How a “life wake-up call” lead an Alberta couple to unexpected insights on the BC coast
We came across this wonderful story recently, and wanted to share it again with the Maple Leaf community. It was originally published in our newsletter in the spring of 2008. – eds. |
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![]() That summer Janice became ill with a rogue virus which necessitated surgery and a week long stay in hospital. Having had this little wake-up call, one of the first things she did upon being released was call up Louise and book a trip on the Maple Leaf for the fall of 2007. Time enough to get well and something to look forward to!
We chose the Whales and Totems journey in order to gain an appreciation of the historical and current interdependence of the human and non-human systems in a part of the world that was distinctly different than the foothills in which we live, work and play. The fact that the trip would be on the historic Maple Leaf was the clincher. The voyage was so much more than gaining an appreciation. As partial “hermits” out here in the country, we were in close quarters with a group of people we had never met before. The trip made us stretch in terms of defining our personal space and, here we are, just 6 months later, about to spend a four day Easter weekend with new shipboard friends from San Diego – eagle watching, what else! We saw things we had never seen before. We did things we never did before. We ate like we never had before. We were able to stretch in as many directions as we wanted with the total support and encouragement of the crew and fellow passengers.
We got to “meet our bookshelf” – Alexandra Morton and Billy Proctor, and after the trip, we forwarded Gervais’ amazing pictures of the elusive offshore Orca pod to one of Canada’s pre-eminent whale researchers, Graeme Ellis.
You cannot help but be transformed by a voyage on the Maple Leaf – she has been transformed herself and touches everyone with her grace. A trip on the Maple Leaf is truly a trip of a lifetime. Do whatever you have to do to join her, breathe her magic and see how she brings wondrous things out of the mist. Read about the Whales & Totems trip. |