Flashback to happiness: My favourite place in the world

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In this week’s Flashback to Happiness, one woman shares her happy memories of camping as a child, and why she will always think of her old camping site as her peaceful, happy place.  

The reader: Kirsten McGoey  

Who is she? A Toronto mother of two and home daycare operator.  

Her Happy Moment: On the shores or in the waters of Mazinaw Lake in Eastern Ontario.

Why it’s so memorable: As a child, my brother, parents and I always camped in a tent trailer at Bon Echo Provincial Park just north of Napanee, Ontario. For some kids, especially teenagers, spending two weeks with their parents could have been sheer torture. But in our 30-plus years of camping at Bon Echo, I never, ever felt that way.  

In the mornings, I’d wake up and race my father into the water of the small beach and then run back to get dry while he made breakfast. I’d also spend hours walking the worn paths and spent sunsets watching the rocks change from grey to orange, reds and purples.

Later on I was engaged there—my now husband Joe proposed to me on the rocky shores overlooking the lake while I was sitting there sketching the rocks. He was so nervous it took him almost four  hours to pop the question: other campers kept coming nearby and he wanted some privacy! When he asked, I was so surprised I ran halfway up the rocks before I screamed yes. We then ran back over the root-covered paths to tell my parents and brother.

A part of my heart will always be with the waters of the Mazinaw and the rock face there. Today, Bon Echo is the place I escape to when parenting, the business and life gets crazy. It’s my peaceful spot, even when I am not there. For me, it’s the happiest place on earth and will forever inspire me.

Got a great moment to tell us about? Please share it! Contact us at pplum@sympatico.ca and you might be featured in a future column.