Just as I start this article, I find myself on a picnic table in the heart of a park with a view of the surrounding peaks. In front of me is the lake, a mixture of deep blues and turquoise revealing the clarity of the water. On the other side of the shore, a few houses and then the mountain, with its green, orange and golden trees a little faded. It seems that autumn has not yet hit this side of the town. On my right, however, there are several trees of a striking red, yellow and green. They echo the orange of the famous metal bridge, known locally as BOB, which I can see in the background. On either side, the sun illuminates the white sand of the few nearby beaches. My fingers are frozen, but the sun warms my back. I have my hat on my head. And my phone keeps on vibrating. It's morning here but evening in France. These are messages in reply to the ones I had sent last night.
I feel lucky to be here, privileged even. I know that I didn't get here by chance and that I had to win a few battles, but once again I escaped the lockdown and this second European wave. Everyone tells me that I have been strong to continue following my plans and dreams during this year of restrictions. But for me it is not strength, rather ease. It is as if I had chosen to flee the crisis twice, whereas you who read me from your confined houses are much stronger. You certainly don't have many options, but you stick to them and improvise. You're adapting. So, at the beginning of this article, my thoughts are with you, my friends and my family. A special thought for my grandmothers and especially for my mother who will once again find herself alone, left to herself, with her small business closed while the giants continue to rule the world. A feeling of injustice that I share from my distant land. And a few life lessons that I hope we are all learning.
Unfortunately, there is not much I can do from this bench, but I can continue to write, share my stories, share my photos and hopefully continue to offer you some escapades from your sofas.
So I dedicate this article to you and tell you about my first days in caribouland. I am taking you to Vancouver where I spent a rather quiet week, wavering between administrative procedures, rest and visits. Then, I will introduce you to Nelson, a dynamic little town in the heart of the mountains, where I plan to spend the winter. Who says new expatriation, says new states of mind, new fears, new time of adaptation and new adventures. So I'm taking you with me? En route !
VANCOUVER CITY
To my surprise, I really enjoyed Vancouver. For someone who usually hates American-style cities and tall buildings, I was pleasantly surprised to discover the many parks that dot the city. Not to mention the presence of the sea, which calmed me down a lot in those first days, which are always a bit stressful.
In total, I spent 8 days in Vancouver, at Lucie and David's house who had accepted to help me out after my housing problems. Indeed, if COVID is discreet in this province, it made things very complicated for travellers like me... I had the choice between expensive hotels and airbnb or being clustered on top of each other, in hostels while having to distance myself socially... (I might as well tell you that it's impossible in dormitories of 8...)
So when Lucie & David offered me to sleep on their couch, I was relieved. I've known Lucie since I was a child. She lived in the hamlet next to mine when we were kids. We took the same buses to go to the same schools, we had music lessons in the same place and she used to come to my mother's house to get her hair done. Her mother is a loyal customer of mine, so it was natural that I had heard she was leaving for Canada 4 years ago. I contacted her again 2 years ago to get some help with my visa application. And when I knew that I finally had my tickets I contacted her again.
I must admit that I was terrified at the thought of this solo trip and the steps to take when I arrived. It's silly because I've done it before, but this time I had neither my Cachou nor Ben to share the experience with. I do have Gordo, my Canadian friend I met in New Zealand, but since he is not an expatriate here he has never had to go through the steps I have to deal with. So I have to say that having Lucie and David by my side from the very beginning is the most precious thing since I set foot in North America.
Not only have they helped me in all my paperwork and continue to do so despite my departure, but they have also acted as guides for me! They have allowed me to discover the city through their expatriate eyes and I am very grateful to them from the bottom of my heart. We travelled through many neighbourhoods, went on many walks around, they accompanied me to eat my first poutine and took me to a crazy good Vegan restaurant (called Meet ;)). As a good French person, I was very afraid of my clichés about America and I have to admit that I sometimes struggle with myself to try to ignore them and make up my own mind on the subject, but going for a walk with them was also a nice way to discuss our French feelings. I, who had fled all contact with french people in New Zealand, start here by doing the opposite. A nice symbol I think to force me to leave my comfort and my habits.
A few days after my arrival they took me to Stanley Park for a green walk in the heart of the city centre. It was a great opportunity to observe the mix of cultures and to breathe this new fresh air. And I finally got to capture, this time in a clearer way, my friends the squirrels!
On the way back, small passage through Yaletown, a rather chic district, with red brick buildings, which reminded me of the lofts of all these American series.
We then took the Bateau-Bus to go to Granville Island, a small island covered with various markets: art, crafts, local brewery, bars, restaurants, fresh produce, children's market and even stalls of French products... It was quite crazy, I liked it a lot! In the end, it was funny because I felt like I was in a Luna Park, you know those micro-parks of attractions where everything seems to have been created for entertainment... The colours that adorned the streets and dressed the buildings had that lively side of the funfair. I would have thought I was in an alternative, half-hippie, half-artistic village that was created from scratch for adults.
On Sunday, Gordo picked me up to take me to one of the mountain peaks only 20 minutes drive from downtown Vancouver. Once I got there, there was already 15 cm of snow on the ground. We had planned a big hike but due to a lack of equipment we improvised a short walk on one of the busiest trails. After an hour's walk, we could observe Bowen Island and the sea which, as in Norway, is intertwined with the land here too. It was really nice to finally leave the city, to immerse myself in this forest and to discover these landscapes in the company of a local!
Gordo then took me south of Vancouver, very close to the US border, where he had been living with his father until now. After a little tour of the local brewery (Canadians make a lot of beer!), he played the guide and took me to see the border.
For a European like me, it's pretty scary to see how two countries can be so strict about boundaries. I'm really not used to seeing this kind of "wall" or fence in this particular case, which forbids any passage. He also took me to a beach which, despite the lack of a physical border, is also subject to these boundaries. Well, joking aside, I must confess that I told Gordo "if I swim across the border but I say I didn't do it on purpose, is it serious? ». I'll make it short but he made it clear that Americans don't mess around with that... I who dreamed of going to put one foot in the United States while having one foot in Canada (technically I could have been in both countries at the same time), it's a failure! I might as well tell you that it brought me back to a completely different reality... I've never felt so unwelcome and uncomfortable as I did in front of that fence... And in the end, I tell you, this Schengen area in Europe is really a chance...!!!!
I then stayed for dinner with Gordo's father, John, who had kindly invited me to come and experience a real Canadian-style meal at their house. Just as I had been able to experience it in NZ, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to try a local custom once again. And I am so grateful to him because it is also partly thanks to him that I was finally able to set foot on Canadian soil!
In the days that followed, I continued to roam the city, alone or with my hosts, giving me even more opportunities to try out their life as French expatriates in Vancouver. I had the chance to accompany Lucie to work for a whole afternoon. She is a "Dog Walker" and it was her last week. I really wanted to discover this job, not very usual in France. We went for a little walk with Yoshi and she explained to me the basics of her days as Dog Walker. Honestly, if I was stuck in a big city, I think it's a job I could do. Walking the parks and streets with a different dog each time, trying to let off steam, teaching them a few tricks and taking advantage of all the attention they can sometimes give us as humans, it's very enjoyable... even if I admit that it also means spending all winter outside...
On my last day in town, I went for a walk alone in Downtown and Gastown area. David and Lucie had warned me that I would surely discover the negative sides of Vancouver and a completely different reality : drugs. They had advised me not to go to certain streets but I must admit that I was a bit guided by my desire to wander around and I didn't really pay attention to where I was.
In fact, Gastown is a really beautiful area architecturally speaking and there are some really nice art shops. The problem is that it's on the edge of the streets where poverty is right in the streets. Certainly, cannabis is legal in Canada and let's be honest, few people still consider it a drug in the 21st century. The problem here is hard drugs, including opiates. The government has opened "drug rooms", to "control" the situation, but if I believe Lucie and David, this has brought the "problem" right back to the city centre. I use inverted commas here because this is really a fundamental subject and I am far from being an expert on it. For me, it's not as bad as it is in the city centre because it might raise awareness about it, but I have wondered a lot about what could have caused people to sink like that. Is it the credit system that governs the country? Is it the fact that there are no psychiatric hospitals? Is it the overpriced life in Vancouver? Is it the almost inaccessible health care system? Or is it a mix of everything? I don't know, but I can tell you that it has had a funny effect on me.
In the past, I have been confronted to the homeless people in Paris, but this is a whole new level. To tell you the truth, I had the impression of crossing several streets full of zombies... You know, those end of the world films, in the American streets with the high-rise buildings around. It was exactly like that. All these people, wandering, almost soulless, in the middle of the streets. I was afraid, I was angry, I was uncomfortable, I was shocked, I was revolted. I didn't really know anymore where my reality was in the story, but in a way I was really happy to have taken the "wrong" road. I took the full brunt of all this injustice and all the fragility of the system in which we live... And I became aware of a good number of privileges that I have here today, but that I might not have tomorrow. And I can tell you that I came out of those streets with my heart beating a thousand miles an hour, disgusted by this system and afraid that it might happen to me too...
All in all, Vancouver was a very rewarding experience. At first, all I could hear were the incessant sirens of the ambulances connecting the neighbourhood where we lived to Downtown, but over time, I learned to appreciate the green spaces, the incredible fall colours even in the downtown area, the very eclectic architecture, the completely different looking neighbourhoods, the sounds of crows, sparrows and even the more surprising sounds of seagulls along the sea. This city is a real mix of culture and a very open-minded spirit that makes life more pleasant.
I had never even looked for images of the city before I landed here and to tell you the truth, I didn't even know that the mountains were so close and appeared in the background of the buildings. I have to admit that this was one of my greatest surprises ! What's more, despite my last rather disconcerting experience, I am thrilled to have been able to experience this place in its entirety, making the gradual transition to my new life in British Columbia.
Exactly 3 weeks to the day after my arrival in the caribou land, I was enjoying a last dinner with Lucie and David before starting chapter 3 of this adventure in the early morning... Departure at 6:30 am by bus, in the direction of Nelson, a small town located near the Canadian rockies!
From VANCOUVER to NELSON
Nelson is an 8 hour drive from Vancouver (but 10 hours by bus) and 6 hours from Calgary, the capital of Alberta (bordering British Columbia). I must admit that I spent quite a bit of time sleeping, I was pretty tired of city life and the sky was not really clear at first so it was almost impossible to enjoy the scenery. Luckily, halfway there the sun was back. Sometimes I smiled at the sight of the mountains but I have to admit that I was still a bit scared. It was beautiful but I didn't really have a "wahoo" crush like I've had in the past in New Zealand or Norway. When that happens to me, I always have a bit of apprehension: I've seen so many great places that I'm always afraid of becoming systematically jaded. And then, despite my determination not to let my American clichés invade me, when I saw the small or medium-sized towns we passed through, I felt like running away. I think that at least in New Zealand I was lucky enough not to know what to expect and not to have any clichés in my head before I went there. Here I have to deconstruct everything in order to rebuild.
Well, luckily I had something to reboost me a bit on the way since I saw deer and ibexes several times!
FIRST STEPS IN NELSON
I arrived in Nelson around 4.30pm, early enough to get a taxi and go to the hostel. Here, the Covid is not very present so the hostels are open. The only constraint (which I appreciate) is that there are only 2 people per dormitory of 8, which makes the experience a bit more enjoyable. It's a bit strange on the other hand to be in a place that is usually rich in encounters but to have to distance yourself from each other and to have a limited presence per room. I sometimes become crazy when hearing the slightest dry cough from some of the occupants of the rooms next door but I protect myself as best I can. This is only a temporary situation as on November 7th I will be moving in as a roommate in the house which I hope will be my "home sweet home" for the winter.
Once I unpacked my things and had a shower, I went for a walk to get a first glimpse of this small town that I had heard so much about and my first impression was really positive. There are some old buildings, reminding me a little bit of those of our sweet France, while also having a very Canadian (or American?) side to it. Compared to New Zealand, I find here our European city centre atmosphere and the local life seems to revolve a lot around the bars, restaurants and associations around. Which, I won't hide it from you, makes me very happy every time I go out!
It is said that Nelson is very artistic, very cultural, very hippy too, with many restaurants, bars and cafes, and a very mixed, communal and friendly population. We are right in the mountains, close by the ski resorts. There are three yoga studios in town and in the summer there are many mountain bike trails. That's why everyone told me that this town was the perfect crossroads of what makes my personality...
At the moment I spend my time rather alone strolling the streets, writing and walking around. I talk to people at the hostel from time to time, but I know I'm going to have to be patient, because the Covid does make things a bit more complicated when it comes to socialising. But from what they say, the people of Nelson are very "friendly" so once I get a job, a roommate and Gordo arrives too, I think things will change a bit (yes yes, he spends the winter in Nelson too, that's why I chose to come to this town, to start the experience with a friend by my side).
I went through a few more paperwork, said goodbye to my pretty pink piece of paper and officially exchanged it for a British Columbia driver's licence. Farewell French licence, I will unfortunately never see you again.
I'm also in the middle of looking for a car, which turns out to be a bit more complicated than I had imagined. I would almost regret sometimes not taking the time to do it in Vancouver, but hey, since I've had a lucky star so far, I figure if a car is right for me, it will fall on me when the time comes. I've been under a lot of stress these last few days especially when people talked to me about the amount of snow and ice that covers Nelson's roads apparently in winter so well, we'll see, maybe the bus option will be the best.
Otherwise, I found a French-Canadian bakery as well as an organic delicatessen that imports cheeses from France and makes their charcuterie on the spot with pigs raised on the farm . As a bonus, they even make sourdough bread and home-made pastries, with organic and local flour! I might as well tell you that I know where my budget is likely to be spent the next few months and especially at Christmas...
AND HOW AM I ?
I have the impression that since I left France, I've had like a lucky star over my head which, even in the most stressful situations, has allowed me to hold on? It gives me the strength to get up in the morning and gives me hope in all the most difficult steps to take. I constantly try to be positive and tell myself that no matter what the situation, if it doesn't turn out the way I'd like it to, something even better is waiting for me at the turning point. Sometimes I feel that I have found a new faith in life, a bit like the one I discovered in New Zealand when I asked the universe to send me signs 3 years ago. Except that my universe or my star now is my father.
This very morning Gordo told me that he found me more fulfilled than he did last February when I went to see him in Budapest... And I think deep down I agree with him. I've come a long way since that 12th of January 2019. I have lived through storms and I will live through many more. But at the end of the day, that's what grief is all about. Going through those completely painful moments when you think of this lost being, to those moments of acceptance and enlightenment that a thought for him can also provoke you. It's like this: instead of letting my heart mourn his absence in death, I had decided to trust him and let him guide me through life. A passage as from shadow to light...
So yes, I can't wait to meet new people, to find a job, to move into my future flat, to find the car of my dreams, but in the meantime I'm delighted to be here, I feel breathing and free and deep down I know I'll never feel alone again... I am lucky to have my mum, my sister, my twin cousin (yeah that's a thing to us haha), my family and friends who will recognise themselves here. And then, every day, every step of the way, I have my daddy, deep inside me, who allows me to hold on, to smile at life, to take it by the arm, even in the smallest villages lost deep inside Canada.
Love from my mountains,
Co.
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