What I Like about Vancouver

As promised, this is my follow up post to What I Miss About Chicago. Vancouver is very different from Chicago, and it took leaving to realize why I fell in love with Chicago in the first place. However, Vancouver is incredible, and here’s what I appreciate the most:

First, some photos:

 

The Hiking: The coolest cross-training I’ve ever done in my life is doing the Grouse Grind! It’s about an hour hike up a mountain. But the options don’t stop at the grind. Whether you’re super experienced, or want something leisurely, the options are endless! Hiking is SO much fun, and it’s a great exercise! I had never really hiked before moving here, and now I really love it!

 

Our Suburbs Have Fjords: Unlike in Chicago, if a Vancouverite wants to leave the big city and go somewhere beautiful/quaint/picturesque/adventurous/quiet, there are SO many options within an hour ferry ride or two hour drive.

More Sushi Restaurants than Starbucks: Oh my god! Sushi! I’ve eaten SO much sushi since June, that I’m afraid I may turn into one! But it’s SO good here! You’ve got your trendy sushi and you’ve got your casual sushi!

Flame-finished roll from Hapa Izakaya

 

The COFFEE: The coffee in Vancouver is abnormally good. Like the sushi restaurants here, coffee shops can also be quite trendy or quite traditional.

My Americano from Small Victory

 

It’s Really Expensive to Live Here: Like, really expensive. Which is funny, because the rent prices are pretty reasonable, if not cheaper than they are in Chicago. The food prices are through the roof. I consider myself pretty frugal, and I almost never spend less than $20 at the grocery store. If I’m buying bread, sandwich meat, spinach, nutella, and an apple, it will cost like $40. Why is this a good thing? I don’t know! If I leave, everywhere else will seem cheap to me!? 🙂

Mountains & Ocean/Bears & Whales: Enough Said.

 

New Terminology: This isn’t just Vancouver, I think it’s all of Canada, but it’s fun to learn these things.

Disposal= Garburator
Wool Hat=Tuque
Bathroom=Washroom
Electricity=Hydro
Paper Napkin=Serviette
Coffee with two creams and two Sugars=Double-Double
Dollar=Loonie
Two Dollars=Toonie
Parking Garage=Parkade
“Z”=Zed

 

And I think that’s all!