home for the holidays

Two weeks ago, we left the sweltering Sydney summer for the icy cold winter that is Vancouver in December. I'm sure it'll come as no surprise if I tell you that the longhaul flight here with a toddler was rough, as was the ensuing jetlag. But now that we're more settled, we are just so happy to be here. We're soaking up all of the goodness that this city has to offer at this time of year. My husband keeps exclaiming, "I feel like I'm in a Christmas movie!" and I couldn't agree more. The 3rd night we were here, we ducked out for a quick drink at a local restaurant. There was a roaring fire, a Christmas tree in the corner, hockey playing on TV and a menu of festive cocktails (hello eggnog and rum!). You could not wipe the grin off my face.

Since then we've taken Clementine on the Christmas train at Stanley Park, gone to the Vinyl Cafe Christmas concert, and spent a few days at a ski resort. The best kind of winter fun.

Of course, the main reason we're here is to spend time with family and friends and that has been wonderful. Last time we were in Vancouver, Clementine was a newborn and it was difficult to do anything. We had this huge list of things we wanted to do here, and managed almost none of them. This trip has been completely different. We've been able to see family and friends, do festive/wintery things AND get to lots of yoga classes. It's been awesome.

p.s. home for the summer

how to deal with homesickness

I've been thinking a lot lately about being an expat (you'll understand why soon), and the inevitable homesickness that comes with living overseas. I had always loved to travel and had never actually felt homesick until I moved to Australia in 2009. Then, after having a baby here, I became even more homesick! I do, however, have some coping mechanisms and I thought I'd share them here today. If any of my fellow expats have other tips please share in the comments section.

Skype. This one is pretty obvious and is the main way I deal with missing my family and friends. I Skype with my mom at least 3 times a week, and honestly don't know what I'd do without it. Often we'll have Skype on while one of us is cooking or eating, and it makes it feel like we're just hanging out together and sharing a meal.

WhatsApp. One of my best friends just moved to Canada and we've been using WhatsApp to stay in touch. Just like when she lived here, we'll text each other bits and pieces throughout the day, normal things, like what we ate for lunch and photos of what we're up to. The casual nature of it makes it feel like she hasn't left. One of the things that makes me the saddest about living here, is that I feel like I've lost that close relationship with some of my best friends. We keep in touch but I know so little about their everyday life. Communicating every day, about the little things, really helps.

Maintain your traditions. Australians don't do Thanksgiving and Halloween has only recently been embraced, mostly by kids. One year we had a Halloween party, which mostly seemed to confuse our Australian friends, and was hilarious in its own way. I do make an effort each year to celebrate Thanksgiving though. Some years we've invited friends over and other times it has just been the two of us, eating stuffing and pumpkin pie, but I love it. One of my fellow Canadian yoga teaching friends and I were talking about doing a Thanksgiving yoga workshop followed by a feast this October, so stay tuned for that...

Have expat friends. This point was really driven home to me the other night. I was at a staff dinner where many of us are Canadians/Americans with Australian partners. We ended up having such a great heart to heart. It was so nice to connect with others who are in the exact same boat as me. We talked about our long term plans, missing our family, raising kids here and all kinds of other topics near and dear to us. Fair warning though, if you're a long term expat, make sure you also have friends who are from your new city. If your circle of friends is made up exclusively of other expats, you will never feel totally settled and you will be losing friends constantly (I know from experience).

Have a visit to look forward to. There was a stretch of 2.5 years where I didn't go home, and I didn't have a trip to look forward to. It was way too long! Even though our next visit to Vancouver is still 4 months away (and we booked our flights a couple of months ago), it makes such a difference to have a date in the calendar circled. Something to look forward to.

Don't expect everything to be the same at home. This is something I struggle with when I go home. There's a part of me that wants things to be just the same as when I left, but of course, they're not. My friends have new partners and jobs, businesses close and new ones take their place, and even my family moves and shifts. It's true that the only constant is change, and it's best to embrace it.

My next tips all fall under the same umbrella of immersing yourself:

Read. When I'm feeling homesick I like to re-read my favourite Canadian authors, like Douglas Coupland and L.M. Montgomery. I find the familiarity really soothing.

Watch. Watching movies and tv shows from Canada helps to quell the sadness that creeps in when I start to miss that good ol' Canadian accent. Earlier this year, I got hooked on Arctic Air. Sure, it's not the best show ever made but the Canadian accents and references made me happy and I was devastated that it was cancelled.

Listen. Every week I listen to my favourite podcast, The Vinyl Cafe, and it never fails to warm my heart. I also like to listen to CBC radio on my computer. I love hearing the news from Vancouver; it makes me feel like I'm still in touch.

Eat. Ok, so we don't really have a Canadian cuisine, per se, but we do have poutine. And maple syrup. And bloody caesars. And pumpkin pie. And enjoying them does me a world of good when I'm longing for Vancouver.

lately

 

 For the last few weeks, I've been collecting photos in a folder called 'Summer.' Today I bring you a random assortment - perfectly illustrating how we've been spending our time. Lately we've been all about soaking up the end of summer. Eating alfresco, letting Clementine hang out naked, going to the beach, exploring different neighbourhoods, and lying in the hammock. Ahhh I just love summer in Vancouver.

We also got the chance to hang out with Veronika (formerly of Girl & Closet, now of By the Shore), her husband and her cute pup last weekend. She shot that last photo of me and my girl, and the photo of Clemmie asleep in her sling.

How have you been celebrating the end of summer? Or if you're in the southern hemisphere, the beginning of spring?

the pacific northwest

Last week we escaped to the Gulf Islands for one night. Between the ferries, endless hours of waiting and the bad weather, it didn't feel like much of an escape. When we got there the sky was dark and the rain was bucketing down. I was reminded though, that there is beauty in grey, green and dark blue. The colours of the pacific northwest.

It got me wondering if I can picture myself living in this part of the world again. I've gotten used to the saturated colours of Australia, and to seeing the sun for most of the year. It will be hard to give up, but the answer is yes. Someday, we want to move back here.

trout lake farmer's market

Anyone who has been around this blog for a while will know of my fondness for farmer's markets. On the weekend we headed to the Trout Lake farmer's market in East Vancouver (where I grew up). A bit smaller and cozier than the Sydney markets we're used to, it was a nice change of pace. We came home with arms full of produce and some treats too. Needless to say, dinner later that night was absolutely delicious!

p.s. We're taking off tomorrow for a few days to unplug and relax. I'll be back here for 52 on Sunday. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

slowing down

On the weekend we booked our flights to Colombia, which means that we have just under 3 weeks left in Vancouver. Upon realising this, I felt all in a panic, worried that we're running out of time. There are still so many things I want to do here in my hometown, not to mention the shorter trips we'll be taking to Whistler and the Gulf Islands.

As always, life with a baby forces me to slow down and re-prioritise. We have to balance our touristing and catch ups with a lot of time spent at home. Clementine is a relaxed and happy baby, but she's a distracted eater who doesn't breastfeed well in public. She's also not napping well in the stroller that we borrowed from a friend. So we aim to be home for most of her feeds and at least one long nap a day. I could and have let myself be frustrated by this, but I'm trying so hard to let go.

Thanks to my mom, my husband and I can nip out for short little jaunts while the baby sleeps. And my friends have been happy to come to us, which makes catching up a whole lot easier. My husband and I are also planning to sit down and write out a list of our must do's while on this side of the globe, and then prioritise from there.

But enough of my petty woes already! We've had a lovely few days, with a trip to Main St yesterday, a delicious lunch at Peaceful restaurant today, and tonight I plan to go to a yoga class. I can't complain about that!

in which clementine meets everyone

One of the great joys of being here has been watching my friends and family meet Clementine. So far, she has met:

1. Mateo - my little brother, her uncle. He is hilarious with her; every time he's home when she is, he yells "selfie time!" and whips out his phone to take photos. The results are hysterical (this one is my favourite ever).

2. Abuela - Ok, so my mom has met Clementine already, but no one is happier to see her than she is!

3. Grandpa - my dad, her Canadian grandpa. It was pretty great to watch my dad sit and make funny noises for Clementine's amusement. She was quite taken with him.

4. Andrea - my friend from highschool. She gets 4 photos because C was so damn cute that day. Andrea's great with babies, the perfect aunt.

5. Rochelle - one of my mom's best friends, who I've always thought of as my aunt. Rochelle just adores Clementine and showered us with a bag filled with baby gifts!

6. Vanessa - we met way back when we were competitive gymnasts, and despite a rocky start, we became the best of friends. She's the person I originally travelled to Australia with, and the friend I was with when I first met my husband. Next year she's getting married and I'm a bridesmaid, can't wait!

7. Carol - Katrina's mom, and a close family friend. We've had two backyard meals at their house this week and it has been lovely.

8. Pierrette - one of my mom's oldest friends and another aunt like figure in my life. The first time she met Clementine, she was naked and peed all over Pierrette's skirt. Pierrette just laughed.

9. Katrina - my oldest friend. We met in kindergarten. It is just so great to watch people who I have known forever playing with my baby. It's the best.

old homes

 

The first weekend that we were here, we visited our family friend who lives in the historic part of New Wesminster. Today it's a suburb of Vancouver, but back in the day, it was actually BC's first capital. Vancouver is a fairly new city, and it can sometimes feel like it's lacking character. So it's such a nice treat to wander through the streets of New West and gaze at the heritage homes. The gardens are also a sight to behold, with their hydrangeas, roses and canopies formed by 100 year old trees.  A short drive from Vancouver, it's definitely worth a visit if you ever find yourself in this part of the world.