Showing posts with label Vancouver. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vancouver. Show all posts

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Canada Day 2012


Photo courtesy of Brian Gratwicke

Happy Canada Day!

It’s a special day today for me, not only because of Canada Day and I'm walking in my first Canada Day Parade with work colleagues and friends, but my anniversary here in North Vancouver where I felt guided to move from Vancouver.

Never thought I’d leave the beauty and energy (feel) of the tree-lined neighbourhood where I lived not to far from shops and relatively close to the ocean and beach area to move across the water where it rains more!

However, though Vancouver felt like home for me, North Vancouver does even more, and even more so Lynn Valley. Something about mountains and trees in particular, the water too all remind me of my European heritage. I prefer to say I'm Dutch Canadian as I’m proud to be both Dutch and Canadian! ; )

What do you love about Canada or being Canadian?

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Happy 20th Anniversary ... and Happy Spring!

Another anniversary. The last one was to celebrate my one-year birth of my blog last July. This time it’s to celebrate my 20th anniversary in Vancouver, today (and the first day of Spring depending on the calendar year)! It also happens to be my favourite season.

Wow! I can’t believe it! How time flies by, especially as you get older! ; )

While working for a relatively large private benefits and consulting company in big T.O. (aka Toronto) in Ontario, Canada, I had posted quite a number of calendar pictures featuring landscapes of BC and Alberta.

I wanted to go out west to witness this beautiful piece of Canadian soil, mainly because I wanted to experience Expo ’86. This as a result of an attractive scenic shot of Vancouver, BC, primarily of downtown with Stanley Park, the surrounding ocean, and the mountains in the distance.

I may have mentioned it to colleagues including my bosses(?) during the recession at the end of and/or beginning of the 21st century when I was laid off (for what I believe was the first time in my life).

Before that occurred however, I bought a return ticket to Vancouver as my plan was to check out the city before I moved there. When finding out that I was to be laid off, it changed my plans accordingly. Instead, I ended up flying one way on a return ticket; first time to do so but feeling I didn’t have much choice as the economy was pretty bad and I wanted a career change anyway.

What also made me decide to move to Vancouver were my parents, my mother in particular as they were planning to move to one of three Canadian cities out west after my father’s retirement.

My mother declared to me upon a visit to my home with my father in tow, “Elly, if I were you, I would move either to Vancouver or Victoria. It’s beautiful out there, the weather’s better” …blah, blah, blah. I still recall that comment vividly.

So I asked my parents questions though what specifically I can only guess as I can’t recall that part of the conversation, probably stuff like the weather, housing, employment, etc.

And interestingly enough, a man who just happened to be visiting his family in Toronto and who was from Vancouver dropped by after my parents visit. I knew him from a few years prior when he visited the church I used to attend. Then I peppered him with lots of questions, some similar to what I had asked my folks to get another perspective.

When he left, I pondered over both his and my parents’ responses and the most fascinating thing occurred. I felt so happy like I had never felt before. I knew in my heart it was the right decision, without a doubt, without question.

It was confirmed when I moved here during the generally rainy spring season: the entire week was sunny and full of beautiful cherry blossoms in the city!

When have you felt the knock of Spirit on your doorstep or your heart? How has it come to you?