I am sitting on our boat in the 1000 Islands, just where Lake Ontario ends and the St. Lawrence River starts. The sky is a wonderful blue, incredibly, after this rainy morning. Boats are speeding by creating deep circle-like ridges in the water that come toward us and connect with the boat, angry, pounding, hitting; wham! Every once in awhile, there are gentle waves, soft, enveloping, caressing the fiberglass.
Nearby, a tour boat is leaving its dock, loaded with people, small, big, old, young, dark skinned, blond; we hear a mixture of languages. I wonder, who are they, where are they from, what are their dreams? A little girl excitedly points towards two little islands connected by a small bridge. One of them, the larger one, lies in Canada, the other one in the US. A short bridge connects both: it’s the shortest international bridge in the world, just a few feet long!
I inhale the beauty of the blueish water that is speckled with small islands; sailboats are gliding by gracefully, their sails billowing in the wind, and powerboats are racing each other. Everywhere, people sitting on their patios or beaches feasting their eyes on the spectacular view. Once again, I feel grateful to be here, and my heart opens. The boat feels like a cradle, secure and sturdy.
Memories surface, unbidden yet welcome, of trips here with Dad, years before he died; and of me and my Godmother being on this same tour boat a few years ago when she visited Canada for the first time at the proud age of 82!
This is what my husband and I look forward to every year, a few weeks’ cruising on our beloved boat, inhaling nature, living nature, embracing the lake’s softness, experiencing and fighting its harshness, its unpredictability; exploring little harbors and villages, connecting with people, and making new friends.
Each time we return home not only rejuvenated; we have spent quality time together, walked, laughed, and filled up our mental and emotional tanks.
What are you passionate about for your vacation, and where and how do you love to spend it? Somewhere in a cottage, with a set of friends? A road trip, perhaps, or visiting loved-ones, close or far away? I’d love to hear from you.