Vancouver skyline..Yes I stole this from the internet. No I don't feel bad about it.
Today
marks a bittersweet day on my lifes journey.
It was one year ago today that Ross and I woke up for the last time in
our apartment in Vancouver. We ate egg
McMuffins from the McDonalds across the street and listened to the crows (I
loved and Ross grew to despise) that hung around our neighbourhood, we called a
cab and headed to the airport with nothing but our giant bags of clothes. One year ago today we left our home, our
friends and began this new life here in Valladolid. We of course spent a few weeks in Ontario
before actually catching a flight to Spain but leaving Vancouver was the
hardest part, the first step on the journey.
View from Burrard Bridge
Waiting for the cab to take us away.
I
find myself thinking of Vancouver most days.
It is the first place I have ever lived and felt like I was home. I remember the very first time I went to
Vancouver when I was 19. I hitchhiked (Not
something I would do again) from Canmore Alberta where I had been living at the
time, and when I arrived I knew it was the place for me. I spent the next few years back in Ontario
until the time was right and I moved to Vancouver for what I imagined would be
forever.
Moving
to Vancouver changed my life in more ways than I could have imagined. Being away from Ontario gave me a chance to
breathe. To be on my own, away from
everything and most everyone I knew. I
found myself there. I felt like I
finally had the freedom to be who I really was and live the life I wanted to
live. I could shed the preconceived notions of who I was thought to be and
truly be me.
"I am the tree and the tree is me" - Tabitha Silveira
My
anxiety began to fall away and I was having less panic attacks. Not to say it is cured but changing my life
situation certainly made a world of difference.
I met some of the most amazing people I have ever known in my entire
life. These people became my friends, my
support system, my family. I made more
friends in the few years I was in Vancouver than I had my entire life in
Ontario.
Greatest group of people I know! Our final brunch in Kits the day before we left.
James, myself and Adam at Biminis
What you don't shotgun beers when you wake up in the woods?
My most lovely Britney-Anna
Vancouver Pride Parade! Myself, Claire and Tenay.
I
got my job at Starbucks and can honestly say it really did change my life in so
many positive ways. I miss it so much
more than I thought possible. My co workers, my managers, my customers all had
an impact on my life and have helped me to become who I am today. So many hours spent sitting in the backroom
crying, laughing, counselling (being counselled) and making lasting
memories. Taking the time to really know
each face that came through the door and learning so much about the people in
the neighbourhoods (three in total) that I spent 4 years working in. I made some of my best friends there.
Mandy, Maggie, myself and Ross watching baseball.
Drinks with my favourite people. Starbucks Balsam crew.
Most beautiful ladies in Vancouver Lindsay, Cassie and Samantha
Starbucks UBC crew back in the day.
Shannon, Sally and Tina... I couldnt ask for better managers, mentors and friends.
As I have been told numerous times this is Classic Melanie Ann face.
Most
importantly I met Ross. I will never
forget the first moment I saw him sitting across a table from me at a pub I was
forced to go to by a very special customer turned friend. He had an infectious smile and although that
night I left thinking he was a bit of a jerk (turns out he thought he was
flirting with me) it didn’t take long for a friendship to form and after our
first actual date I knew he was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life
with.
Hiking the North Shore with the man of my dreams
Garibaldi lake hike
Our first Halloween
We
spent the next three years together truly living, spending as much time in the
mountains as possible hiking and camping.
I found a peace there that I have never felt anywhere else. To be so deep into the woods that you are
certain you might never see another person again, to stop and just listen to
the sound of the wind in the trees and the birds chirping, to feel free and
wild and light. I had no worries in the
mountains, until of course I heard a branch break and I was convinced a bear
was hunting us. We hiked as much of the
Rockies as possible and still saw only a fraction of them. I loved that we
could hop on a city bus and be dropped off in the mountains of the North Shore
to explore for the day.
Seriously though be bear aware! This is where they live.
The forests of the North Shore
View of the city while hiking across from Deep Cove to Grouse Mountain
We
walked the city too. We both love to
walk. You have the ability to see things
you miss when driving or taking a bus. I
am fairly certain we saw almost every street in the city and found some really
cool places as a result. When we tell
people about our walks they are always shocked we walked 20 km just for fun and
of course Indian buffet. Vancouver was
great for just walking, with so many neighbourhoods and parks to explore we had
a hard time feeling bored. Kitsilano,
Point Grey, UBC, Gastown, Yaletown, Commercial, Shaughnessy, Kerrisdale, The
North Shore, Robson, Stanely Park, Granville Island, I mean the list just goes
on and on. On weekends if we were not in
the mountains our conversations went like this…
“what
do you want to do today?”
“Just
grab a starbucks and wander.”
“Perfect.
Me too.”
Downtown Vancouver
Second Beach sunsets
Granville Island from Granville bridge
Vancouver
is a big city full of diversity in its people, cuisine and activities. I spent so many great years in, in my
opinion, the most gorgeous city in the world. Surrounded by mountains, forest
and ocean, seeing Eagles, seals, coyotes, whales and bears, hiking, camping,
biking and swimming, eating too many burritos (like that’s even a thing) and
spending long nights drinking at Biminis, drinking at our house with Dave and
playing video games, jamming and laughing. It was the healthiest and happiest time of my life.
Just an eagle chilling in the park. NBD.
My little sisters visit!
There
are definitely aspects of Van city that I was not found of while living there,
the downtown eastside, the insanely high rent, the holier then thou attitude of
certain Vancouverites and the Cancucks (Go Leafs Go!! Vancouver is home but I will be a Leafs fan for life). However despite that I know Vancouver
is home. I think you would be hard
pressed to find a perfect place to live but I think Van is the closest to
perfection I can imagine.
The city view from Lonsdale Quay
I,
we, do not regret our decision to move.
We are explorers and adventurers and leaving Vancouver has offered us a
chance to experience the world abroad.
Leaving has also given us a chance to see Vancouver from afar and has
solidified our desire to return and spend our lives there living, working and
expanding our family.
Vancouver
is my home, our home and I look forward to grabbing Burrito Bros and sitting on
our log watching the sunset again soon.
Sunset from our log. Nothing compares to this.
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