clothes. I had no plan, no agenda, I just pointed west and started driving. Although I did not realize it then, my entire journey was directed by providence. By the end of the first day I was halfway through British Columbia, driving in the dark with no idea where to stop for the night. By chance I came across a campground in the middle of high mountain wilderness. It was fu ll of RVs and trailers, not my idea of getting away, but it would do for the night. The camp hosts were exceptionally friendly, welcoming American dollars at a good exchange rate and going so far as to help me set up my tent by headlights. The morning was my first indicator this would not be an ordinary road trip. I woke at dawn, quite alone, remembering and suddenly grateful for the fact that RV campers get up late. I discovered the lake-deep, still, surrounded by fleshy evergreens, blanketed with, and this is true, a thick fog braided with the haunted trilling of loons. I took a deep breath to make sure I wasn 't dreaming. The tingle of cold air told me I was not. I wanted to dive into the water, to join the birds in their misty shroud. But when a single submerged toe came back bloodless and blue, I thought better of it. These strange and wonderful occurrences repeated themselves for the next two weeks. In Vancouver I could not get a room at the youth hostel where I planned to stay. After a long day on the road ending in this strange place with nowhere to go, I felt overwhelmed. The desk clerk was kind enough to give me a list of alternative housing. I called the University of British Columbia, which had rooms available. There I rented a private dorm room for ten dollars a night, complete with a communal bathroom and kitchen, as well as a splendid view of the ocean and setting sun. Since I shared the floor with only a few others, I could soak in the bathtub for hours. Resuming this small ritual brought me back to myself, allowed me to become calm and focused. The next day I visited the Vancouver Aquarium where I walked through clouds of Amazon butterflies and spent the afternoon study5I
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