Let's rewind the clocks back to the summer of 2007. When my little Cosette was still only 5 years old, and Dominic was only 8 years old. We were just finishing our usual summer visiting trip in NYC and Boston. My then jerky boyfriend "JM" was with us. We were heading to LGA via cab. I struck up a typical conversation with the kiddies informing them as to how long we would be home between trips and when we were leaving for our next vacation. We'd be home for a week, be gone for 2 weeks (Seattle, Victoria, and Vancouver), then go back home; I'd be home for under a week, and I'd be gone for almost 2 more weeks on a road trip. Up to this point I had never once left the kids and had never travelled without them. The only reason they weren't coming on the upcoming road trip was because it was a baseball road trip and I knew that they wouldn't have any fun and it would just have been torture for them. That is so not the point of travel - to torture my kids!
**A bit of history about this Seattle/Victoria/Vancouver trip - My mom who just about never travels had been discussing renting an RV and doing a road trip up to the Emerald city, and then into Canada. The rest of the Cali clan would come along. I'd fly up and meet everyone in Seattle, and then continue with the group. I even went to the extent of inviting some friends in attempt for the idea of the more the merrier!
So of course I went ahead and started making all my plans & looking forward to this big family trip. And sadly as usual every last one of these peeps backed out one by one, dropping like flies. It came down to just being me, the kids, and "JM".
Back to the conversation in the cab. My dear little Cosette comes forth and tells me "I'm not coming!" I was stunned and of course giggled a bit. I gently explained to her that she is only 5, and that she doesn't make these decisions. As I'm explaining this to her, Dominic chimes in "I'm not going either!"
Now you've got to realize that Dominic has a totally different personality than Cosette and he typically goes along with whatever the plan is without saying "boo". So where is this coming from? Who is this kid?
Next thing I hear is "JM" coming forth explaining to me that he doesn't think that he is coming either! What?! What is happening here?!
I'm like the lone wolf. I'm not gonna flake on myself! Once I put something in my calendar that's it! There is no changing plans. Come hell or high water, I'm going!
I begin to think about it, technically I'm not telling the kids to stay home, it's them making the choice not to be with me. I'd be completely on my own. No one to mess up my schedules. No one to slow me down. Plus without "JM" the trip would be 100% drama free!
Now to see what "mom-mom" says!
Mom-mom said yes. And then about 2 days before I was leaving "JM" surprises me that he was going to come after-all and spend a few days with me. Oh Yay :(
The day comes and I'm off. Landing in Seattle, and spending the first few days sightseeing over there. What a fabulous time I had exploring solo. How invigorating! But not even one of my friends thought that I could do it, I received several text messages and phones concerned with my well being. Sweet of them, but I'm fine. Really.
**A bit of history about this Seattle/Victoria/Vancouver trip - My mom who just about never travels had been discussing renting an RV and doing a road trip up to the Emerald city, and then into Canada. The rest of the Cali clan would come along. I'd fly up and meet everyone in Seattle, and then continue with the group. I even went to the extent of inviting some friends in attempt for the idea of the more the merrier!
So of course I went ahead and started making all my plans & looking forward to this big family trip. And sadly as usual every last one of these peeps backed out one by one, dropping like flies. It came down to just being me, the kids, and "JM".
Back to the conversation in the cab. My dear little Cosette comes forth and tells me "I'm not coming!" I was stunned and of course giggled a bit. I gently explained to her that she is only 5, and that she doesn't make these decisions. As I'm explaining this to her, Dominic chimes in "I'm not going either!"
Now you've got to realize that Dominic has a totally different personality than Cosette and he typically goes along with whatever the plan is without saying "boo". So where is this coming from? Who is this kid?
Next thing I hear is "JM" coming forth explaining to me that he doesn't think that he is coming either! What?! What is happening here?!
I'm like the lone wolf. I'm not gonna flake on myself! Once I put something in my calendar that's it! There is no changing plans. Come hell or high water, I'm going!
I begin to think about it, technically I'm not telling the kids to stay home, it's them making the choice not to be with me. I'd be completely on my own. No one to mess up my schedules. No one to slow me down. Plus without "JM" the trip would be 100% drama free!
Now to see what "mom-mom" says!
Mom-mom said yes. And then about 2 days before I was leaving "JM" surprises me that he was going to come after-all and spend a few days with me. Oh Yay :(
The day comes and I'm off. Landing in Seattle, and spending the first few days sightseeing over there. What a fabulous time I had exploring solo. How invigorating! But not even one of my friends thought that I could do it, I received several text messages and phones concerned with my well being. Sweet of them, but I'm fine. Really.
 Pier 55, Seattle |  Hiram M. Chittenden Locks |
 Seattle Skyline |  Outside Seattle's Public Market |
"JM" arrives a few days into the trip and the drama immediately begins. Ugh...why did you come???
After continuing to tour Washington for a few more days, we head out to Port Angeles. Gonna hop the ferry and venture to Victoria BC!
**Have you know that I was a bit nervous about this ferry ride. At this point I was still VERY uncomfortable with being out on the water where you can't see land (hadn't cruised yet). To add to my nervousness, I had accidentally allowed my passport to expire, and have a messed up birth certificate! Well no worries right?
This was still in the days of when it wasn't required to use a passport to cross boarders into Canada, but the switchover date was quickly approaching (within a couple of weeks). Still only a birth certificate and government issued identification was needed. So I brought those and the expired passport. And to top off my paranoia, I had a casual conversation with a guy in my hotel gym. I was telling him all about my trip, and he told me that it sounded like a trip he had done earlier in the year. He was concerned about my passport being expired, told me that he had been harassed for not having a passport, and was told that the next time he attempts to cross borders that he better have one, otherwise he won't be granted permission into Canada!
Without trying to, he definitely put a scare in me, and I couldn't stop thinking about it! I began to obsess!
So now we are about to board the last ferry for the night and I'm about to face my fears!
I sit there across from "JM", nervous as I've ever been. It's pitch black out, I can't see the land, and I don't know if the Canadian government is going to accept my documents. I'm a hot mess!
Stupid "JM" does nothing to console me...because he's a jerk - remember?!
We safely arrive. We make our way to customs, and this is where the fun begins...
After continuing to tour Washington for a few more days, we head out to Port Angeles. Gonna hop the ferry and venture to Victoria BC!
**Have you know that I was a bit nervous about this ferry ride. At this point I was still VERY uncomfortable with being out on the water where you can't see land (hadn't cruised yet). To add to my nervousness, I had accidentally allowed my passport to expire, and have a messed up birth certificate! Well no worries right?
This was still in the days of when it wasn't required to use a passport to cross boarders into Canada, but the switchover date was quickly approaching (within a couple of weeks). Still only a birth certificate and government issued identification was needed. So I brought those and the expired passport. And to top off my paranoia, I had a casual conversation with a guy in my hotel gym. I was telling him all about my trip, and he told me that it sounded like a trip he had done earlier in the year. He was concerned about my passport being expired, told me that he had been harassed for not having a passport, and was told that the next time he attempts to cross borders that he better have one, otherwise he won't be granted permission into Canada!
Without trying to, he definitely put a scare in me, and I couldn't stop thinking about it! I began to obsess!
So now we are about to board the last ferry for the night and I'm about to face my fears!
I sit there across from "JM", nervous as I've ever been. It's pitch black out, I can't see the land, and I don't know if the Canadian government is going to accept my documents. I'm a hot mess!
Stupid "JM" does nothing to console me...because he's a jerk - remember?!
We safely arrive. We make our way to customs, and this is where the fun begins...
Victoria BC Parliament Building
We both hand over our documents, our documents get looked over, and then we get looked over. The customs officer begins to question us as to what our intentions are for visiting their country, wants to know if we know anybody who resides in Canada, wants to know ALL about the relationship between "JM" and myself...in detail, like every possible detail. This grilling is getting rather uncomfortable!
It's incredibly invasive and I don't understand it. But then it gets worse!
We get separated and sent into private rooms for more screening questioning.
I know my passport is expired, but REALLY???
I'm not sure what the big deal is. I'm breaking a sweat, I just want to leave this place. What did I do wrong? Sitting along in an interrogation room, I wait to be questioned again. Finally another officer comes in and basically asks me the exact same uncomfortable questions, and I give the same answers.
Eventually being released to the next stage of more questioning, where I was reunited with "JM" - yup same questions "how well do I know JM", "where did we meet", "what's the nature of our relationship", and it only got more personal after that! And finally when I thought we were being set free, we had one more stage of questioning to go through!
Holy Smokies! Taking a fresh breath of air and walking away from the customs building was so refreshing! I wanted to kiss the ground that I was walking on! I was so excited and thrilled to be set free! I was attempting to share my excitement with "JM" and boy was he in a PISSY mood!
It's incredibly invasive and I don't understand it. But then it gets worse!
We get separated and sent into private rooms for more screening questioning.
I know my passport is expired, but REALLY???
I'm not sure what the big deal is. I'm breaking a sweat, I just want to leave this place. What did I do wrong? Sitting along in an interrogation room, I wait to be questioned again. Finally another officer comes in and basically asks me the exact same uncomfortable questions, and I give the same answers.
Eventually being released to the next stage of more questioning, where I was reunited with "JM" - yup same questions "how well do I know JM", "where did we meet", "what's the nature of our relationship", and it only got more personal after that! And finally when I thought we were being set free, we had one more stage of questioning to go through!
Holy Smokies! Taking a fresh breath of air and walking away from the customs building was so refreshing! I wanted to kiss the ground that I was walking on! I was so excited and thrilled to be set free! I was attempting to share my excitement with "JM" and boy was he in a PISSY mood!
Buschart Gardens
Turns out that all of that bullcrap was because of HIM! Nothing to do with my expired passport and lame birth certificate. ALL HIS FAULT! This idiot had a record in the States! The story I got was that he had the police called out on him like 15 years ago about a domestic violence complaint! The charges were dropped, and he was never arrested, but Canada doesn't care. They have a VERY strict policy about who they allow to enter their country, and they share all records with the USA.
So "JM" had been told that if we weren't on that very last ferry, that they would've sent us back to Washington. Instead his was given some forms, told that he needs to write a written apology to the Canadian Government and send it in with a $300 fine if he ever wants to be granted permission back into Canada ever again!!!
What an ASS he was/is! And all I can say is Kharma BABY!
So "JM" had been told that if we weren't on that very last ferry, that they would've sent us back to Washington. Instead his was given some forms, told that he needs to write a written apology to the Canadian Government and send it in with a $300 fine if he ever wants to be granted permission back into Canada ever again!!!
What an ASS he was/is! And all I can say is Kharma BABY!
Fairmont Empress Hotel
 Fairmont Empress Hotel  Fairmont Empress Hotel |  Victoria BC Parliament Building  Victoria BC Parliament Building |