Imagine on Orcas Island Festival

I thought that Beloved trip was going to be the last of my major travels for the summer, but the universe provided me with an opportunity to experience something new, only 3 days after returning to work after the 2 week solo camping trip!  My dear friend and international festival buddy contacted me about a volunteer opportunity at a festival she always speaks highly of.  Working with a team called Sanctuary, they had one spot open and she felt I'd be a perfect fit (provided I get the time off).  I figured why not!  She didn't think I was actually going to follow through as it was short notice and I have anxiety around last minute travel, especially festivals.

Well, I emailed the coordinator and expressed my interest in the spot.  He was happy to have me provided I can get time off work, which at this point I felt like I was asking a lot after my major trip.  My boss, the amazing human he is, told me to go for it!  So planning began, flights were booked within an hour of approval and the next adventure began.  I was going to be going to Imagine on Orcas Island!

This was the first time flying to a festival.  I needed to coordinate gear loans from other people, transportation from Seattle to Orcas Island and back.  I wanted to pack light to not have to check bags, and I was going for 5 days in the Northern end of Washington on an Island, with high chance of

Portland from the air

rain.  I had two weeks to get it all set plus work a full time job!  Hooray for pushing my comfort levels (this sort of thing was one of my New Years resolutions)!

The flight over was quick (a little less than 2 hours in the air) and the views at night were beautiful.  On the flight to Seattle I got a lovely shot of Portland form the sky, also saw a forest fire that was pretty large burning in Northern California.  Fire season is pretty much over thankfully, this year was bad.

Rout from SEA-TAC to Doe Bay Resort

The ride to the island and tent was secured pretty quickly as I met a lovely woman at Beloved, who is friends with my amazing festival buddy and offered (She was also part of the Jade Dragon Tea service crew).  Got linked into the ride share group and started posting.  Waiting, hoping and nothing for the first week.  I was a week out and found out that my tent was going to be going away on Sunday with my ride to the festival... Uhoh!  No shelter for a night, and still didn't have a way back to SEA?!  I was starting to plan for hitchhiking across the island to hop the boat, then take a bus at this point.  In the end I was able to secure a ride back, and that person knew the gal driving me to the festival and we decided that she would loan me her tent.  So I had a home for all the nights at the event and a ride to the airport.  I won't lie I was stressed for the first few days after seeking a return ride, but settled and let the process happen.

So the festival!  Getting there once everything was coordinated was easy.  A two hour drive from SEA-TAC airport to Anacortes, a beautiful coastal community in Northern Washington.  We stayed in an Air BnB for the night so we could catch the early ferry to the Island as my travel mates had a 10 am volunteer shift to get to on Thursday morning.

The ferry ride was fun.  It had been over 15 years since I had been on one.  Reminded me of taking the Ferry back home in Halifax Nova Scotia across the harbor, granted that ride was much shorter and didn't transport cars.  The views were amazing, and the air was crisp and cool.  The sun was rising as we made our way across the water through the San Juan Islands that dotted the area.  I kept an eye out for Orcas, but saw none on the ride over.  The boat was full of people on their way to the festival and we met several on the journey along the way.  I grabbed a tasty breakfast on the boat and was treated with a random act of kindness from the person in front of me who paid for it (unexpected and an amazing gesture).

Arrival on the island was easy, we were able to get off the boat fast and on our way.  We made a quick stop in Eastsound which was a half way point from the Ferry to Doe Bay Resort, to pick up some food stuff and other needs.  Cute little town, maybe next time I can check it out more.

Arrival at the festival was smooth, got checked in as a volunteer and dropped my things where I was going to be camping with the group of people I was communicating with online.  Located the spot I was going to be working and helped set up the Sanctuary space, met my fellow team members and started my weekend.

View from Doe Bay Resort

The Doe Bay Resort is a lovely place for sure.  Right on the water, beautiful space and lots to see.  They have a bath house space with three hot tubs that look over the bay, a lovely sauna room that is not too hot (was around 150F when I was in there) and outdoor showers.  There is a cafe on site to get food, a general store so you don't have to take off to get things you forgot (maybe a little more expensive, but convenient for sure).  There are several spaces to rent (yurt, cabins) and a communal kitchen for people to use as well.

The sanctuary was a lovely space to warm up on the rainy days and spend time with the team when we were not helping people.  We had a beautiful sound healing with one of the artists who was on site doing sound healing.  I enjoyed copious amounts of tea and amazing conversations, sang with people and danced barefoot in the mud.  I even went as far as swimming in the ocean (it was about 50F and raining)!  I enjoyed the groups they had playing, the art they had up and the vendors they brought in.  Everyone came with good intentions and helped make the place amazing.  So much love and kindness extended to everyone by everyone!

Downed apple tree with Altar Space

The festival was beautiful.  This year there was a tragedy on Thursday where one of the volunteers got into a car accident and passed away.  Prior to her passing there was an altar setup for her at the base of a beautiful old apple tree.  Probably the biggest apple tree I've seen in my life.  Growing up in Nova Scotia Canada, where there are lots of apple orchards, this one far surpassed the size of the trees there.  I could not get my arms around this monster.  The evening she passed away the tree fell over.  Everyone was sad to see it go down.  Many people helped collect the ripe apples on the ground that fell.  The owners of the resort will try to resurrect the tree to keep it going as it is the oldest apple tree on the Island!

Return from the event on Monday was not hard.  I had a different person driving me back to SEA-TAC.  We stopped at the thrift shop on the island to peek around.  Some cool stuff.  Because I had no space, I didn't grab any of the things I really liked.  Blessing and a curse when it comes to packing super light.  Didn't see any Orcas while on the island or ferry, but did see a mink fishing, otters (a mom with 3 pups), lots of birds and a porpoise.

Overall I would attend again.  Getting to and from the island can be a little difficult if you don't plan in advance.  Reserve your ferry pass ASAP if you are taking a car, or grab one to barter a ride over to the event and back.  Onsite teams did an amazing job of shuttling people to and from parking lot with gear.  Wait times were not long, but also the event is under 1000 total!

As of now there are no further plans for travel in the next month.  October is the time of year I stay home and volunteer for a haunted house.  I spend my evenings and weekends scaring people.  As my coworkers put it "This is your Christmas".  Yes, it is like my Christmas.  Halloween is a month, not a day.

Till the next adventure!

Sarah