Friday June 29th: Ferry Adventures

I have a very basic algorithm for handling travel. First I plan everything out, then I focus only on the next step. Focusing on the next step keeps me from stressing as much and it also ensures that I won't forget what I'm working on. This is useful for travelling. It's also useful for anything in life that involves multiple steps.

We were in Vancouver from Friday the 29th to Tuesday the 4th. In an effort to keep myself oriented I made notes on the different steps.

Phase 0: Planning.

Planning isn't part of the journey but it sure is necessary. We started planning about a month ahead of time and then solidified the details a few days before.  Under planning I'm also including packing, bookings, and anything else that isn't strictly part of the journey.

Phase one: Catch the bus to the university with our luggage. My wife has an exam and we are catching the bus straight from the University to the ferry terminal.

How it went:  I am sitting at a University Cafe to write. You won't see this post on Friday because I'll be leaving it to post until I return, but I'm going to keep track of my adventures and talk about how the habits I've built are influenced by being out of my home.

I won't be doing my summer projects while I am away. Instead I will be looking at my Greek text for next semester, reading novels, and writing. I'll talk to my friends about my projects and get feedback. And I'll enjoy a holiday with my wife.

Phase Two: Catch the bus downtown and transfer to the ferry bus.

How it went: It seemed liked it was fine but it turns out we needed the express bus. This caused problems in step three. It could have been remedied by more careful planning.

Phase Three: Get our tickets and embark.

How it went: 

This phase went much less smoothly because we didn't catch the express. We missed our intended ferry and my wife was grumpy. Part of this was general travel stress. But part of it was my travel routine. She was feeling ignored. Once we were able to embark we talked it through (quietly because we were in public.) Once we both had something to eat and relaxed a little I realised what she needed was very simple: focused time. That's something that is super important to both of us and something I wasn't offering her. We are both very verbal people, which means I need to say 'hello, I am here to spend 20 minutes with you.' It doesn't mean I can't stretch my legs or wandering about like I usually do, it just means intentionality. This is something I love about my wife, she is great at telling me exactly what she needs. So long as I'm listening we can sort things out.

Phase 4: Have an early dinner on the ferry. Watch for eagles and other birds of interest.

How it went: Apart from eating we had fun. We saw what was either a loon or a cormorant. We ate and also bought a little set of Lego to play with.

Phase 5: Disembark. Find transport to our location.

How it went: Busy busses but we got a seat so we didn't have to stand for the 40 minutes.

Phase 6: Arrive at destination. Settle in and snuggle our friends who are hosting us for the weekend.

How it went: Lots of snuggles. Sharing old photographs from our youth. Me and one of our hosts made supper while the other two caught up and we all chatted and listened to music.