#howtoavoidbeinggenuineatallcosts

[epsilonaught]

I’m not in Austalia anymore.

Just when you thought you were free from my acerbic wit, you are now entitled to it in the form of a photo montage from afar, laced with my cumbersome and wearied commentary. It’s like China, but I’m less youthful and far busier. Remember all that Billy Mumphrey-esque unbridled enthusiasm? That’s been replaced with consistently dry cynicism. Wide eyed touristy smiles? Sore knees and calloused hands. I’m exaggerating. Because that’s something that I just do. It’s called avoiding being genuine at all costs.

I’m having a a great time. Legitimately. So you can remove the tone of sarcasm you are used to reading my words in.

I’m going to start with the chronology we all crave. First of all, Sam is my friend from primary and high school back in Yanchep. He has been in Canada for the last 1.5 years or so and hooked me up with a job in the Okanagan Valley, specifically at Road 13 vineyards in Oliver. Katie and I have both been somewhat adrift at home, waiting for an opportunity to justify ourselves to world in some way. I am speaking largely for myself here, having struggled with job hunts in the engineering world back in straya and you know, all that “what am I doing with my life?” nonsense. So Sam and Cas (his Canadian lady he met down in Margs way back) inviting us to stay with them was the ideal opportunity to just snap off from a life that felt somewhat stagnant and to embrace some new potential.

I can totally see that this could be seen as an illusory escape from responsibilities or whatever, but outside of family and relationships with friends, I don’t feel tied to anything else back home. I’ve always wanted to un-tether myself from the nonsense that strangles you and holds you down in a corner. At least to try to live in another city. Or many. Or whatever. Why Perth? Just coz doesn’t seem good enough. Chiggity check out the other parts. There’s more. There’s a pace to our direction.

So Vancouver is where we found ourselves, relatively out of the blue. That was the beginning of August. Flying in over Vancouver Island was very exciting for me. I could see geologically fresh (relatively of course) mountains bursting out of the clouds. As far as I could see. More than 3 mountains. More than 300. Perhaps more than 3000 peaks. I don’t know. I didn’t count. But fucking heaps. I dunno. What even are mountains? I’m from Perth. There are hills. And like 17 of them. And then a plateau of nothing. And then more hills and then the ocean. In every direction. Canada has contours. I’m continually blown away by the mountains and the incessant multitudes of trees.

I haven’t really documented this experience very well with photos. I think that’s partly because Katie is here so I don’t need to show her everything with digital evidence. Now it’s just for you scumbags whoever you are or aren’t. This is pretty long, so probably “aren’t”.

Clear your schedules. You now have a reason to ever click on a tumblr link again.

I’m sorry.

These might get better.

Before they start getting worse.

I love you.