The Cold Plunge: Reflections in Transit between Penticton and Victoria

The flight from Penticton to Vancouver took place on a small propellor plane. There was one cabin crew member. As the plane puttered over the snow-capped North Shore Mountains, I reflected on the fortnight that had just passed. I had just completed my visit with Janine, a decade-long dream fulfilled. I felt sad that this part of the journey was over, but excited for the next leg of the trip. And my time with Janine was not yet over- she would be joining me again in a week’s time for a few days in Vancouver and then onto the Sunshine Coast to visit her best friend Kat.

After spending two weeks with Janine in Pentiction, with adventures to Banff and 100 Mile House, I was now venturing out on my own for a week in Victoria, Vancouver Island. Even after two weeks, it had not yet sunk in that I was on this trip. Maybe it was because it had been such a busy time.

The landscape of Canada was so different to every other country I had travelled to, and yet the people and culture felt so similar to what I had experienced growing up in Australia. The things that were different were driving on the opposite side of the road- I must admit, I flinched while driving with Janine whenever we turned, gave way or merged.

The supermarkets were enormous. For those in Australia, it was like Big W or Kmart combined with Coles or Woolworths, and maybe a the garden section of Bunnings, and a micro version of Chemist Warehouse, all under one roof.

Contrary to what I had been warned, I found the food portion sizes while dining out to be generally the same as Australia. However, grocery items were definitely larger. I was looking for travel-sized shampoo and conditioner, and could not find them anywhere, even in the chemist or dollar store. There were a lot of the same retail stores, like H & M and Sephora.

I had landed with Janine to find her in the throes of family life. House, partner, two young children, and a golden retriever. I found it quite interesting that I was immersed in this environment on this trip. It was a Sliding Doors moment, or probably more like The Family Man with Nicholas Cage. A glimpse into the life path I had walked away from. I had split up with my long-term partner because I didn’t want to have children. After two weeks of this immersion into Janine’s world, I knew I had made the right decision for myself and my life.

I landed in Vancouver and was escorted directly to the departure lounge for my connection to Victoria. I waited the short layover, and before too long was boarding an even smaller propellor plane. This one had two single rows of seats either side of the narrow aisleway. I watched on as the male staff member checked our seatbelts and other safety aspects of the cabin, and then was surprised when he jumped into the pilots seat. This flight and aircraft didn’t even have a cabin crew member!

I am not usually an anxious flyer, but the flight from Vancouver to Victoria unnerved me. The plane was small, and we felt every bump of turbulence. Fortunately it was only a half hour journey, and we were safely on the ground.

I broke a note at the currency exchange office at the airport terminal for the five-dollar bus fare. I caught two buses to the University of Victoria campus, or UVic, as it is affectionately known. I then checked into the first of many university accommodation I would stay in during my time in Canada and Ireland. The room had a single bed, a desk, a wardrobe, and a lovely green view of the university grounds. After living in a suitcase for two weeks, it felt good to unpack my bag. Storing my clothes in the drawers provided gave me a sense of grounding that I desperately needed at this stage.

After settling into my room, I checked out the communal kitchen. I was surprised to find no crockery, cutlery, utensils or appliances for cooking. I inspected the kitchens on the other three floors of the building- all had a refrigerator, but no microwave or kettle. I thought maybe there was a main kitchen that I had somehow missed, and returned to reception to enquire. I learned that the kitchens on each floor was all there was on offer. I was confused- how did the students eat during the year? The university wasn’t exactly close to grocery stores, and while there were several eateries on the university grounds, I thought surely they weren’t dining out or getting takeaway every day. They were students, after all. I would later learn that the universities in Canada offered students a paid meal plan for the eateries on site, which explained why there was no need for cooking facilities.

Being outside the school year, only select eateries were open. One of them was the campus pub. That night, I had the happy hour special for dinner, and was early to bed. I came down hard with a cold two days earlier. The jam-packed schedule over the previous week and a half- and probably my busy two months preparing for my trip- were finally catching up with me. I knew I needed to slow down and pace myself. I needed to find myself amidst the busyness of this trip.