Through the Eyes of Another

We moved to the Okanagan in 1986. For those of you who are mathematically challenged, that was 28 years ago. As a family, we had been spending every summer vacationing here, so it was a no brainer to move here when the opportunity came up. For the next 15 years or so, we explored and enjoyed every inch of the Valley.

But as the kids grew up and moved on and the JOB became an obsession, I lost my way.

After 15 years, it is easy to become jaded about what you have and began to take it for granted. No need to rush out and do and see things as those things aren’t going anywhere, we’ll do it tomorrow. Then tomorrow becomes next week, then next month and the cycle begins again and again and again and continues for the next six years forgetting what brought us to the Okanagan.

 

Retirement was going to bring me back and give me the time to rediscover my direction. My barista gig at the Hogs Breath fell through and next thing I know we were spending the next 6 years, somewhere else.  That somewhere else was pretty fantastic so it was easy to forget what we had left behind.

So it was with excitement that we looked forward to a visit from one of our extended Chinese family. Takae or JGD (Japanese Granddaughter) as she is affectionately known was coming to Penticton. The decision was made last year when I challenged her to join me and train for, then come to Penticton to complete the Peach Classic sprint triathlon.  More on that in another blog.

But what iced the cake for us was the chance to show off our Valley.  

 

Seeing the valley through her eyes, reminded us of what we have and how easy it is to access it all.

 

When she wasn’t training, we filled her days with all the Okanagan has to offer.

When we parted company after nearly three weeks, we had only touched a small portion of what we have come to take for granted. 

 

We are leaving again so I have written this blog to act as a reminder to me of what we have here and to take advantage of it while we are here.










 

We ended Takae's visit with a bike ride on the Kettle Valley Trail, a 400 kilometre ride through the mountains and valleys of Southern B.C. and it passes right by our house. Perhaps we will only tackle 40 k’s of it today then go wine tasting for the rest of the afternoon.  There is always tomorrow.