This has been, hands down, the greatest summer of my life. Surfing, hiking, infinite days on Kennedy Lake, Growlers, Super Moon parties on private islands, countless theme parties, incredible friends, fantastic food, nature, wildlife, love and peace.
Yes, it's been a summer for the books and I can't believe I'm saying this but...
I can't wait for it to finally end.
Let me explain...
When I set out to move to Tofino I wanted to experience it with my whole heart. I never set out to make tons of money, in fact, I would have been happy to simply break even. I moved to Tofino to find myself and reflect on some personal issues. Up until recently I was doing just that. I was broke, but happy and fulfilled. Then last month I sort of fell into a second job. At first it was okay, I was working full time nights at one position and doing a couple mornings at the other. I was tired, but it was manageable and I still had days off. Then August came along with the chaos that accompanies this time of month. A lot of people have already left to go back to school, but the town is still packed with tourists. Now I've found myself with two full time jobs and working back to back 16 hour days. No time to pursue my interests, no opportunities to catch up with friends, no chance to run or surf or read. Hell, I barely have time to sleep and eat. But I know I'm not the only one in this position, this God-foresaken month is the problem.
When I first got here, all the locals griped about summer. They all said it's too noisy and stressful and there are too many tourists and douchey seasonal folks. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. How could anyone hate summer? And as far as the tourists, they pay our wages and drive our economy. We rely on them to keep us going through those slow winter months. We should be grateful for their presence. Right? Now I'm so cynical, I instantaneously despise every tourist I see and here's why: In April, the tourists I interacted with were warm and friendly and interested in life in Tofino. They were mostly middle-aged couples and mostly fellow British Columbians. The tourists now are a lot of Americans and Europeans. They're rich, yet miserable and traveling with young children. When asked how they are, they'll often let out a heavy sigh and answer "Alright, I guess."
What's to guess? You are in the most beautiful spot in Canada (as far as I'm concerned.) You're staying in a 5 star resort that caters to your every whim, you have nothing but free time in a town with endless adventures, but still, they're miserable.
Maybe it upsets me because I'm a little jealous. Jealous that I have to work my ass off to afford to live here. Jealous that I'll probably never be able to afford a luxurious vacation for myself. Or maybe I'm just sick of the bitching and moaning. Some of my favourite complaints include:
"You're internet SUCKS here!"
Welcome to Tofino, the internet sucks everywhere. It's hit or miss. Try putting down your phone and experiencing nature first hand rather than just tweeting about it.
"Does it ever get warmer here?"
Nope, it's a rainforest, in the Pacific Northwest. Didn't you do any research regarding the weather before you came all the way here?
"Why is it always so foggy?"
They don't call it Fogust for nothing. Again, a little research on your part would have gone a long way.
For me, its hard not to take it personally. I may not have lived here for long, but right now Tofino is home for me and people I love. I am constantly in awe of all the beauty and magic that surrounds me. For others to not see what I see, it's almost sacrilegious. To have people speak down to me and treat me as if I'm below them, that hurts even more.
I'm just tired, tired of busting my ass off every day and night for barely any money. I'm tired of putting on a fake smile and dealing with ill-mannered children. And the bike path, oh man, don't get me started on the bike path. I rely on my bike to get where I need to go. When I'm riding, I'm rushing from job to job or running errands in the little bit of spare time I have and I'm constantly dodging families out for a leisurely bike. I don't get why the concept is so difficult: Stay right, except to pass. Don't walk directly in the middle, taking up the entire path and then shoot me daggers when I try to pass you. Don't park your car directly on the bike path so I have to ride (dangerously) along the side of the highway. And DON'T park your car in front of the path to Vinyl and then stare at me as I awkwardly stumble through the prickle bushes in an effort to get home.
I don't mean to be ungrateful, but a lot of my frustration comes from being overworked and overtired. As much as I may wallow in self pity I don't expect sympathy from anyone else, because we're all in the same boat. I'm not the only one with multiple jobs, I'm not the only one putting in long hours or working 2 weeks straight without a day off. We're all pooched and starting to snap at one another, just counting down the days until the summer ends.
I dream about September when life can slow down a little. Until then, I'll just keep swimming.
