canadia, eh?

DAY NINE

July 3^rd, 2012

Two to three hours of sleep? Normal, and reminds me comfortingly of college. At least, normal when you think that you’re functioning, but the way that you’re interacting with people… Or when you’re not interacting with them…Half way through the day I realized how much I need sleep. Functioning is not the same thing as living and enjoying life. I won’t say it was a good or bad day… But what is a big trip with a big family without a little stress? Sounds like candyland, and who wants to eat candy all the time? For really? Besides Spencer, Spencer, you can put your hand down.

Get up, packed, and into the car. It something we’re all used to by now. I’m hoping it will grow on me, that and living out of a suitcase…  It was sad to leave the Watts family. They were and are so kind to us, and mother and Joshua miss them, being so far away from Oregon. Goodbye Watts, until we meet again. I can still see them waving, the family of three, as our van complains and climbs the hills of Pennsylvania.

New York! (uses what I think is a city accent) First impressions? It’s green and beautiful. Some hills, not as many as in Pennsylvania. Clouds. WOW. East coast clouds are breathtaking. Spontaneous, unpredictable, and alien to me. I gasped and pointed them out as we drove, everyone else wow’ed about them and described what they thought it looked like to them. Kenzie had multiple ideas, her eyes big as she said, “It’s like someone had mashed potatoes and used their fingers to moosh it around. Or like a sheet and someone put multiple objects all around on it to weigh it down.” Mom thought it looked like inverted hills. I thought it looked sort of like a child jumped and pressed their hands into it all over, I can almost hear a giggle and the mischievous smile. Waves in the sky, dark spots like under the tired eye and where it rolled up and where it dipped lower was a lighter gray purple. Unreal. I could almost imagine it was an invisible layer of up and down flowing air that kept the clouds so uniform.

Besides the scenery, the bumpy highways are always enjoyable, especially when you have to pay five dollars to drive on it. I’m sure our money is going to good use; maybe they’re saving it all up to replace the road with a futuristic waterproof road or something. Or something. The one other physical observation on the drive to the camp grounds was this certain bush with red long flower-like jewels that stuck out of them, it was like a cheery spot of sunshine among the never ending vast border of trees and green alongside the road.

It was so weird to get to the camp grounds. Even though I knew I’d be traveling the next day, it felt odd to finally come to the destination, the real reason for the week’s long drive. The real vacation was about to start, even though the vacation seemed to be the driving. A week with the family, buried in books and writing, I wasn’t sure (and still not quite) if I was ready for civilization and mingling with others.

Our trailer wasn’t going to get there for a while, so we went and got food from the Chill n’ Grill. YUM! They dun’ have a bathroom, so Drew, Kenzie, and I went across the street to the small market like walmart to find one. We got lost on the way there… Not in the middle of the road, but inside the building. Though small, they have their bathrooms in the back behind where the workers go, aka, where you’re not supposed to enter. It was an adventure of laughter for sure.

After food we waited a couple hours (the trailer was late…) before examining the trailer inside. Before going inside we watched the pathetic yellowing trailer crawl around the camp grounds. Everyone had a sour face, it was easy to feel grossed when it stood next to all of the beautiful white trailers surrounding it. “It’s cute.” I said, trying to be positive, sitting next to Kenzie and Alexis (our new acquaintance). They looked skeptical. I revised my sentence: “It’s like a bug. A caterpillar who never turned into a butterfly.” A got some chuckles and smiles out of it. After going inside and washing the mold off the insides of the fridge, I thought- do caterpillars start as larva? Because this trailer was a larva who hadn’t become a caterpillar even. Sad, but true.

Everything had to be cleaned, from vacuuming the mixture of human and animal hair collected in the couch crevices to the beds to the fridge- finally it became more presentable. My bed is small. With big bertha on the end of it, I curl up in the midst of my other bags to sleep. After finding space for food and other things where there was no space, I gathered my shower bundle while Kenzie and Drew socialized at the young adult/teen table and Mom and Dad chatted it up with our neighbors. Shower and sleep never felt so good. Sleep came slowly; I fell asleep with my phone in hand, and listening to mom preparing the steel cut oats for breakfast.

DAY TEN

Good morning Palmyra! Aren’t you looking hot and humid today!? Don’t worry, your surrounding sister states got me somewhat awkwardly prepared for your heat. I wouldn’t mind if you took it easy on me though…

Steel cut oats, a little salt, cinnamon sugar, and a banana! Top it all off with a Green Machine Naked juice. Nomnom. Finally, we somehow all got ready in the small interior of the RV and piled into Fuzzy. Tolls every five minutes-no, just kidding, but a lot more than I’m used to. And the large bug (I thought it was a dragon fly) that hitchhiked with us, tucked into one of the windshield wipers, it’s large wings fluttering in the breeze swooping over us. And all I could think was, Canada over and over again in my head, but it was just Canada right? Everyone who mentions what countries they’ve been to, kinda mention it in passing, while emphasizing Africa or Mexico. I realize though, Canada can be as exciting as I want it to be. And so excited I was!

Things like Fantasy Park and Rainbow Bridge led up to the ultimate moment where we crossed into CANADA!!!!!!! Not yet though, but ‘m so excited that I forgot the ‘I’ in ‘I’m’. We’re right now driving along the Niagra River, and it’s a very large river… Kinda looks like a lake to me. I can’t imagine all this water falling off a ledge. I’m so excited! I’m so excited! First time out of United States of America!

“That’s it?” We were crossing a bridge where we could see the Falls in the distance. Perhaps I said that, because I had only caught a glimpse of the American Falls. That was something I learned, that there were multiple falls, did you know that? I didn’t.

After our passports being checked and stamped we made excited noises in the van, like, “YAY, we’re in Canada! WOO!” Stuff like that. Like kids at a candy store we watched our surroundings pass. I especially got a little silly and started pointing out all the Canadian stuff, even if perhaps it had originally been American. IHOP had a little Canadian maple leaf in the center of the ‘O’ and some more American restaurants used the maple leaf as an apostrophe. “Look, Canadians in their natural habitat!” I called out in a frenzy of pointing out Canadian things. “Look, a blockbuster!” I called out. Kenzie responded almost naturally, “It’s alive!” We had some good laughs. But I think everyone started to get annoyed with me, Kenzie and Drew especially looked at me with that, “Dade, really? The Canadians’ll here you!” look. And I would respond with, “Look! Canadian hippies!” No, seriously, it was epic.

Harveys. We passed it at first, not recognizing the name, but did note that it looked a lot like a fast food eating place. So after driving down the road and weighing our options, we decided on the Harveys. What happened to be happen chance, ended up being one of the best happen chances that we made in Canada. Super yummy! ‘Made with real CANADIAN cheese’ advertised from outside, we were excited about that. The chocolate shakes were especially delectable, made with chocolate ice cream, because chocolate was their only flavor. I upgraded my fries to Poutine fries, made with potatoes, real Canadian cheese, and gravy! Whenever I tell someone about them, they give me a funny look- Eww? No! YUM! It’s like mashed potatoes, but fries, and YUM. The people serving us were probably laughing within, since we were acting like obvious tourists… Me with my camera and asking stupid questions like, “What does real cheese mean?” I was in a good mood, biggest smile in a while, lookin around while I waited for our food. “Look, a Canadian.” I said with big eyes looking at my sister who hushed me with a smile, I smiled back. “But look, he’s proud to be Canadian” pointing out the man’s tattoo with a Canadian maple leaf as a background to whatever was the main tattoo. Also while we waited for our food (they actually made the Cheeseburgers in front of you like in Subway) I was standing next to father who was leaning and shifting weight between his feet, bumping into Kenzie on the other side, and then Kenzie bumping into Dad. Somehow I got involved and dad bumped inbetween us two. One of the times dad leaned toward me I leaned away, he kept leaning and did a ‘I almost fell’ catch, almost falling- but not really. Kenzie laughed, I smiled like an imp and shrugged, and Kenzie kept laughing. (Dad took note of her laughing and revenged her later for it.)

Food was nice, but not the main attraction, obviously. Before we went to go eat we had actually gone and checked into our hotel room in the Marriott on the 30^th floor. 301, it was. I know I’ve said, WOW, a lot, but WOW. WOW as in, huge room with two beds and a bathroom and a door that led into the master room with another bed and another bathroom three times the size of ours. And the view! It was perfect. Millions of gallons of water gushing over the edge and plummeting into a fog of mist. We had the best view of the Niagra Falls, so good in fact, that we stood there mesmerized for a bit. Later we realized how funny it was that while the Americans had the Falls mostly on their side and owned more of the ‘land’, the Canadians got to enjoy a more full view of the Falls.

Heat clung more desperately to us, especially when we were closer to the water. It was almost as if you could feel the heat carrying the water up into the sky. We were half wet already, might as well get soaked, eh? The best way to get soaked, Maid of the Mist. The best part is the large blue plastic bags that they cut holes in so you can use it as a rain coat. If I had brought more pairs of clothes into Canada, I wouldn’t have put it on. But then I wouldn’t have experienced the way that it sticks to you, wanting to become part of your skin, wrapping itself lovingly around your legs in whichever way the wind is blowing.

I’ve never thought that I’ve met someone like me. Call it pride if you will, but I’ve also not met two people that were quite the same. Truly unique, like an old valuable at a store, but the only price tag that’s been placed on us is from our Heavenly Father. He paid with his most valuable Son, sacrificing himself, because all of us were worth it. So, I’ve never thought that I’ve met anyone like me. However, this journey has allowed me to tap into other observations. We were on that boat, within the mist, water coming crashing around us- and I couldn’t help but feel an utter awe and humility, and just so small. Power. And then when I asked my family what they wanted to remember, it was my mom who tried to capture how she felt about the Maid of the Mist. Power. That’s the gist of what she tried to explain, and feeling grateful, and small. The way she tried to explain her feelings reminded me of what happens when I try to express myself outloud- trailing off and shying away. I later felt bad for not encouraging her to go on, but I was lost in thought about ways I’m like my mother. Or more like, how my mother is like me, and how I can know how she feels and connect better.

The other thing about the boat ride, a note to girlies who choose to go- dun’ wear mascara. The end.

After walking a lot and sitting a lot, we were able to climb back into Fuzzy. We contemplated what we were to do next and settled on a relaxing evening back at our very, very, spoiled, very, very nice hotel. My siblings mentioned swimming, and I wanted to swim… but had forgotten my swimming suit. My very patient family waited as I ran around the mall for something comfortable and modest. (This is impossible anywhere you go) The boys and dad in the car with the TV on, and mother and sister following me around in order to keep me focused (I have a shopping problem, and not the normal girly one- I actually don’t enjoy shopping much at all). Finally I piece together a swimming suit that I feel comfortable in, the suit from somewhere called ‘Winners’ and then sport shorts from their version of Nike.

After all that work we stopped to get the boys food and went home. Swimming! Kenz, Josh, Spencer, and I played tag. The rules were: when Spencer was it, you couldn’t swim; only run in the water. If you got out of the water, you had three seconds to get back in. I got really good at stretching those seconds. Onnnnnnnnne, Twwooowwwooooooo, Thhhhhh…. Exactly.

We went back up just in time. I didn’t have time or light to change out of my swimming suit (they turned the lights off so that bugs wouldn’t congregate near our large lookout windows). I ended up get the ground wet as I took photos and watched fireworks; fireworks that were further from the Falls than we thought they would be. The fireworks were cool, and the Niagara Falls and American Falls were spectacular with the colors that were being bounced off of them… But nothing can match, not even the Falls or fire in the sky, the joy of spending time with a family member. While Dad and Kenzie tried some cool photos, Drew and I played with my camera, trying to get good shots with the huge orange moon in the sky. Then later my father taught me some really cool things that I could do with my camera. It’s moments like those that I won’t be able to revisit, while it takes tricks of science to recreate fireworks and I don’t think the Falls are going anywhere anytime soon. Isn’t it interesting how everything else seems so trivial when compared to the worth of memories with the family?

P.S. Why is it so difficult to say Canada and Canadian?