Last Thursday, Jordi and I had reservations for the 3pm sailing to Tsawwassen. I’d been up since 6am and did the classic Alexa and Laura Waterfront ride before 8am. I stuffed the following into my large backpack: puffy slippers, Kindle, Switch, undergarments, outer garments, toiletries, towel, and wallet. I picked up some snacks for the journey and packed them up in an insulated tote bag. I even packed my passport in case someone in the big city felt like giving me grief over my expired photo ID.

It wasn’t even lunchtime, and I was ready. I shared my triumph in a text message to Jordi and asked if I should put my shoes on. Alas, Jordi still needed to get his keys to the friends who were to look after Klaus. When 2pm rolled around, my annoyance had bubbled up. There was no way we’d get to the ferry terminal in time for our 3pm reservation.

It was up to me whether I wanted to start our four-day getaway with a fight. As soon as I climbed into the truck, the projection of my frustration was hindered by being in motion. I’m a deaf person with atrophied vocal chords, and I wasn’t about to distract Jordi with a flurry of furious flying fingers.

Once we cleared the toll booth at Swartz Bay–and it was official that we wouldn’t make it on the 3pm ferry–I was still irate. Once we were parked in the lineup, I’d already realized my annoyance was overblown and that castigating him would be unproductive. Instead, I opted for a nap, and this was the right decision as I felt rejuvenated upon waking up.

The lineup started moving a few minutes later, and I said farewell to the my bad mood and the island as Jordi drove us onto the Queen of New Westminster.