rechelle's lifelyrics

We just stayed at 3 different types of rooms – each with unique offerings that made me decide to incorporate those accommodations as part of our 35th Wedding Anniversary Celebration.

I keep thinking about the word, “accommodation,” and how each of the women running those first 3 destinations made them so special by being great listeners and excellent hosts. The bonus: I loved hearing each of their stories that lead them to create unique and pleasant places to stay for guests from anywhere and everywhere.

Caroline created Five SeaSuns B&B in Port Angeles, Washington after many years of working high stress jobs in Washington D.C. She chose this wonderful property conveniently located a few blocks from the Black Ball Ferry that has daily sailings to Victoria, BC, Canada, and she serves exquisite breakfasts every morning in the home she purchased and renovated with modern conveniences while preserving its old world charm. We had several delightful conversations with her about the history of the home, the landscaping she has worked on to create peaceful outdoor settings for relaxing, and the many improvements she has made to the interior spaces while showcasing the rich history within the walls of the home. Caroline also talked to us about her habit of really listening to her guests and incorporating their feedback into her business model, instead of becoming defensive or taking other perspectives as criticism.

Melodie created Ocean Song Cottages in Shirley, BC, Canada to have respite from her busy city life in Victoria, BC. Once she made her improvements to the landscape overlooking the Salish Sea and completed the build of two identical cottages sitting on 3 acres, she began sharing her oasis by the sea with travelers. I spoke with Melodie on the phone about 4 months prior to our trip, and explained we were bringing our tandem bicycle with us as we traveled to northern Washington and into Canada for the first time. Even though she was not familiar with cycling in the area, she offered to research the local resources and send me an email of what she might be able to gather that would be more difficult for me to find from outside of the country. She sent me great resources that proved to be very helpful in planning the bicycle routes we were going to try while on the Canadian island. Everything about our stay was phenomenal, and I could not stop thinking about the hours of labor, planning, and care that went into making such an amazing experience for 2 people celebrating a milestone life event such as we were during our stay.

Char & Bob created an awesome place in the home they built just past the Skywalk and Rest Area on Highway 1, heading North toward Mill Bay, and then (fortunately for people like us!) decided to share their blessing with passers-by who could stay in a completely separate, but attached portion, of their home overlooking Saanich Inlet and Brentwood Bay. Char has a great presence of care and hospitality, and creates fresh baked goods for each of their guests. Bob is in the background as far as guests are concerned, but they are obviously a cohesive team to provide everything needed for a restful stay for travelers from near and far.

Each of these hosts made the experience of visiting their slice of paradise (in an area we were completely unfamiliar with) a memorable and pleasant “home away from home.” It was so interesting to be in vastly differing atmospheres over several days while still enjoying a similar sense of care and accommodation.

I couldn’t stop thinking about something I remember learning as a young girl in school. We are all just people in this vast world. We all have talents, aspirations, abilities, weaknesses, and strengths. Some people have the internal wherewithal to be scientists, bus drivers, artists, or secretaries, etc….. It was in those lessons as a first or second grader that I remember challenging the notion that people are, sort of, “made” for certain walks of life. I think it was my misunderstanding of a total truth that people are going to gravitate toward things that they are “good” at, or that they feel strong in. Not every person who walks on this earth finds that “thing” that really matches how they are built inside, but when it happens there is a synergy that takes place that is hard to put into words or to even predict.

I remember being so many things in my imagination as a child. I would be a princess, a secretary, a mother, a fashion designer, a musician, a teacher, an accountant, and oh, so many other things I can’t recall in this moment. But I can look back and see that the tapestry of my life has allowed me to be many of the things I dreamt of in ways I never imagined. I can say I have learned, and want to continue to learn, how to be accommodating to those around me. I want to give, while I have the time, in the way that is uniquely me. I want to remember we are all part of this wonderful tapestry of humans bringing the colors and gifts we have to those about us while we dance upon this earth together.

Please check out these links to the first 3 places we stayed on our epic adventure:

Link to Five SeaSuns Bed & Breakfast: www.seasuns.com

Link to Ocean Song Cottages: https://www.oceansongcottages.ca/about-us

Link to the Room with an Amazing View & Accommodations: https://www.vrbo.com/OceanVistaB&B