SEATTLE

Seattle is a place that looks like home and feels like something new, so we did all my favourite things that I would do at home. We went to bookstores, drank yummy coffee, perused record stores, ate our way through downtown, touched way too many vintage dresses, and stopped at the flower markets (although Grace never lets me buy anything because she says it makes her sad when the flowers die). Felicia said, “Sometimes you don’t know whether you need to get out of your city or if you just need to get out of the city,” and I’ve been taking the time lately to do a bit of both. I’ve always been frustrated in not knowing what it is I really need or having others unable to articulate what they need, but I’ve been learning over and over again that figuring out what we really need is a worthwhile, timely process. If we really knew what we needed, we wouldn’t need anything or anyone else, ya feel?

HERE / NOW

“I want to stick my net into time and say ‘now’ as men plant flags on the ice and snow and say ‘here’.” – Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.

Last week, to say that, “I am here,” was non-existant. I can’t pinpoint you anything on latitude and longitude or really, pinpoint to you at all what last week was like. I’ve been retyping this post trying to find the right metaphor to hide behind, but there’s no other way to say it: having anxiety is shitty. Being someone who is moved by others and simultaneously being too afraid to get out of bed is shitty. Staying home all day and not being able to find rest is shitty. Pretending not to care about things or saying you’re sick instead of telling people what’s actually going on is shitty. Feeling like you’re going to lose everything for no reason at all is shitty.

But on Thursday, I woke up for the first time in what felt like an eternity with zero anxiety. I texted Grace, “LIFE IS SO BEAUTIFUL,” and got a nose piercing, because why the hell not? To say that, “I am here,” right now, means I want to plant my flags in everything. My camera feels insufficient. My pen and journal are futile devices. My hands can’t hold enough. There are so many moments I just want to make permanent. I’m currently living in the pages of Letters to a Young Poet by Rilke, which was recommended to me by someone who’s taste I always hold close to my heart. He writes: “Believe in a love that has been stored up for you like an inheritance.” And that is what I want to do – store up everything around me that I love like it will waterfall into other things later. I want to believe in a love that has been created in this way for me.

So, with that being said, here are some pieces of my inheritance that I have stored up for the past few months:

Amsterdam

1. I took my first real solo trip to Amsterdam over the weekend, and it was frustrating, but I also think it was a necessary and important experience for me to have. My luggage didn’t make it with me on the plane, so I had to go a few days with only the things I had in my backpack. I could only buy the bare necessities, because my credit card wasn’t working and I left a majority of my cash in my luggage (super smart, I know), so it was a very minimalistic weekend. Regardless, it was good for me to be alone for a few days. I could take everything in at my own pace. I could process everything on my own time. I’m a lot more emotional when I’m on my own, and I think everyone needs to have the space to feel what they need to feel and stop when they feel overwhelmed. It was annoying dealing with the luggage situation without any help and scary taking on a completely new city without someone by my side, but at the same time, it was also nice to adventure without the pressure of filling time or going to the “must-see” things.

2. The main reason I chose to come to Amsterdam this particular weekend was so I could see one of my favourite artists, Owen Pallett, perform live. He’s been on the top of my list for the past 4 years, and the show was definitely the highlight of my trip. I couldn’t believe how incredible the venue was. The concert was in a small lounge area at the top of the Muziekgebouw aan’t IJ, which is a glass contemporary music space that overlooks the canals of Amsterdam. It was intimate, with couches and hanging lights in the background, and it was probably one of the most beautiful venues I’ve ever been in. I was blown away by how Owen Pallett live loops, swooned by the gentleness and dissonance of his violin fingers, and surprised by his dry sarcasm. The night was cosmic and ethereal, and I’ve never cried at a concert before this, but it happened (like I said, I am much more emotional when I am alone, haha).

  

3. I was really impressed by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, not because there were a bunch of famous paintings, but because it gave a really a visceral perspective on his life. I love the way he paints as if people were made of earth, the way he compared himself to a monk or a nun in his dedication to art, and the way he believed that hands were the most expressive part of the body. My favourite part of the museum was where you could listen to letters that were written between Vincent and his brother Theo, who was his most trusted confidant. You could tell how much he loved his brother, because he spent time picking his words the same way he mixes his paint colours until they are just right.

4. The Amsterdam floating flower market is one of the dreamiest places I’ve ever been to. The first thing I saw were these huge pink floral clouds hanging from the ceilings and I couldn’t believe it was real. Everything smells so fresh, and you can buy just about everything flower- and plant-related… including a Grow-Your-Own-Weed starter kit, ha.

5. I spent most of my time wandering aimlessly through the streets, bridges and canals of the city. Amsterdam is really just a great place to walk through, because every building is so unique, but somehow they all fit together. There are plenty of cafes around to duck into if you’re tired or cold, and I think it’s been the best city I’ve been too aesthetically. You literally can’t go 30 seconds without seeing a bike or something on a bike, which makes everything even cuter, but also more dangerous as a pedestrian, because instead of watching for 2 lanes of car traffic, you have to watch for 4 and sometimes 6, because of the bike lanes and tram lines.

6. The last thing I did in the city was go to the Anne Frank House. It was an incredibly sombering experience, and there was one video of her best friend talking about her experiences with Anne at Auschwitz that really broke my heart. I liked that at the end of it all, there was hope for better things to come – for healing and for things to be different. My favourite quote I heard was this:

“Her would-haves can be our reality. Her would-haves are our opportunities.”

7. The first thing the receptionist said to me when I arrived was, “Be careful of the stairs! They’re dutch!” All the stairs were very steep and narrow, and for the most part, they’re like that in all the buildings in Amsterdam. It makes sense, because all the houses are also very tall and narrow. And when I thought about it a bit more, maybe that’s why the Netherlands have the tallest people in the world (the average for a man is 6 ft!). It’s like how fish grow bigger when they are put in bigger bowls, so I guess this might be true for humans too (but don’t ask me to back up my theory with scientific facts, haha). Maybe if I stayed there a little longer, I would grow taller as well.

LISBON

1. We arrived in Lisbon without many expectations, because truth be told, we didn’t do much research before arriving. But I definitely fell in love with this beautiful city! Lisbon feels like a tight-knit community with a big city vibe. So much of it reminded me of Barcelona – how laid-back everyone is, the tapa bars everywhere, and a growing art scene. And at the same time, San Francisco comes to mind, because of the trolleys and how everything is built on waves of slopes and stairs. This is a photo of the street we stayed on!

2. We only had a day and a half in the city, so knowing that it would be impossible to see all of it in such a short span of time, we took the trolley from one end to the other to get an overview. It was wonderful to see all the pastel buildings, catch glimpses of the ocean as we rolled along, and then wander back to where we started.

3. Lisbon is definitely not an easy city to walk through. Because of all the hills and unpredictable pathways, we stopped often, but luckily there are so many viewpoints around that there’s always a good place to rest. It seems like as long as you’ve climbed upwards even just a bit, you’ll find a place where you can see the ocean and look at how every brown-orange rooftop has been kissed by the sun. It seemed like most people around us had the same idea and were just hanging out in the sunshine, playing music, and looking out at the horizon (because how can you not when it’s warm enough in December to not need a jacket?!)

4. One thing we noticed while we were wandering through the city was that people would point us in the right direction even when we didn’t ask for help. We were walking down the street, and an old man stopped us and tried to show us something, but he couldn’t speak any English so he kept speaking to us in Portuguese. I loved that even though he knew we couldn’t understand him, he kept trying. Most people give up easily when it’s hard to communicate what they want to say, but I think there is something important about trying anyways.

5. The last night in Lisbon, we had the most delicious dinner, and it was a perfect way to end the trip. I know the starters were just french fries and eggs, but there was something in the sauce that was incredible, and I swear I’m going to come back just to eat those frieds again. I’m so thankful that I had the most beautiful company this week! These girls are some of the most understanding people I have ever met, and it’s so great to find travel companions who are okay with just chilling, but also say, “Yes,” to adventure (and who love food as much as I do!). Thanks for the lovely time!

ERICEIRA / NAZARÉ

It probably doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone that I’ve jetted off yet again to another country. I’m doing my last big trip before heading home, but the past few days have been much, much different than the way things have been for the past few months.

1. It’s safe to say that I’m tired. Travelling has been an incredible experience, but going to 5-hour classes Monday through Friday, dragging my luggage to school so I can head to the airport as soon as the weekend hits, and then jam-packing an entire city or even multiple cities into 3-4 days has been overwhelming and leaves me hungover in more ways than one. So it’s been about time that I took a real, down-to-earth vacation and found some rest in the midst of trying to see all of Europe in 3 months.

2. Three days ago, we packed our bags and got on a plane to Lisbon. But before hitting up the big city, we decided to rent a car and road trip to a small surf village called Ericeira. We stayed in an Airbnb facing the ocean, slept in till whenever we wanted, and spent a lot of time relaxing. The first night, our power went out, so we ate a home-cooked dinner by candlelight, wrapped ourselves up in blankets, and drank hot tea. It was the coziest I have been for a long time.

3. Ericeira is evidently a summer town, so during our stay there, it felt absolutely deserted. Despite that, it was still nice to wander the sleepy streets and crooked pathways. A lot of the houses had pure white walls with colourful detailing (kinda how I imagine Greece looks like); others were patterned like ceramic dishes. It was such a quiet, but beautiful place to be.

4. After walking through the Old City, we spent the rest of our afternoon driving along the coast and beach-hopping. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a car, and I forgot how much I love road tripping. There is something different about getting into a car with a bunch of people you love, turning up the music, and going your own way through the countryside. It offers a different perspective of a place, and you have so much more control over where and when you want to go, stay, stop, and leave. We stopped at multiple beaches, climbed a lot of stairs, and watched surfers dance through the waves. I’m always amazed at how brave they are when the waters are freezing and the ocean can be such an unpredictable force.

5. This morning we drove north along the coast to watch waves in Nazaré. Apparently, the waves there get up to 30 meters high!!! The tide wasn’t that crazy when we were there, but we were up on the cliffs and we could still feel the ocean spray on our skin. Again, the little village was dead silent, but I think the raging waters made up for it in movement and noise.

GUEST POST: Esther Park

Introducing Esther Park: The other half of the HoPark Collab

Hello! I’m Esther, the Park in the HoPark Collaboration series! Well, clearly, the series hasn’t gone quite as planned, having not kept up with one piece a week, and it’s definitely been my fault. But I hope that even after Rebekah comes back from her exchange, that I can continue and make up for the weeks lost!

Anyways, I’m not much of a writer so I’ll keep this guest post short. This semester has been pretty brutal. I’ve had one too many all nighters, weekly projects, and all for just one course. I’m exhausted and have just felt drained physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Who knew that even the thing that I love to do, design, could bring me so much stress! So the lyrics from Hillsong’s “Bones” came to mind when I was thinking about the content of the typography. First of all, it’s one of my favourite worship songs at the moment and it just resonates with me right now. I’ve felt like a pile of dry bones lately, and need to have some life breathed into me. I also thought it would make for some interesting type, using the content to direct the form. I promise though, there will be more HoPark Collab to come in the future!

LONDON

I’m taking a break from the writing game for a little bit, but here are some photos from my trip to London. I had the most wonderful time with my roommate, and her gracious friend Stefanie who let me stay at her place the whole weekend with her wonderful housemates! I spent lots of time at the markets and met loads of great people, including this British guy who came up to me on the dance floor, yelled, “WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE LONDON GRIMES?” and then proceeded to freestyle rap at me until his friend dragged him away and apologized for him being too drunk. Cheers to London!

DUBLIN

Despite the missed flights, emergency landings, an accidental 10-hour layover and almost being homeless this weekend (seriously, I didn’t realize I had any more traveler’s bad luck left), I had the most incredible time in Dublin with my girl, Dora (if you read anything in this blog post, you should read the very last part about Dora, because she is amazing!!)!

1. We met someone who told us that there are two types of Irish people – the junkies and the hospital Irish. We were lucky enough that even though we booked the wrong weekend for our Airbnb, our host was the hospital kind and still let us stay there. They even said that if the reservation change didn’t follow through, we could stay there for free! That was the best news to hear after I had travelled all day after an all-nighter, and Dora had taken the train and ferry from Birmingham after missing her flight. That night, we went to a pub for a hearty meal and to see the Dublin Friday night vibe. Every pub was completely jam-packed, the beer was dark, and the city looked like Christmas.

2. Fun fact: There are more cows than there are people in Ireland.

3. Dora and I are contemplating staying the city for our one full day in Ireland, but it’s been my dream for a really long time to see the Cliffs of Moher, so after 12 hours of landing in Dublin, we headed west. Driving through the countryside is like constantly being inside a Microsoft Windows 98 background. All the rolling hills are green and mossy, and we were grateful for catching the sun on a good day.

  

4. The cliffs were one of the most incredible things I have ever seen. Parts of it are covered in limestone leftover from glaciers, and you can walk along the whole thing, although it’s not for the feint of heart, because parts of don’t have barriers. We hung our feet over the edge for as long as we could before vertigo and gusts of wind wavered our courage and ate seaside clam chowder in little towns along the Atlantic Ocean coast.

5. On the drive back, I saw a fully-arched double rainbow for the very first time. It was so huge that it was impossible to fit into one frame, and I couldn’t believe that I could actually see the entire thing! I see where all the myths about leprechauns come from, and even though there wasn’t a pot of gold to be found, I think there really is something magical and mystical about this place.

  

6. I noticed throughout the trip that every time we met an Irish person, they always asked us, “Why would you come to this shithole? The weather is terrible and the only way to enjoy it is if you’re drunk.” And we would laugh and tell them that their country is a beautiful place. We thought at first that it’s because of their sarcastic humour, but then we started to slowly realize that really, they just wanted to hear compliments about how great Dublin is.

  

7. My favourite part about travelling has been how easy it’s been to meet people, and Dublin is a city made for that. A group of Irish guys walked us halfway home, making us laugh the entire time and calling out, “Love you!” when we parted ways. Another group of people offered us some fruit (which we politely declined), because they wanted to watch out for our health. There are always these small stories where our lives overlap, even if it’s just for a brief moment, with a stranger’s, and I’ve learned that really positive things can come out of it.

On my plane ride home, we had to emergency land in Birmingham instead of flying to Paris, because there was a crack in the window. I ended up having to stay overnight and catch a 6 am flight through Amsterdam to Bordeaux the next day, but one blessing in disguise that came out of it was I met this man from South Africa who happened to be a plane engineer. He was definitely a really good person to have assuring me that everything was going to be ok while the pilot was announcing technical difficulties. He was kind and bought me dinner, since I didn’t have any pounds to use in England, and he told me that where he lives, he can hear lions! It make me really want to visit Johannesburg.

8. Sometimes, the light in buildings are so perfect that it just invites you in and you have to stay a while. It’s crazy how people who are architecturally gifted can do that. They make light look almost even more beautiful indoors.

9. It’s kinda crazy how I met Dora. In 2010, I was volunteering at a tutoring centre in Hong Kong, and one day, she comes in. I went to talk to her, because she was a new face, and we found out we were both from Vancouver! A year and a half later, we saw each other at Wintercon in Vancouver, and now, we’re currently both going to the same school! I hate saying things are meant to be, but we both happened to be doing exchange this semester, and if that isn’t fate, I don’t know what is.

Dora has a habit of falling in love with everything and everyone. She sees that world as one big place to hold in her arms, and it’s been amazing watching the entire world fall in love with her back. Her heart is like an open book, and it takes people about 2 seconds to give into her smile, because somewhere behind it, I swear there’s a second sun glowing. There is something about the way people are the most brave when they have learned how to give and receive love in so many tangible ways.

ROME / NAPLES / POMPEII

1. The most powerful experiences I’ve had so far on exchange is climbing up the Scala Sancta, which is the set wooden stairs that Jesus walked upon on his way to see Pontius Pilot. The steps are said to be holy, so you’re only allowed to walk up on your knees. It was solemn, but so humbling and crazy to see how real the Bible is. I have never seen such a dark sanctuary filled with so much gratitude. The woman beside me kissed every step as she went up, and I still get emotional about that image even when I think about it now.

2. There is an insane amount of touristy things to do in Rome. In two days, we went to St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City (where the Sistine Chapel is!!), the Roman Forum, and the Colosseum, and there was so much more that would have taken weeks to go through. I’ve heard from people that they feel like the city isn’t really a reflection of what the rest of Italy is like, because it seems like all there is are famous landmarks, churches, and tourist traps, and I get that now that I’ve been. But there is also something about the way the sun sets in Rome that bathes everything in light and everyone, tourist or local, has to stop and watch the city turn gold.

3. I’m going to remember this photo for a very long time, because as I was taking it, I got pickpocketed. I lost all my credit cards, ID, debit card, and everything else in my wallet in one go, and there was nothing I could do about it. The best thieves in the world are in major European cities like Rome and Barcelona, and it’s baffling that if they want to take your things, they’re going to do it no matter how well-prepared you are for it. But one thing I’ve realized through this experience (apart from the fact that it was very silly of me to keep everything in one place, ha) is how resilient I’ve become. After my wallet got stolen, I went straight to a cafe, called all my banks, let my dad know that getting money is going to be a bit inconvenient for the next month and a half, and then continued on. I wasn’t even that upset about it, but I know that in the past, I have been a lot less level-headed about much smaller problems.

Almost everything that I’ve feared before travelling has happened to me. My flights have been cancelled. I’ve gotten sick 3 times in 2 months. Somebody snatched my wallet. And I’m sure the traveller’s bad luck will probably continue as long as I keep travelling. But I’m learning that when these things happen, it’s okay to be upset, and you can go on blaming the plane companies, the cold hostels, the pickpockets and even yourself, but the only thing that makes things better is to deal with the problem. You just gotta keep going.

  

4. During my time in Italy, I literally had gelato, pizza, pasta, and espresso everyday. I couldn’t believe how incredible authentic Italian food is and the advice I received was true: go for the shady places. The best restaurants don’t care much for aesthetics and serve your drinks in plastic cups with a side of snappy service, but handle your pizza dough with a labor of love. I think don’t know how they make their pistachio gelato so delightful or their espresso so strong, but whatever it is, it actually made me tear up when I was saying goodbye to Italy, because it will be a while until I taste these things again.

5. After Rome, we headed south to Naples. The city is one of the most chaotic places I’ve ever been. Everyone just goes without looking, especially when it comes to traffic. There are mopeds diving through crowds of pedestrians, cars driving down impossible narrow roads, and I don’t need to play Frogger anymore, because I’ve experienced the real thing. But then on Sunday morning, the streets empty and everything is quiet. We had the perfect last morning in Naples – sipping on coffee and walking along the bluest sea. I think the sea is the ocean’s younger sister who’s fallen in love with the land. Like the ocean, she is dangerous and impossible to overlook, but she is warmer, easier to know, and eternally wrapped in her lover’s arms.

Paris

1. “The culture in France is, like, you will see women going to the office with a bright red lipstick, like I have, but with no other makeup on whatsoever. With bags under their eyes, not even a hint of mascara. Like, bare face, bright red lipstick, and off they go.” – Laura Mercier

2. I’ve been told not to have high hopes for Paris; that it’s not as chic, romantic, and beautiful as I expect it to be. But that was exactly what I loved about it. I think I’m realizing more and more how much I love big cities filled with dirt, graffiti’d walls, and a sketch as hell metro system, and Paris was all that, plus a little bit of Chanel No. 5 and bright red lipstick.

3. Did you know that in most places in the world, the bee population is dying, but Paris was named the urban bee capital, because there are so many flowers in the city?

4. There is a place where all roads lead, and no matter where you look, the city looks like it is moving and breathing all around you. Paris is called the “City of Lights,” and in an age of skyscrapers, there are other places brighter than this, but when you stand on the Arc Du Triomphe with the roads full of life and the Eiffel Tower sparkling in the distance, you can’t help but believe that this is still true.

5. I usually have a limit on how many “touristy” things I can do. I can only take so much of line-ups, people bumping into me, and having to take an extra 5 shots on my camera before getting a photo without an iPad in it. But if there is something touristy worth doing in Paris, it’s going to Versailles. The gardens are endless, and the palace is so intricately beautiful. Sometimes, you just have to suck it up and tell yourself that you’re not better than what a place is famous for.

   

6. One of my life dreams has been to go to Shakespeare and Company, and I can’t believe it actually came true! This place has housed tens of thousands of writers and was opened in tribute to the original Shakespeare and Company that was a gathering place for tons of famous writers (like Ernest Hemingway!!) but was closed down during the German occupation. I loved everything about this bookstore – the warm lights, the way the stairs creaked, and every cozy reading nook. It was so perfect, and I bought a book of Shakespeare love sonnets (am I too cheesy?!) and a copy of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, because the store is right by the cathedral!

7. The whole city feels like it’s in love. I have never seen more sneaked kisses and love locks in my life, and it’s not the kind of thing that makes you feel lonely or bitter or that the world is silly for being romantic, but it fills your heart with a river full of keys that will find their home one day.

8. Gargoyles are made to look like monsters to ward off the evil spirits from churches. But legend also has it that the cherubs and other statues got tired of looking pretty, and decided to make ugly faces instead. I like the second reasoning better.