My Story : Assignment 2:1
I have a strong connection with the place I call home. I have lived in the same house since I was 3 years old, but it’s not just the house or the people that I feel connected to its the land itself.
My home is in Lynn Valley which is a neighbourhood in North Vancouver that is nestled right next to the mountains. It’s as close as you can get to the forest without actually being in it. Growing up with nature in my backyard shaped my childhood in unique ways. All of the days spend exploring the trails and rivers under the warm summer sun run together. All the fall days spent crunching leaves, all the snow filled walks, and all the rainy spring days each bring about distinct feelings and memories . For each season there is a unique sense of home that goes along with it.
Summer brings excitement. “Let’s go for an adventure” my best friend would always say, and off we would go with with our family’s dogs into the woods. We would spend hours at a time trekking through the forest, and finding new trails. We would often hike alongside Lynn Creek. We would walk in the green and blue waters until we found the perfect swimming spot. This quest could take all day depending on if we wanted to find a swimming hole we had never been to or visit an old favorite. The sun was warm on our backs, the forest always provided cool shade, and the water… well the water was refreshing that’s for sure. Snow melt is definitely refreshing. On days that were too hot we would skip the adventure and just head straight to 30 Foot Pool for a day of lounging and swimming. The cliff jumpers always were entertaining to watch. Take a look at what kind of cliff jumping happens in Lynn Canyon during the summer months.
I always have associated fall with new beginnings. Strange I know but that’s when the school year was staring up again. It always promised a new year, new goals, and new experiences. Seeing the forest change in the fall was inspiring. All the leaves turned colours of burnt orange and red. The creek we use to walk in in the summer became to heavy from the Fall rain. Lauren and I had to stick to the trails instead of trailblazing like in the summer time. As much as Fall is a season of death, to me it always brought new life into the forest. The hordes of tourists dispersed and it was peaceful to walk through in the crisp clean air. My Autumns were filled with long walks over crunching leaves enjoying the quiet that gave way to the anticipation of what is to come.
The chill of winter closes in too soon every year! I love the years of snow but unfortunately they were rare. Mostly winter was filled with rain, but during the rare years of snow the forest was my favorite place to be. When snow came it brought silence. It dampens the sounds and created a completely different world to explore. The trails were covered so new trails needed to be made. Off we went with our winter gear piled on to discover new worlds where the white landscape looked completely different.
When the Winter rains or snow finally broke Spring came to Lynn Valley. In my home next to the mountains Spring was never very exciting. You could see Spring coming in the neighbours’ gardens more than you could in the forest. But at least Spring weather got me excited for summer! You could see the forest getting greener each day
A hike with Lauren this past summer (2015).
Each season brought its unique qualities to the place I call my home. Each season allowed for new exploration of the forest and river. Each season I explored further and further making my connection to the land where I lived stronger and stronger. I love going back but it is always bitter sweet. The land is always changing and I will always be getting older. I still sometimes go on adventures with Lauren, but our childlike sense of wonder will never be the same as it was growing up.
Works Cited:
High on Life. “Epic Cliff Jumping and Waterfall Slide (EXTREME DANGER).” YouTube. YouTube, 28 Sept. 2014. Web. 06 Feb. 2016.
Nyberg, Jaden. “30 Foot Pool | Lynn Canyon Park & Suspension Bridge in Lynn Valley, BC.”Lynn Canyon. Vancouver Online Marketing, 2016. Web. 06 Feb. 2016.
English, Vicki. Galloway. 2010. Private Collection, North Vancouver. Vicki English. Web. 5 Mar. 2016.
Hello Nicole,
Thank you for your story! I think your choice to structure your story along the framework of the four seasons works well to convey the various facets that comprise what makes Lynn Valley home for you, as well as lend strength to your observations in your final paragraph – “The land is always changing and I will always be getting older.”. Ageing definitely has an impact on our conceptions of home, which I think is felt particularly during the liminal stages of both early adulthood and old age.
One of the nice things about home is knowledge of local gathering spots – I have lived in Vancouver for three years (not quite long enough for it to feel like home), and in that time had been looking for awesome cliff-jumping spots like the one mentioned in your story. Limited to guidebooks and word-of-mouth (I am one of the tourist horde!), I lacked the intimate knowledge of such places, as only those who call Lynn Valley home have.
-Merriam
Hi Merriam,
Thank you for your comment! I’m glad you enjoyed the structure of the four seasons. I felt that each season my home is so different that I needed to represent all of them.
That’s awesome that you are interested in cliff jumping! If you ever have any questions about it feel free to ask. It is always a good idea to take someone who knows the area well and is familiar with dangers such as what time of year is safe to jump etc.
Nicole
Hi Nicole,
I enjoyed your post a lot because of two things that I felt we have in common: living on the North Shore amongst nature, and a sense of connection to the land. I quite liked the way that you associated the connection with the formation of memories over the different seasons. Indeed, summer and fall really resonated with me. I can remember many fall “back to school” seasons with anticipation. As you say, it is a time for new goals and learning. I found it was also a time for new friends. As the new year started there would be an opportunity to meet new people, or the same people in new spaces. You described beautifully the summer and how the different elements of nature (water, sun, etc.) formed memories and sensations.
I have a couple of questions for you. The first one relates to your comment about how your return to the land now is bittersweet because of the inevitable change and loss of childhood wonderment. Do you not find that some of the wisdom you have gathered out in the world brings a new lens and new appreciation? …. And, I am really curious – did YOU actually cliff jump? I don’t think that I have ever met anyone who has admitted to doing it before!!!
Hi Andrea,
Thank you for your lovely comment! I’m glad you enjoyed reading my story and could relate to it.
To answer your question I think its my new perspective makes coming home sad. I know I will never get my childhood back which carries an element of sadness, but I will always have the memories of it to enjoy. Mostly the reason coming home is sad for is I know that I won’t be able to afford to live in North Vancouver or Vancouver for many years. As soon as I graduate I will be leaving this city for better economic opportunities, and for me that is why going home is sad. I am choosing to leave the city I grew up in and love.
I don’t cliff jump often, but as a teenager my friends and I would go occasionally. Nothing as extreme as the video I linked, nothing even close to that, but I have done small jumps. I’m surprised you haven’t met anyone who has done it before!
Thank you again for your comment!
Nicole