As the semester continues, I find myself drifting back to the last summer, where I spent most of my five months off of school travelling. I don’t think I can choose a favourite of the places I went to, but one trip that did stick out to me for its scenery close to home.
I am of course, talking about my physical home in Toronto – relatively speaking, the place I went to was the closest of all the trips I took this summer. Late June this year, I went to Tobermory, a small community at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula, with my family. We chose this place because apparently, when my siblings and I were children, we had visited this place before.
We started off our trip by going to the Spirit Tree Estate Cidery where we enjoyed some amazing lunch and some ciders (seriously, it’s so good). I highly recommend this place in the summer for its amazing patio scenery and superb food.
Hours later I found myself standing near the tip of the Bruce Peninsula, with the cool sparkling water up to my ankles, while I stood next to a famous lighthouse used in the past.
To my utter surprise, I found out soon after that our place of stay was actually just across from that very same lighthouse.
We enjoyed a cruise, viewing famous shipwrecks through a transparent bottom boat, preserved by the lack of oxygen to break down the wood.
Honestly – the entire place seemed like a paradise island in utopia. Crystal clear waters, natural landmarks and green trees as far as you could see. Flowerpot Island is a shining example of this.
But perhaps the strangest thing of this all was that I hadn’t wanted to go on this trip at all. I didn’t mention this, but this was also the first trip of the summer I took after last school year. I had been so comfortable with my urban lifestyle and comforts of WiFi, the Internet, and an abundance of comfortable bedsheets that I had again grown accustomed – too accustomed – to materialism. This trip found me placed in the middle of an island surrounded by green trees, rocks, trails, and waters, far away from WiFi, my phone charger, and even out of data reception range. During my time on Flowerpot Island, I was privileged to spend some time walking the trails by myself, with only the sounds of nature around me. I was separated and apart from everything, but I did not feel lonely. I think I needed this.
Funnily enough, just one week later, I’d find myself sitting in YYZ waiting to board a plane to take me to East Asia, the supposed highlight of my summer (and don’t get me wrong, it was an unforgettable experience all the same!), but I dare say that this Tobermory trip put my mind to rest and unwind after a long school year, allowing me to fully enjoy my next trip. Tobermory, I owe you a debt. You are breathtaking and beautiful, and I can’t wait to come back to you in the future – I yearn for your crystal waters once more.