Bring it back to the beginning of last year, I was in Calgary living with my father, terribly unimpressed with my first Alberta winter. Terribly unimpressed with where my life was period at that time. So I packed up some bags, spent a week in Penticton, making a healthy amount of bad choices as is the usual for most peoples return trips back to Penticton, then continuing my vacation in Vancouver. I was all on my own, hanging out in a hostel. I knew two people in the area, at the time, they had both been long-term friends I couldn't imagine leaving my life anytime soon. I was only there for a week, but in that week I fell in love. Vancouver was a sight for sore eyes, and she didn't have any snow.. I'm sure that played on my weaknesses a bit. I knew in that 7 days I had to live here.
Returning back to Calgary with this new found desire, I planned my return trip to Vancouver for May, just in time for my friend's birthday.
Oops, I'm jumping ahead, before my return trip, I got into a huge fight with my dad, ended up moving out of his house and into my aunt's home, with my two cousins. I love my dad, an incredible amount. I do, however, feel that once you leave home, it really is true, you can't go back. Not permanently at least. At that point in time I hadn't lived at home since I was about 16. You can't go from no parents for that long to back to living at your parents house, there was just too much conflict, too much butting heads. So to my aunt's I went, quickly salvaging my relationship with my father almost instantaneously. Living with my aunt could easily be one of the best things that's ever happened to me. She's a single mom of two with a fabulous career and so much going for her. She's a major inspiration in my life, there's not too much that seems to be able to push her down. Also, the relationship I got to build with my cousins while I was there, it never would have happened any other way.
I also had a birthday this year, the big ol' two-one! Making my leisurely activities completely legal across the globe. My 21st birthday was fantastic. I got to spend it with a group of lovely ladies, two of which I met while living in Calgary and I'll never forget. And to top it all off, my aunt decorated to the theme of Alice and Wonderland! It was a magical night, the disposable camera evidence sure proved that.
So back to Vancouver, it was the weekend of May 11th. Ironically, at that time, I was completely unaware of meeting two more people I'd have in my life as of current. And that events that occurred during that weekend visit would help to shape a new relationship, or two, further down the road. Despite all this, and having an absolute blast, another trip only made me love Vancouver even more.
Returning home a second time, my sister and I decided to uproot from the chilly Alberta and move to the west coast. We were going to move to Vancouver. A big, brand new city where, in retrospect, we really didn't know anyone. Not really any friends, no family, no fall backs, it was all risk. We spent 8 months saving as much money as we could. Our savings account was pretty hefty by the time we made it down here, of course we spent it all within a month. We moved here with nothing, our house hardly looked like a home for the first month or two. Now it's as cozy as a bee! Wait, bees aren't cozy.. it's as cozy as a something cute and soft and inviting! The whole moving to Vancouver experience did wonders to our relationship. We road tripped down here, neither of us were allowed to sleep the whole way. By the end of it, we were both dosing in and out, I had to drive the whole way and by the time we finally got here and settled enough to nap, I had been up for 26 hours! We've helped each other, when money's been tight, we share. My sister's my best friend, and living with her has only proved that there's nothing that could ever make me sick of her.
Since living in Vancouver, it seems that this roller coaster of life has only been doing loops. I've met so many fantastic people, and despite what the circumstances may have been, I don't regret any of them. I've made some exceptional new friends, ones I know will be around for a really long time. I've experienced a number of firsts, some I would have been ok to never have had to experience, but that's just life. Throwing surprise after surprise at you, getting you right in the face 90% of the time. But with each hardship, each test of what kind of human I could be, I came out of it all ok. I'm coming out of it ok, better then ok, with a new found confidence that I can handle whatever gets thrown at me. Even if it doesn't seem like it initially, people always persevere.
In life you will realize there is a role for everyone. Some will test you, some will use you, some will love you and some will teach you.
I'm a big advocate of taking everything in life as a learning experience, no regrets. I take everything this year has handed me and look at it as a blessing. I'm thankful for everyone I've known or met, for those I'm still friends with, for those who were only around for a short time. This year has brought so many great things, even along side the bad. I can't wait to see what next year holds. Happy New Year everyone, I truly hope you all get everything your little hearts desire.
