Last Day in Vancouver

It was our last full day in Vancouver yesterday. We spent it exploring different beaches. I was looking for a certain beach that I thought looked good on a map I had. It ended up being near the University of BC. To get to it we had to park, then walk a few blocks along the side of a narrow road, then down 550 steps through a beautiful forest. We discovered that the beach was a “clothing optional” beach, but didn’t want to turn back after all the walking to get there. I tried explaining to my puritan daughters that going nude is no big deal for many people, but they were horrified at the nude people. I couldn’t stop laughing at the way they would get a glimpse of someone, then quickly look down and pretend not to see them. This trip has been so good for them to be exposed to different cultures, customs, and languages. They’ve been pretty sheltered and isolated from the rest of the world in Eugene, and it’s so exciting to see them experiencing a different country.

As always for us, it can be hard being on vacation because we are all three together all the time. The girls don’t get along too well, so it finally got on my nerves yesterday. I struggled with how to get them to quit bickering with each other, and I finally decided that the consequence for insulting each other was that for each insult, they had to then turn around and give a complement. They wouldn’t stop with the constant bickering and insults, even with this new rule. So, since we were on vacation and had all the time in the world, when it got really bad I stopped what we were doing and returned to the apartment. I had the girls write down 50 things to be grateful for and 10 things they liked about each other. I went across the street and ate a chocolate pastry in the park while they worked on their assignment. When I got back, they had actually completed their tasks and they had a good gratitude list. I had them each read their compliment list to each other and it turned out to be very sweet. Today went much better and they got along very well and we were all happy and relaxed.

My energy level has been steadily increasing. I still get tired in the middle of the day, but with a break and a rest I’m ok for the rest of the day. It feels so good to be getting active again!