BC-ing You Later

I hopped on a plane at the end of August and headed to beautiful British Columbia for a week. I’ve been thinking about this trip for a while now. I just decided to throw caution to the wind and go for it! It was the perfect way to end an amazing summer. Fortunately, I have friends and family out west so I was able to stay with them as I got a glimpse into this wonderful province. Special shout out to my cousin and his wife for being so rad and filling my belly with amazing food.

I flew into Vancouver and was blown away by the mountains from the moment the plane landed. I still look out my window here, in Nova Scotia, in search of them. As an artist, Vancouver is a city I may end up spending some time in. I really wanted to get a little taste of it, to see if I could see myself there one day. My mom kept telling me she knew I would love it out there. And she definitely wasn’t wrong. Vancouver is such a beautiful city and it checks all the boxes. The most important of course is the ocean is right there in all of its glory. It’s also super easy to get around. The public transit in the city is fantastic. It may not always be on time but it’s so easy to get around whether you’re taking the Skytrain, the bus or the ferry system. I spent quite a bit of time on transit and it doesn’t even get boring because everything is so pretty. The ferries at sunset are incredible. Needless to say, I spent most of the week saying “it’s so pretty”, “oh my god”, “it’s so beautiful”. I couldn’t help myself – it truly was unbelievable.

Vancouver

I spent my first full day exploring Vancouver. I spent a lot of time walking along the famous Stanley Park Seawall. The park is huge! A lot of people rented bicycles to get around. I chose to go on foot because I wanted to snap some photos along the way. I went as far as the Totem Poles before turning around. Before heading to Stanley Park, I had only seen Totem Poles in my grade 9 social studies textbook. They’re breathtaking works of art, towering up with the trees. This was well worth a stop. I also spent a lot of time wandering through the city. I saw the Olympic Torches from the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. There were a lot of delicious places to eat as well. SMAK is 100% gluten-free and their smoothies were amazing! We also had some great Lebanese food at Nuba (check them out!). I also had the best vegan, GF mac & cheese of my life at MeeT. If you’re looking for some vegan fare MeeT is the place for you. Throw in a little shopping to the mix and it was a perfect introduction to Vancouver.

Bowen Island

I spent quite a bit of time on Bowen Island. One of my best friends from my first year at York is from BC. It was so nice to spend time with him and his family. They even let me tag along on all of their adventures. It’s super easy to get to Bowen, you can catch the ferry from Horseshoe Bay and you’re there before you know it. Bowen was a welcomed escape from the hustle & bustle of the city. The island definitely has its own charm. There are a lot of beautiful places to explore such as Cape Roger Curtis. We went for a walk there and it was breathtaking. We also went to a secluded beach in a little cove for a quick swim. If you love being outside, head to Bowen for an adventure!

Salt Spring Island

I spent a day on Salt Spring. One of my best friends lives there and we simply spent most of our time catching up. She’s like a sister so it was as if nothing had changed. We went to the huge farmer’s market and then went for a dip in the lake. It was a relaxing day on a beautiful, little island. I took the last ferry to Victoria that evening and that ferry ride blew my mind. Surrounded by the mountains, I watched the colours of the sunset paint the sky and I was in awe.

Victoria

Victoria is a little city with so much charm. It definitely has some Halifax vibes. I got to explore this beautiful city with a great friend. We started by driving along the coast and I’m pretty sure my jaw-dropped. Stunning. We stopped at Terry Fox’s mile zero. Then we headed to Fisherman’s Wharf and I had some amazing GF sushi (Rockn’ Rolls Modern Sushi). We hit some of the major landmarks such as the Parliament Buildings and The Empress. We also took a stroll through Chinatown. I highly recommend checking out Victoria if you get the chance. It’s quaint and cute.

My time in British Columbia was hands down amazing. I can’t imagine ending my summer any other way. I got to spend a week exploring this beautiful province with some of my favourite people in the whole world. Saying good-bye was SO hard but I wouldn’t change a thing. I have a feeling that I’ll be back one day. I hope to explore more of this province in the future. Thank you to all of the lovely people, who made this trip so wonderful. See you soon.