A Tale of Two Cities

It's spring time in Vancouver.  The first weekend of May appears to be a beauty full of warm temperatures and lots of sunshine.  My students are loving it and so am I.  Vancouver is a truly stunning place to live -when it's warm and sunny.  The light simply turns all of our greenery a gorgeous shade of emerald.  Very few things compare to watching the sun set over vastness of the Pacific Ocean.

Gorgeous False Creek as seen from David Lam Park in Yaletown, Vancouver BC.

Many people are inspired to move to Vancouver simply because of it's stunning natural beauty and it's relatively moderate climate (by Canadian standards!)  I will never forget my first two months in Vancouver. At times, I was literally breathless due to the natural beauty that I encountered.  I am still so grateful that I am able to run, hike, and bike along the kilometres of seawall near my home.  To say that I enjoy heading to the beach would be an understatement. In other words, living in Vancouver is a privilege and I consider myself extremely fortunate to live near such wonderful amenities.

Stunning "old music building" at McGill University in Montréal, QC. Autumn 2012.

Nonetheless, I feel a certain emptiness in this city - despite its natural beauty.  This afternoon, a man my age got on the bus in a Montréal Canadiens jersey.  Since I was wearing my Canucks jersey, a light banter naturally ensued. We instantly commenced praising the wonderful city of Montréal.  The gentleman from Montréal mentioned that the playoff atmosphere is unreal.  I kind of smirked when I reminded him that Vancouver gets fairly amped for playoffs too (this year being a slight exception.) But then, this kind Montréalais asked me to point out how many Canucks car flags I've seen recently. Answer: not a whole heck of a lot.

It only took a few moments for another passenger on the bus to mention how, in Montréal, you can be in a coffee shop or go to a patio (terrasse en français!) alone and you'll still find great conversation.  We all agreed that this is sadly missing from Vancouver.  We talked about the affordability of housing and the selection of amazing food in Montréal.  The conversation took a lighter shift toward the micro-breweries and their fabulous selection in Montréal. (C'mon - this is a REAL factor to consider when deciding where to live!)

Although this bus ride was only a few minutes, the exchange was meaningful and got me thinking, AGAIN, about my two summers in Montréal.  Yes, I missed the clean smell of refreshing, cool sea air of beautiful BC.  Yes, I missed being able to sleep at night and not tossing and turning until 3 am because the temperature outside was 34 degrees.  However, I was truly content while in Montréal.  After two phenomenal summers, I was forced to ask myself why.

Yaletown and False Creek in Vancouver, as seen from South Granville. Yep. I live here.

What is it that Vancouver's missing?  What can I do that will add that missing element to my community in Vancouver?  Well, let me answer the first question.  Vancouver is missing a sense of people being open to meeting new friends.  Quite a few (but not all) Vancouverites tend to stay near to home and have had the same friends since ...oh, I don't know, preschool.  That makes it very difficult to come in as a newcomer and meet new friends.  Dear people of Vancouver, please don't fear people who have moved to your gorgeous city and wish to make new friends! We're not going to give you some disease that makes you no longer a West-coaster.

I desperately wish that my city, so full of external beauty, would more frequently reflect that beauty in its social interactions.  People just seem to never talk to each other.  I also hope that the people we elect to government will do their best to make this city a more affordable place in which to live.  Perhaps once the cost of living decreases and people feel less financial pressure, the social atmosphere of Vancouver will similarly relax.  Personally, I find it increasingly impossible to justify paying the housing costs that I do here in Vancouver when the cultural activities I would enjoy are more plentiful in Montréal, at a reduced cost.

Gorgeous fall colours at Université de Montréal, automne 2012

In the meantime, my heart is firmly torn between two cities that I love which have such different but amazing experiences to offer.