twenty-eight

In the morning, walking to the bus, I gauge my lateness by the others I pass: the Chinese lady who wears her backpack as frontpack, the man in the tracksuit, the lady in turquoise Crocs. Today I saw them much further along in their commute because I spent an extra few minutes in bed enjoying birthday cuddles.

Last week, visiting home, I could also gauge my oldness by the others I passed: niece and nephew who can now engage in full-on conversation (when they slow down long enough), a grandfather - half the size I remember him - who's at the end of life's final season, parents who I now talk to about real adult issues, and highschool friends - 10 years later - who are so accomplished with whole families and careers and levels of maturity you were sure we'd never reach.

I guess all this means I'm a "grownup".

Home was blissful. Vancouverites are so spoiled. I hope you guys know that.

We made the most of it: exploring Denman island with a favourite couple, cruising on Dad's boat to a floating pub and picking our dessert off the nearby blackberry bushes, sunning poolside and flipping the kiddies off my shoulders, saying goodbye to my only surviving biological grandparent, meeting my little cousin's fiance over dinner with a hilarious crew of Smiths (and honorary Smiths), eating sushi and sipping warm beer with friends on the beach (sunset backdrop, of course), brunching with best girls and BBQing with best couples. whew! Throw in 5 trips to the aiport and you won't need to ask why our schedule was so inaccessible.

The icing on the cake was, of course, my ten year reunion. TEN YEARS! Jules and I managed to spend two full hours laughing over all the evening's comedic moments before we finally hit the sack that night.