Is it….

a) Where you were born? 

b) Where you spent your childhood? 

c) Where you’ve spent most of your life?  

d) Where your current home is? 

What about where your heart is? Can you claim that as your hometown?

Young people around me are already getting married… have been married… A girl I was friends with in high school has been married for three years and is starting a family. 

Am I hoping to get married? 

Hell no. The idea of settling down terrifies me. The idea of being attached to someone terrifies me. Going back to places like my hometown — the quiet suburbs with minivans and all those other clichés… Terrifies me. Grosses me out. 

I just want to be young and free forever.

I can’t stay in Toronto much longer either. I’m only really going back because I have to. It’s dirty. And noisy. And it’s just gotten old for me. 

I’m already planning where I might be a year from now.

It’s dawned on me. I don’t want to travel a bit right after my undergrad and graduate studies  (currently planning on France next year, then a year of service in Africa after my Master’s), then have that it be it for my major travels, settle down with a job and a condo…

I want to work a few years, then pack a few bags and travel somewhere for a year. Come back to a new city in Canada (or the US), work for a few years, then do it again. 

Of course I’m already thinking about the places I would like to go.

If that’s your biggest mistake, you’re doing pretty well.

Bill Reid Gallery

Outdoor Movie Night – July 19

Museum of Vancouver

Free historic walking tour of Gastown

Seymour Conservation Reserve

Lighthouse Park 

Bard on the Beach - 18$ on weekdays at 1pm

Granville Island

Yaletown

Whalewatching? 

Victoria

Kelowna? 

Clearwater?

Vancouver Aquarium? 

Capilano Suspension Bridge? 

Celebration of Light Fireworks Festival (not getting tickets – this is just for dates) 

Harmony Arts Festival – July 31st to August 9th

Festival Vancouver – August 2-16

Eagle Spirit Gallery on Granville Island

Appleton Galleries

Peter Kiss Gallery on Granville Island – Open daily from 10-6

Robert Held Art Glass - In Kits, open Mon-Sat 9am-5pm 

Heather Ross  Open Tuesday- Saturday 11-5

Canvas Lounge in Gastown

Contemporary Art Gallery In downtown. Wed-Sun., 12-6

Hertach Studio – on Granville Island

BC Cultural Crawl

Have done List: 

Garibaldi Provincial Park

Fraser Valley

Seattle

Whistler

Chinatown

Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden

Vancouver art museum

I know, I know. It’s crazy, right? Ms. “I’m never going back” has bought her return ticket. 

But it’s ok. I will enjoy the heck out of my remaining time here. Then I will enjoy eight months in Toronto. Things to look forward to in Toronto: My best friends, free rent in a great apartment, groceries bought for me, not having to deal with the damn Olympics… 

And then I’ll be gone again. Where to? I don’t know. Suggestions are welcome.

It’s not only that I love Vancouver SOOOOOO much more than Toronto. I mean, I do love Vancouver. And I love independence. 

Pictures are popping up on facebook of Pride. That means I am seeing my Toronto neighbourhood again. Seeing pictures of my neighbourhood, and especially of Pride, reminds me of feeling so trapped. Not having freedom to pursue what I needed to. 

I don’t want to go back. Ever. I’m already dreading going back next summer. It’s not so bad in the winter (ironic, I know) but the summers are a little hellish. It’s humid, and busy. I don’t like the busy. I like my apartment in Toronto. That’s about it. Oh and I like the sushi. 

Before I was stressing over finding a job. Now I’m on to stressing about finding a place to live in September. And a doctor. I hate the medical system, damn it. 

Work has been great – I just started. My life has been a whirlwind lately and I’m waiting for it to calm the heck down. I’ve gotten sick. So I’m spending Saturday night in bed watching Bones. 

I spent yesterday at the beach with a friend reading. Gotta love this place.

There’s a heat wave in Toronto. And the city workers are on strike so no one is collecting garbage. The city is going to SMEEEEEEEEELL. To add to it, downtown is going to be full of people this weekend as it’s Pride. I have a fear of large crowds, have I mentioned that? Well, it’s not that I fear them, it’s that I get anxious when I’m in them. 

I don’t miss Toronto. I hadn’t liked it for a very long time. I’m not that pleased that I have to go back next summer. At least my apartment there has air conditioning. I’ll have courses next summer. So when I’m not in class I can just barricade myself in my newly redecorated room.

 el⋅e⋅va⋅tion

                                                    an elevated place, thing, or part; an       
            eminence.
                                                     loftiness; grandeur or dignity;                   
                                           nobleness: elevation of mind.
                          the state of being elevated.

“It is in a writer’s nature to betray…”   

                                    -   Evelyn Lau        

“One always has a better book in one’s mind than one can manage to get onto paper.”

  - Michael Cunningham 

“Once social change begins, it can not be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours.” 

           -Cesar Chavez

“The traditional culture of revolt here has been the left. Our parents were revolutionaries in 1979; now we’re carrying on the fight they started.”  

                                                              -Ellaheh, student at Tehran University

“O God! Educate these children. These children are the plants of Thine orchard, the flowers of Thy meadow, the roses of Thy garden. Let Thy rain fall upon them; let the Sun of Reality shine upon them with Thy love. Let They breeze refresh them in order that they may be trained, grow and develop, and appear in the utmost beauty.”

-Abdu’l Baha

You have brains in your head 

You have feet in your shoes

You can steer yourself in any direction you choose

You’re on your own.

And you know what you know

You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

-Dr. Seuss

“Nothing can be truer than fairy wisdom. It is as true as sunbeams.” 

-Douglas Jerrold

“It’s a little anxious,” he said to himself, “to be a very small animal entirely surrounded by water. Christopher Robin and Pooh could escape by climbing trees, and Kanga could escape by jumping, and Rabbit could escape by burrowing, and Owl could escape by flying, and Eeyore could escape by – by making a loud noise until rescued, and here am I, surrounded by water and I can’t do anything.“ 

-A. A. Milne

• The job situation has been a little nutty. I thought I had a job I was going to do for the summer. I had wanted it ever since I interviewed for it the first time (back in April?). I liked the people, the job is good (although one I’ve done many times before), and it pays well (although, it was going to be an hour commute each way). I was still applying/interviewing for other jobs as I still hadn’t gotten a complete confirmation (ie I hadn’t signed my contract, and employment is dependent on enrollment numbers). Unexpectedly, I very suddenly got a job this week. By “very suddenly”, I mean I had a job within twenty four hours of the first interview. It’s very much in my field, and is dealing with the population I want to work with. It’s significantly less hours than the other job in July (only 2 hours a day in July), but it’s a sacrifice I can/need to make. The other job is going to see if they have work for me in the mornings in July. If they do that would be great — keep busy and make some more money. If not, I’ll have to find other ways to keep busy (tennis lessons!). But anyway – this is a great break in my career. My grad school application is going to be phenomenal. 
• For the first interview on Wednesday night, I was interviewed by a woman who’s lived in Ontario. First Ontarian I’ve met out here who’s actually asked me why I would leave Toronto. When I googled her name and came across her professional profile, I saw that she went to McMaster. I guess if you went to school in Hamilton, you’d think Toronto is pretty amazing too. 
• I’m currently hunting for a place in September. Getting stuff on campus is apparently next to impossible. I’m thinking of getting a bachelor/studio apartment. I think maybe I no longer want roommates. I’m currently trying to find a bachelor or basement apartment (the kind with its own entrance) in Kitslano. If I DO live with roommates again, I need older roommates. My age or older. Nobody who just moved out of res or their mommy’s house.
• I rollerblade and bike a great deal. Fresh air is so amazing! 
• I found the Baha’i community here! I went to my first Feast here last night. There were sooo many children. speaking of which, I’m going to be helping out with Children’s Classes!!!!! (Children’s class is like… Sunday School.) The Feast was within walking distance of my home. So I just took the salad I made for the potluck and started walking. When I got to the housing complex it was being held in, I realised I’d forgotten the house number. I considered walking around the complex yelling “Allah’u'abha! Allah’u'abha!” in hopes that I would find them, but opted to just walk back (salad in hand) to get the address. 
• It’s been fairly warm here. Thankfully, when it’s hot here, it’s not like Toronto where you can’t breathe because of the smog. And because it’s not TOO hot, I can still go out and rollerblade and it actually feels refreshing! 
• My cousin arrives in a few days. I have to think more clearly about what I want to do with her when she’s here. She’ll be here for almost a week, then I have to do First Aid training, then I hope to go to Seattle (still waiting to find out what my family’s plans are for that time), then I start training for my new job! 
• I have bought tickets to see The Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie, and The Fray this summer. My poor credit card! I bought the tickets when I thought I’d be making more money this summer. Meh. I’ll live. I’m so excited to see The Fray!!!!!!! I love them so much. I wish my concert buddy (Rachel) were here… 
• I went to a Persian concert with my father. It was good! Traditional music. 
• My mother came and visited me! We went to Whistler together. It’s GORGEOUS. I don’t know how they’re going to deal with all these people descending on that small town during the 2010 Olympics in February but OH WELL! That’s not my problem  

It’s been a good summer so far, and I’m sure it will continue to be! 

All my love to the friends and family reading this!