Heading Home

Another early morning, only this time it was to get girls down to the hotel gift shop which opened at 7am.  Yes, I'm serious, some of these girls got up extra early so that they could go shopping (the rule had been that they couldn't shop until their room had been inspected).  Once again I just shook my head, trying to understand this practice.

Cool trefoil luggage tags!

I think we had an extra half hour to get ready this morning, as we had to start claiming elevators at 9:30 to get everyone out the door and on the way to the bus station.  Stairs were not really an option with large backpacks, and we could get less people on an elevator because of those very backpacks.  I believe it took 20 minutes to get everyone to the meeting place just outside the lobby.

What was impressive however, was comparing the girls that arrived on Friday night, with backpacks hanging below their bums (not strapped properly), and wandering in a strange version of a line/blob to the hotel, to this organized group of girls with properly fitting backpacks, and who could walk in pairs, but with the raise of a hand, instantly merge into single file.  In a mere 4 days they had learned how to work together, and as a result they got themselves through the busy downtown streets on a Monday morning much quicker than they had Friday night, and with way more confidence.  They knew what was expected and how to do it, and they did it!  I was kind of in awe.  Is this what Girl Guides is about?  I can get behind this... although I still want me a trip to Europe!

The bus ride to Toronto was mostly uneventful, that is, until we got to Toronto!  The plan had been to arrive in Toronto around 4:15, get pizza for everyone, have a bathroom and walk-around break, and then board the two buses to Guelph or Kitchener at 5:30.  Solid plan, right?  Wrong!

At about 4:45 (still on the bus) the leaders started sending texts and whispering to each other as it was clear we were cutting it very close.  The estimated time of arrival according to various phone GPS apps was 5:10.  Pizza was out.  Bathroom run was probably out too (time to use the on-board bathroom, as fun as that is in stop & go traffic).  The bus finally pulled in at 5:15.  Do you want to see seven determined leaders set to work?  I recommend pulling a bus into a busy city 15 minutes before they have to get 29 people's luggage off of a full bus and onto two other buses!  Yup, it was organized chaos, and if you asked me it was rather magical.  With barely a word said, these seven ladies separated and just made it happen.  One jumped off the bus first and started claiming bags.  A few hustled the girls off into a relatively quiet corner.  Another checked the seats for things left behind.  And then they started a relay system to pass luggage from the bus drop to the corner the girls were in, all in less than 10 minutes.  Magic I tell you.

Toronto - almost home!

Finally Clare called over her four girls and headed for the other side of the departure terminal.  One of the girls said "Are we late?"  She replied, "Yup, very!" to which she got a "Is that why the leaders are all acting so weird?"  Ok, I had to laugh.  The girls hadn't been told, but they understood that something was wrong, and they had all just stood quietly in the spot they'd been sent to, waiting until it seemed like a good time to ask.  Good for them!

Good news!  Both groups made it onto their buses with a few minutes to spare.  About two hours later, both groups were safe in their respective towns, a little hungry perhaps, but home.

And that ends another adventure of this little bear.  But before I leave you, I'll share a few fun stats that Clare and Janice figured out on the bus ride home (in order that it all happened, on the most part):

11 months of planning and paperwork
100+ cases of cookies sold (that's over 1200 boxes!)
3 different units (Elora, New Dundee, New Hamburg) 
12 Guides (aged 9-11 branch of Girl Guides of Canada)
8 Pathfinders (aged 12-14 branch)
1284 km travelled by bus
30 km walked over 4 days
32 cherry trees (Chinatown)
15 wall murals (all over the place)
8 metro stops
1 cross seen from 5 different angles
1 music festival
30 minutes locked in jail
1 musket fired
3 museums
22 girls lost in a maze
1 chess festival
4 second crosswalk (best time remaining when we had all crossed)
7 VERY TIRED leaders
I happy little bear :)

Whatever!