Here's Some More

I liked going to Wreck Beach.

Even though I only made it there a few times, I thought it was great.

And after all of the walking I did every day being in Vancouver, the stairs weren't that bad by the end. Sure there were 880 of them, but I was able to get them all in without a heart attack, mildly burning thighs and a guitar strapped to my back.

And, yea, I brought my guitar. The downside was that it was a lot cooler on the beach than it was where I lived (where I could see the ocean through the trees), and the moment I pulled the acoustic out and played 3 chords I could tell the thing was waaay out of tune. So I played a little. Then I played out of tune. Then my fingers froze and I couldn't play much of anything, so I went for a short walk. It was really, really nice though. I was there at sunset, and it was just right. Perhaps a little windy, but just the way you'd expect a spring sunset to be like.

And now I'm back in Kamloops where it's brown. I'd also normally say that it's bone-dry, except there's a spattering of rain that's put a gloom over everything and made it slightly soggy.

I liked being in Vancouver, on the whole. I liked that there was always something to do, and even though it took a rather tiresome bus ride out of Point Grey (UBC) to get to where some of the action was, there were always things to look at and see and do and explore. Not like here in Kamloops where you could take a 30 minute busride to get to one place, and there's not much else to do once you get there. I'm thinking like ballet class. In Vancouver, I took some ballet classes (to keep up - I still have a recital to do here in May) downtown. After - or even before class - I'd often go walking around...go to the book store, or explore a street I'd never seen. Back in Kamloops I can take a bus to ballet, but then there's nothing anywhere nearby that would warrant me walking around, unless I wanted to go to the supermarket or the bank.

In Kamloops, I couldn't say, "Hey Mike, I have ballet class at noon. I haven't been to gastown yet. Would you like to meet me after and we'll go walking before we go to the Lazer Led Zeppelin Show at the planetarium?" and then walk for three hours before going to dinner on Granville island and seeing the (WICKED AWESOME) show?

I'm going to miss that.

Now, I do like Kamloops. I liked that the moment I came back, I would see people I knew everywhere I went. Just last night I went to the movies with Mike. Once we came in the door, I bought my movie ticket from Erica (Highschool friend), and was in line in front of Larry Reid, a local TV and TRU sports personality (I immediately came out with saying "oh, HI, Mr. Reid." I bet he has no idea who I was. I loved that my first response was to call him "mister.") and then after we bought our popcorn, I recognized a local Real Estate Agent. This all happened within about 10 minutes. I like that Kamloops is small. I like that you can know so many people. Frankly, it means that if you work hard and shmoose with the best of them you can get the leg up that you need/want. (My example is within the arts/theatre community, also called "the Trinity" - Kamloops Art Gallery, Western Canada Theatre, and the Kamloops Symphony - if you're in good with at least one of them, you're in good with them all. Of course, if you wrong one, you're toast)

I also like that I can be in Barnhartvale and still be in Kamloops. I can be out where it's quiet and more rural (though still very suburban), but be as far away from downtown Kamloops as I was from downtown Vancouver when I was at UBC.

But, we'll see where I end up. I'd like to be in Vancouver for a while. I want to get the so-called "city sillies" out, but I have a feeling I won't be there forever. Since I'm pretty well finished school (HUZZAH! I've never felt so proud than I do now for being [nearly] finished my degree), the world is opening up. I've been telling people that "after June 4th (the date of my graduation) the world pretty much falls off" and I like that. Being a person who has felt the need to strictly plan my life, it's felt pretty freeing to be able to have so many choices to pick from. I like it!

YESSS!