Canto

Sometimes the greatest gift in life is time – time to wander, time to laugh, time in the company of the people who know you best. Our friendship was founded in Cornwall, brought together by the water, our shared love for adventures and chasing waves across the world. After a busy Summer apart, the stars aligned and we found ourselves in Canada, catching the last of the summer rays and the start of the Autumn swells on Vancouver Island.

We didn’t have a plan, just an old VW van, a few borrowed boards and some bear spray. The swell was picking up in Tofino, so we headed West, excited to explore these magical, misty, tree-lined shores. It was the start of the salmon run and as we drove past raging rivers, through mountain passes, we spotted bears enjoying their al fresco fish buffets, blissfully unaware of our presence.

We arrived in Tofino late afternoon and ran straight to the sea. A misty haze hung across the bay as we paddled out to some fun, glassy peaks. There were moments when the mist was so thick you couldn’t see the shore. Kelp floated like eels around us in this liminal space between the land and the deep Pacific Ocean. As the mist swept down the coast again, the sun set behind the trees, casting a dusty pink light across the beach. Exhilarated yet exhausted from our surf, we set up camp beneath veils of giant mossy pines. The forest was so still yet you could feel life pulsing around you.

Any opportunity to immerse ourselves in water, we jumped at, literally and whole heartedly. Diving off boulders into crystal clear lakes, plunging into alpine pools, slipping into silky seaweed coves and salty sounds. Dragonflies danced all around us, their wings shimmering in the sunlight, a friendly reminder of how fleeting and bright this existence is.

We headed South along the coast, stopping at beaches along the way. There was so much potential for fun waves here but unluckily for us the right swell never arrived. In Sooke, we met up with Mel and Robyn, friends we met surfing in Mexico earlier that year. They are co-founders of the Bitches ’n’ Barrels women’s surf community on the island which aims to bring inclusivity to the line up and empower women in the surf. Their energy was contagious, a reminder of how joy multiplies when women lift each other up.

That evening we joined a local surf-film night at Seek and Surf. It felt like coming home as we were welcomed by sun-kissed, smiling faces. The global surf community really is a village and bound by tides, wind, and salt water it’s where we forge friendships that span oceans.

Craving a deeper immersion in the wild, we set our sights inland – the Flower Ridge trail in Strathcona National Park. It was a calf burning climb, through the thick fog and lichen clad fir trees, clambering over gnarled roots. The hike tested us more than we anticipated – physically and emotionally – but in those moments of adversity, our bonds grew stronger. We witnessed each other’s highs and lows and held space for both.

On reaching the ridge, we ditched our heavy bags and pitched our tents looking out over the Ralph River below. We stumbled upon a tarn and, without hesitation, stripped off and jumped in – shrieking, laughing, grateful. The moon rose behind the mountains and we realised how long it had been since we had stopped to look up at the night sky. Shooting stars exploded into the inky cosmos and constellations felt closer than ever before. Morning came with hot coffee and cloud rivers, glaciers glittering gold in the sun’s first rays. As we looked out across the never-ending mountains and forests, we knew the seeds for our next adventure were already being sown.

Up there, in that vast quiet, something inside us changed. The wilderness had stripped back everything, laid us bare to the elements and to each other. It had not only given us time together but also the space to feel, to breathe, to let go, to be present.

Because all we ever have is the now and maybe that is all we ever need.