Why move to Vancouver?
To begin, read the little blurb about this blog on the right there....
Done? Now I'll elaborate. From the title of this blog you know that I'm a mountain biker. You may also notice from past posts that I quite enjoy rock climbing. As it turns out, I'm also into downhill skiing, road biking, and I'd also eventually like to continue scuba diving a bit. Now, can any of these things be done near Toronto? The answer is yes, but it is all horribly unsatisfying, as the mountains are small (i.e. there are none), the cliffs are short, there is no ocean, the snow is icy and hard...and the weather is too cold most of the year!
Now, imagine Vancouver. It is on the west coast of Canada, protected from the Pacific by Vancouver Island on the west, and surrounded by gigantic mountains on the east. The scenery there is amazing. In the summer it is warm and dry, while in the winter it is cool (not cold) and wet. The city itself is very diverse and multicultural, which I love, smaller than Toronto, but still very metropolitain (or so I've heard), with no lack of things to do and places to go to. And imagine the sushi you could get there!! FRESH FISH!! The attitude of people in Vancouver also suits me well...they have a reputation for being laid back and informal, very relaxed. I've spoken to people from out there who say that the pace of life is much more natural and relaxed than it is in Toronto, which is nice.
So if I were to live in Vancouver, I would be surrounded by all these things that I love, all the time!! Having worked on a ski resort for an entire winter in the French Alps (read 2000 m vertical drop on a regular basis), the thought of being able to drive 2 hours to a world class skiing facility is awesome. I can still ride my bike up impossible passes in the winter time, as long as it's kinda warm, climbing for an hour or two to enjoy the ride back down. And in the summer, the mountains become my mountain biking playground. The North Shore is legendary to mountain bikers, and there is lots of cross-country riding to be done as well. Also, let us not forget rock climbing in real mountains!
Also, after a bit of research, I found out that certain professors at the University of British Columbia (UBC) are actually studying exactly what I am studying now. So ideally, I would finish my masters, go work in Van for a bit, and then start a PhD at UBC. This plan is incredibly tempting, if only I can carry it out.
It also made me realize that had I followed my ex to NYC I would have been very unhappy. None of the things I love now are near NYC, just like here. I guess she made the right choice.
Done? Now I'll elaborate. From the title of this blog you know that I'm a mountain biker. You may also notice from past posts that I quite enjoy rock climbing. As it turns out, I'm also into downhill skiing, road biking, and I'd also eventually like to continue scuba diving a bit. Now, can any of these things be done near Toronto? The answer is yes, but it is all horribly unsatisfying, as the mountains are small (i.e. there are none), the cliffs are short, there is no ocean, the snow is icy and hard...and the weather is too cold most of the year!
Now, imagine Vancouver. It is on the west coast of Canada, protected from the Pacific by Vancouver Island on the west, and surrounded by gigantic mountains on the east. The scenery there is amazing. In the summer it is warm and dry, while in the winter it is cool (not cold) and wet. The city itself is very diverse and multicultural, which I love, smaller than Toronto, but still very metropolitain (or so I've heard), with no lack of things to do and places to go to. And imagine the sushi you could get there!! FRESH FISH!! The attitude of people in Vancouver also suits me well...they have a reputation for being laid back and informal, very relaxed. I've spoken to people from out there who say that the pace of life is much more natural and relaxed than it is in Toronto, which is nice.
So if I were to live in Vancouver, I would be surrounded by all these things that I love, all the time!! Having worked on a ski resort for an entire winter in the French Alps (read 2000 m vertical drop on a regular basis), the thought of being able to drive 2 hours to a world class skiing facility is awesome. I can still ride my bike up impossible passes in the winter time, as long as it's kinda warm, climbing for an hour or two to enjoy the ride back down. And in the summer, the mountains become my mountain biking playground. The North Shore is legendary to mountain bikers, and there is lots of cross-country riding to be done as well. Also, let us not forget rock climbing in real mountains!
Also, after a bit of research, I found out that certain professors at the University of British Columbia (UBC) are actually studying exactly what I am studying now. So ideally, I would finish my masters, go work in Van for a bit, and then start a PhD at UBC. This plan is incredibly tempting, if only I can carry it out.
It also made me realize that had I followed my ex to NYC I would have been very unhappy. None of the things I love now are near NYC, just like here. I guess she made the right choice.
posted by a bike rider in the big smoke at 7:59 p.m.
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