While I was home I visited  with a lot of people I haven’t had a chance to see in months/years/decades, and one of those people (SPK) gave me a great piece of advice for when I got back here. That advice was to pay the extra $10 on the ferries and get into the VIP area. He promised me reclining chairs, a quiet atmosphere, all you can eat snacks, coffee and tea, and a wireless internet connection. He was right on all counts but the Wi-Fi.

Normally when I take the ferry, I get a drink, and usually a slice of pizza (they have surprisingly good pizza for a boat bus) and it costs me close to $10, if not more. So today I figured I’d give it a shot, and hopefully I’d be able to chat with Holly the entire trip across. When I discovered there was no internet, I decided I’d better get my money’s worth out of the trip somehow.

Above is a picture of all the food I took back to my table, then wrapped in my napkins and put in my bag. Also pictured above is some pot this guy named Ray gave me.

I met Ray today on the Gabriola ferry. He asked if I was sleeping outside tonight (probably because I was carrying to big packs and a blanket with me) and I responded “Fuck no! I’m dreading just hitch hiking in this rain, I can’t imagine having to sleep in it.”. He then asked where I was headed, and said he’d gladly give me a ride if I didn’t mind waiting while he made a quick stop. After he made his stop, he handed me a joint and said “One for you, and one for me.”. I smoked the joint (first of the day) and we chatted about some stuff (mostly pot), and he told me he’s a mechanic in Nanaimo. He bought his land with cash years ago, and built his house without taking on any debt. We stopped at his house for a moment, and he came back with a handful of buds for me.

I love how nice everyone is here, and I hope that the fact that I’m pretty miserable about being here right now isn’t too obvious. I’m trying to stay positive, but I’m having a real hard time. At this point I’ve had enough of the lifestyle the island imposes on me currently. I’d much rather be back in Ontario working on a resume.