More than anything in this whole entire world that this mum and this boy needed when school ended last month was a little getaway and some R & R. There are many reasons why we feel like we've been through the ringer for the past year or so, and as we retire reasons for being in the ringer new reasons would unfold. Most especially by the end of our year at school last month, which is the end of school for now, unschooling: the next frontier - we just needed to get out of dodge. Ok, I'll speak for myself, I needed to get the heckfire out of this city and away from everything school, house, work and everyday related.
I was originally banking on a little trip to Harrison Hot Springs. I did everything possible to point the compass East but C was all uphill battle so uphill to the mountains it was. As it was just on the cusp of summer, school wasn't actually out in spite of the strike going on in public schools, and my weekends are Monday to Wednesday, the affordability of Whistler was a sure win.
The plan was:
- a cheap hotel room in the village, kitchenette and pool a must
- maximum two eat out meals, not including a visit to Cows for ice cream
- 2 x 5 activity passes to the Family Adventure Zone presented by Nintendo (I saved money here and didn't do any activities myself, just took a million pics of C)
- RELAX!!!
After my leisure rise out of bed the first morning and the discovery that nothing opens when they say it will open and I desperately needed something from the pharmacy, we did some exploring. As if it was so simple. Now, I'm not sure how other people's children are on vacation or in regular everyday life, but mine likes to play it safe. On vacation, with a hotel room that has a TV with cable, safe means staying inside and not going anywhere. Of course, that wasn't going to happen. Ye have little faith.
The upper village of Whistler has a Family Adventure Zone sponsored by Nintendo that opens up for the summer. It had only just opened up two days before we arrived and again, Whistler is on it's own time schedule. When we first arrived at the Family Adventure Zone right when it was supposed to open there was barely an employee there, let alone ready for business. We had to meander around the village, spot a bear by the bus stop and detour back. It was a little more happening by then. I'm sure on a weekend it's wicked busy. I bought the pass for C, it is by far a better deal, you essentially get one 'ride' for free and C headed to the Spiderman Web climby thing. He loved it so much he did it again. But then he discovered the bungee trampoline. That's when he declared that this was the best day of his life. That's right, I know a thing or two about planning some fun.
A second declaration was also made this day during the gravity ride. He said he no longer wanted to be an astronaut, he wanted to be a photographer. Totally cool with me.
Naturally, the effort it took to coerce him out of the hotel room to the Adventure Zone had to be doubled when it was time to wrap it up and head back.
I booked us two nights, I mean, what's the point of just getting there and then turning around. Plus, who can resist the feeling of freshly shaved legs and clean and starchy hotel sheets - not me! During the time that we did opt for a little TV time in the hotel room, I found myself curled up in bed with a can of espresso coconut water and the book that I had gifted myself for Mother's Day in front of me. I lazily leafed through the pics in the book and soaked up some inspiration.
One thing I did not predict on this trip was the purchase of a skateboard. The week before I had treasure hunted a vintage letterpress drawer that I had on and off been hunting for a while now. I finally found one, and was planning to go get it and hang it in C's room for his collection of Mini Lego Figures when to my dismay I discovered that C had absolutely no interest in this at all. If you are going to spend money I want a skateboard, he said. But... but... but... I found a vintage letterpress drawer?!?! I can say with full confidence, this means shit to a 7 year old. In any case, we hunted down a skateboard in the village, the great thing about the village really is walking to everything, even a skateboard shop and I allowed C to purchase the skateboard with money his grandparents had gifted him. This turned out to be the biggest surprise fun that we had the whole trip. Within 24 hours of the purchase, he was skateboarding. He totally blew me away.
The morning we left, we were up at the crack of dawn-ish, and back to the skatepark with his banana board. We had breakfast and we were off. It was short, sweet and exactly what we needed to get us into vacation planning mode for our next trip which is going to be a biggie. I feel that when I was running my own business, with the costs of being in the first two years of it and the amount of time that it took up running it, things like a little trip to Whistler weren't even on my radar. There is alot that I have taken in these past couple of years since my life changed drastically for the better, and I have a new sense of less is more, quality not quantity and family comes first. I loved our little trip. This feels like just the beginning of many amazing things that await us in the future. Thanks Whistler - for resetting our mental clocks to Whistler time. XO. Suzanne
