[Regular_John]

We’ve have a close friend that moved out to Vancouver after their divorce, they sold their car, got a bike, a (family) roommate, and they walk/bike everywhere… like 15-20km a day of walking.

We spent a few days with them last summer and to be honest there’s a lot that appeals about that kinda lifestyle of not having to plan all your outings around driving and parking and just casually strolling everywhere you go and stopping at whatever catches your eye.

But the flip side is there as well, like the desperate individual who asked me for change (I had none) who was wondering up & down the street a few minutes later loudly declaring he was gonna “bash in one of these fakes with a lead pipe if I don’t get something to eat soon”. Or the well dressed guy who seemed to be having an episode of some kind and was attempting to pull the door off what I hope was at least his own luxury car.

Despite all the natural blessings of Vancouver I think it’s a pretty high strung city that’s hard to find real peace in.

Going back to the Stanley Cup riots, one our friends at the time I had left Van 2-3 years prior, and just said “yeah that was 100% gonna happen win or lose, that city is a powder keg”

Having said all that… I still might give it a try if my life circumstances really changed.