Being in Bamfield

Life can take instant shifts, some good and some not so good.  Life has taken me on a new adventure and I have found myself living a life that existed only in my dreams.   Life serendipitously fell into place and here I am living in Bamfield, BC.  There is no "How To" steps that I can share so others can repeat this process other than to be open to possibilities and believe in miracles.

So how did it happen?  I had been planning to do a trip across Canada via train and the day I was leaving Kevin decided to join me.  Kevin has been a friend of mine for over 30 years.  He was my boyfriend in my early 20's and my best friend's brother.  The spontaneity he showed by joining me the day I was leaving won me over.  Plus spending 3 weeks traveling across this phenomenal country made us realize that being together was easy and fun.

When I got home I was looking for a job and I saw a Craigslist add for a caretakers position in Bamfield, I asked Kevin if we should do it and he said sure and a month and a half later, voila!  Here we are!!

I have dreamt of living by the ocean, sitting by the window, looking at the ever changing view that comes with waterfront living.  Now as I fold laundry or make a meal I look up and my breath is taken away.  My eyes perpetually feast on this new reality and my constant mantra is a light whisper saying "thank-you".

For years my hobby has been to turn down the corner of pages in recipe books to remind myself of recipes that I wanted to put to the test. I have desired the time and money to be able to cook the meals I coveted.   Now even with limited funds I have enough to buy all the ingredients I desire and I have an abundance of time to try new recipes to serve to our future guests.  Making home made yogurt, granola and preserves fills my days and I long for nothing.

I have been completely living in the moment and jumping into the tasks for the day.   Finding recipes on Pinterest I experiment with these new creations to fills our stomachs.  The aroma of  baking wafts through our new home and I look forward to sharing the successful products with our friends, family and guests at the lodge.  Exploring this new area and meeting the characters that live here has me wanting to learn more of this place and the many reasons that people found themselves here.

I love Bamfield!!  I rarely need to get into a truck or car.  Most of our commuting is done by water or I can walk to town in 20 minutes.  The population is only about 150 people so when I do walk to the small community centre on the east side, people pass in their cars and wave or even stop their car to chat, Bamfielder's are very welcoming.  There are two convenience stores, one on the west side and one on the east side.  This means there is no place for me to waste my time and money buying things I don't need.

Sadly life is not all perfect, one negative thing I find myself doing is worrying.  I know that all this can change in an instant and can be gone with no warning.  I know I can't spend my days worrying that this life will suddenly disappear.  I know my only option is to embrace each fulfilling moment as worrying will not keep change at bay.  So what can I do to stop  myself from worrying?

- I will feast my eyes on the view right outside my window.

- I will embrace the new relationships that surround me and connect without a fear of loss.

- I will remind myself that I am worthy of this life that has dropped on my lap.

- I will savoir each and every new experience this area has to offer.

I would love to walk more.  Two months ago my life was all about walking but here, on the wild west coast of Vancouver Island, there is wildlife that could kill me for fun.  It has been recommended to walk with other people and never alone.  So I wish for people to come and visit so I can feed them nutritious breakfasts and tasty deserts and go for walks in this coveted part of the world. We are caretakers at the lodge and this is not "our" home so there is a fee that comes with a visit but I guarantee, it will be well worth it!  We will have fun! Being in Bamfield together 😊