West Coast Wandering, Victoria, 2018
The first half of our trip to British Columbia was spent just Brandon and I wandering Vancouver, but the second half of the trip was kind of awesome because we had my friend to play tour guide. It was so good to see them again.
We had met in college, and as we grew up, their journey took them to the other side of the country. We don’t see each other as often anymore, but getting the chance to visit them in their new home was such a great experience. Instead of feeling like a visitor in their life, they gave me a window into what new home feels like.
The ferry from Vancouver to Victoria
The three of us walked along the Pacific coast and put our feet in the freezing cold water, which is one of my favourite things to do – putting my feet in the ocean.
It was the same feeling when I landed overseas for the first time and stepped onto another continent for the first time.
One small step for my foot, one giant step for me.
Fan Tan Alley, Victoria
Another of my favourite adventures was honestly just walking around Victoria.
My friend showed us around the original Canadian Chinatown, and took us through Fan Tan Alley and we shopped around a bunch of little shops, and had brunch.
Brandon browsing the shelves at Russell Books
I think Brandon and I spent an entire day at Russell Books (the second largest used bookstore in North America). We love a good bookstore, even more than that, a good used bookstore. This was a huge highlight for us, being able to get lost in the smell of books. I really regret not leaving some room in my luggage to bring anything home.
Leaving the West Coast was bittersweet. It was so great to be able to see my friend again and share in some of their new life, but I was going to miss them and I was going to miss the more relaxed, small town life (in comparison to the busyness that is Toronto, anyway).
On this trip, I learned which type of traveler I am. I was the one who planned all the details and figured out where to go.
It was so nice to have someone by my side through all the adventures, but it was also reassuring to know that I had everything organized. This trip gave me a new confidence – like maybe I didn’t need any training wheels and I was ready to travel on my own next time.
