Drum roll please ....

 

This photo was taken last summer near the tidal pools in a little surf haven called Ucluelet. In fact, the word Ucluelet means safe harbour, and for me, it was exactly that, a place to rediscover the magic in my life. I spent my time in Ukee, as the locals call it, surfing, hiking the awesome Pacific Rim trail, joining in the local performance night with a story I wrote while waiting for my surf instructor, making friends from around the world, and relaxing in the hammock right up to 5 minutes before the backyard bear reclaimed it. At a local shop, I picked up a little silver starfish I wear daily around my neck. It helps to remind me of that Ukee magic.

It's appropriate that I'm pictured here in my "tada" pose because I have some good news to announce. This is where the next phase of surfergrrrrrl's continuing adventures is about to take place. In the next couple of weeks I will be heading to Skagway, AK and boarding the ferry southbound to go and live on the island, permanently, or at least until my gypsy spirit urges me on. This is great news both for me and the blog, because I'll be able to report on local surf conditions and events and tap into the excitement when the O'Neill Coldwater classic comes back next fall.          

                                             

I go to sleep at night imagining what it will feel like to exchange my sound machine "ocean" for the real one in my new little house by the harbour. My dogs, Wolf and Owl are going to love those early morning walks in the fog on the beach, and exploring the lush trail through leafy green rainforest and up the rocky cliff face past spectacularly crashing surf. I'm a beach girl at heart, I grew up two houses up from the beach back east in Toronto and there is nothing that makes me feel more completely home than burying my toes in the sand and leaping into the waves.

You're all invited to come along on this next leg of my journey, and for my family and friends, there will be plenty of extra room when you come visit. We can even rent you some boards and get out there on the waves together.

surfergrrrrrl, signing off