summer ‘20 photo album
It goes without saying that this was not a normal summer. With the reality of our world outside not too far removed from a sci-fi film, some of us in the world didn’t even get a Summer with a capital ‘s’. As May rolled around it definitely felt like that was going to be the case for me. but thankfully British Columbia managed to get enough of a grip to loosen the shackles of quarantine (thank you Dr Bonnie Henry!) Although Summer took her sweet time in coming around this year, we were certainly no less eager to go full swing into all the warm-weather adventures -with masks in hand and at two-metres apart.
Ever since I moved out West my summers have often been spent in the mountains and lakes - the prime spot to get away from people, bathing under the sun, and soaking up every last second of the long days. Thankfully I was able to continue with my trips up to Whistler this summer, taking my book to the dock to read and munch on crisps, and hopping into the glacial water to cool down every so often. After the few months of living on edge and not being able to plan anything or predict what your next week or month will look like, this sure proved to be the best way for me to quieten the nervous mind and re-centre the foundations of what is most important for me at this time.
Over the past few years I had found that the city never quite offered anything satisfying enough to stick around, but this year with travel restrictions in place and not wanting to stray too far from home I found myself spending more time in Vancouver. The patios of Gastown opened up in full force to accommodate for us seeking a spritz after being cooped up in a WFH situation. The parks and beaches flourished with groups of friends enjoying the company of their small bubbles, learning to appreciate the quality of human interaction over the quantity. Grabbing a take-out from our favourite small business and buying a slightly more expensive-than-usual bottle of wine to try, crossing your fingers that they pair well but, oh well, if it doesn’t.
This won’t be the last of our weird seasons. We’re going to need to be more selective on what we can do, have patience on what we want to do, and look out for those beyond your immediate circle. And honestly, I’m here for it - let’s change the pace of our world and use this to hone in on what’s most important. With that, here’s my annual summer photo album to keep record of what’s definitely a Summer to remember.
