For those who don't know, I work in downtown Calgary. Today, I went for a walk. At first, it was just to find an Arby's. Eventually it turned into exploring. I walked through Eaton Center (a mall downtown which, yes, had an Arby's), some sketchy back alleys, Chinatown, and got lost in the basement mechanical room of some run down parkade.
The point is, I actually started to like this city again. Not that I had begun to dislike Calgary, but after months and months of just living in the suburbs, it starts to really feel exactly the same as most other places i've lived in my life. Just white or beige 2 storey houses with nice Nissan Maxima's parked in the driveway, and nice people mowing their lawns and commenting on how nice the weather's been.
So there's a difference when you venture downtown. Yes, I'm there every weekday, but I seem to have tunnel vision just walking from the train to my office and then back at the end of the day. When I start to actually look around and take in all that's happening, is when things start to seem different. And not always perfect. But there's things you miss about a city when you keep in a rhythm of the same thing every day. The city's so huge that it's easy to miss things. That's why even taking an hour today to explore part of downtown was so eye opening. Maybe i'm missing a lot of things in my life by just sticking to what i did yesterday and the day before. Figuratively and literally.
Go. Explore.
Just don't get lost in the basement of a sketchy downtown parkade.
If you're looking for a cool place to go on your next downtown adventure, check out the Knox United Church. It's always been unlocked during the day in my experience, and often there is a labyrinth set up--very cool. Or you could go to Crave Cupcake and say "hello" to my friend Candis (she also has red hair). Final suggestion: have you been to Cafe Med yet? Change your life already and do it. Calgary's not so bad, it's just not the town for me...
ReplyDeleteStill have not been to cafe med. People here are too cheap to go out to eat. and i'm too cheap to buy their meals. it's sad, really.
ReplyDeletenext time you venture out here, we should go. but, i'm too cheap to buy your meal. Just to warn you.
You make me throw up in my mouth with all this talk about not hating Calgary. Excuse me while I go brush my teeth in an attempt to remove the throw up taste from my mouth.
ReplyDeleteYou're excused
ReplyDelete