Our Perfect Storm — A Love Letter To The Pacific Northwest
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Our Perfect Storm Junes book of the month
If you know me at all you know that Carley Fortune has a permanent home on my most loved shelf — and Every Summer After is the kind of book I will recommend to literally everyone until the end of time. So when I tell you I have been counting down the days until the Prime adaptation I mean it with my whole heart. So naturally I went into Or Perfect Storm with very high expectations. And here is the thing — it did not disappoint. Not even a little. But it is a different kind of book and I think it is important to say that upfront. Where Every Summer After wrecked me in the best possible way this one did something quieter and honestly something I needed more.
Our Perfect Storm is a book about growing. About finally seeing what has been right in front of you all along. And that hit me somewhere personal. I have a habit of always looking ahead — planning the next thing chasing the next goal — and sometimes completely missing the beauty of exactly where I am right now. This book held up a mirror to that in the gentlest most beautiful way and I was not expecting it to. Sometimes the book you need finds you at exactly the right moment. This was that book for me And then there is the setting — oh the setting. As a Pacific Northwest girl there is something about Carley Fortune's description of the coastline that just gets into your bones. She writes the PNW the way it actually feels — wild and grey and achingly beautiful all at once. The kind of beautiful that does not ask permission. Reading those scenes felt like standing on a familiar beach with salt air in my hair and I was completely transported.
But the scene that really stopped me — the one I keep coming back to — is the surfing scene. She gets on that board and for the first time in what feels like forever she is not trying to be the best. She is not competing. She is not performing for anyone. She is just there — in the water — completely present — letting herself feel the pure joy of it. And somewhere in the middle of that wave she stops trying to win and starts actually living. I had to put the book down for a minute after that one. Because honestly? I needed that reminder. That it is okay to do something just because it fills you up. That the community around you is worth leaning into. That sometimes the most radical thing you can do is just be exactly where you are and let it be enough. Carley Fortune slipped that lesson in so quietly and it landed so hard
So here is my honest take — if you are coming to The Perfect Storm looking for the kind of book that tears your heart completely out of your chest this is not that book. Put it down and reread Every Summer After for the fourth time like the rest of us. But if you are looking for something gentler — a book that quietly taps you on the shoulder and whispers hey slow down look around you are missing it — this one will hit you right where you need it. It is not a dramatic love story, well it has its moments. It is a soft and steady one. And sometimes that is exactly what you need.
I gave it four stars and zero regrets.
Three Days In Tofino — Your Perfect PNW Escape
Day 1 — Arrive and Breathe It All In
Where To Stay — Hotel Zed Tofino
Hotel Zed is the perfect Tofino base — fun colorful and right in the heart of everything. With free WiFi free parking and that laid back coastal vibe it ticks every box for a Tofino getaway!
Pro tip — request early check in when you book so you can drop your bags and hit the beach immediately!
Dinner — ROAR at Hotel Zed Don't even leave the hotel for your first night — ROAR is right there and honestly why would you go anywhere else when the food is this good! Local Pacific Northwest ingredients — fresh seafood — and that cozy Tofino atmosphere
Day 2 — Adventure Day!
Morning — Surf Lesson at Cox Bay Book a beginner surf lesson — you don't need experience — just show up and feel the joy of it!
Just like our girl in Our Perfect Storm — do it for the love of it not the competition! 🏄♀️
Lunch — Tacofino The original Tacofino truck lives in the Live to Surf parking lot — yes you will wait in line with hungry surfers — yes the fish tacos will change your life — yes it is completely worth it! Elfsight
Afternoon — Rainforest Trail Walk the ancient rainforest trails — towering cedars — moss covered everything — pure PNW magic!
Evening — Whale Watching Tour Book a sunset whale watching tour — grey whales frequently spotted off the Tofino coast — just like the magical whale scenes in Our Perfect Storm! 🐋
Dinner — Wolf In The Fog One of Tofino's most beloved restaurants — consistently topping best of lists — incredible Pacific Northwest menu!
Day 3 — Slow Down and Soak It In
Morning — Breakfast at Wildside Grill Fresh local ingredients — big portions — the perfect fuel for your last Tofino morning!
Mid Morning — Floating Sauna Relax in the middle of the ocean.
Lunch — Shelter Restaurant Thoughtful food great cocktails and waterfront views in the heart of the Tofino Inlet!
Afternoon — Browse Downtown Tofino Explore the little shops — grab locally made souvenirs — find a piece of Tofino to take home!
Final Dinner — ROAR at Hotel Zed Come full circle — end where you began — back at ROAR for one last incredible meal before you head home dreaming about when you can come back!
Ready to make your Tofino dream a reality?
✈️ Let me handle everything — As a travel agent I can take care of every single detail of your Tofino trip so you can just show up and enjoy the magic. From accommodation to activities to making sure you have a table at Wolf In The Fog — I've got you covered completely free with no extra charge to you!
Tofino is waiting and it is even more magical than the books make it sound.
Pack light. Read freely. Wander always.
— Heather
