The journey’s the thing

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to fly to Vancouver from Nanaimo. Normally when I make this journey I head to Departure Bay, walk on, catch the 257 Express Bus to downtown and five hours later I’ve arrived. The float plane journey, including the Gabriola ferry ride and the stroll to the terminal and the short wait clocked in at approximately one and half hours -- a savings of three and a half hours. You’d think I’d be overjoyed. But a funny thing happened on the way to the Vancouver Harbour Air terminal … I began to miss the BC Ferries journey. Shocking I know but what I began to realize is that sometimes – sometimes – the best adventures happen on the journey to somewhere. Think of the conversations you’ve had with strangers on an airplane, the great expanses of time on a train when the only thing you could do was devour a book, the discovery of a funky café or shop as you wandered from the ferry terminal to the bus station.

Of course, when one is commuting, or has a limited amount of time, then time is of the essence. But if that isn’t the case then take a deep breath, open your eyes and take in the pleasure of the journey (And if you’re travelling by BC Ferries, especially on the weekend … leave the car behind. The glorious essence of the journey becomes somewhat distilled when one is parked in an enormous line-up of cars for more than a few hours.) Bon voyage!