Words Tabatha Golat, Editorial Director
This summer, I found myself floating in the ocean on an inflatable tube that was very clearly designed for a child. Somewhere along the way, I had misread the Amazon listing, but once I stopped laughing, I realized I didn’t care. For an hour, I wasn’t thinking about the next thing on the calendar, whether we had snacks for our guests, or what needed to happen when we got home. I was simply bobbing in the water, feeling eight years old again.
Maybe it stuck with me because summer, despite being known as a season of slowing down, often feels like the busiest time of year. In our household, weekends fill quickly with visitors, barbecues and plans to make the most of each day. We love sharing this place with others, but I realized we were spending so much time helping people enjoy summer, we weren’t always taking the time to enjoy it ourselves.
So this year, I intentionally protected a few weekends just for us. Not because we don’t love hosting, but because we live in a place people travel around the world to experience, and I wanted to remember what it feels like to be a visitor here too.
There is something special about rediscovering familiar places with fresh eyes. A swim at Coles Bay, watching seal families pop up to observe the visitors in their home. Heading out to Sidney Spit for the day. Exploring local farmstands. These moments don’t require a complicated itinerary, just the time to appreciate them.
This issue’s article “Tourist in Your Own Hometown” on page 10 captures the same spirit, while “When Everything Feels Urgent” on page 13 reminds us how easily our lives can become filled to the edges.
Maybe the moments we remember most aren’t the ones we plan, but the ones that surprise us. I have a feeling I’ll remember that undersized floatie, and laughing at myself long after summer has come and gone.
These puppies may have already found a family, but there are many animals waiting for their forever homes at www.victoriahumanesociety.com.
Photo Janis Jean
