It is a Wonderful Life (EP!C Homecoming to the Fairmont)
With continued tears flowing, accolades thrown in the direction of many, our road manager Amber (with Adam, our get ya anything concierge & Greg Watch My Race Hendrickson in back of Racy), our Posse’ of runners (D. Neil, Jill from Asics, Steph’s Mom Mish, Deirdra & Joseph, Jono & Bonz, Pyper & Chad, Will & Mike, Caroline & Lee and the group of Lulu-gals), along with our Police escort friends and our couldn’t have done it without him friend and chiro genius, Don Grant, we uttered how incredibly special all these folks were to us and how they all were the reason we made it home!
Thank you everyone who made that magical trip up Georgia St. with us. And thank you everyone who is reading this, for staying with a really long, run-on sentence written by moi!
Ok, into Epic Expo 2009 and our grand unlacing and 1st speech post tour! Whoa, how quickly it becomes a “POST TOUR” speech. Maybe for these words we’ll call it an, “in process towards post tour” speech. That feels better as we’re not quite ready for it to be completely post. I guess that’s what a parent feels when the kids grow up and suddenly they’re off and parenting takes on a whole new outlook. This has been our baby together and I guess, like every other journey this too has to pass over to the other side. So the Epic Expo was very epic in so many ways, as it marked the ending of this immense 2 ½ year journey, as well, marked just the very beginning of the next part of the journey, not only with our launching of the Legacy for Kids, but for us personally too.
The reception we received was bordering on rock star I must say, as we were cheered to the stage by our posse’ and welcomed back in like the old family and friends that we are. This was magic to feel, as the love quotient was high in the room and so full of welcome back energy, it was almost overwhelming. And you’re reading from a guy who doesn’t get overwhelmed too easily either.
Rob, Sonia, Frank, and Tyler previewed an amazing 8 minute slice of the enormous amount of footage shot over the year and edited it into a masterpiece musical journey, which brought much laughter, many more tears and a lot of other emotions not yet experienced, as we celebrated completing on a new stage, in a new location and with a wider demographic audience. You see, most of the year has been spent presenting in so many elementary school auditoriums and to so many pint sized mini-peeps, it was cool to also see larger than us peeps and peep-etts in the crowd, as we re-called on tour anecdotes and stories from our time on this most magnifique’ Run For One Planet highway.
We had a very special musical portion to wrap up the main stage. It felt like we’d been transported back a year to our fundraiser, as our internationally known, award winning, incredibly amazing family known as, The Henderson’s, stopped by to rock us back into town with 2 performances, bordering on legendary. Bill “Pops” Henderson, and daughter’s Camille and Saffron made music magic once again. I know there are others out there who feel the same as I. And that is, we need these three to record their velvet vocals and share with the rest of the world, the immense talent that is, the Henderson Trio! Thank you so much Bill, Saf and Camille, you made us feel 100 feet tall and lifted ours and everyone’s spirits higher than high, and was a perfect capper to an already pretty perfect beginner.
Thank you to all who came and were part of this moment in our history. A special shout out to our friend Keith, from Medicine Hat, who represented the Mad Hatters Run Club! Sadly, we were so swamped from the after things; we never got a chance to say hi and thank you proper-like. Keith, you’re a rock star and we look forward to the next time we see you and those crazy awesome Mad Hatters!
Stage B felt like we were a bit of a circus, under lights slightly too bright, as we tried to answer questions deep with a desire to know, with answers worthy of what we’d just experienced and the little time we’d yet had, to process it all. Thanks to all who came to know more. We look very forward to creating our next phase, a video/photo multi-media presentation for a 90-minute tour experience in the late summer, early fall and wherever it takes us afterwards. Please, all who read our blog and newsletter, share this with your circle and community, as we desire to speak and share some deeper experiences with you with this type of evening to your community, in your area! Stay tuned for more details as we move in that direction!
After what felt like 30 minutes at Stage B which in reality was 2 hours, Adam (our get us to the next spot manager) whisked us away, literally, to ensure we made it to the next highly anticipated event location, a yet to be disclosed place of unequalled habitation and relaxation he had, (with the help of Tara at QMFM) inspired to have us receive for 2 nights!
Fast forward to the almost blindfolded walk up the street from Epic, to the stopping point, in front of the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel. Yes, you read correctly folks. Adam and Tara had secured a 22nd floor room with a HUGE view, for us to rest our road weary bodies for the next two days and nights. This was the anticipated resting place Adam had hinted at for longer than we remembered as it was seriously high end and seriously high in the sky!
We even looked out to the west and were able to trace, our whole last day route along the mountainside of West Vancouver, Lions Gate Bridge, with the water shimmering in the foreground and serendipitously, the “Green Roof of the Leed Certified” Trade and Convention Center below, allowed us to take in the immense beauty of this place we love so much, Vancouver. It felt like another nod of congratulations, looking out at the canvas-like scene in front and below us, but knowing this view was indeed real and we were indeed really experiencing it. This sensation I will never forget and hopefully the photos help to deepen the feelings I am trying to convey through my two finger typing and linguistic skills.
The absolute depth of gratitude capitulates only a portion of the thoughts, feelings and emotions which were streaming, like the stream of water one watches as it flows over a waterfall on a warm summer day. I would have stayed there all weekend if allowed, just to take in all it’s meaning and what it painted for our making it home. We were truly home and being able to look out over the last days route made it capable in our early attempt to take it all in.
Thank you Adam, Tara and the hospitable management and incredibly congratulatory staff at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel, you all made our first 2 nights home, breathtaking and memorable.
Check out all the photos. See you tomorrow with #5!
That view is breath taking. You deserved it and more! I am wondering if you got Sam Vincent? I know he helped out and is mention in the staff. Just curious.
Comment by jenn — Thursday, May 21, 2009 @ 5:24 pm
Great Pic! I picture the caption … runner reflecting on the journey!
Comment by Shaunah — Thursday, May 21, 2009 @ 10:04 pm
Also love the donations have reached over $100k. More moola for the Legacy of Action! Welcome Home! Hope you have gotten some rest! Cheers, Shaunah
Comment by Shaunah — Thursday, May 21, 2009 @ 10:07 pm