snapshots | west coast adventure | 08.22-25.14

I spent this past weekend wandering around Vancouver with my best friend and it was so wonderful! As much as I love Alberta, it felt really great to get out of the province and spend some time on the coast. We were blessed with beautiful weather, the perfect amount of time for everything we wanted to do, and Ed Sheeran tickets! I even brought along my little Nikon to document our time in beautiful VanCity. Here are my favourites from the weekend:

The drive to Vancouver is a long, but beautiful one. We made a couple stops along the way to stretch out and breathe in the fresh mountain air. At this particular roadside stop, Adam noticed some pretty interesting rocks and continued to search for “best friend road trip rocks” for the rest of our trip!

We arrived in the city in the late afternoon and decided to go to Stanley Park. It was my first time there and I couldn’t believe how amazing and green and peaceful it was. We spent a couple of hours walking beneath the towering trees, soaking in the grandeur of the park. We even stumbled upon a couple getting their wedding photos taken! (I obviously snagged a creeper shot of the two of them – they looked so beautiful!)

We slept well into the late morning on Saturday and spent the afternoon eating hearty breakfasts, drinking coffee, and going shopping! We watched Ed Sheeran play at Ambleside Park later that evening and it was such an incredible experience! The show started at sunset and the venue was gorgeous – open skies and right by the ocean. Ed played the show on his own, often using loop pedals to make it sound like he was alongside an entire band. There were over 12,000 people in the crowd singing with him, in awe of his talent. Vancouver was one of the very few Canadian destinations on his tour; I am so happy we made the decision to venture out to the coast to see him!

Sunday was our last day in the city and we definitely made the best of it! We started our day in Horseshoe bay, a quaint oceanside community in West Vancouver. We had breakfast at a waterfront restaurant, wandered along the beach, and explored the residential streets before we headed back on the highway.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the VanDusen Botanical Garden. We wandered around the grounds for hours – it was such a charming place to explore! After the gardens, we headed over to David Lam Park in Yaletown to watch a movie in the park. Hook was playing for the evening in loving tribute to Robin Williams. It was beautiful – hundreds of people gathered under the stars to pay their respects and relive childhood memories.

On Monday, Adam and I made the best of a very long drive back home with driving games and lots of detours. We stopped in Summerland and Peachland for some sightseeing and coffee; Vernon to take a dip in the lake (to Adam’s dismay); Crazy Creek outside of Revelstoke to walk across the suspension bridge; and Golden for some deep-fried deliciousness at a local pub. I really can’t quite express just how amazing this weekend away was. I am so grateful to have spent it in such a beautiful city and with such a beautiful human being alongside me. I am also so grateful that Adam doesn’t mind my camera constantly clicking around him because my favourite photos always end up being the ones that he’s in!

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

| alex

Wandering Around Ireland: Days Two & Three

I am so deeply in love with this country; wandering around Ireland has been an exhilarating and wildly beautiful experience so far. Yesterday, I woke up bright and early to see the Trinity College Library. As I headed toward the college, I stopped in the nearest coffee shop for a pick-me-up; it already felt so natural to be waiting at the busy intersections, crossing the bridge over the Liffey, dodging cars as I ran across the street. I love the feeling of comfort while travelling in a foreign country. Everything from following a map to the closest tourist attractions, to getting completely lost finding your way back to the hostel are somehow both familiar and wonderfully new.

I walked through the Trinity College campus briefly and made my way over to the old library. The world was instantly quieted as I walked through the entrance; I saw the edge of an old bookshelf, dust upon covers, the high ceilings and the air instantly escaped from my lungs. It was absolutely breathtaking; stringing together sentences could not possibly articulate how I felt as I walked past the shelves. In a room full of words, I was left with none.

We drove up the motorway to Belfast in the early afternoon and checked into our hostel, Vagabonds. It made me remember why I love staying in hostels while I’m travelling; the common rooms, shared fridge, bunk beds make it feel like a sort of community, people from all around the world coming and going as they please. We lazed around for a couple of hours recharging and sitting around talking. We even met three other people from Calgary; goes to show how small a world it is!

After some relaxing, we explored Belfast a little bit, wandering through the Queens University campus and botanical gardens. Both were absolutely stunning. We completed the evening with dinner at a pizza place (which interestingly enough had a BYOB policy and didn’t sell any liquor in the actual restaurant) and a movie!

This morning we woke up early and began our road trip to Giant’s Causeway. We decided to take the coastal route, which takes much longer but is unbelievably beautiful. We took our sweet time heading up north, stopping along the coast to take photos and take in the scenery. The roads were amazing, vast green fields on either side and bushes, cobblestone walls, trees lining every inch. It was the most incredible drive I’ve ever been on. And when we finally got to the Giant’s Causeway, it just left us all feeling completely exhilarated, emotional, small. After adventuring around the area, we all took some time sitting around the causeway, breathing in the moment.

I always want to remember the way this country has made me feel; the moments of complete awe and how deeply moving everything is. I want to remember the singing and laughing while driving down narrow roads, green fields on one side and the ocean on the other; the stumbling upon ruins and castles and breathtaking coves; the waves crashing against the jagged rocks and the cool salty air; the feeling of wonder, freedom, bliss.

It’s been a lovely two days.

| alex