Now that we have a daughter who drives and because she has so many things to do, people to see and places to go, I find myself on my work days often saying "I'll leave the van for you and Dad can drop me at the Seabus." This gives me the opportunity to hop on the floating bus, scoot across Burrard Inlet, catch one leg of the Skytrain and then walk the 8 blocks to St. Paul's Hospital where I work.
As I walk down Burrard Street, I can't believe how different I feel. It catches me by surprise every time. I actually feel like a different person; a career woman, living in the large, metropolitan city of Vancouver; walking to my job amongst all these businessmen and women; all strangers in a sea of faces. I imagine living in a nearby highrise, buying just what I need each day at the corner grocery store to cook a fresh, elegant dinner each night. It all seems so simple and serene.
It's a far stretch from my usual drive to work in my stickman decaled minivan smelling wafts of stale hockey gear while thinking about how quickly I need to get home after work that night. A far cry from the 15 minute Costco meal I'm planning to "make" when I get home before scurrying off to some arena in the far reaches of the Lower Mainland. It's a completely different life that I imagine on that short walk and it's kind of fun to just imagine. The best part though, is how it makes me realize and appreciate that despite the not so simple and not so serene life I lead, I love my life!
