That is NOT how we do it in Canada

Oh
Mans
Epic freakin journey to get here.

So Mel and I set out from college at 12:15 pm on Thursday and arrived at the hostel at like 7:45 pm on Friday. That is how long our journey was. That is a lot of journey. We took a bus to Olympia, and then a bus to Tacoma, and then Everett, and then Everett Station, and then Mt. Vernon. BUT by the time we got to Mt. Vernon we had missed the last bus. Which was a little but of an issue especially since the bus stop was in nowheresville anywhere. But there was a coffee shop that had closed where some girl was cleaning up and she told us that there was a trail that would lead us to a trailer park where we could maybe get a ride to Anacortes, which was where we were trying to go to get a ferry to San Juan island to visit Av, so we decided to walk it. We didn't see anything that looked like a trail so we took off down this road past some oil refineries hoping that was the way to Anacortes, which we were assuming was a bunch of lights we could see in the distance over some water. We eventually found a bridge over the water which had seven benches on it and a trailer park on the other side, and while we did not find anyone at the trailer park we found a map which showed us how to get to Anacortes so we walked there. It was a long walk. Then once we were in Anacortes we had to walk to the downtown area, and once we got there we had missed the last ferry to San Juan island so we went to the bowling alley because nowhere else was open and got some runny eggs and a bacon cheeseburger. Well I got the runny eggs and Mel got the bacon cheeseburger.

THEN we left there and found a 24 hour donut shop open so we inhabited that for a little and looked at the map and realized that the ferry place was really freakin far away and that we should probably start walking to make sure we got there. My spleen started hurting as we were walking and we weren't even sure where we were supposed to go so we decided to go to McDonalds to ask, but then this car full of obviously drunk metalheads was like HEY, ONLY THE DRIVE THROUGH IS OPEN, DO YOU WANT US TO ORDER FOR YOU, and we were like actually we're just looking for directions, do you know how we should go about walking to the ferry terminal, and they were like that is ridiculously far away we will just give you a ride, so we got into the car cause we had no better plan. And then they were like oh, how about watching some movies at our buddy's house instead of sitting outside the ferry terminal in the cold for hours, so I was like sweet mans that sounds great.

SO off to the house we went. You should have SEEN these guys. Piercings, tattoos, mullets, crazy beards, the works. Serious metalheads. One used to be in some band which I guess was pretty famous cause Mel had heard of it before. He was 36, the one with the mullet was 16, and the other two were probably in their 20's, and they all apparently live in this house, sleeping on couches and the floor. They also hang out with a slovakian veteran with bullet wounds in his chest who has gone half insane from what he witnessed in the war and some guy named Sharty who peed all over the floor the night before. We watched SLC Punk, Stepbrothers, Baseketball, and Beerfest. And it was a lot better than being outside in the cold. I will give it that. An experience. They all ended up falling asleep, and we kind of did too for a bit (not more than 10 minutes at a time though) even though we were trying not to just for the sake of some sort of security. Then at 6:00 am one of them drove us to the ferry, which actually was wicked far away and I don't know if we would have made it there walking.

So we got on this ferry to San Juan island at 6:15, and oh my goodness the San Juan islands are SO PRETTY when they are appearing out of the darkness as the sun comes up. SO. Pretty. I tried to take pictures but it was too dark out. But you are all welcome to google image them. Mel and I found this spot on the back of the ferry where you can walk out and look at the water and it was real romantic.

Then we arrived on the island and Av met us and took us to see the ocean at seven in the morning. It was beautiful. If i had ever seen the Pacific Ocean before it was when I was two and living the life of a California baby. But it was so freakin gorgeous. I bet you can imagine. And then Av took us to his house which is right on the ocean and so cute and so nicely furnished and decorated and made us huevos rancheros and coffee and scones and his friends came over and we hung out with them and then napped cause we had been up all night.

And then Av realized that the ferry that was supposed to really conveniently take us from San Juan Island to Victoria was not running because it was on its winter schedule so he drove us to Canada, which was very helpful and lovely of him. And then he dropped us off at the ferry station in Vancouver and we took a really luxurious ferry over to Victoria. Which is where I am right now. But my story does not stop here.

SO we took two more buses to our hostel and went to sleep at 9:45 pm cause we were so exhausted.

The next morning we woke up and went over to this adorable coffee shop across the street, brick ovens homemade bread and pastries all so cute and non-chain like, I was a little obsessed. And then we went grocery shopping and OH MANS, THIS CANADIAN SUPERMARKET HAVING BULK CANDY BINS ALL OVER THE PLACE, and pineapple rings and chocolate all up in the middle of all the aisles, by god I did not know what to do with so much possibility.

Then we went exploring down by the water and saw some great boats and soaked up the culture, and came back and made some grilled cheese and salad for dinner.

And then we headed out to hit da clubz, and went to this place where the bouncer was from where we were from and we bonded over it which helped when he was trying to confiscate stuff from us later, WHO KNEW we were doing something we weren't supposed to be, but we charmed our way out of it and danced the night away. Some random girl was all touching up on both Mel and me, touching us on places that most people are not allowed to touch and kissing our necks and really just trying to get her girl on girl on girl threesome on. That was something. But besides that the dancing was GREAT!

And then today we made toad in the holes for breakfast and this Japanese girl was fascinated by it and took pictures and had us write down what it was called. And then I put Mel's hair in rag curls, a little trick I learned from Molly McIntire. And then we made some more grilled cheese for dinner and were ready to paint the town red.

We got a little lost on our way though and ended up crossing some bridge into sketchtown Canada and had to call Bej for help. But eventually we found what we were looking for.

Canada is great.
The end.
For now.