’re flying by the seat of our pants?

Our trip to Squamish was somewhat last minute and it meant changing some family plans which wasn’t very easy to do considering how often we get to see our family. I felt conflicted but not regretful to accept an invitation to stay with friends.

It doesn’t take long for me to feel overwhelmed by the city buzz. The people, the fashion, the cell phones, the noise, the rushing, the tv, the eating out…. Our Squamish visit was a much needed break from the city to reconnect and recentre before Lily’s dental surgery.

I used to come to Squamish on a regular basis. I’d come before my afternoon shifts to rock climb in the mornings. I’d sleep at the base of the Chief to get an early start at the day. I’d hang out at the neighbourhood pub on weekends while staying with local friends. The climbing gym I worked for would come here to do outdoor climbing instruction or group climbing parties. I don’t think I’ve ever been to Squamish and not rock climbed- until this visit. The weather was wet so I wasn’t missing out on too much but I felt that climbing itch as strongly as ever.

One of Lily’s favourite memories of Squamish was visiting the slackline park. Akin to tightrope walking, slacklines are made with taut webbing between two posts. Balance is your focus as the webbing wiggles rapidly beneath your feet. It’s a little addictive and really cool to see those who know how to do it better than us. Lily’s eager to set up her own slackline here at home so she can master the sport without the use of a fence to lean on.

Without rainpants, we were only able to go for a couple short hikes. It was just Lily, Leif and I on our second hike up the trails in the climbing bluffs. I wore the Beco but not once did Leif ask to be carried. I was amazed at how far he was able to hike. There were a lot of wooden and rock slab stairs and he just kept hiking along.

We ate so well, it was almost like eating at home again. My friend’s yummy version of Buddha Bowl, buckwheat pancakes with apple and strawberries and mouth watering fried rice were just some of the dishes we ate.

With some food sensitivities to work around, I decided to make Lemon Lentil Soup for supper one night. My friend and I made someMillet Pumpkin Seed Bread for the experience of making bread and for Lily, Leif and I to eat. With only whole wheat flour, it was a bit heavy but still delicious.

My friend inspired a very crafty visit. She used a sweet song to teach Lily to make slip knots, which then led to finger knitting. I’ve taught Lily to knit but I appreciated taking this step back to simpler handwork where Lily experiences less frustration when picking up work after a break.

My friend helped me get back in the groove of crocheting and inspired me to make a handful of apple cosies for bringing an apple snack wherever we go. We watched my friend hand stitching a little baby doll and I made a funny looking felt mouse for Leif based on one he really loved playing with while we were there. Being around right before valentines gave me the opportunity to help make a whole batch of valentines for my friend’s students.

Not only was it nice to reconnect with my friends but we had much needed mental rest and reconnection between Lily, Leif and I before heading back to the city for Lily’s dental surgery. That’s my next blog post!