Soulful Explorations of Vancouver

I’m sitting at the Denver airport with passport in hand, about to board a plane to Canada. It’s my first international trip since before COVID. This trip is another layer of my emergence back out into the world. It's also one of my final assignments as I prepare to complete my 8 year MiddleWorld Apprenticeship at the end of the year.

Journey Guidance

On the Uber ride to the airport I received guiding principles for my journey. They weren’t loud or dramatic, just quiet points of clarity to inspire this adventure. They were:

• Soul Compass 

• Spirit Light 

• Heart Center

Soul Compass is an energy deep in my belly. It’s personal. It’s primal. It grounds me into my body & deeper onto my authentic path.

Spirit Light lifts me & infuses me with wonder and peace. It connects me to my higher ideals & to the allness of which I am part of. It helps me see the light in all things, which can be challenging to do at times. 

Heart Center is located between these two poles of Soul & Spirit. Yes, the heart is a physical source of life. It's also a guidance tool that helps me live kindness, love & care for humanity, which is a core intention of my MiddleWorld Apprenticeship.

These 3 aspects of Soul, Spirit & Heart will guide me as I step across borders & engage in this adventure throughout Vancouver, Canada.

Urban Adventures

The first part of my trip has me staying at a vacation rental in North Vancouver. The bed is so comfy & there are ravens outside my bedroom that chat in the morning & night. I love hearing them everyday; they keep prayers alive in my heart.

My Arrival

As soon as I landed & got my rental car at the airport, I had to cross the Lions Gate Bridge to get to my lodging. I’m not the biggest fan of heights & this bridge challenged my fears that's for sure. I find it fitting that this portal crossing was part of my initiation into my Canadian adventure. It was a powerful reminder that every heroic adventure requires courage & a bit of trust.

The Lions Gate Bridge is named after a pair of twin mountain peaks in North Vancouver that resemble reclining lions. The bridge opened in 1938 & is heavily used in the city to get across the Burrard Inlet.  Originally built as a two-lane bridge, it was upgraded in the 1950s to include a third lane in the center that's reversible to accommodate traffic in either direction as needed.

Indigenous Introduction

When I explore urban areas, I pick a museum or cultural center to immerse myself in to get to know the region. For Vancouver, I chose the Museum of Anthropology (MOA). I felt this would be a great way to explore the history & presence of the indigenous peoples of this land. 

When you enter the MOA, you start off in a grand hall that showcases Pacific Northwest art and pieces from First Nations of the region. It was lovely to learn about their traditions, practices & ways of livelihood on this land. 

While here I reflected on the theme of Colonization, a process that has touched nearly every part of the world. Colonization involves a foreign power invading, occupying & controlling land and its people for economic gain, religious expansion and/or political dominance. 

Colonization typically involves: 

• the displacement or eradication of Indigenous populations

• the imposition of foreign governance, language & religion on indigenous peoples 

• cultural assimilation or suppression of indigenous ways, often with the loss of their languages, spiritual practices & identities

Colonization creates vast inequalities, allowing colonizing nations to amass wealth by exploiting the land & people they dominate. Both the trauma & privilege it generates ripples through generations, shaping lives & cultures long after the initial conquest. Every single one of us is living the effects of Colonization.

Growing up in the states, I know some of the horror stories of the Colonization that happened there. I was curious to learn a bit about the Canadian story.  A few things I learned are:

• British & French empires colonized what is now Canada beginning in the 1600s.

• The Indian Act of 1876 allowed the Canadian government to control almost every aspect of Indigenous life.

• Residential schools were used to forcibly assimilate Indigenous children. Many of them were abused & thousands died. The last one just closed in 1996.

• Canada now recognizes 630 First Nations, Métis & Inuit communities, many of whom are still fighting for their land, language & sovereignty. While there has been some progress, deep challenges still remain. Healing history is sacred & difficult work.

I was deeply moved by the MOA exhibit titled: “Nuxalk Strong: Dancing Down the Eyelashes of the Sun”. This exhibit offers insights into the Nuxalk people's ancestral stories, ceremonial practices & insights into how they are healing intergenerational impacts of colonization.

According to oral traditions, Nuxalk Ancestors emerged into the world by drifting down eyelashes of the sun. Guided by threads of sunlight, they descended onto mountaintops in what is now the Bella Coola Valley of Canada. On these mountaintops they created their families, cultivated land-based wisdom & lived in deep relationship with the Earth. These stories aren’t just myths, they are maps of memory & belonging for the Nuxalk. The land is a relative of theirs.

This exhibit did an amazing job of sharing insights into Nuxalk practices & ceremonies of governance, family lineage & how they encoded responsibility into each person for how to live in right relationships with the land & with each other. 

It was moving to walk through this exhibit & feel the immense energy of the ancestral pieces contained in this building, and the family stories from which they emerged. Being a decedent of colonizers I feel the ancestral pain so embedded in all of our histories.

This exhibit was an invitation to witness, honor & learn, and for that I am deeply grateful. May I walk this earth in a way that offers healing to the hurt caused & experienced by all. 

History Lesson

My time in Canada stirs deep reflections in me around the theme of Colonization. I find myself tracing historical roots of Colonization in Canada & the US, and exploring how these timelines have interacted with one another. 

The U.S. was colonized by European powers in the early 1600's, first by the Spanish in the South, then by the British & French along the eastern seaboard. The British & French then moved their colonial ambitions northward into what is now Canada.  

These colonizers came not as visitors, but with the intent to claim land, extract resources, and displace the Indigenous peoples who lived on these lands.  

Britain & France were rivals to one another. France aimed to dominate the interior of the U.S. (Great Lakes, Mississippi River), while Britain focused on the Atlantic coastline. They both imposed Christianity, settler control & economic exploitation to meet their colonization strategies.

Ultimately their rivalry led to the The Seven Years’ War (1756–1763) which was fought on both Canadian & American soil. In the end, France lost & handed Canada over to Britain. The U.S. went on to declare independence in 1776, while Canada remained connected to the British crown, eventually becoming a self-governing Dominion in 1867.

Even now, Canada recognizes the British monarch as its ceremonial head of state. This role is symbolic, as Canada is fully independent & run by its own elected officials.

Modern-Day Colonization

As I travel through this area of British Columbia, I see the affects of Colonization & efforts to reckon with them. English & French appear on signage and packaging throughout the region, a tie to Canada’s colonial roots. I also see Indigenous languages being reclaimed and honored throughout the region. There’s a visible effort here to confront the truth of Canada’s past in a way that feels intentional, inclusive & rooted in respect. I'm a visitor here, so these perspectives are from my outsider view.

However, in the United States, there is rising political rhetoric that seeks to deport or exclude non-white individuals in the name of protecting some imagined & pure American identity. History tells a different story. White Americans are not the original inhabitants of this land. They are descendants of immigrants as well, many of whom were violent colonizers, that claimed this land & people by force.

True native people of North America have non-white skin. Conversations about belonging, immigration, or national identity in America must include this truth. It's an important & vital part of the story.

And with the Trump administration’s jabs & bullying of Canada becoming the “51st state,” we see an example of how Colonization isn’t just history, it’s a recurring pattern that continues to play out even to this day. Comments like this on the political stage showcase how U.S. power is trying to assert itself, often at the expense of sovereignty, mutual respect & true partnership.

There is a unique essence of soul & spirit in Canada that would be devastating to diminish, distort or degrade through assimilation with the U.S.

The below image was painted by a Nuxalk artist Nunuusxli (Chazz Mack). I love this so much!!!

Garden Prayers

Another highlight of my time in Vancouver was the VanDusen Botanical Gardens. Established in 1975, this lush sanctuary in the heart of the city was built on the grounds of a former golf course.

The gardens span 55 acres of beautifully curated space, highlighting plants from various regions of the world. Admission is $15. If I lived here, I’d definitely have an annual pass. This space offers lovely respite to the hustle & bustle of the city & there are amazing nooks & crannies to hang out in & simply be. 

I loved sitting with this magnificent Golden Catalpa tree, also known as the Golden Indian Bean Tree, which is native to the southeastern United States. This tree is truly spectacular. The limbs outstretch in miraculous curves & it had so many flowers blooming on it. This tree offered me glorious shade from the heat & sun of the day and I could’ve stayed here for hours.

Cypress Tears

Many years ago I fell in love with Cypress trees while wandering the swamps of Florida. The botanical gardens in Vancouver have a section devoted to these magical trees. I spent time sitting with them & meditating on their wisdom teachings.

Bald cypress, native to the southeastern U.S, grows “knees”, woody projections that rise up from their roots. I’ve always been intrigued with these structures so it was nice to be able to touch them & feel their energy. 

In ancient Greece and Rome, Cypress was considered sacred to the Underworld. These trees were often planted in graveyards and believed to serve as portals between the physical & spiritual realms. Sitting with them, I felt into their presence & reflected on how my time in the UnderWorld has supported me these past 8 years in my MiddleWorld Apprenticeship. It's all so deeply connected.

While here I also did some grieving around a core relationship of mine that is morphing, releasing, surrendering. I shed tears & let them fall into these swampy lands. It felt good to cry with the trees. I sent a message to this person while here. It was filled with love & inspired by this place. 

I am grateful for the guidance these trees gave me in how to step away from relationship in a loving way that honors the past & also holds the boundaries I need now. I learn so much from nature & I’m grateful for the lessons coming through for me about love, loss, beauty & grace.

Engaged Aging

Exploring Vancouver has me hiking, walking, moving & being more active than I've been in a while. These past several years my body has been in a lot of pain & I’ve had reduced capacity as a result. 

I recently started Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) & it’s helping reduce my joint pain so much. I feel like I’m at a New Beginning with my aging process. With these hormones in my body, I am getting a bit more pep in my aging steps.

As I explore Vancouver I am encouraging myself to push my body to regain some strength that I've lost since Covid. I'm also recognizing that as I age, my capacity is different, and that it is ok to walk slower and take more breaks on my wanderings. Aging is a humbling process. My body is not what it once was, and yet, it continues to carry me forward with resilience, grace and surprisingly some joy... and for that I am grateful.

The Stairs

One day I was exploring the city and found some stairs that led down to a beach. I didn’t know how many stairs there would be but my adventurous spirit said Do It! About 100 steps down I questioned if I should keep going. I had no idea how many more steps there would be & I knew I was gonna have to come back up! 

Old fears surfaced around pain, limitation & the vulnerability of not knowing what my body can handle. I’m traveling solo & there's no one to help me if I need it. I pushed through the hesitations in my mind & encouraged myself to continue to the bottom. Another act of courage and trust on my trip!

Once at the bottom, I hung out at Wreck Beach, the only officially recognized nude beach in Canada (which is nuts considering how much coastal area the country has). I find it funny that out of all the beaches I could happen upon, I found the only nude one in the country! 

Now back to the stairs…going down was easy…going up was a bit more challenging. There were 490 stairs and they were steep. I am proud of myself for pushing through & doing this. And while the beach was nice, the real highlight of this experience for me was the stairs.

Overcoming my hesitation to do them, making it back up & proving to myself that I still have capacity in this aging body was a huge accomplishment. Here’s a short video compilation I created of my experience with the stairs.

Urban Metropolis

Vancouver is a huge city. I had no idea! There are about 3 million people that live in the region, and I think they were all out at the same time I was there. 

Vancouver & Denver, Colorado (where I live) have about the same population, however, Vancouver packs more residents into a smaller urban core & that makes it feel so much more congested. The sidewalks are bustling, the streets are lively and public spaces are constantly in motion. I enjoyed driving around & seeing the city & surrounding areas, however, the traffic here would be way too much for me to live here.

Even though Vancouver is so congested, it’s the cleanest city I’ve ever been in. It’s amazing how clean this region is. There’s very little trash & everything feels well cared for.  

At one point, I saw a sign warning of a $2,000 fine for littering & I love that. It speaks to the environmental standards & shared responsibility that seem to be part of the culture here. This is a very different vibe than what is prevalent throughout the states. 

Driving around the region I was in awe at all the luxury houses in the area. Nearly every neighborhood I passed through felt polished & upscale. I kept waiting to stumble upon a more modest or gritty area, but it never appeared. If there’s a “hood” in Vancouver, I didn’t find it.

Vancouver’s real estate market is one of the most expensive in North America. The cost of living here is high. Rent is expensive. Housing is expensive. Food is expensive. Gas is expensive. British Columbia (BC) is also referred to as “Bring Cash”. 

Speaking of money, oh my goodness, you have to pay to park everywhere in the region. I had to load 4 different payment apps on my phone to park in various places. What do people without smart phones do these days? I even had to pay at a hiking trail way outside the city, where there was no reception to load the app. This part of my journey was frustrating. I would not want to live in a city that had such expensive & challenging parking conditions.

Water is Life

I had so much fun exploring Vancouver. It's a city I've heard so many wonderful things about and after visiting I understand the hype. It's a vibrant city, with lots of artistic flair. I did not explore the night life or much of the food scene but I got the sense it is fun & engaging.

The city is right on the oceans edge. Water is very much a part of the lifestyle here. Historically, this region’s economy was shaped by logging & shipping routes, with giant logs still seen floating in the harbor as a way to transport them. I caught a glimpse of this as I was flying into the city.

Water sports are very popular here. Kayakers, paddle boarders and sail boats glide through the inlets. Ferry boats & water taxis buzz between neighborhoods. Coastal trails like the Seawall around Stanley Park invite walkers & cyclists to recreate near the shore. And of course, there’s the massive amounts of rain that falls here throughout the year. I "lucked" out on my trip and it did not rain once my whole time in the city.

To conclude my time in Vancouver, I found a look out spot high up on a mountain to watch the sun set over the city. I’m grateful for the experience & lessons this city has offered me in the few short days I've been here.

Being in this city has stirred my body, awakened my heart & deepened my understanding of colonial history and my own place within it. I’ve felt joy, grief, awe & agency. I’ve cried with cypress trees, pushed through physical limitations, honored Indigenous stories & found spiritual guidance to support me as I near completing my 8 year MiddleWorld Apprenticeship.

It's been a lovely time, however, I am ready to leave and head northward to my next destination in Whistler, Canada. I will share a blog about that part of the adventure soon.

To wrap up this blog, I will share with you the page I created in my art journal to honor my time in the Botanical Gardens here in Vancouver. This was a fun & meaningful page to create. I used the garden map as the foundation for the page, and layered photos I took at the location around it. This helps me capture some of the contemplations & prayers that emerged for there, keeping this memory so beautifully alive in my visual journal.

May this blog inspire you to reflect on deeper layers of your own becoming as you journey through this adventure of life. May you see & honor beauty and wisdom in all the ways it reveals itself to you.

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