day 6: mcdonald campground (bc, canada) to anacortes (washington, usa)

this. this is what our day was like:

"The theology of progress forces us to act before we are ready. We speak before we know what to say. We respond before we feel the truth of what we know. In the process, we inadvertently create suffering, heaping imprecision upon inaccuracy, until we are all buried under a mountain of misperception. But Sabbath says, Be still. Stop. There is no rush to get to the end, because we are never finished. Take time to rest, and eat, and drink, and be refreshed. And in the gentle rhythm of that refreshment, listen to the sound the heart makes as it speaks the quiet truth of what is needed."

-Wayne Muller

we biked only three miles to sidney, to catch a ferry to friday harbor on san juan island where we biked around the block and decided on a place to eat (again). we rode another 1/2 mile or so and then just sat overlooking the ocean. we were POOPED and decided that it would be a rest day. easy. slow. and restorative. and it was. our bodies and minds were so sluggish, i'm not sure we could've operated any other way. 

getting to san juan island also marks our crossing over to the usa. i was sure it would be climactic when our phone service would change from canada's TELUS to at&t, but it wasn't. at all. actually, i was kind of bummed to leave canada. we were just starting to get acquainted and i was beginning to love the countryside roads and the 360 degree mountain views. it was incredibly peaceful, lush, and lovely, and even though we're still physically quite close to canada, the spirit of the US feels different. and honestly, i think at this point, i prefer canada. it's weird to say that. cedar, on vancouver island, left a particularly strong impression. 

speaking of impressions, on our ferry ride, we saw a lot of cyclists, but met one family who really struck 

me. veronica, charlie, and mylah (7.5 months). they were going on a practice bike camp weekend on san juan island to prepare for their summer 2.5 month ride from vancouver up to whitehorse, alaska. i wish i had taken a picture of them on the ferry, veronica breastfeeding in her bike gear, their stroller/trailer to her left and the beautiful sea behind her.

what stood out to me about them is that i resonated with their belief system: barriers are mental, the simple life is a good one... i just felt a good connection to their sensibility and my heart felt glad to have connected with people of like mind/spirit. 

i've been realizing that we are going to meet some extraordinary people on this journey, and by doing so, our vision & our dreams will expand. i know this because they already have. when people go before us and show us what's possible, we're empowered to think differently, to dream up new possibility. i can dream a little more differently about what i want to do when i'm one day pregnant or have small children. by meeting steph and kevin and now veronica and charlie, i've gotten a glimpse of a way of parenting that doesn't fit the model i had witnessed prior. i'm very grateful that samuel and i got to see it together. 

anyway, after cycling our total 11 miles for the day, we arrived at the gregg household where we were treated to exceptional bowling alley food (no really, it was super tasty), a warm shower, huge cotton towels, washing machine, very friendly dogs, a tour of anacortes, a super soft bed & sheets and just a sense of curiosity and welcome. it was wonderful to be in a home again.

today, i'm grateful for veronica and charlie and the greggs and for rest.