The Northern Capital of BC

I'm here in the "Northern Capital of BC": Prince George. I'll be staying on rez at UNBC until August 20th for work. Can't say it's my favourite place in the world but I'm slowly starting to see more of BC.

Pookie, my favourite bear in the world (sorry Yogi), is always attached to my duffle bag.

Fossil leather duffle bags are the greatest. It withstood a lot of wear and still looks smashing so I'd say it's well worth the price. Mine's a men's bag but no one knows and no one cares. It didn't break my bank, it suits my needs and it's just my style.

Been itching to travel some more but really can't afford the time or money at the moment.

YXS airport is quite small. It reminds me of Langley airport or Boundary Bay airport. That's one of the first things I noticed here. Immediately after that, I noticed the smell of pulp mill. The smell lingered for at least 6 hours before my olfactory cells decided to give up noticing it. This time my view isn't a breathtaking vista of rivers and valleys but of birch trees and dense forest. It's not displeasing to the eyes but I must say that I miss the mountains and the ocean--I've been spoiled by Vancouver that way. Speaking of eyes, my eyes are abnormally dry here.

Kamloops

Currently in the 'Loops for a work trip and I'm staying at the Conference Centre at the TRU campus. Being here is more than just spreading the good of word of science and genetics, it's more than planting seeds of interest into the minds of the young and the bright, it's more than just work--it's a vacation for me (well, sort of).

To be quite honest, there isn't much to do here but that's exactly why I like it. It's my time to be healthy, sleep early and take care of myself. This is especially doable since my coworker/room mate happens to be a captain of a triathlon team and he's super enthusiastic about leading a healthy lifestyle.

Yet the first night we arrived, I met a guy in the commons kitchen and he asked for my number. I brushed him off for the next couple of days and then finally I agreed to come out for an hour or two. We chatted a little bit and he seemed pretty bummed that we'll probably never see each other again. I'm not really phased. I'm still hung up on a guy I met a few months ago and will probably never see again. I guess it's only fair...

But I digress, I have an amazing view of the river and the valleys from my room. I love waking up in the morning to streaming rays of light coming through the window.

Justin and I make gourmet dinners for cheap. We did a cedar plank salmon on the outdoor patio BBQ at TRU. Amazing, n'cest pas?

One of my favourite experiments that we do with the students is bacterial transformation. I think it has the ability to teach them a few important concepts about experimental design and offer insight into what microbi research is like. Maybe I'm extrapolating this idea too much but it's what I would have fantasized about in Grade 10 during a class like this (honest to goodness).

I've also started to run outside in Kamloops. The hilly terrain is much more difficult but it feels good. Justin took me to the tracks at the stadium. It was amazing. The view of the football players were great, oh and so was the vista ;) He told me to take off my shoes and run on the grass, saying "It's so liberating. This is my Wreck Beach." I'd have to agree. I ran a couple of laps and walked every surface at the stadium barefoot just to feel the difference in texture beneath my feet. It was insanely liberating.

Book Club of One

I have yet to find a book club that is to my liking except for lit classes at UBC. I've been craving engaging discussions about literature & I truthfully miss the scratch of the pencil against paper as ideas stream from my noggin' to my fingers. 

Above are just some of the books I need to read/finish reading. I have a terrible habit of reading half a book and then forgetting about it for a year. It hasn't happened yet this summer but I have a ton of half-read books to go through.

While in Kamloops a couple of weeks ago, Justin (my co-worker) and I took a trip to Chapters. Since then I've been devouring books constantly. In the day I'll carefully read a thought-provoking and inspirational book while at night I'll indulge in terribly written teen vampire romance novels. Although I've said that I'd never read a Twilight book, I'm currently reading "The Vampire Diaries" which probably isn't any better. Yes, I'm ashamed that I've been letting out sighs and girlish squeals as I read the Vampire Diairies series.

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Sometimes I'll feel out of place here. Maybe it's because my room's really cluttered. It's organized chaos here and this room has more stuff than it could comfortably fit. I'm tempted to turn this place upside down so I can create a reading room of my own. Or at least turn it into the picture below.

Long Beach, Tofino

A sunny Monday morning, a long winding highway and marshmallow cumulus clouds. Even the drive out to Tofino was breathtaking. Vancouver Island has got to be my favourite place on Earth. There aren't enough adjectives in my vocabulary to describe the intense amazingness that is Tofino.

Long Beach Lodge was spectacular. I fell in love with their famed 'Great Room' which is a dining room/lounge with an unbeatable view of Cox Bay. The lodge has their own private access to the beach and behind that frosted glass door is what I quite literally thought was Heaven (or at least what I think heaven would look like).

Rachel and I stopped by Eagle Aerie Gallery that features Roy Henry Vickers' artwork. The colours are intense, stunning and reflective of Clayquot Sound. You'll see hidden symbolism and animal spirits subtly appearing and disappearing in the background. I currently have two blockmount reproductions of his art; Digging Clams and King Pacific Sunset.

Don't forget to visit Tea Bar. A small but delicious selection of teas in a cozy little corner. My favourite is the Lavender Mint tea.

My favourite place to eat there is The Wildside Grill. It's not a restaurant but it's a small take-out eatery that is supplied with fresh seafood by local fisherman. I highly recommend the Seafood Gumbo. It's well priced and good eats.

Then the highlight of our trip: a trip to Hot Springs Cove with Jamie's Whaling Station. Our guide Marcelle knows a lot about Clayoquot Sound. He'll take the little boat and weave in and out of islands of rocks. We hiked 1.5 Km to the natural hot springs and it was phenomenal. On the way there we saw black bears and on the way back we spotted a Sea Otter, Grey Whale, Dunlins, Dowitchers and Oystercatchers. It was more than I had hoped for.

The local area is a delicate balance of modern colonization and biodiversity. It saddens me to hear that they're going to mine out half of Catface Mountain, that salmon farms are effecting the local wild salmon population, that most of the area has been forested at some point in the last 100 years which leaves very few untouched old-growth forests. It's impossible not to fall in love with the area and it's history.

If you're heading out there please consider dedicating your money, effort or time to preserving those local untouched islands. Check out Friends of Clayoquot Sound to see what you can do to help.