Far from home?

Summer 2022 update. Ryan is far from home this summer. In remote islands off of the British Columbia Coast called Haida Gwaii, where he is volunteering at a fishing lodge and earning credits towards his degree, Ryan is 2,700 miles from home.

Haida Gwaii is home to the Haida, a Canadian First Nation, and is a stunning and lush landscape of forests, beaches, bald eagles, black bear, deer and other land animals as well as world class fishing for salmon, halibut, lingcod and crab.

This is Ryan’s fifth time visiting Haida Gwaii, his first time being when he was only nine years old. In many respects you can say that he grew up there. The lodge we have always visited has become a home away from home as we have become friends with the lodge owner. Ryan even did his high school senior year capstone project on the islands, proving to us, his family how meaningful this magical place has become to him.

But what does this do for his ADHD, anxiety and other differences, when he is far removed from his family and needs to rely on himself more now than ever? It’s not unlike being away at camp, or being out of state for college, but because it’s remote, he is unable to get home quickly or to get to a larger city for entertainment or shopping. If he left something at home, it’s too bad. He’ll just have to live without it for the next ten weeks. Bottom line, he has to learn how to rely on himself, to figure things out by himself when his parents, or friends, professors or coach isn’t physically there with him. Fortunately, Ryan has the lodge owner Valerie to support him if he needs it. There is also internet service , although sometimes spotty, so he can do his schoolwork and be in touch with his friends, family, his instructor and his coach.

Ryan is learning everything that has to do with lodge life. Everything from the kitchen, to how the scheduling of the fishing boats, to who is on each boat, to guest services, to how the fish is processed, to sightseeing, to the daily ins and outs of lodge life. He gets to live among the fishing guides and the other employees of the lodge. He gets to work on his social skills with the guests. And we can’t forget living close to the bald eagles whom he gets to listen to chattering and watching their beautiful flight. And maybe most important of all, he gets to live next to the water where he finds so much peace.

The joy we hear in Ryan’s voice when he calls is something I find peace in. I am so happy for him and thrilled that he gets to have an experience like this. I thank Valerie, the lodge owner. I thank his school for allowing him to use this time to earn those precious credits toward his major. I thank God that his dad and I were able to give Ryan the gift of going to Haida Gwaii at an early age, to fish and learn about this wonderful place. Finally, I’m very excited that we get to go visit him in less than a month.

Ryan may be far from his home base, but he has found another home in Haida Gwaii.

If you want to learn more about Haida Gwaii, please visit:

https://www.hellobc.com/places-to-go/haida-gwaii/

Learn about the Haida people: http://www.ccthita.org/about/history/

And to our Canadian friends, Happy Canada Day, July 1st!