There's a world outside yourself, where the trees keep growing and the cars keep moving without you there

Last week my office sent a group of us out for some "team building"...Friday morning, we got up bright and early, laced up our skate shoes and set off on a day trip to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Although I have grown up in the Lower Mainland, and I know full well that the famed bridge was visited by the exchange students who stayed with me from both France and Italy, I must admit that I had never myself been to visit this incredible site. The sun was shining brightly in the blue sky, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I was very excited to check out this tourist attraction, nonetheless.


My pulse quickened as I stepped onto the swaying planks of the bridge. I could smell the cedar-scented rainforest air as I made my way across. I was quite shocked by how much it swayed and how difficult that made it to walk in a straight line; it shook even more as some of the people crossing it bounced back and forth, jumping from side to side. Suddenly a monotone voice boomed out, "Please do not shake the bridge" and as the shaking continued, she spoke again, "As I said, please do not shake the bridge. People who are afraid of heights do not find this funny." The voice continued to speak, but the shaking did not stop. I was relieved when my foot touched solid ground again.

Once across the bridge, we discovered what they call the Treetops Adventure. This is the newest of the Capilano Suspension Bridge's attractions and the first venue of its kind in North America, offering a squirrel's eye view of a thriving coastal forest. We ventured from one magnificent Douglas fir tree to another on a series of elevated suspension bridges, some reaching as high as 100 feet above the forest floor. It was absolutely beautiful.


The group spent hours walking around the natural splendor of rainforest trails through magnificent evergreens, enjoying the unique perspective. We hugged trees, took a ton of photos and then there was that part about crossing back over the bridge....after which, we were all absolutely exhausted.

All in all, it was a fabulous day of bonding, laughing, nature and good times. We have a truly delightful group of individuals that make up our company and I am so blessed that these are the people I get to work with each day.