Love the One You're With

On Monday we went on a day tour to the town of Tigre. We were with 4 British Indians, 1 Brit living in the US, and 2 Americans. Our guide was a true Porteno (born in Buenos Aires) named Eugenie who used to be a nun. We had lively conversations all day on the bus but it was at lunch where I got the idea for this post. The group was varied in religion (Sikh, Catholic, Atheist, Unknown) as well as culture. The discussions were lively and very honest. At one point, one of the British Indians - Martin, said 'I hear Canada is beautiful but very boring.' My reply at the time was 'it depends on where you live in Canada, I suppose' and the conversation turned to something else.

I haven't been able to get that comment out of my head. It reminded me of an incident when I was living in St Louis with Amanda. She and I went to college together in Edmonton, worked at PSC/IBM together there and then she came to work in St Louis at Enterprise Rent a Car with me. She had her wedding back in Edmonton but invited some of her friends from St Louis. My boss at the time - a prickly Texan who I am glad to be rid of - went to the wedding and then returned to tell my St Louis office that 'Edmonton was the most boring town she'd ever been to.' This was not an unusual type of comment for her, as she excelled at offending people. I don't really remember what I said in reply but I know it wasn't very witty. I guess I was too shocked at her rudeness in insulting my hometown in front of me. The truth is, I think I sort of agreed with her at the time but was too embarrassed to admit it.

However I am also reminded of when Missy, Ken & Hap came from St Louis to my wedding in the town of Fort Saskatchewan, just outside of Edmonton. They stayed in Edmonton for almost a week to visit as well. I was very concerned at how to entertain them and suggested they go to Banff to see the mountains or to Elk Island Park to see the buffalo. However they were content to stay in town and visit with my family. Bless their hearts, they never uttered the word 'boring' in relation to my city.


So...now I'm wondering - IS Edmonton boring? And if so...then what makes a city interesting to visit? In order to answer those questions we first have to consider why do we go away from our homes to enjoy vacations in the first place? Sure sometimes it's to experience things we don't have where we live: beaches, mountains, legalized prositution...but what about all of the other things we do on vacation? For example...

Lodging
Since being in Buenos Aires for the last 4 weeks Matt and I have stayed in 3 types of places: a dodgy sparse hotel room in a slightly seedy part of town, a small furnished apartment in a decent but middle class part of town, and an executive suite on the top floor of the Hilton Hotel at one of the most beautiful and expensive parts of town. Guess where I've enjoyed it most? ;)

Yes, I admit it - I am impressed and pleased by pretty things. I am not one of those people who claim to prefer the humbler things in life. Bring on the perks, bring on the luxury, bring on the special treatment! I was able to use my Hilton points from all of the travel I did when working for IBM in Chicago to allow us this luxury, so it feels even better being free!

Matt and I have realized that we are cut from the same cloth as far as this goes - we do not enjoy camping unless we are staying in a modernized cabin and can go for steak in town each night. We do not have any desire to own a tent or even a tent trailer. We do not want to stay in hostels and stow our stuff in a locker each day. We are not especially charmed by quaint huts with dirt floors and no running water. We want a bed as nice as our own at home. So - why not stay at home? Hmm, still haven't answered my questions. How about...

Dining and Sight Seeing
What we have enjoyed the most on this trip has been the wonderful restaurants, the walks through the beautiful and varied neighbourhoods, the great shopping, attending a show, rooting for the local sports team and meeting nice people who squeeze our baby's cheeks. Well - we DO have all of that in Edmonton. Of course we've also enjoyed the thrill of experiencing another language and culture. Which begs the question - wouldn't Argentinians then enjoy the multicultural/multilingual experience of Canada - Edmonton in particular? Isn't the fact that someplace is different than your home by very definition make it an interesting place to visit? Isn't it true that the residents of ANY place tend to take it for granted? I'm sure there are people living in Las Vegas who dream of seeing the Canadian Rockies. Or New Yorkers who would love the wide open spaces of the prairies. Or South Americans who would thrill at the clean, safe and modern streets of any Canadian city or town.

So...what I'm realizing through this meandering thought process is that how you feel about the place you are visiting on vacation is all about the state of mind you're in at the time. You're not working, doing housework or chores and bills are not staring at you. So the food, the view, the people all seem more interesting than at home. If you were asked what you did on that vacation (notwithstanding beaches or other natural wonders that you don't have where you live) would you not speak of things that you truly could get at home?

Matt and I have enjoyed a bottle of wine with every meal here - something we don't do in Edmonton...but could. We have taken daily walks just to get out - sometimes scenic, many times not. We could do that in Edmonton along the river valley or downtown - but we don't. We have eaten at wonderful restaurants - something we DO at home and have always raved about in Edmonton. We have stayed in a luxury suite...we could do that in Edmonton at the Hotel Macdonald or the Westin and not pay the airfare to get there...but we don't. Edmonton has MANY art galleries, museums, theatres, casinos, and concerts - but we never go to them. We DO enjoy the summer festivals and do speak highly of them to others but I am realizing that until thinking about this post I have agreed with the naysayers...I thought Edmonton WAS boring.

What I've come to realize is that it's not only rude, it's stupid to say ANYWHERE is boring. It's like a kid sitting in a house full of games, computers, tv and books and whining that they're bored. It's obvious to me now that anywhere you live or stay can be as exciting as you make it or as boring as you believe it to be. When we're in a vacation state of mind we tend to look elsewhere to fulfill our need for something different. I will no longer be shy about describing my hometown as a great place to visit. As good as anywhere else in its own way. Doesn't mean I won't stop travelling, but I will stop taking Edmonton for granted. Sorry old friend. Bygones? (By the way - these are pictures of Edmonton - NOT Buenos Aires)