Pura Vida. The two words were uttered at the uncomfortable end to a forced conversation between four aging gentlemen and myself. Recognizing the Canadian flag I displayed proudly on my backpack, they asked about my travels – an innocent question that I was happy to answer. “I am a philosopher, you know. I am a…
Tag: Canada
Tips to Survive Bussing Through the Mountains
A steady hiss of escaping air greeted my ears as soon as the Greyhound pulled out of the Vancouver depot. I looked over and realized I was sitting in an exit row, in one of the two seats left on the bus. I had come with twenty minutes to spare, but was turned back at the…
Travel Often, Travel Now
A couple days ago, our family invited my grandmother on a road trip across BC and Alberta. Knowing that she doesn’t like to fly, we thought a slow-paced trip with four hours of driving per day and plenty of time to relax on the way to Banff would be the perfect trip. It didn’t take…
Why I Have Waited To Travel My Home Country
The farthest I have traveled within my home country is to Vancouver Island, a trip that can be made in under 4 hours with favorable road conditions. It is quite astonishing that I have not wandered further from my house than the distance some people take to work on a daily basis, especially when I…
The Hardest Hike of My Life: Panorama Ridge (Whistler)
We left before dawn, our path illuminated by only the dimly-lit sky, typical in the summer months. My ride was 15 minutes late, but it hardly mattered. The drive from Vancouver to Whistler is approximately 90 minutes on a normal day, but with the deserted roads of an early Sunday morning, we arrived at the base of…
Ice Creams That You’ve Never Tried
There’s something innately pleasing and frightening about sharing your work and seeing that at least several thousand people have read it. Even though it wasn’t a hard-hitting piece and most people are reading it because it’s a simple topic that speaks to most people (ice cream), I still feel a sense of pride that I…
Know the Uglier Side to the Fort McMurray fires
Fort McMurray forest fires that have forced evacuations for over 88,000 residents and have affected over 100 000 hectares. The sheer numbers associated with this disaster are astounding, but fires are no new issue in Alberta. There have been very few casualties associated with the evacuation from Fort McMurray, which is rare for an evacuation of this…
What will you do to get that photo?
I almost died today. OK, it is a little bit of an exaggeration, but I certainly had an adventure. An adventure stemming from my curiosity and the need to capture this brilliant photograph. My family recently acquired a place near Qualicum Beach, a tiny destination for retirees and tourists that spreads along the east side of…
Cities and Valleys: A small town life
My original thoughts on Port Alberni Six months ago, I moved to Port Alberni for a job. I moved from Vancouver, a metropolis of over two million people, to a small town of less than one percent of that population. Over these six months, I have gained a good understanding of this place by meeting the locals,…
Impressions on moving to Port Alberni
I rolled to a slow stop at the gate, an uncomplicated two metal bars preventing access on the one road in and out of the lumber mill. I stepped out onto the packed gravel road, dust still billowing in the warm autumn air, painfully aware of the outlandishness of my newly-washed car in the middle of…
Foreign Tongues
Although the words may be the same, the sound of a foreign language is distinct when heard abroad or from one’s hometown. I have lived the majority of my life in Vancouver, where we take pride in our multiculturalism, so I have heard many different languages spoken in the streets. I have also been exposed to foreign…
On English, Italian, and Language
I was fortunate to be received by an Italian host who was friendly and willing to discuss some of the intricacies of Italian culture with me. In my prior post, I mentioned that there was a pervasive friendliness that I experienced in my couple days in the city. My host agreed with me on that…
Clever Trev 