What a day! Woke up around 9:30 thinking, "Shit, I'm going to miss breakfast if I don't get my ass in gear!" Stumbled downstairs with bushy hair and half in my pajamas, half in real clothes and grabbed a lot of eggs and some fruit for the road. I took my plate outside and ate at a picnic bench while reading Still Alice. What a haunting, eloquent book about what it means to lose your life to Alzheimer's Disease.
I was a little worried about getting a boat to Beausoleil Island since it was Aquapalooza and all, but after a beauty drive to Honey Harbour, I found the Daytripper still had room to take me over at noon and it was only $15! Win! Georgian Bay is absolutely gorgeous and the twenty minute trip to the island was breathtaking as usual. I wish I could come here every weekend and I briefly wondered how I could get a job driving the ferry to the island every other weekend. You know, with all my boating experience from when I was 12. I decided the cost of my lodgings each weekend would outweigh any monetary gain from being a ferry driver. Sad. However, the very best thing I heard all day was, "You have to be on the return boat at 4:30 p.m. If you aren't present, we have to file a missing person's report. It's for your own safety. People lie to me all the time because they just want a ride to island and then they stay with their friends in a cabin."
The island was as I remembered from two years ago* except the water was much higher and there was really no beach to swim from. I wandered over to the south end of the island to Aquapalooza which was basically bands playing on a barge with lots of boats moored nearby. The water is shallow and people waded out to the barge and partied while the bands played. I started walking out with some people I met while I was trying to make it to some promising rocky land to set up for the day. One guy was immediately stopped by the patrolling police for having beer in a sippy cup. No open alcohol at this concert folks! I ignored the cops since I didn't have any alcohol on me and wandered off to my chosen rocks with my purple bag over my head thinking that this was not well planned and damn my short legs! Georgian Bay is very rocky and I stubbed my toe as I waded ashore, but I made it to dry land without falling on the slippery rocks. Of course, the minute I sat down, I realized I hadn't stubbed my toe, I had cut it quite deeply and I now have a two inch gash along my big toe. Good times and typical Megan to obtain an injury first thing. Thank goodness I'm a mom and I carry a first aid kit!
The rest of the afternoon was spent on my new rocky spot in the sun, alternately reading and just chilling out. Absolutely the best day ever with the live bands playing and the beautiful, hot sun beaming down on me. I couldn't have asked for a better day to relax and soak up the heat.
I ate the bad food for dinner. It was amazing, I'm not going to lie. As I stare at my bloated tummy, I only sort of regret it, but since it included bacon, I'm quickly getting over that.
When my ex and I split last fall, a friend told me that if I could regularly spend thirty minutes alone, without distractions like television, my phone or my computer and still be content with myself, then I was truly happy with my life and possibly ready to move on from my relationship. She was concerned for me because I had packed my social calendar with activities that were clearly meant to distract me from my problems and also designed to keep me from any sort self-reflection and therefore personal growth. She wanted me to take advantage of my new found single-ness to figure out what I really wanted and, probably more importantly, what I truly need. Today I realized that I can spend a whole day with myself and be content and only mildly uncomfortable with strangers' questions about why I was by myself. I did finally cave at the end of the day and wearily agreed with a park ranger that I was staying with friends back in Midland. I think that was more to do with personal safety than any sort of longing to be with people. I realized early in the day that it was probably not a good idea to tell strange people that I was all alone and basically defenceless and no one would know I was missing should they choose to take advantage of me. At least I knew I would be reported missing if I wasn't on that damn boat by 4:30. Not an overly comforting thought if you are actually missing though.
Anyway, it was a great day and I'm planning on spending tomorrow as Wasaga Beach and then home.
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| Ready for the day with Dr, Pepper, beef jerky, my trusty Batman hat and People magazine. |
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| Yup. Typical Megan! |
xo
-Megs
*I wrote last night that it was last year that I was here and I realized it was two years ago...time flies to use that tired, old cliche
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