Time with a Dear Friend: Wonderful Visit to New Brunswick, April 2017

Some of us are fortunate enough to have friends with whom we are so well connected that even when we don't see them in person regularly, our relationship doesn't suffer. These are the kinds of friends with whom we have such a bond and feel so comfortable that we're able to resume our deep connection and get right back to meaningful conversations after not being together for lengthy periods of time. I count myself immeasurably lucky to have had such a friend for more than 34 years now.

S and I met and became instant best friends when we were in grade three. I had just moved to a new school after having returned to Canada from Germany in the Spring, and there she was, the kindest, most friendly girl a "new kid" could ever hope to be welcomed by. I can't recall how we became close; we just immediately were in my mind's memory. Our bond remained unbreakable through countless separations, as my family continued to live in Europe for the Fall and Winter months of each year throughout elementary and middle school, and as her family moved abroad during middle school as well, of course timed so that we didn't see one another for about 18 months on that occasion. At high school graduation, we were voted "most inseparable friends" by our fellow graduates. We were both integral parts of each other's wedding parties. And while I've stayed geographically more constant as an adult, she has gone on to live in various corners of the world. I shared the news of my first pregnancy with her on a beach in Australia, the country she called home at the time. And now, some 34 years into our friendship, we continue to share a relationship that comforts me at a core level of my being. 

S and her family - which grew by one this Winter! - now live in New Brunswick, and I was so excited to be able to visit them earlier this month. Flying to the East Coast was a new experience for me, as the last time I was in the maritime provinces we'd driven there. I flew out of Hamilton with New Leaf airlines, another first for me. As I walked out of the airport waiting lounge onto the windy tarmac, the plane before me was emblazoned with the name 'Flair Air'. I had to double check that this was, indeed, the right plane as I hadn't noticed that this was the subsidiary airline name that I was to be taking. I giggled inside as I contemplated the fact that I've flown with WOW Air (to Iceland) and now Flair Air within a year's span. Flying with Flair - as was the case with WOW - proved absolutely fine, and I touched down safely in Moncton about two hours later.     

And there to pick me up at the airport was S with her two sweet little munchkins! This trip afforded me the opportunity to get to know her three-year-old son better - I love that we're buddies now! - and to meet her sweet little three-month-old for the first time. There's a feeling that I can't quite explain when you watch the children of a dear friend, someone whom you've known since your own childhood . . . though not quite in the same league, perhaps, I can only liken it to what a grandparent might feel when watching their grandchildren, or to seeing your sibling's children. Though I may be an only child, S and I have said that we'd have been quite happy to be sisters.

I could snuggle this sweet little muffin for hours!

We spent our days during my visit engaged in both the regular, everyday adventures of their family life - taking her son to playschool and gymnastics lessons, making dinner and attending to baby N's needs - and embarking on grander adventures, including wonderful hikes and explorations in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. I'll let some of my photos do the talking:

Beautiful birches along the boardwalk in Sackville, NB.

 

Our happy little foursome enjoying a wonderful hike at Parrsboro, NS.

Beautiful purple and turquoise rocks at the beach in Parrsboro.

On my last full day, S and I, with sweet little baby N in tow, took off on a trek to the Hopewell Rocks (big thanks to S's husband G for his kindness and flexibility, which enabled us to take this daytrip!). Although the park was officially closed to visitors, we did not let the warning signs deter us, sneaking through the gates like the little rebels we are. Hiking through the woods together, we chatted along merrily while proceeding with some caution due to the ice and snow which still lay along the woodsy paths. The last time I'd been to see the Flowerpot Rocks here along the Bay of Fundy was during the month of August on M's and my honeymoon many years ago. It's a magical location at any time of year. Watching the swiftly moving tidewaters edging closer to the land is really quite amazing, and certainly made me appreciate the vast array of geographic beauty which this magnificent country of ours has to offer.

A sign which we conveniently chose to ignore.

The Flowerpot Rocks at Hopewell Rocks, NB.

 

Encroaching tides.

 

This trip was extra-special for so many reasons. Not only did I get to spend these days catching up with my dear kindred friend and enjoying some wonderful adventures with her, but I was able to share in the simple joys of her family life by taking part in many of their daily routines. Now I can picture what they might be doing at various times of the day, and knowing this brings a happy smile to my face. When I speak with her on the phone now and we chat about recent happenings, I can better imagine everything that she's talking about, from her lovely home to the quaint town and many of their friends and acquaintances. As luck would have it, she and her children have come home to Ontario for a spring visit, and getting to see them again so soon after my trip East is beyond wonderful. I can appreciate the slight changes in baby N, and her son and I are like old pals. I'm so grateful for the time I can share with S, and for our connection which has spanned both time and distance, and which I am confident always will.

P.S. On an aside, I must acknowledge that my blog posts are coming fewer and further between, due to a busy spring time. The online course that I am taking is monopolizing much of the time I could normally devote to writing, and a few other projects are keeping me rather busy these days. Thanks, as always, for reading and for understanding that life is a constant balancing act, and as such the time for my blog ebbs and flows along with everything else in my life. Wishing you all a happy spring time!