How to Survive Our Family Roadtrips

   In light of everything this is probably the least currently applicable post I could have done. But I thought it could be a fun dumb thing about one of my favourite trips ever.

Also this happened last November. I don't know why that's important for you to know.

   I feel like I need to explain a couple things before I should begin, my step-dad works an out-of-province job (I live in Canada). And the biggest thing you should know going into this is that he likes his trips to be a surprise. We get little to no information about what we're doing, or where we're going. The fact we got a phone call out of the blue from him saying we're leaving for Tofino in four hours, was shocking to all of us. Not so much the trip (although that was a surprise too) but the fact we got THAT much specific information.

Essentially this was my family after we ran like maniacs on cocaine to get ready when he walked in the door.

                                                                   

     

  Skye from Ink Calamities came with and I'm still SO glad she could make it. Regardless of how sarcastic that sounds typed out, I mean every bit of it. I warned her how our trips normally go but it's pretty much the same for her family so she was cool with it. And then we ate decently that trip and stayed in the nicest hotel/cabin thing I've ever stayed in. We ate an amazing breakfast every morning to start with. We never do that. After all my warnings it was probably one of the nicest (while still hectic) trips we've ever done.

Anways...

  #1 rule of Survival. This is crucial. Bring your mother. She will be the only reason nobody dies during the trip.   

#2 Count the children. You will lose some of them. Whether they go missing or try running headlong into the ocean. No children made it to the water just to clarify. There were no drownings.

                                                                               

  

#3 Remember your own way around a ferry

#4 Unplug the complementary hairdryer when it starts to smell bad  after you've been blow drying copious amounts of shoes. You will never know whether the hair dryer is going to catch on fire or if it was just the shoes. Best not to risk it.

#5 The washer and dryer are not exploding like a rocket ship it just sounds like it. Best avoid walking by it just in case however.

#6 Drink tons of tea

#7 Be prepared to wait on the beach for who knows how long. Because you're step-dad will leave to explore. You won't know where he went, how long he's gone, or if you were supposed to follow him. He will walk off into the sun at the drop of a hat. You love him but for the love of anything good, make sure you take the vehicle keys away from him so you can warm up with sand/mud covered children.

                                                                         

                                                                               

#8 Everything in Tofino is inspiringly gorgeous. It's the most stunning magical fae place I've ever seen. One place looked like you were literally standing in a painting. I don't think anything will compare to that moment. 

#9 When the tide coming in sounds like it's legitimately laughing at you, run. It only moves in faster.

#10 Don't fall on top of a beached jellfish when you're trying to spin a perfect circle with your foot. I didn't actually fall on it but I almost did.

#11  Don't pay attention to how much money you're step-dad is spending for all of you.

#12 Jump on giant bulbous seawed ends. It makes a very satisfying cracking sound. Unless it's rotten, in which case you will have a stream of water up your back.

#13 Watch out for any beaches that have a small part of a sign that casually mentions that if you see a certain kind of bomb you should clear the area. The sign will be in front of a building that is closed 5 days a week. I would add the photo we took but I'm too lazy to try find it. I didn't use my camera for that at the time so it's harder too find.

#14 Learn some basic tracking skills. Because you will literally have to to look at rocky mud to see which way half your family went because you and the the other half somehow got left behind. The only way you find them is a thin line of what is either your baby stroller or the mountain biker that rode past you a few minutes ago.

#15 Take as many photos as you can. Also don't spend the entire time looking through your camera either.

#16 Food in Tofino is amazing

#17 You and Skye will be very excited about mushrooms and your mom will ask you what on earth you're so excited about.                                             

It's the cutest mushroom I've ever seen

#18 Read The Scorpio Races by Maggie Steifvater afterwards. It says pretty much everything you wish you were able to say

There is way more I could add and tons more detail I could get into but here's a few photos instead.

                                                

This is Skye in the purple. We pretty much all looked like that XD

Me stuck in a tree. I don't get in the photos often (on purpose really)

Sorry if this was super long and didn't make sense. I've been informed that I speak in half sentences and no one knows what I'm talking about half the time. Which is fair, usually I don't either.