Tofino Time: It's the Final Countdown

Newsflash! Esso Girl is hanging up her hat

Esso Girl: A term some of the locals (affectionately?) have used for me, which has caused me amusement over the months. "Aah, you're Esso Girl".

I certainly know my way round a rack of cigarettes and a lottery terminal

Some time around three weeks ago I decided it might be time to move on fairly soon, so Rob and I started plotting our escape. Since then I finally had my phone interview with the directors of the Vancouver Comedy Festival (at 9pm, no less) – after months of me chasing them by email and follow up phonecalls. It seems persistence has paid off and I have been given the job of Programming and Artists Coordinator – a job far better than I ever expected. I'd assumed they'd take me on as a ticket-seller for the run of the festival, but I'm going to be working with the Festival Director setting up the programme and arranging everything for the incoming artists. The contract is from July 9th until October 5th and to say I'm excited is a gross understatement.

The Vancouver Comedy Festival is quite different to the Edinburgh Festival in that the owners hand-pick acts as a showcase of talent, bringing in the artists and looking after their every need. Edinburgh is a mixed bag of hit and miss shows, where artists rent venue space and fret over their own ticket sales. The Vancouver festival is far smaller, but is coordinated by a team of around six people. I am feeling very lucky to be one of those and I am ready for the challenge (who wouldn't be after two months of selling junk food).

We handed in our notice at the gas station a few days ago, citing a job back in Australia for him as our reason for departure, and that I would be too lonely to remain in tiny Tofino alone (both these facts are true). Now that we have ten days left here, things are feeling a lot more precious – typically. I am going to miss living in the wilderness, cycling on the beach, campfires, surfing and the simple life, but I'm also very excited about Vancouver and all it has to offer.

I like to think I made some positive changes at the gas station in my short time there. They weren't recycling cardboard or paper (criminal) as they reckoned there was noone to collect it, so I put in a bit of time and found a girl with a truck who, for a meagre $10 a week, picks it all up and takes it to the depot. The hard part is training the staff to separate the garbage, but I think they're getting the hang of it now...

What's been happening in Tofino?

My birthday! We had a lovely day – waffles out for breakfast, a high-seas whale-watching trip with successful grey and humpback whale-spotting (with sealions and eagles thrown in for good measure), walking the Big Trees Trail on Meares Island and dinner at SOBO, currently my favourite restaurant in the whole world. I tried oysters for the first time and it was triumphant.

Suited up for whale-watching

The Big Trees Trail delivered exactly what it promised...

Surfing still gets the better of me all too frequently, but I have the odd moment when I feel like I know what I'm doing and it feels pretty good. I often lament over how fit and muscular I would be if I didn't work in, and live hopping distance from, junk food paradise (you have NO IDEA). I developed a fondness for Jones Berry Lemonade, a bright blue soda which I drank every day until my tongue came out in spots and I had to stop.

We took advantage of our 'locals' status again and went on a hot springs trip: a full day involving black bear and whale spotting and a walk through the rainforest on Flores Island to the natural hot springs.

BOTH my brothers came out for a weekend, as David was on this side of the pond for business, which was a treat and a half. We did a whole lot of surfing, barbequed shrimp and burgers, went for another fabulous dinner at SOBO and had a beachfire at night. This means that Rob has now met my entire family, which is something of a miracle.

The next adventure...

We plan to leave Tofino on Monday July 2nd and head to Victoria for a couple of days, where we can fly to Calgary from in order to catch a couple of days of the Calgary Stampede with Andrew and Jen before flying back to Vancouver in time for me to start work on July 9th.

We're going to miss Zeena the cat a lot: she's a very affectionate and amusing little thing, skidding around on the lino and biting our toes through the duvet.

The box I made her one bored evening at work. I think this may have been the only time she ever ventured in.

Wish me luck with my new job! Hopefully all the trans-fat and MSG I've been consuming haven't rotted my brain too much...