Anne of Green Gables…my childhood dream

I got to live a childhood dream of mine that, honestly, I never thought would come true. Growing up, a young Canadian girl, one of the staples of my reading youth, was Anne of Green Gables. I loved her. I loved her independence. I love that she seemingly took no shit from someone else, and certainly not because she was “just a girl”. Reading made me envision what Prince Edward Island was like and it made it a location in our country I had one day hoped to visit. I longed to visit the beauty of PEI and explore just like Anne did. Over the years, that dream faded into the background and then I became an adult and it really slipped away. Life, school, work, kids took over and that little girl that longed to experience the beauty of this faded into a distant memory.

And here I am, LIVING that dream. I arrived early to the ferry and to my luck, I was the last vehicle to get right on….no waiting, no line, just drove right on and away the ferry went! Talk about luck! As I walked out onto the ferry, viewing out in the distance of my soon-to-be next destination I was hit with a wave of emotions. And then the excitement set it. The memories of my yearnings from childhood flooded back as if they never went away. It hit me, that soon, I was going to be experiencing and living one of my dreams. I was finally going to get to explore the beautiful Island that the words I read in my youth caused me to fall in love with. Tears began to well up and I could feel the lump in my throat; I don’t know if it was only about the fact I was finally on the island, or if it was a culmination and emotions were just going to overwhelm me. Anne of Green Gables caused me to fall in love with PEI as a child. Anne’s speak and not taking crap personality drew me in and I loved her. I had to really forgo letting myself cry as I arrived. It was as if I remembered something I had forgotten about myself.

I began to explore the island as soon as I got off the ferry. The first thing I noticed is the butterflies. They’re probably moths, but look similar to monarchs and they are EVERYWHERE. Think of it like, fish fly season in the Great Lakes area, swarms, everywhere, all over your vehicles, flying and getting caught in the grill, on the roads, the buildings and the sidewalks. EXCEPT, unlike fish flies, they’re beautiful and don’t smell gross!

As I drove in awe, I found myself getting more and more emotional the closer I got to Anne of Green Gables. I felt peace and happiness. Maybe because it reminds me of a simpler me, childhood me. One that never worried about all the things grown ups have to think about- one who only had to think about what friends I would hang out with and where we would go exploring. I arrived as soon as they opened, which was amazing since it meant I was virtually alone in my exploration; able to take it all in AND take photographs without anyone else.

There was a barn that had all sorts of period-clothes you could try on; and let me tell you, I was living my best Anne of Green Gables life! I laughed so hard….still laughing….at the young guy who walked “in on me” while I was twirling around in my farm dress taking photos of myself!

I can’t wait to explore what the rest of the island has to offer - for today, I’m revelling in the excitement of 10 year old me and my day at Anne of Green Gables.