The Thin Place - My Family Travels

This is the place between heaven and earth; the paper-thin line between reality and dreams. Malibu, Canada, is more of a home to me than any other place on this planet, though it lies a whole country away. In order to get to this remote destination, one must travel by ferry through British Columbia until he or she reaches the waters in Egmont, where another boat will finish the journey (be sure to try some clam chowder while on the ferry; it’s the best out there!). Malibu is not the name of a city or country, it is the name of a camp. Malibu is a Young Life camp, to be exact. Every week of the summer hundreds of high school kids stream in to experience the best week of their lives and leave as changed people. Leaders, camp staff, volunteers, and visitors take time out of their busy schedules and learn what it is like to be technology free in a remote destination for weeks on end.

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As the boat pulls up to Malibu for the first time, a look of awe will be on every newcomer’s face. Deep blue and ice-cold water surrounds a palace on a rock where the scent of evergreen trees scents the calm air and drizzly rain will probably be hydrating the earth. Sharp, jagged rocks jut up all around the camp and snow white peaks frame the sound of raging waterfalls in the distance. Campers take cannonballs off the diving board into a heated pool next to an intense game of beach volleyball on the side lawn of the ice-cream shop, quaintly titled the “Totem Inn”. Girls sit in circles outside of the Bead Cabana and create oodles of jewelry to take home while others take turns “blobbing” each other (jumping off a tower to launch a friend off of a giant pillow situated in the inlet). Wake boarders and skiers laugh and nudge each other into the water where seals and starfish make their salty homes. The whole place has an aura of fun and adventure.

When it comes time for dinner, everybody makes their way into the beautiful dining room overlooking the inlet. Wooden walls and large windows frame the incredible view and the aroma of freshly cooked food fills the area. The smiles of young servers escort the dinner out to every circular table where happy campers dig in. After dinner people make their way to some other fun activity like “club” where everyone crams into a room with funny program skits and a talk. There is unending entertainment! Dance parties might last well into the night on the boardwalk with blaring music like “YMCA” and the backstreet boys. How could anybody not want a week as fun-filled as this?! The entertainment just goes on and on…

More important than anything else, Malibu is a place for cleansing of the soul. People leave refreshed and vibrant: ready to take on the world. Friendships are made and pretty much only good things happen. It’s a miracle, really. Deep spiritual battles happen here, and the stories of rejuvenation and celebration are almost endless. Something this insane sounding has a need to be experienced instead of just told about in order to be understood completely. So go! What are you waiting for? An adventure awaits!

 

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1 Reply to “The Thin Place”

  • Nice and informative post, thank you such a nice sharing, we can hope find more from you on this thank you.

  • This is absolutely first class
    phenomenal

  • Kashmir Tour

    very informative article Travel forums provide first hand experience and advice to travelers and are a great source of information and travel tips.
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  • Tom

    Have you ever actually traveled with kids? It doesn’t seem like it by the tone of this article.

  • todobigo

    Hello Dr Ramesh,
    If both legal guardians or birth parents of the child are traveling with the child, you will not need any other documentation, except everyone’s visas and passports. Check with your employer about medical insurance. If they will not provide medical coverage overseas, you can inquire with your U.S. based insurance company about what they provide. Some travel insurance companies sell one-year policies to cover students studying overseas and that might be another option. Safe Travels!

  • Dr Ramesh

    Sir, we both are going Europe with work visa on base of permit. Taking our 3year old child with us. Any letter or medical form/ paper we need to carry with us?

  • A Great Family Activity and one that will bring the family back together in the future when they all grow up!!
    Take a look at our adventures. https://www.youtube.com/user/00Shaddow00 . We just started doing this to bring the family together and stop wasting our time setting in front of the television. We are filming our trips to document our adventures to remember and to share with family and friends. Maybe to motivate others to get out there with there family.

  • Kavleen Kaur

    good article..

  • Jina

    thanks for sharing the wonderful and informative details. Love this blog post. Next month coming to san francisco and looking for best hotel.

  • Dubai is such a nice place to stay and famous for its wonderful sightseeing’s attractions. The best trip is Dubai sightseeing’s tour and desert safari in Dubai. We had great time couple of years ago.

  • cruisebay

    Everything is very open with a precise clarification of the challenges. It was really informative. Your site is extremely helpful. Many thanks for sharing

  • Let me add http://www.babyquip.com to the list.

    With over 300 locations to serve you in North America, we help tens of thousands of families enjoy more restful and memorable outings near and far.

  • Shira Barnett

    YAY THAT’S MY TWIN! So proud of you Tali!

  • Sunil

    Your blog helped me to plan my family trip to Bangkok and Pattaya. Just made a video blog out if it, https://youtu.be/tok17yOR1W8 please watch ang give feedback.

  • Ranch Vacation with family is a real fun. Here we spent quality time with each other. Truly said, we eat a lot and on-time as well. Riding is also a fun in ranch vacation, Created a perfect picture.

  • Misty

    For great prices on water rafting, cruise, zip line, and horseback riding activities, you can check out: http://www.mauiticketsforless.com

  • Tom

    We have actually done the ATV tour in Cozumel Mexico, and had an amazing time. We booked with Cozumel Cruise Excursions. Net which is a family business and we had an amazing time. Theres nothing better than going to another country and getting great customer service and amazing people as guides. I would highly recommend checking them out next time your in Cozumel http://cozumelcruiseexcursions.net

  • This sounds like so much fun! From the haunted houses to the different drinks offered. I didn’t know HHN was such a major part for Universal Orlando. Good to know! Thanks for the article!

  • MFT Admin

    Hello Annetta,
    Yes, one Permission to Travel or Consent Letter can list more than one child on it, if the contact information for the legal guardians/birth parents is the same.
    Safe travels!

  • Annetta greaves

    Can I use one concept form to apply for two sibling from the same father

  • Hey, very nice site. I came across this on Google, and I am stoked that I did. I will definitely be coming back here more often. Wish I could add to the conversation and bring a bit more to the table,but am just taking in as much info as I can at the moment. Thanks for sharing.

  • Thanks for all of these suggestions.
    Chicago is a wonderful place to visit.

  • Excellent very nice! No doubt Dubai is very famous for more activities but desert safari is very unique activity.i love this one…

  • jennifer S

    This is important topic for travel insurance for family and luggage on holiday and if you want to explore more destination you can visit here:- http://www.yourvitalventures.com

  • Thanks, recommendation cheap hotels is very useful for the preparation of our vacation that will not be soon. Really nice!

  • It’s amazing. I hope i can visit it soon T.T

  • Aladeyelu oluwaseun

    Our family of 3 adults booked a tour with Kalka Travels in April 2018. Our tour included transportation and accommodation in Delhi, Pushkar, Udaipur, Bundi, Jaipur and Agra. We then caught an overnight train to Varanasi where we met up with a third party contracted by Kalka Travel. Overall we were very happy with the tour company as they delivered on what we had pre-arranged with them. We upgraded our vehicle to a SUV rather than just a sedan, and added an elephant ride to Agra Fort, tickets to traditional dance show in Udaipur, a movie at the Raj Mandir theatre in Jaipur as well as water was supplied each day to us. All breakfasts were included. Our driver Ravinder was exceptional in that he was always on time and patient with us sometimes being late; the vehicle was always cleaned that morning and comfortable. He was highly attentive to our needs, very reliable, polite, and humorous, and told us what to expect at each stop. We always felt very safe with him as he was an excellent driver. His English was good in that we were able to ask many questions of him. Kalka Travels was flexible with our itinerary and our driver stopped at a few places that were not on our list of stops, unlike the other company we had considered booking who told us the drivers could not be flexible.Our wonderful driver, Ravinder, made our trip very special. Kalka Travels also only asked for a $100 deposit in advance and the remainder when we arrived in India, which put us at ease. Bobby Thakur was very quick to respond to any concerns we had. All in all, a wonderful vacation and experience with Kalka Travels.

  • Ted Jones

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    For iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/plates-family-travel-game/id1335335602?mt=8
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  • Great article & very practical. Thanks for all the tips – I’ll be thinking about them for a while as we work on our website redesign.

  • There are many famous forts and palaces along with wildlife sanctuaries and other monuments which has attracted thousands of visitors and some of them have become a part of UNESCO World Heritage Site as well.

  • We are completely in accord with these ‘not to miss 5 experiences in Dubai.’ We experienced them on a family trip last year. The one thing we missed out was the charter yacht. Now we have taken it as a priority for our next trip after reading your post.

  • Look like you had a great adventure trip. The ship looks awesome.

  • Dubai is amazing. I really enjoyed reading your article! 🙂

  • anonymous

    I just found a website that lists apple festivals all over the country! So you can find something in your area. They all seem a little bit different, which is fun. http://pickyourown.org/applefestivals.php

  • St john is more quite than other Caribbean islands. St John accessible only by ferry from the other U.S. Virgin Islands, St. John is a true gem in the Caribbean with crystal clear waters, lush green mountains and gorgeous white sand beaches. Though it is the smallest of the three U.S. Virgin Islands, St. John’s unspoiled beauty is perhaps the greatest found anywhere in the Caribbean.

  • Rajasthan is one of the most vibrant and colorful states in India with its rich culture and traditions since ancient times. It is known as the land of warriors and beautiful princess who even chose to die for saving their chastity and had a great affinity with their motherland. Whether it is the cuisine or the dress sense everything is unique about Rajasthan’s culture. There are many famous forts and palaces along with wildlife sanctuaries and other monuments which has attracted thousands of visitors and some of them have become a part of UNESCO World Heritage Site as well. The famous sites are described in this blog which is good for the history lovers and for those people who want to explore more about the diversity of Rajasthan.

  • Being in the city of Royal Tents in Jaisalmer of moving sand ridges, you can’t get away from the seat travel. A rough ride on a camel in the Thar Desert is one of the energizing things to do in Jaisalmer Royal Camps. It enables you to investigate the remote and segregated spots tucked amidst the abandon. Absolutely, the additional time you give on your safari, the more remote spots you are probably going to see and the more you may acclimate to and appreciate the abandon serenity.

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  • Thanks, for posting such and Informatic blog. I had been to Amer Fort in Jaipur and it was an amazing experience.

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  • I think that is a wonderful experience at Dubai. I’ve been to Dubai and it’s pretty

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