This summer, we boarded a flight for the first time in what felt like forever. But there was something extra special about this flight: for the first time in over a year, we were headed HOME.
We arrived in St. John’s after midnight and crashed at a relative’s house before heading to our hometown first thing in the morning. We were up with the sun (or should I say RDF– but it was the most welcome rain, drizzle, and fog) and the first thing we spotted out the window were dories being pushed off into the bay for a day of fishing. We’d been on the mainland too long.
After a warm, exciting, and tearful reunion with our parents and siblings, we hopped in the boat, cracked a beer, and enjoyed a much overdue afternoon on the saltwater. All of our senses were alive with the most exhilarating and familiar sights, sounds, and smells.
Our days were spent catching up with loved ones, musing at how the little ones have grown, and reverting right back to our ‘whaddya at, this is it’ conversations. We picked blueberries, went for long drives with soft-serve ice cream, ate tea and toast, and drank lots of beer in the shed. It might not sound like much, but it was exactly what our hearts and souls needed. Although we had been gone over a year, it felt like we never really left.
The day before we boarded our flight, I had a sore throat and swollen lymph nodes. I was panicked about the risk of having Covid or being rejected from my flight due to presenting symptoms. I saw a doctor and he told me I was likely affected by the thick wildfire smoke throughout British Columbia and Alberta– “some fresh Newfoundland air will fix you right up,” he said. He was right.
Whether it was the fresh air, the healing elements of the saltwater, or being reunited with family and friends– I was cured of every ailment.
There was one moment of our trip to Newfoundland that I could never have planned or predicted. Mack proposed. During a garden party, in front of many of our closest family and friends, he asked me to marry him. I said yes. That moment is seared into my memory forever. The excitement, love, energy, and emotion were palpable amongst the whole crowd. My heart was so full and it hasn’t emptied yet.
The best part of all of it, the engagement and the trip as a whole, was being able to hug people. I never realized how much I missed that form of connection.
I’ve already started wedding planning and I’ll share what I feel comfortable with here on twowildtides. We cannot wait to celebrate.
In the second half of our trip, we took a trip to St. John’s with our best friends. I never really realized before, but St. John’s truly is my favourite city in the world. We hiked Signal Hill and felt the strongest I may have ever felt (or maybe that was the effect of feeling no more than a breeze for 14 months), basked in the vibrant colours of sea and siding, visited some breweries and beer gardens, stayed at twowildtides’ favourite hotel (JAG), and hit up our ol’ buddy George for a scuff.
I could never put into words how much this trip truly meant to me. Unforgettable reunions, rockin’ parties, heartfelt conversations, intimate moments, and major milestones. Day trips, sleepovers, family gatherings. I cannot wait until we can go back again.
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