I am emotionally overwhelmed.

A 10 hour bus journey from Portland (on an unventilated bus full of people who haven't showered yet this year) i have arrived in Vancouver. I was like a kid at Christmas grinning with excitement as i recognised landmarks and old haunts on my way into the city. I made it to my hostel on Jericho Beach in time to watch the sun linger on the horizon before i made my pilgrimage to campus and my favourite restaurant, One More Sushi. It was so strange to be there without my friends, so i rushed through my food to get to the Beanery Coffee Shop before it closed and check out our regular haunt. I was pretty distracted when ordering my coffee coz i was scanning the polaroid photos pinned about the counter to see if i could find the one of us taken on the day we waved goodbye to our friends who were leaving after the firast semester. After much feverish searching I spotted a faded image of my UBC sweater and sure enough our faces emerged from the blur. I nearly wept, it was pathetic of me. Our faces were beaming, and i was amused to see that despite years of numerous changes my hair had returned to the same style i had in the photo. Our penned message at the bottom of the photo has faded away, but i remember our message of the "Good Times."

I then strolled around Fairview (where we lived, for those not in the know) and smiled as i remembered the Fairview Curse that saw us all being single for the duration of our time there, and remembered the numerous parties we had, the run-ins with the dictatorship of the Fairview police and our resistance to their tight alcohol laws, the tearful goodbyes and broken hearts, and the street parties at New Years and Christmas, oh, and of course that phenomenal night when England WON THE RUGBY WORLD CUP (beating Australia, of course!)

I'm so glad to be here and amazed at how much has changed already. The frat houses are gone, the city looks bigger (and even more beautiful) than i remember and the bus prices have gone up, gosh darnit! But the Beanery remains exactly the same - yay! I hope to come back later and see if Sonny and Sonia are still running it.

The city really is gearing up for the 2010 Olympics. There are signs of construction everywhere. I am itching to get up to Cypress Mountain and check out the new ski trails they are making. I wish it were winter so that i could clip some skis on and feel the cool air rush against my cheeks and my feet glide over snow again. But, i have arrived in my favourite city on the first day of summer, and it is looking gorgeous.

I feel like I have arrived home.