In six months, Gwen Johnston turns thirty, and when she does, she vows she'll have her life together. She'll no longer be jumping from one job to another, from one relationship to the next. A new, more mature, Gwen will have emerged. She's giving he...
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Everyone gets off the whale watching tour and congratulates me on finding another excellent site seeing experience. My unofficial role has been social coordinator for the trip. Sarah, the tour guide, admitted at our second stop that the bus company hadn't updated their list of things to do in years. That had been enough to kick me into research mode.
My quality, service, and cost triangle became the gold standard for me, Colin, and Esther. It didn't take long for the other passengers to clue into the great experiences we were having that had nothing to do with the suggestions the tour company was making.
But cost is relative. What felt like not much or well worth it for Esther, Colin, and the rest of my fellow bussers, has been slowly eating into money I expected to last me a lot longer than two weeks. I might have gotten a bit too carried away with finding great experiences for everyone else and forgetting that small budget detail. I do not have unlimited cash or a well-funded 401K to draw from.
At Esther and Colin's insistence, we're sharing a cab to the closest regional airport. Once we get there, I'll have to do some of my best acting work. They're taking a return flight to Vancouver, but I can't afford that plane or any other. My original plan to rent a car went up in smoke within the first week, but now I have to consider the most cost-efficient option to get anywhere.
"What time did you say your flight to the Yukon is?" Esther asks as we haul our bags out of the trunk of the cab at the terminal.
The airport is smaller than I expected, and I'm not sure if I can avoid being honest or if I'll end up purchasing a ticket I can't afford to save face.
"Sweetheart," Colin says, checking his watch. "We're running behind. If we don't get checked in, they won't let us on the plane."
"Oh, shoot." She draws me into a tight hug. "Enjoy your adventure. I hope you find whatever you're looking for. Keep shining bright, my girl."
I breathe in her peach and vanilla scent, and I close my eyes. For the last two weeks, I've known I could rely on them and everyone else on the bus. Once she and Colin go through the terminal doors, I'll be on my own.
Then she draws away, and she and Colin are scrambling for their bags, waving frantic goodbyes, and the automatic doors close behind him.
The cab pulls away from the curb, and I'm left with my oversized backpack and my smaller daypack. With a deep breath, I situate the smaller bag on my front, and then I hoist the larger bag on my back.
Maybe if I go to arrivals, someone will take pity on me and deliver me somewhere further east of here.
In a big airport, it's easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle. Everyone is too busy hurrying to their own destination to worry about where you're headed. This place is the opposite. Not that anyone talks to me, but I wander around enough that people are giving me strange looks.
"You lost, miss?" A black car has pulled up to the curb, and an older white man is leaning across the passenger seat to yell at me through the open window.
