“Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
I’m lucky we’re in love in every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday” (“Lucky” by Jason Mraz)

I am fortunate to have travelled fairly extensively in my life. As a young girl living in South Africa, I spent many holidays in England where my grandparents lived; as a high school girl, I was part of a sports team that went to Los Angeles on two occasions; and then as an adult with German relatives, I have been to Europe several times. I have also been to Mauritius, Zambia, Swaziland, Lesotho and Botswana… and after emigrating to Canada, I have travelled to Alaska, the USA and Mexico. I have seen majestic mountain ranges, African savannahs teeming with game, idyllic island paradises, flown in a helicopter over the mighty Victoria Falls, and discovered the beauty of great European cities like Amsterdam, Venice, Paris, Brussels, Frankfurt and London. Nothing, though, is as beautiful as living on Vancouver Island. The older I get, the less I feel the need to travel when I am surrounded by such magnificent beauty in the everchanging scenery that is everywhere on this island. From the snowy heights of Mt Washington, to the cosmopolitan European feel of stately Victoria; to the temperamental seascapes of the Georgia Straits and Salish sea. You can lose yourself in old growth forests with towering trees, face the elements on the treacherous west coast or revel in the wildlife that is everywhere.

When we vacation in a sunny spot, or travel across Canada to see our, or pop down to Vegas for some excitement, I always relish in coming home. I feel “Lucky to have been where I have been, Lucky to be coming home again, …Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed, Lucky to be coming home …”

Just catching a glimpse of Nanaimo from a sea plane, or from the deck of a ferry sets my heart a flutter. Love where you live!