Vancouver

is a definite wonderful city. I was there for barely 24 hours this week getting my immigration physical (for which I had to take my clothes off! I never! And they better let me in now! I took my clothes off for the government!) and the city so inspired me that I actually made notes of things that inspired me and things I would like to report.

Do you know that when you get a chest X-Ray you take off all your pretty underthings and drape yourself in a large, thin, worn, cotton gown type garment? It is true. And then the X-Ray tech pushes you up to this board and is looking at your boobies the whole time through said garment making sure you are all lined up correctly. I felt odd. And I thought, darn it, these x-rays are totally going to set off my diet coke induced cancer, I just know it! But for reals I kind of thought that, and since Wednesday I have been trying to reduce my intake with hopes of killing the habit. I am stuck diet coke (as they would say in Thai, you like Nunu?) and want to be unstuck it.

I felt like such a bad Canadian. In that waiting room with 25 others that are doing the same thing I am doing. Jeepers. Maple leaf, I will love you forever, and I really do hope to come back to you. I felt like we were all traitors, leaving a perfectly well developed country for no other reason than love- but it is the best reason really. I felt shame being there, waiting, sitting for hours, with all of the others, waiting to leave my heritage. I like to think my Ukrainian G. Grandparents wanted to come to Canada so that they could share their perogies and love of sour cream with the maple leaf. I do not however like to think about my polygamist GGG Grandparents that came here because Brigham Young told them too so that they could have tons and tons of kids and make more Mormons because that is weird.

I had dinner in the evening with my girlfriends from high school that are living out there. 3 of them! 3 of them know how wonderful Canada's west coast is. 3 of them get to live in Vancouver and surrounding area year round. Lucky duckies! We laughed and laughed together and were the last ones out of the restaurant. I wish I would have had more time to hang out with them. I am so proud of all the neat things they are doing and the places their lives have taken them. Go girls go!

After the physical was all said and done I had a few hours left to explore Vancouver. I only had time for one place though and I chose Granville Island. Huge farmers market and Artists Studios- the choice was clear. I had such a good time looking at everything there and an even harder time choosing what to have for dinner. My inner artist was awoken and I felt so inspired that I sat myself down listening to a busker, and took notes about how inspired I felt. Gosh, if I lived there, I would be doing so many inspired things all the time I bet I could bottle my creative juices and sell them for crying out loud. Oh Vancouver, I really fell in love with you in those short 24 hours.

So a few things are certain and I will list them for you:

1. I love Vancouver, Canada and you will too.
2. I am sick thinking about leaving Canada, but even sicker not being with Dan.
3. An HBC Point Blanket is no longer a want, but a need as to continue my connection with my home and native land.