So my west coast vacation is over. I've been back to work for a week now so it's about time I got the new gallery up.
My goal on this trip photo-wise wasn't necessarily to take "beautiful" or "creative" shots (not sure I could do that even if I tried) but more so to create a photo story that captures what the trip was like.
Each day began the same way; wake up, sit outside on the deck with a cup of coffee and figure out where I was going that day and what I was going to do. I'd rather just wing it and see where I end up instead of making plans in advance, this way I'm not limiting the possibilities available to me. This approach never fails me; one morning it led me to Gabriel's Gourmet Cafe where, after my #12 breakfast (take a look at their menu) I was approached by a girl who offered me a discount at a medical marijuana dispensary around the corner. I haven't dabbled since high school but I thought "when in Rome..." So I went to check it out, and thirty seconds later I had my license. A few minutes of talking and she invited to some bar at the bottom of a hostel downtown to see a what is apparently a legendary Canadian punk band called Dayglo Abortions. This was a scene unlike anything I'd ever seen before. This was the grimiest place with the grimiest people. It felt like the type of place where if you turned the lights on and looked down you'd see cockroaches drowning in puddles of week old beer and urine. I felt completely out of place. And I loved it.
On my way home I made two detours. I stopped in Jasper to take advantage of the dark sky preserve and enjoy the stars. Fortunately i stopped right as the northern lights were making themselves visible. But first, I went somewhere that I had always wanted to go: The downtown east side of Vancouver to see Insite. If you're not familiar, (I encourage you to get familiar) Insite is North America's first legal safe injection site for people who use injection drugs, and another huge reason to be proud to be Canadian. My schedule didn't afford me the chance to get the official tour of the facility but I did get a brief visit inside. The real takeaway though, was outside. I was not prepared for what I saw in that neighbourhood. Thousands of people, to me strangers, but to other people, Mom, Dad, brother, sister, friend, congregated on the sidewalks and the side streets in varying degrees of health, consciousness, and spirits. Walking among them I felt like I was walking through a refugee camp. At first it was heartbreaking to finally see with my own eyes the sheer number of people in this community who rely on the services Insite provides to keep them alive, but then I thought about how grateful we should all be when I imagined what would happen to these people if Insite wasn't there doing the incredible work they're doing. And I loved it.
And I loved my time in Vancouver Island. The vibe was uplifting, the area was beautiful, and my hosts couldn't have been better people. I definitely look forward to returning in the future.
Anyways, check out the gallery here