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Vancouver, Canada

I’m going to make this short and sweet because I promised Mika that I wasn’t going to retrospectively dwell on sad days and leaving Vancouver was certainly that – I don’t even have any photos. I’m going to leave out the heart wrenching farewell at the airport though acknowledge that there is always comedy in tragedy – in this case, trying to squeeze a 2.2 meter high van through a 2 meter entrance.

Instead I’ll leave you with my reflections on my time here. In terms of things to see and do, I certainly could’ve done more – I didn’t even get out of the city! But I couldn’t have possibly lived or grown more. It feels as though I’ve sprouted new wings and though I would dearly love to stay, the time has come to test them and see if I can fly. I have to remember that this isn’t a holiday but a journey and there’s still much to learn.

When I first came here in 2000, I left a big piece of my heart behind. Over the years, it has been tendered to and nurtured by those people I’ve been privileged to count as friends. It has grown strong with affection and gratitude and laid down roots. It will always call me back time and again to this sacred place to find it bigger and better than when I left it. Until that time, I want to thank each and everyone of you – old friends and new – for the part you’ve played in ensuring that the person who got on the plane today was happier, healthier and stronger than the one that landed a month ago (luckily she can still use the same ticket and passport).

This isn’t ‘farewell’, it’s ‘see you soon’.

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