Indelible Adventures: West Coast Vibe

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After arriving into Vancouver last Friday morning it was if an old friend was welcoming me back after a long absence. During my management consulting years I worked in Vancouver for almost four years, yes it was a tough existence given that I was on a plane for ten hours per week in addition to my regular job. It certainly wasn’t your average commute to work!

There is something intangible about the Pacific Northwest, especially when the sun shines on the snow capped mountains peaks that virtually surround the city. I landed to one of those bright and breathless days, which I knew would be perfect to tackle my first objective of the weekend…

Indelible Tip #1: Challenge yourself If you love getting outdoors and don’t mind a bit of a challenge I would highly recommend tackling the Grouse Grind in North Vancouver. There is no question that it’s a tough and some might say arduous trek up the face of Grouse Mountain, but I find it cleansing especially if you’ve just gotten off a five hour flight. Note: You don’t have to hike up as there is a gondola from the base station every 10 minutes, but if you’re in reasonable shape and don’t mind getting a sweat up then the hike is definitely for you.

It took me about 55 minutes, going at a steady pace to make my way up, and more importantly given the innate natural beauty of the hike it was worth every moment of it. There is something about walking between stands of giant western redwoods and through fields of fern that makes all of life’s troubles just fade away…

Although sweaty when I arrived the cool mountain air soon cooled me off and all I could do was stand in awe at the beauty that was now my domain. With the city of Vancouver stretching out before me, the coast and of course Vancouver Island in the distance it was a picture perfect setting. See of the amazing photos in my shoot at the end of this weeks blog.

Indelible Tip #2: Seize the moment Many of my trips are to locations where I don’t have friends, family or a network (although given the popularity of my blog that isn’t entirely true any longer) and so it's amazing when you can spend time reconnecting and catching up with old friends, and although I didn’t catch up with everyone who I would have liked to I made a good start. I guess I’ll just have to go back again soon. :-)

Not only was this trip about capturing the beauty of this part of Canada through the lens of my camera (just over 750 photos in the two days), but it was also an opportunity for me to get away and spend some time slowing down and contemplating life. Perhaps some might say it was a tonic or an elixir of sorts, but whatever it is I feel so alive after my time there.

Indelible Tip #3: Reconnecting Definitely part of my trip our to Vancouver was to reconnect with old friends, and perhaps make a few new ones along the way. :-) After my hike up Grouse mountain I headed back into town to pick up keys to my friends place, then caught up with Bill and Kev for a beer on a patio in Yaletown. If you go to Vancouver, Yaletown is a must, as its packed with cool little restaurants and bars, in fact many of the cities best eateries are located in this little pocket between False Creek, Robson and Homer streets. Seriously nothing better than a cold pint on a sunny afternoon!

The weekend was a good mix of photography, exploring and socializing as I intermingled lunches, dinners and coffee catch-ups with my exploration. In fact, I even ended up going to a surprise birthday party on Saturday night...so much fun!

I think it’s important to take some time to get away and slow down, refocusing your priorities and taking time to just breathe...

I find that life can sometimes catch up with you in terms of the frenetic pace in which we live. Being continually connected and always on is not only tiring but also takes a toll on your health if you keep it up for long periods, and so its important to completely unwind.

It's interesting that when I go to the west coast it has a whole different vibe than what I'm used to living in Toronto. Some might say its a little more "granola", but all I know is that its a slower, easier pace of life which is not surprisingly one I love. Then throw in the extreme beauty of this part of the world...I know right? The question is "what the hell am I doing living in Toronto?"

Clearly, other than for Zach and Sami I'd love to spend half my time in Italy and the other half in Vancouver.

Remember each day is a gift - there are no guarantees...so what are you waiting for? Time to take a break and live a little!

Enjoy! :-)

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“Hanoi Posting”

A series of fictional micro-stories by Terence Wallis

Episode 50: Sojourn

The plane touched down just at Malpensa airport in Milan some three hours after leaving London, although as she would soon find out the onward trip to Bangkok was going to be delayed as one of the engines had been damaged during the turbulence and they needed to send another plane from London to complete the journey.

The announcement from British Airways caught almost everyone by surprise "We apologized for the delay in British Airways flight 12 from London to Bangkok. Unfortunately our plane is no longer in service, another plane is now en-route from London's Heathrow and will arrive early tomorrow morning. We are expecting an 8:00 am departure and it is imperative that you return to the airport no later than 6:00 am in readiness for your onward flight to Bangkok". The announcer went onto say that British Airways in the process of arranging accommodations and to be seated until further notice, but it soon turned into a mob scene with everyone scrumming around the BA desk hoping to get more information. Lea stood to the side of the writhing crowd and felt a touch of giddiness after hearing the announcement. Okay now what she thought?

A moment later she felt the gentle touch of a hand on her lower back, "I know a beautiful hotel where we can stay, and can still be back in the morning to catch our flight" the voice whispered softly into her ear, Lea smiled and blushed deeply as she recognized her seat mates voice from the plane. After landing they awkwardly smiled and released each others grasp and it was then that Alessio had formally introduced himself. Lea had warmed to him immediately, not only was he impeccably dressed, and ruggedly handsome but what sealed the deal was he big brown eyes and his mesmerizingly soft Italian accent which she could listen to for hours...

"Where would we go she stammered, her brow furrowing slightly as Alessio smiled confidently and said that his cousin had a hotel just outside Milan and that a driver was on his way to pick them up. She hesitated for a moment before deciding to go with her gut, reasoning that her journalist instincts would have kicked in if she had any doubts about him.

She was both curious and a little excited...although not willing to admit this to herself just yet.

It was raining softly as the Mercedes pulled to the curb in front of the terminal, and the driver got out and walked to Alessio, smiling and with a barely noticeable nod opened the umbrella to shelter them from the rain. The driver opened the door and allowed Lea to step into the luxuriously appointed back seat, with the pungent smell of new leather teasing her senses.

Moments later they were speeding from the terminal toward the hotel, and all the while Lea's stomach danced with butterflies...