Papillon: the turtle diaries: leaving

I've been here for eight weeks now. The weather is changing, the days of uninterrupted sunshine fewer and the evenings slightly chilly. The locals appear in hoodies, coats/jackets, fleeces, although I'm still getting away with t-shirts during the day. The turtles I'm caring for have stopped eating and are spending less time on their basking stone. The trees are turning, the pin oaks and maples particularly lovely, both in sunlight and misty light.

I expected that leaving would be particularly hard two months later. In fact although sorry to leave, in many ways I am ready to return to family and friends, to my own home, my normal life. There's been time to appreciate the local surroundings at a leisurely pace - a rare luxury. Being anxious about flying, the prospect of two flights on my own is a hurdle, but not as huge as I'd anticipated.

Memories that will linger:

the islands on Howe Sound, always beautiful,
especially at sunset;

the juxtaposition of heights and styles of skyscrapers, trees and parks;

more eateries than you could ever hope to sample;

cheery, humorous bus drivers;

semi-wild beaches;

that glorious, glorious light on the mountains;

our kayaking expeditions;

cycling round Stanley Park;

the views of Downtown Vancouver from Granville Island;

Sasha, the miniature schnauzer we looked after;