Calgary & I … — The past 8 years
Calgary and I — we have a hate-love relationship.
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[Full text below]
Calgary and I — we have a hate-love relationship.
When I first moved to Calgary 8 years ago (yes it has been a long time), I hated this city. It was cold and boring. “This is a city for seniors!” — that’s what I said to my mom.
3 years later, I booked myself a ticket to the US to see what the American dream looked like. Surprisingly, in the middle of my 20-day trip, I found myself waking up in NYC and missing Calgary terribly: quiet mornings, the roads, the trees, the trains, the bus, the scenery — everything about Calgary. I came back to Calgary and started to call it home.
The past 8 years …
Calgary has seen me grow … like a lot.
Calgary has seen me work multiple jobs to make ends meet.
Calgary saw me walk across the stage to get my degree, saw me get awards and get invited to be a guest speaker, saw me get my first “big girl”’s job, and saw me confront, speak up for myself and advocate for others.
Not a long time ago, Calgary had my parents over and we had a wonderful time together.
Calgary has seen me do some stupid things and make a lot of mistakes that until today I still feel embarrassed about.
Calgary saw me have a crush (not one, but a few), fall in love, hand in hand with someone on the street, at a bar, in a restaurant, in a concert, etc. What a lovely time!
But Calgary also saw me get rejected, get hurt, get betrayed, saw me spend months grieving for the passings of my loved ones, saw me cry my eyes out for boys, saw me pack my stuff and leave the city after a breakup, and for millions of times, Calgary has seen me cry alone for homesickness, loneliness, anxiety, depression, fear, pain, etc.
Yes, Calgary has seen it all — my highs and lows.
The moment I thought I would never come back to this city, it called me back with a job offer I was not expecting. … And I trusted Calgary again and moved back. I’m here now.
How long will I stay here? I don’t know. I guess as long as Calgary wants me to.
