Commuting…….not driving….there is a difference….

Most people know that I have started a new job, with this new job comes some commuting. But only for a short time, all things going well we should be moving downtown by December! And I must be honest it can’t come soon enough! So I thought I would share a few early thoughts on this widely discussed subject!

So I used the word commute purposefully, it’s not driving, it’s not traveling, it’s commuting and it’s not FUN! 

It has been officially 9 days and I must admit I am still not getting used to being in my car back and forth to work. Now before anyone thinks it I am fully aware I have been spoiled rotten in this area for at least the last 10 years…..When we moved from Ottawa to Victoria we moved downtown, I walked or at most rode my Scooter a few blocks, when we moved to what Vancouver Island called the suburbs I still only commuted a half hour! Even when we moved to Vancouver I was lucky enough to have a 20min walk or a 5 minute drive!

Now…..not so much………..here is my route....

Thanks to GOOGLE Maps! 

http://maps.google.ca/maps?saddr=1495+Richards+St,+Vancouver,+BC+V6Z+3E6&daddr=49.2573866,-123.0156112+to:1200-13450+102nd+Avenue+Surrey+B.C.+V3T+5X3&hl=en&sll=49.232465,-122.986715&sspn=0.108955,0.305214&geocode=FTva7wId1jap-Cm1T_gJ0XOGVDGv-DasJ_0ylA%3BFaqb7wIdRe6q-CkHQNnS2XaGVDH4ILTXBos5sQ%3BFQ2K7gIdl3Ot-ClVYtdY09mFVDHeAQNnuTv4hA&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=12&via=1&z=12

I have a Mini, and that helps…….the sport mode and the size of the car lets me go where other do not dare….that being said I still find drivers incredibly frustrating………my experience begins in the morning with a rather uneventful trip….it’s even rather quick by Vancouver standards….40-45 mins……..coming home is a different story. It does not seem to make a difference what time I leave…….it’s still takes an hour…..MINIMUM. If there is even a hint of trouble that gets bumped to 1:15 hrs or 1:30 hrs!

And I think I have figured out why………or better yet who is responsible for this addition time and mostly additional frustration……..I have attempted to provide an overview of the offenders below…..they may sound familiar to you…….or may you are one of them!

Firstly……..there is what I call “The Floater”, this is the car that’s often beside you or you are driving behind that seems to be gloating back and forth in their lane…….and into yours! They are unaware that there are lines on the road, and if they do see them they don’t seem to care if there is a car on the other side of it! I can only think that growing up they were the kids that always colored outside of the lines in the coloring books…………….

Then there is the “Hurry up and Brake” , these guys feel the need to go flying past you at mock 5 only to cut in front of you and slam on their brakes! Now trust me….if you want to go 100 miles an hour and whiz down the highway without thought of your own longevity go right ahead……but please don’t pull in front of me and decide you want to play it safe all of a sudden!

How about the “Left hand Lane’er”, the cars that no matter what the speed limit and no matter what cars are doing around them, they refuse to get out of the left hand lane…….I am really sure I remember the drivers hand book says “KEEP RIGHT EXPCEPT TO PASS!” Some days I can go all the way home on the highway in the right hand lane and have not a car in sight!

this one deserves two pictures!

Something I see often here is the “BIG Green N!” Yes, the infamous new driver….the only thing I can’t figure out is how they get to be a new driver in a $250,000 car? Seriously, I have never seen so many N stickers on BMW’s, Audi’s, even Bentley and Porche are not spared…..Ok maybe some of it is pure jealousy but I am so sure I could drive those cars better than they do!!!

Then the new problem on the road, "The Texter" You would not believe how many people I see using their phones on the way to work, and not just at stop lights. They do this while they are on the highway! I see them and try to get away...far far away. I heard a statistic once that said that texting/talking on your phone while driving is worse than drinking & driving....! You watch them fad in and out of their lane, they speed up, they slow down, and they are oblivious to the cars around them. What could possibly be that important that you can not keep your two hands on the wheel for the duration of the drive? I say if you don't want pay attention for you, at least do it for me! 

The most frustrating part to my entire commute however is the “Butt’er In’er” There are at least two spots on my drive home that this happens to me. You know the scenario…..you are in the lane that is turning and the other is going straight…..they rush down the left lane right till the end and then throw on their signal to come in……at first I was……”sure..I understand, tough break getting caught in that lane”….Oh to be so naïve! Now I take a much tougher stand……..it’s more like “you want to do what? Yeah dream on big boy!” A little evil eye and push on the accelerator and no one is getting in front of this machine!

So I have not completely turned into a commuter, and there is a prt of me that refuses to let that happen…becoming that frustrated, rushed, and cranky person pushing their way home with reckless disregard is just not for me………I am a tad more aggressive, maybe even spunkier, but I have learned to put on some music or a podcast and relax………….then when I do get downtown and walk to work…I can say me a commuter? Only with my feet!!! 

Till next time happy chatting.....

One Year Anniversary....

Well its been a year now since we made the move to Vancouver, and pardon the predictability, but how time has flown by. So many things have happened and yet so many things remain the same. The question I get often is "Are you happy in Vancouver?" Usually asked wish a tentative look on people faces......the simple answer is yes. There are many things I miss about living in Victoria, mainly the people, but also the small town feel and nature that was always at my finger tips.

So what has happened since my reallocation to the big city? Well the very first task that was one of the best things to have happened to me was the need to downsize....going from a 2500 SQ FT house to an 800 SQ FT condo meant getting rid of a lot of stuff.....I mean a lot!

But if felt great....I am not sure completely why but it was very cleansing, almost like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. Now we have a small storage locker and that's it.....there are bike rooms (thank god!) and we have an in suite pantry that I could not live without. But all in all what I see is what I have and its all I need, not once have I reflected and said we should not have gotten rid of something.....actually that's a lie, a bucket....yes something as simple as a bucket I did not keep! Of course my clothes and shoes are the hardest thing to keep in control....we have a Cystic fibrosis donation bin in the building so when too many new items make their way into my closet a bag goes into the bin....ok..maybe not the shoes ;-)

Speaking of shoes, since moving here I have amassed a collection of shoes from a local designer.....he is even in  the Shoe museum! John Fluevog, I am in love with his shoes...they are comfortable, pretty, but most of all unique. Grab a pair if you ever get a chance too!

http://www.fluevog.com/

So what have I learned about living in Vancouver for a year....? I love living in  the city, I am absolutely sure that if I had to drive and make a long commute I could not survive! We are in False Creek, close to downtown by not right in the middle of it all, so safe from riots....The heart of Yaletown is a 5 minute walk away, as is Granville island, and a 25 minute walk to work...for both Dwight and I.

This neighbourhood is great! and there is always something happening.......last weekend there was a summer solstice festival, this weekend is of course Canada Day, and Jazz Fest! Certainly a never ending list of things to do and places to go.......

A big part of my life in Victoria was triathlon, that has certainly changed. Sometimes I reflect and wish I was still that fit...but mainly I miss the friends I used to train with. Don't get me wrong, we are still keeping fit.....at least a little. In some ways I am happy to take a break from that singular focus, I have enjoyed the chance to explore different sports, without the move to Vancouver its not likely I would have started skate skiing, or started a yoga practice that I now do almost everyday. We still run (albeit not far) and I pulled by bike out last month for the first time in a year.....and rode with a sense of fun, something I had not done for sometime.

This weekend was the start of our regular trip up the Grouse Grind...a torturous 3km hike up Grouse Mountain, what a great workout! Its like continuous hill work, and the goal is always "don't stop!" It definitely feels good when you are done!

So thee main reason for the big move was for a job I had landed....well all that has changed! As of next week I am starting my career as a public servant, yes...I have landed a role with the Ministry of Finance! I am very excited, Dwight keeps telling me that I need to prepare myself to work a little slower however I don't think that will be the case. The role is with the Financial Institution Commission of BC and I am looking forward to not having to call myself a banker anymore! The one great thing about working for the government of BC is that in BC they are the largest employer....and that means that there is a ton of opportunity to move around.....maybe even to back to Victoria someday!! Check it out if you want to do some light reading......!!

http://www.fic.gov.bc.ca/

So when I reflect on the past year I think about the friends I miss in Victoria, but I also think about how wonderful the city of Vancouver is, how much I enjoy everything it has to offer.

Time's passage is one of the constants in life, it will always go on, how we spend it is what matters.........

till next time happy chatting......