PEI July 2011

I know, I know, I said I wouldn't bore you with minor events like what I did last night, what we had for dinner etc but for those that know me PEI is a little different. This one may end up more like a chapter than a simple blog entry but hey once again it's my blog so I'm calling the shots!

See, PEI is not just a vacation destination for me.  It's really part of the fabric that makes me who I am, (like it or not!) and more importantly a part of our family history.

I have been travelling to PEI since day one, sometime in 1965! Both my parents(god bless them and we aren't a religious family), were born and raised in PEI and if we were going to see grandparents, aunt's, uncles, cousins and friends PEI is where we were going. So every summer, and some Christmases, we loaded up, whatever fancy wheels we had, and made "the drive"(yes Susan "the drive") to PEI, and usually straight through!

I've tried to figure out how many years I haven't been to PEI. Of my 46 years, I figure I maybe missed between 10-12 years. Somewhere in the middle, in my 20's, was where I missed most, but as I hit my late 20's, I found myself gravitating back to the land I will call my second home. 

My early memories were on the farm, as both my grandparents had them, and there was always lots to do for Pam and I. Whether it was in the barns, in the fields, in the yards, there was always somewhere to explore. If we got bored with that, then we headed for the shore (that's Maritime talk people, think beach).
There was always lots of family around, always somewhere to go and folks to see.

In the 70's, our family built a cottage on the shores on the Northumberland Strait in Salutation Cove in Fernwood. It was originally land my Grandfather owned, and it is our little piece of heaven. Every year was an adventure, many friends were introduced to PEI along the way, and my parents were always welcoming to anyone who wanted to come to PEI.

Speaking of my parents, Beth and Wendell, they are the reason why my sister and I, are who we are today(my sister is the really nice one, I got the sarcasm!). They have always supported us, instilled with us a sense of family, and they are why we love, and will always long for PEI. I think we all take for granted some things in life, but every time I arrive in PEI I take a deep breath, and thank my Mom and Dad, for this little piece of our history and the many memories.

I met Susan in PEI in 2001. She was on holidays with my cousin, from Georgetown as well, but we had never met. Susan will tell you that was because she is much younger than I. I vividly remember her being all over me when we met(my blog, my story!) and though it took some time for me to come around, we began dating a few months later. We married on the banks of the cottage in 2003, and now the next generation of Murray's have been introduced to PEI!

A rare starfish find by Ben

This year was fun. Both Ben and Sarah(more Ben then Sarah, but she was excited because her brother was!) had a basic understanding of where we were going and that PEI was an island with red sand. The trip did not disappoint, but I'm not sure how it could, as going to the shore everyday, swimming and exploring, seeing foxes, farms, and getting to know older cousins, aunts and uncles that doted after both of them!

Our own, Sarah of Green Gables

For me, this year was somewhat bittersweet. Though I fully intend to return to PEI again, everything was a little different this year. I took a deeper breathe of the salt air, looked off the deck a little longer, took notice on our drives of everything around and hugged my aunts and uncles, who I love, just a little harder. I've always thought over the years of how could I move to the east coast, maybe or maybe not PEI, but how could I be close enough so I could live that life, raise a family and be a stone's throw from the cottage at any time. It never happened, but fortunately now I have a partner, who also loves PEI, and we will continue to build our memories and dream some dreams...