BC Living
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Embark on Culinary Adventures: 5 Must-Try Solo Dining Experiences Around BC
4 Tips on Balancing a Nutritious Diet with a Side of Indulgence
Choosing Connection: A BC Family Day Pledge to Prioritize Presence Over Plans
Embracing Plant-Based Living this Veganuary and Beyond
Inviting the Steller’s Jay to Your Garden
6 Budget-friendly Holiday Decor Pieces
Dream Home: $8 Million for a Modern Surprise
B.C. Adventures: Our picks for May
Spring into Fun in Kamloops: The Best Events in the City
7 BC Retreats Where Solo Travellers Can Find Inner Peace and Wellness
BC Distilled
Melodies and Museums: Solo-Friendly Entertainment for the Independent Traveller
Arts Club Theatre Company Celebrates 60 Years
BC-Based Gifts Perfect for Mom
SOLO CHIC: 5 Essential Pieces for the Stylish Solo Traveller
8 Gadgets and Gear for Your Solo Adventures
The Sunshine Coast is named for bright days, but the nights here bring a living kind of light
I wonder if the six strangers in this Sprinter van can tell I got engaged three days ago.
My parents and sister know, as does my partner—who, of course, engineered the whole thing. But the proposal (and acceptance) happened right before I was scheduled to hop in this van and board a ferry to the Sunshine Coast. So, I had a choice: either copy-and-paste a mass text to my friends and family—expedient, if impersonal and anticlimactic—or wait until I return to deliver the news in person and indulge in all the screams, gasps and happy tears.
I’m absentmindedly resting my paddle in the water when I first notice it. It looks like little white sparks are dancing off the blade. I plunge my whole hand in and swirl it around: sure enough, tiny flecks of light appear and disappear with my movement. I whip out the magic wand—a.k.a., the stick—and drag it through the water. The flickering lights trail softly behind.As a person who grew up in B.C., I often feel like I’ve been sadly desensitized to the beauty of West Coast nature. But this is one of the most awesome things I’ve ever seen. The bioluminescence isn’t bright or spectacular, like fireworks; it’s subtle and enchanting in a way that requires you to stop what you are doing and simply stare.
I’m in no rush to go home, but now I have two life-altering experiences to share with my family and friends once I get there.