17. Nelson, BC

Dates: April 3-5, 2015

Nelson is described as an “alternative lifestyles hot spot”, well known for it’s diverse artisan community and nature lovers. When we first moved to BC, we were told often that we would love Nelson. Although we have driven by a few times, I had never spent any time there until I went for a conference last year with a few colleagues. I fell in love with this eclectic town, and have been wanting to return with Will ever since. This hippie town deserves a hippie write up (said with all of the love and admiration I have for the hippie way of life), so here are my reflections from the weekend. 

                                     

Early last school year, I started practicing “mindful moments” with my students. This is a time for quiet, solo reflection outdoors, and onlookers are amazed to see how still the kids are. They are also blown away when they hear what is shared during our reflections that follow this quiet time. Since starting this practice with my students, I have found I am much more reflective and aware of my thoughts myself. This practice has heightened my awareness of my surroundings, and has often left me with a great sense of wonder, awe, and joy. This weekend, I repeatedly felt this way-while hiking to Pulpit Rock, watching the people in the streets, exploring the shops, walking along the water’s edge, and sitting in great cafes. Spring brings the hope of new beginnings, found in the buds forming on trees and flowers blooming near the ground. 

Hiking up to Pulpit Rock

Enjoying the view from Pulpit Rock

View from Pulpit Rock

For the most part, we removed ourselves from technology (with the exception of a few texts and an alarm). This wasn’t entirely on purpose- we couldn’t get the wifi to work on Will’s computer that we brought. But, we were really happy it worked out this way. After quite a few trips where we have been away from Internet for days at a time, I have come to feel that there is great value in “unplugging”. Will and I find our best time to connect is while walking, and have realized that a lot of this has to do with being away from the distractions of technology at home. We spent the majority of our time in Nelson on foot, and came away feeling like we really saw it.

 

Exploring awesome restaurants: Outer Clove, Rel-ish, Sanderella Boutique & Star Bird Teahouse, The Yellow Deli, Max & Erma's

 A wonderful friend of mine recently posed the question, “what is your favourite thing about being an adult?” This type of question had been somewhat of an ongoing joke from university, but after the initial laughter, my mind has wandered back to this question on several occasions. I’ve come up with many perks, but I think I fully realized my answer this weekend. Although I probably did feel “free” at times growing up, I almost always had to ask permission from an adult, as children do. As an adult, I am free to make any choice I want- everything I do now depends on the choices I make, the opportunities I take, the dreams I chase. This is exhilarating and exciting… and downright scary. But, I am going to focus for now on the “exhilarating and exciting” part! 

 

I found a new favourite coffee shop in Oso Negro: awesome vibe, great drinks, beautiful building and tranquil outdoor area with tons of seating! Not to mention the great people watching and pictures on the walls... 

After leaving Nelson, we went up to Ainsworth Hot Springs for the first time. We were pleasantly surprised that there were so few visitors while we were there (although there was an Easter bunny!), and really enjoyed exploring the cave. After a few hours in the pools, we took the ferry over to complete the loop, and enjoyed mountain views the whole way home!

There was such a serene feel to the weekend. We filled our days with walking, talking, eating, watching, sitting, reading, connecting, and laughing. Although the words “time out from life” entered my thoughts a few times, I truly felt like this was “time in”- finding joy scattered all over our days that will overflow into our days at home. 

Happy Easter everyone!

The Burgess Duo