Sunday, December 11, 2011

Where the Heart Is

When the Listmaster herself asked me to pick this week's Listicles topic, I couldn't have been more thrilled.  I thought hard about what would help me get to know my fellow listmakers better, and the topic I came up with was "hometown."  Home is where the heart is - isn't that how the saying goes?

I grew up in metropolitan Toronto, but I consider Vancouver to be my home.  Upon visiting my sister while she lived in Vancouver and was attending the University of British Columbia (UBC), I fell in love with the city and had a strong intuition that this is where I, too, would go to university.  Being as I am six years younger than my sister, by the time I ended up at UBC in 1998, she had moved on.  But I made a life here and started to grow roots.  Even before I met the Hubs in 1999 (which of course sealed the deal), I had decided that I wasn't going anywhere.  This was the city for me.  And here are just a few of the reasons why:

1.  The mountains.  Which are visible from most parts of the city and are very handy for helping the directionally challenged (like, say, moi) find North.


2. Ocean and beaches.  There is a quote on my Lululemon (a company which, by the way, was founded in none other than Vancouver) water bottle that reads: "Live near the ocean and inhale the pure salt air that flows over the water. Vancouver will do nicely." Amen to that!

3.  The outdoorsy feel to the city. With such easy access to local mountains and to Whistler/Blackcomb, you can't swing a cat around here without hitting someone who skis or snowboards. Not to mention the mountain bikers, kayakers, and surfers. It has always been important to me to raise my child in a city that reveres outdoor activity.

4.  It is metropolitan enough to have culture, arts, entertainment, great shopping, and most any variety of restaurant your heart desires, but not so large as to be cold and uninviting.



5.  You may have heard that it rains a lot in Vancouver.  This is true.  But that just means there are plenty of opportunities to perfect the art of puddle jumping.



6.  Vancouver summers are (almost always) well worth, the long, wet, grey winters.

7.  The cherry blossoms in spring.  Hard on the allergies, but easy on the eyes.  Absolutely magical.

 
8.  You just never know when you are going to discover a secret garden.

9.  The Vancouver Aquarium.  This is something I discovered only since having a child to entertain on wet days, but it is one of the city's many gems.



10.  Simply and truly, the beauty of this city will sweep you off your feet.

36 comments:

  1. These photos are magical. Love the one from the aqarium! I cannot wait to get to know Vancouver better. I felt just like you the first time I stepped onto our island. Sometimes you just know where you were meant to live!
    Such an exciting topic, thank you Amanda!

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  2. Wow, I already love Vancouver and I've never even been!

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  3. Well said Amanda. It truly is one of most beautiful cities in the world.

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  4. Loved your topic. Your photos are beautiful!

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  5. Really lovely and intriguing! I've never been to Vancouver and this really makes me want to :)

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  6. The swing picture is just wonderful. Went to Vancouver once, from NYC, with a 2month old and a 4.5 year old. The city's beauty was blurred by sleeplessness and whines from the back seat, but even so...it seemed really, really amazing. I remember driving somewhere to a train museum outside of the city, and going to the aquarium--4.5 year old got a stuffed white beluga that he still treasures.

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  7. Vancouver sounds wonderful!!!! I've been to Canada, but never Vancouver- more in the Windsor area. I love the photos- Where we live, there has been a drought- We bought the kids their first galoshes yesterday and spent today puddle-jumping. They were so ecstatic. It is a real rite of passage. I love the photo of your little girl in her galoshes!

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  8. Lovely pictures of your hometown. It really is a beautiful place to stay.

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  9. So true. I felt in love with this city around 10 years ago, but still figuring out HOW to live here.

    Finally making some fashion compromises when the rain is on. Some of the things that did not click in at first for this chica.

    www.mamaandthecity.com

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  10. Such a great post! Having visited many times, I will have to say that I agree with you, it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world!

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  11. ohhhh i soooo badly dream of going up north into Canada and Vancouver!! but i'm a bit disappointed that you didn't mention BRYAN ADAMS!! :)

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  12. Such amazing photos! It seems like you live in a very lovely city. I will definitely have to visit when I make it up to Canada.

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  13. Oh, I'd love to visit Vancouver one day. The cherry blossoms are so lovely. I thought only Japan has those ;) Lovely pictures Amanda!

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  14. definitely one of my most favourite trips! love Whistler, love the downtown with all the restaurants.....do they still have the nude beach across from UBC? ha - that was one of the more surprising aspects of the visit.
    My brother in law moved there with his family a few years ago, and we cannot wait to visit him!

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  15. I use the mountains to find my way too!

    Your city looks lovely:)

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  16. Nice to see my home town (city!) through someone else's eyes. I was born and raised here and can't think of a better place to be!

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  17. @StashaThanks so much for letting me choose the topic this week, Stasha!

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  18. It sounds divine! Thanks for the awesome listicle prompt this week!

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  19. Yay for Vancouver! True, true and more true.
    Hey, you started at UBC the year after I graduated from there. Talk about funny and me being OLD :P

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  20. I will admit, I'm not very familiar with Canada (of course, the ethnocentric American) however you made Vancouver destination worthy! The cherry blossoms, the ocean & those mountain views all to die for!

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  21. I at one points lived only a couple hours from Vancouver and yet I still haven't gone. Even so it is only a boat ride away. For now I will just wave to you from the south...okay not that far south. :)

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  22. I love the photos! On the swing, jumping in puddles, at the aquarium...all of them. You make a really good ambassador for Vancouver. It sounds like a wonderful place to live...and to visit.

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  23. The few times I have visited Vancouver I have loved it! I definitly want to go back sometime soon and see that aquarium!

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  24. I love Vancouver! And I love that you included that quote. It's one of their best.
    Great list.

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  25. Love the photos! My dad taught me to use the mountains as my guide when I first moved to Utah, & I still use them!

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  26. I'm telling you, I want to live in Vancouver so badly.

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  27. Gorgeous pictures!! Those cherry blossoms are amazing!

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  28. @AfroditaYeah, I'm definitely a lot more casual since I moved to Vancouver!

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  29. @BarbaraI fidn't know you'd been here before - such a jet setter you are!

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  30. @christinaLOL, he's never really been ony radar, I'm afraid. But I think upu're right about him being from here. But then again, so are Nickelback and Pamela Anderson. :)

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  31. @RoryBoreYep, Rec Beach is as nude as ever! :)

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  32. @Bees With HoneyWell you would have been there at the same time as my sister, then!

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  33. @Old School/New School MomYou'd fit right in, and we'd be happy to have you!

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