We left Vancouver rather inauspiciously by bus. It felt strange to be making this big step in our lives simply by walking a couple of blocks and getting on the same bus as Mike has taken to work for the last year. I felt a little sentimental as we drove through Stanley park, wondering when and if we might ever be back. From the North Shore Highway, I kept glancing back to catch my last glimpses of the city. For the most part though, I’m excited about our trip.
We took the ferry over to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island in glorious sunshine. Sitting at the back of the boat we were able to watch the mainland recede into the distance, marvelling at the mountains that creep right up to the coast and occasionally catching glimpses of the snowy caps of the larger ones behind. Downtown Vancouver appeared once we had rounded the bend, the buildings lit up like fluorescent bulbs as the sunlight reflected off the glass. We spent a while trying to identify different buildings before being distracted by some dolphins and the other islands we were passing.