Suddenly Saltspring

I just had the most glorious two and a half days. In fact, the best two and a half days I have had since returning from Europe.

Leon and I were supposed to go camping. That was the plan, anyway. The initial thought was that a group of us would all go camping and it would be this fun, social outing for my 31st birthday. But as the Anything Goes rehearsals whittled away at each of our souls and my motivation to 'round up the team' diminished to faint embers and the rain seemed to plague the month of June - the group camping idea became less likely. In the end, I had an epiphany. Why not change the camping thing to renting a secluded cottage, change the group thing to just being me and my man and do it all on Saltspring Island - an Island that I have been aching to experience since spending last year on Pender? It seemed like a perfect idea.

And it was.

Our time was packed with perfection. Gentle rains and steaming cups of hot beverage, yummy surprise Sunday brunches, ideal accommodation falling easily into our laps, an insatiable amount of the best sex I have had - EVER, sneaky hottub rendezvous, spontaneous Tony's watchings, soul searching conversations while eating Spitz and drinking Diet Pepsi, smoky wood fires, in-house-one-man tap dancing shows, falling asleep while asking impossible questions, waking up in disbelief, the most comfortable bed we could have asked for, the sharing of Buffalo Pound's Banana Boat phenomenon, canoeing alllll the way to the Blue House, watching my lover jump into the freezing cold lake at midnight, swinging in tree swings, being chased by the crabs and hunting for the frogs, eating burgers at an Island pub, exploring the village stores, staying in bed until 2, laughing until we cried, dreaming because we felt safe and smooches to glue each and every piece together.

It was the best possible way to begin this, my birthday week. I turn 31 in a few days. My family has sent me the money for an iPod and we have had a Sunday show canceled next weekend which gives us another three day weekend which rocks seeing that I still haven't gotten my Suck It Up day. But this past few days with Leon, in that little piece of heaven, is already more than I could have asked for.

I loved it so much It has caused me to stop and wonder what is ultimately stopping me from living full time on one of these amazing Islands to which I am so connected? Part of me just wanted to quit this contract and give notice on my apartment and make the leap TODAY. No part of me wanted to return to put on costumes and kick my poor leg while pretending to have fun. I just wanted to be a normal woman, living on a beautiful island and leave the lights and glamour and applause for someone who craves them a lot more than I do. But the show must go on. And even if I don't do it TODAY, it doesn't mean I can't do it someday soon.

Until then, I will keep the last two and a half days inside somewhere to remind me...

...and get on with the business of turning 31.