I had forgotten the sun existed.
I woke up with sore shoulders last week and saw red when I looked in the mirror. I could not have been happier.
It was the colour of cautious optimism though; spring’s sun had burned us several times so far this year, smiling down at us just to disappear and ghost us for weeks.
All was forgiven this past weekend though. When we needed it the most, it endeared itself to us once again and re-stoked the love we can’t shake no matter how many times we get burned.
Queen Victoria was born on May 24, 1819, and we don’t go to work on the Monday before May 25 each year so that we can pretend to celebrate that while actually celebrating the beginning of summer.
What a wonderful celebration it was.
Sure, parking made us pull our hair out and commuting between our towns took twice as long as winter made us accustomed to—we live where the world loves to be when the weekend runs long—but we watched squids get dissected, held sea urchins, explored jaw-dropping rainforests and visited a picturesque Island paradise that only opens it doors to us once a year.
Tough to be angsty in that atmosphere.
Our paradise was in full bloom and we all received our long-overdue reminder that the structured and unstructured bliss that surrounds us is unparalleled.
Beach days, camping trips and bonfires disperse themselves amongst festivals, celebrations and events put together by a volunteer spirit that shines brighter along our Peninsula than anywhere else.
Summer’s love has arrived. Saddle up for a blast. Everything is ahead of us and hope will never run higher than it does at the start of our favourite season.
We’d be kidding ourselves if we didn’t mention the pressure though. It’s not just the time of the season for memory-making, it’s time to make that money and Coast, you gotta work.
That’s tough to do because we’re at our busiest when everyone around us at their leisuriest and it’s hard not to catch their relaxation.
Don’t expect to never get bitter, but remember to embrace the beauty around you and accept that you’re part of it’s charm. Our cash wielding guests are here for a short time and we need to pack their experience with good times that convince them to return.
Turning their wallets into boomerangs is no easy task.
Summer’s numbers perpetually rise along with the effort we need to put into sustaining that ever-steeper incline.
Catering to them is a burden we’re blessed to have and nobody exceeds expectations like we do. Just ask the Porsche Club of America’s Vancouver Island’s chapter.
They steer their sensational rides over Sutton Pass every year to embrace us and share our love for this place.
The benefits of that relationship are astounding and not just because we get to see cool cars shine through our paradise.
The Porsche Club doesn’t just benefit from our Coast’s hospitality, they contribute to our community, raising thousands each year for Ucluelet’s Volunteer Fire Brigade as well as the Tour de Rock Cops for Cancer team.
If you see one driving into town, a fist pump is in order.
They’ll make their presence known during a Big Beach fireworks show Friday night and mingle with us over pancakes the next morning.
Welcome them and reciprocate their love.
May-long opened the floodgates. The season is here.
Stay focused, but pace yourself. If you hit the nitrous early, you’ll burn out by June.
Remember to enjoy it.
They don’t have work to do and it’s fair to be jealous of that, but being here for a long time doesn’t mean we can’t have a good time too. There are reasons we live here and we’re not passing through.
Embrace them.
