rückkehrunruhe

Rückkehrunruhe

n. the feeling of returning home after an immersive trip only to find it fading rapidly from your awareness—to the extent you have to keep reminding yourself that it happened at all, even though it felt so vivid just days ago—which makes you wish you could smoothly cross-dissolve back into everyday life, or just hold the shutter open indefinitely and let one scene become superimposed on the next, so all your days would run together and you’d never have to call cut.

fawns // does

 see?

rainy, cosy

Sleepy Victoria at the start of autumn leads to cozy, rainy, indoor moments.  I've written about  the wonderful eating that goes on in this home before, but this time I got to experience it in a new season - pumpkin spice doughnuts with a maple glaze,  waffles with rosemary maple bacon - all on a rainy day.

the last bit.

I'm so sad to say this is my last bit of film from my time in Victoria.  It was our last lunch together and we shared a sweet afternoon eating fish and chips, (I had the most delicious salmon burger), and drinking ciders by the water.  

This past week things haven't been going that well for me.  It seems like it's one thing after another, and once I make progress one thing, another thing comes along to set me back further.  Blame it on the Mercury retrograde, or whatever you'd like, but there have been quite a few times this week where I've felt pretty defeated and wishing I could be lounging around, avoiding the rest of the world, with these people again.

And even despite all the setbacks, I've got a couple of good friends here who have been helping to keep my spirits light.  Times when your luck is so unbelievably bad, it is a blessing to have people around to help you laugh it off, and the warmth I've received from my classmates and friends abroad, have made all the difference.

the best of: june edition

Happy July 1st! And even though I'm not there - Canada day!  Here are a few of my favorite moments from my last bit of time there (and Washington too).  Like, I mean, remember this pie?

And when I would be washing dishes and look up to see the silly cat had nested herself inside a cake box.  She's pregnant by the way!  It's crazy to think one day soon I may come home from class to tiny little baby cats waiting for me!

Hannah and I's sweet early morning breakfast at Fol Epi before work.  She made a green smoothie and we shared a caramelized onion and bacon quiche - so good.

Impromptu picnics outside of my place.

When my neighbors would hang laundry up outside of my place and the setting sun would shine through it in just the right way.  Also that I had access to all those green things growing!

Silly photo shoots on the Washington state ferries with my sister.

This cupcake.

victoria breakfast.

 I would be woken up early, early in the morn, and bike over with Alex, having the silly, delirious conversations that can only happen when you've just woken up.  We would wind through different neighborhoods and across bridges where the Cascade mountains spread on the other side of the water, and then up a decent hill that made being met with coffee and breakfast even more appreciated.

Sophie is a breakfast extraordinaire.  While I was busy sleeping she would be up, preparing huevos rancheros, sweet potato hashbrowns, mango salsa, baked oatmeal with warm berries, and the list goes.  

It was amazing to come over for breakfast and immediately feel like I was home, even though I was so far away.  And, after eating food from the road these last few days, I've already begun to miss sharing meals with these sweet people.

assorted vancouver island.

Just a few moments from living in Victoria - like the time I went to an ecovillage on Shawnigan lake expecting a potluck and then realized I'd shown up on the wrong day... but had come just in time to help make dinner!  They liked my cooking so much they offered me a job!  If I wasn't so busy with the bakery I probably would have taken it too.  A happy accident.  Then, there's also that if I walk my bike, my kitten cat will travel pretty well in the bike crate - it makes me look pretty eccentric, and it's pretty cute to have a cat companion rolling around town with you.  And the view coming from washington is always so dreamy.

farm animals by the sea

My lovely friend Sophie, and I were walking down to the beach, when we discovered a petting zoo in the park!  We were met with baby pigs, all of which I wanted to take home (seriously, honestly considered owning a pet pig for an hour or so), alpacas, sheep, and my favorite, baby goats!  I'd always heard that goats will eat *anything* but geez, we were mauled, they found all parts of my outfit delicious, even attempting to chew on my glasses.  

and then it was a few hours laying by the ocean with veggie sticks and sophie's homemade avocado hummus (so good I was eating it with my fingers).  Best day.

little things.

Appreciating the little things about Victoria, like the bike trail that meanders around little bays with fisherman setting up their boat for the day, or that my bike ride to work involves pedaling through cute neighborhoods where the flowers are in full bloom and everyone's always out tending their garden, not to mention the shifts where I get to appreciate the sunrise on the way. Then there's always my favorite park where you can see the snow-capped mountains of Washington state across the water and there are 100's of dogs always running around off of their leash.  And of course, there are the days off that involve decadent chocolate chip, coconut, and almond pancakes with maple syrup I brought all the way over from Vermont.  I've got to appreciate these things, because before I know it I'll be packing up heading back to Vermont to return to school.