Vancouver, you have my heart

When I think of Vancouver, I think of the only place I ever spent time at: the Vancouver International Airport. I have a regular routine of walking the long terminals from end to end of A, B and C. I avoiding the escalators to get my steps in before boarding whatever long-ass flight I'm waiting for. If open, I'll check out the Lululemon pop up shop (and buy nothing, because Lulu new is too expensive for my blood). Finally, I'll order a latte with a spinach, feta wrap from Starbucks and find a quiet area to do yoga. Any other time I think of Vancouver, I think of unaffordable and insane housing prices and a concrete jungle of skyrises and busy, dirty streets, perhaps with only slightly more greenery than Calgary, which, after living there for 10 years, I don't have much love left for the city. Or any city, really.

The only time I saw Vancouver in a positive light is when I came across a video clip that I sent to my friend Kayla and her sister Kandus on our group chat about an array of hikes, one of which included the Vancouver's infamous Grouse Grind. Below the clip, I messaged them that I want to hike it. In true Kayla fashion - ever the planner - she asked us when the best time to go was, and suddenly flights were booked and a hotel was reserved. Kayla once told me that if we don't commit immediately, everyone will only talk about it and the adventure would never happen, and I agree, talk is cheap. As a fellow planner who regularly checks off life-list trips, I was ecstatic to have someone else to organize, and who rather enjoyed taking her and her partner weekending in Vancouver, so she had lots of recommendations for our own weekend adventure.

I mostly travel solo, so it was a relief to go somewhere that I didn't have to prepare mentally for (traveling isn't always fun and often it can be stressful), since other people were familiar and comfortable with the surroundings, and because I only have a handful of friends in the Vanderhoof area (as a very introverted person, I have a small, close circle of people in my life, other who are close to my heart are often far away), it was extra exciting to go somewhere with two of them. I've also come to realize that for me, traveling means being outdoors, and often hiking. (For Mike, traveling means the ocean and snorkeling). So, since I had my one adventure planned: hiking the Grouse Grind, my cup was full and I was excited to enjoy whatever else someone else planned.

Our hotel was downtown and just off Davie Street, which is the city's primary gay village, so it was rainbow sidewalks and good vibes all 'round. With seeking out restaurants and sites, that stretch became so familiar to me that it became a comfort to find the street after a long day of exploring. The first thing Kayla and I did was walk to and then around Stanley Park. With the old growth trees and beautiful greenery everywhere, it felt impossible that we were still inside a city. Cedar trees are something I always appreciate. Sometimes I wish we lived west of Vanderhoof, perhaps in Terrace, where hiking paths are plentiful and cedars are everywhere in the old growth forest. That tree scent highlighted by sunshine you come across deep in the forest is my favorite smell; if I could bottle that scent, I would. We came across a rose garden, although a bit more sparse than usual given the time of year, we walked around the various types of roses snapping photos and smelling the different colours, trying to determine which gave off the nicest scent.

On one particular venture we found a breakfast place called Portraits that had the best Latte I've ever had in my life. Shamelessly I went there for the next few mornings to get my caffeine fix. They also served a Turkish style breakfast that had a green yoghurt base with poached eggs and spicey chorizo, surrounded in baby tomatoes and drizzled in spicey chili paste. I've actually made it at home a few times, with crusty sourdough bread and it's quite satisfying.

My friend Lisa, who full circled back to the Vancouver area (she's a Surrey girl now, but was raised in Victoria), after living in Prince George and Montreal for multiple years, came downtown to visit me. I've missed her terribly since she's relocated to a place that makes her heart happy. It was a bit of a revelation when, after so much time struggling to fit into places she was too small for, she quit her job, ended her lease a month early and walked away from her personal life and moved back to where she belonged. It was great getting caught up over sushi; Despite regular phone dates, nothing makes up for face-to-face life pondering conversations.

Kayla, Kandus and I also rented bikes to ride the seawall, where never have I enjoyed something so touristy in British Columbia. We were surrounded by other people while zooming down the cement paths and still truly enjoyed the ride that took us through the beauty of Stanley Park, along many bays and gave us a daunting view of the Grouse Grind. The sunny views and breeze made for a great time. 

We got up early the following morning and stopped at Starbucks to grab the initially mentioned breakfast and beverage, enjoying breakfast as the Uber drove us to the beginning of the Grouse Grind. In all honesty, I was pretty nervous; it's a 2.5km Grind with an 800 meter elevation gain. Essentially, the hike is immediately all steps: wooden strips of lumber transition into uneven natural rocks with unsuspecting roots, which feel more common as time goes on. The amount of people surrounding me was a lot, as this is quite naturally a popular trek - some people incorporate it in their work out and do it daily. But, it was surprisingly nice to have company during the struggle as people passed me forever or we leapfrogged each other to the top. at one point I could see the city through a silhouette of trees. It was uniquely beautiful. Kayla Kandus and I hiked our own Grouse Grind, so we met up again at the top, all sweat and smiles. Afterwards we went to a petty high end Italian restaurant Kayla was raving about, and I had my fill of well-deserved fancy pasta, contently eating in my sweat and salt-stained hiking clothes.

I finished the hike in two hours, and the accomplishment in itself was enough to not feel the need to do it again, but I plan to return to Vancouver. Mike and I talked about a weekend escape a couple of times, but during the winter I'd rather stay up North and enjoy the snow, rather than endure the rain. There are so many other hikes I'd like to do in and around Vancouver. The only regret I have about going to Vancouver is that I never swam in the ocean, and easily, I could have. Adventuring with Kayla and Kandus in the city was a great life choice.

Kirstin

Now is the right time for an adventure.