Postcard from Vancouver

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There was a time that, if I found myself in the US, someone would ask me where I was from and I would respond with “Vancouver….Canada”.

Living in the Pacific Northwest means that there are actually two cities named Vancouver. They are in different countries, but only just shy of 500 km apart (that’s about 310 miles for my American counterparts).

I never actually knew there was another Vancouver for a long time. I learned of it when I moved to my Vancouver but never really thought much of it.

My Vancouver is on the coast.

The other Vancouver is on the Columbia River, just across from Portland.

Kirk and I went to Seattle many years ago and we stopped in at the Seattle Science Centre. They had a display with some sea creatures and, as I was leaning over a tank of invertebrates, a woman asked me where I was from. I just said “Vancouver” and she said something along the lines of “Oh, it must be nice for you to see sea creatures“.

I was confused…..

I looked at her and cocked my head and said “Why would that be…Vancouver is on the ocean”.

She looked at me like I was a little bit dense.

Then it dawned on me and I said…”Vancouver…. BC”.

She still looked at me like I was a little dense.

So I added…. “Canada“.

Clarity.

But in 2010 the world learned where my Canada was, and I meant the entire world. Because in 2010 the Winter Olympics were held here and it was the greatest party Vancouver has ever hosted.

And now I no longer bother with the “BC” or the “Canada” bit…because most people know where I mean when I say I am from Vancouver now. And if they don’t, they tend to ask rather than assume.

So this afternoon when we wandered the waterfront in North Vancouver and looked across the inlet, I took this photo and, once again, had physical evidence of just why I love this place so very, very much.

But the photo wasn’t really great. I’ve taken hundreds of photos of Vancouver but this one had nothing special about it. I opened the photo and played with a few sliders and suddenly, I had what looked like a computer-generated art-postcard.

And I kinda liked it.

And it made me think all of those things above, and more.

So here, from me to you, is a postcard from Vancouver.

I hope you are all well, stay that way.

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