The ongoing story of a girl and her van on an epic journey across Canada.
I’m not going to try to make this a funny story, because I’m pretty sure no matter how I spin it, it will only ever be funny to me, my sister Angie, and our mom. To everyone else we’ll just sound lame. We know that. We’re okay with that. Let’s all move on.
But you do need to know something as it will soon become a weird sub-theme to my travels.
Ages ago (maybe 10 years or more), my mom bought Angie this little beanie frog. It’s the silliest little stuffy, with big eyes and a red heart sewn, well, where his heart would be. The three of us enjoyed posing him in different (and sometimes compromising) positions, because the expression on his face always looks like he is just ADORING whatever you’re doing to him. Good times. We call this frog Flip.
Maybe five years ago, Angie sent me a little stuffed monkey she found at a zoo gift shop in England. It took me all of five seconds to fall in love with little Eli. He and Flip became best friends. It is one of our favourite-ist things to hide them on each other. You never know when you’ll open the cupboard for a coffee cup and find Flip and Eli hiding amidst the mugs. Or they’ll be crouching in the pockets of a jacket. Or poking out from behind the shampoo bottle in the shower.
Now you know…
Day 14 (Sun, May 23rd)
Angie drove up from Vancouver to meet me in Hope, British Columbia for a very short camping trip. After the hugging was out of the way, she turned to me very seriously and said, I need you to take something to Newfoundland for me. Then she reached into her bag.
And pulled out.
Flip!
Eli had been enjoying riding on my dash for the past few weeks, but he sure did miss his friend. And now they are blissfully reunited and ready to see the world!
Day 15 (Mon, May 24th)
We drove up a fairly deserted dirt road to Silver Lake. On the way back there was a truck parked in the middle of the road, blocking our way. As we slowed down this kid started walking towards us. He was no older than 16. Figuring he needed help, Angie rolled down her window.
You have any liquor to sell me? he said.
Um, no. Angie said.
Cold, mean stare. You sure?
Yes.
He looked over at me. You? You sure?
Um, yep.
He glared at us a little longer, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if he pulled out a baseball bat and started pounding on the windscreen. He really seemed to hate us. Angie inched around his truck while he stood in the middle of the road and stared after us.
On a less psycho note, did you know that the first Rambo was filmed in Hope? My friend Steph and I tried to watch them all. We enjoyed the first one, but the second lost us.
Because it sucks.
Photo Credits
All photos by Sarah Gignac
Flip and Eli
Flip and Eli Together Again
Rambo Dreams
This article was first published on Raggedy Threads in May 2010
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