Week 17 in Prince Edward Island

Last Sunday I left Ontario for the red sand of Prince Edward Island with my parents and one of my brothers to take Meme back home to be buried. The trip was a mixture of feelings, as it was of course sad to have to say a final goodbye to Meme, but at the same time it was peaceful and good to know that she was able to find rest where her heart always belonged.

We decided to drive up to the ‘Gentle Island’ to save money (as plane tickets are very expensive), but it was definitely a long trip. The nice thing about driving instead of flying though is that you get to make little stops along the way to see things that you would otherwise pass right over. During one of our stops, I climbed out of the cramped back seat of the car to a crazy overactive baby in my tummy. As soon as I was standing, Muppet went nuts! It was doing somersaults in the lower left side of my stomach and would not stop! It kind of scared me at first, but I assume it was just trying to stretch out too after that long ride. ;)

The one thing I was really not looking forward to on this trip was the big, scary Confederation Bridge. I hate bridges with a passion! Since I can remember I have ALWAYS hated bridges….It might have something to do with reoccurring nightmares as a child of a bridge that opened up, causing my family’s van to plummet into icy waters, leaving us trapped with no way to escape… Or maybe I just don’t like them. :) Anyways, the Confederation Bridge is an 8 mile bridge *shudder* that crosses from New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island. Back in the day, we used to take a ferry across, which I prefer… though I do remember having heart palpations every time my younger siblings would climb the rails and look over into the ocean. I can’t imagine how much more overprotective I’m going to be with Muppet…Man, I need to learn to breathe. ;) Anyways, as soon as we crossed that bridge, I felt happiness just spread across my body. I was back in my ‘other’ home, Prince Edward Island!

Prince Edward Island has always felt like a second home to me. Every visit feels so comfortable and familiar that it’s hard not to feel at home. The people are amazingly friendly, the landscape is beautiful no matter where you look and the pace is so relaxed that you instantly feel the change from the usual hustle and bustle of regular life. All you really want to do is smell the salty sea air while walking along the beach or harbour, or in my mother’s case, eat a cone of grape nut ice cream. She sure loves that stuff!A really important thing for me on this trip was to rub some red sand on my belly to officially welcome Muppet to the island. I didn’t feel that it would be a real visit without getting my feet wet in the ocean, or a little stained from the dirt. So I walked along the ocean collecting sea glass and shells for Muppet’s nursery, and then rubbed earth all over my belly. Some collected in my belly button. Maybe Muppet was hoping to take some home.