It’s just gone one in the morning, I’m sitting on a balcony six storeys high in Vancouver; stealing wifi from somebody to get online and below is a medley of noise. People are screaming and shouting, car alarms are going off and everyone seems to be doing something. This town never sleeps. I was up at five in the morning yesterday and there were still lots of people about.
Honestly, Vancouver is nothing like I expected it to be and I mean that in the nicest way. Yes, the town has its flaws; just go downtown to Hastings and everywhere you look you’ll see a crack head jacking up in the alleyways or some woman selling her body. The street stinks of piss and you really can’t believe just a few feet away is a beautiful backdrop of mountains and sea.
But the city also has another side. Amazing high-rise buildings, beautiful views of mountains, forests, lakes and wildlife. The two sides coexist and it’s an incredible sight. I can understand why people don’t want to leave once they arrive. It’s a world away from London yet utterly similar at the same time.
I’ve learnt something profound since I’ve been here. I’ve been put in situations I haven’t been a hundred percent comfortable in but enjoyed once I put my fears aside; I’ve met family I’d never known before, I’ve learnt so much more about my own family which has been very emotional for me for a number of reasons; and I’ve discovered the joy of living for the moment. Which is a foreign concept to me as I’ve always thought about the future and an awful lot about the past.
I’m here, right now, sitting outdoors in a country I’m not familiar with, all by myself and loving every second. Nothing is impossible for me at this moment and all I have to do is believe. The air is filled with possibility and all I have to do is breathe it in and live.
British Columbia really is a beautiful country.