For many people, Saskatchewan is simply a giant trapezoidal wheat field; for me it is home.  During the first 17 years of my life I have witnessed the breathtaking sunsets which have dubbed Saskatchewan the “Land of The Living Skies”, and have endured -40 degree windy winter weather that literally takes your breath away.

I had always enjoyed my time in Regina but I knew I needed something different.

Upon completing high school, I decided to journey westward to attend University in Vancouver and perhaps more importantly, to find excitement and opportunity.

My first impressions of Vancouver came courtesy of the small airplane window. What I saw was foreign to me, strangely intriguing and stunningly beautiful.  The familiar prairie patchwork was replaced with an endless sea of tree covered mountains.  While flying over the city, I felt like a child walking to his first day of kindergarten; nervous and excited.  Upon arriving in what seemed like paradise, I was greeted by my soccer coach and was introduced to the city through a 45 minute car ride to Burnaby Mountain.  On this beautiful August day, I was able to see everything from the North Shore Mountains, to downtown Vancouver, to Mount Baker.  I saw a unique harmony between nature and modernism.  I now understood why Vancouver was something truly special.

Five years after my arrival in Vancouver, I ended up moving to upstate New York in Rochester.  This is when I realized how fortunate I have been to live in Canada.  While I met many nice people and families in Rochester, there was something different, something I just couldn’t put my finger on.  It was similar to Regina in many respects, only much bigger.  Both were nice cities with some gorgeous areas.  Both were filled with many warm and inviting people that I am happy to call my friends.

The difference between Rochester and Vancouver, however, is that Vancouver is a city that is alive.  It is always changing, growing and adapting.  There is always something exciting taking place whether it’s the Olympics, a busy open market, or a busy sidewalk on Robson.  Regina and Rochester were special because of the people that live in an otherwise stagnant city.  Vancouverites feed off the energy of the city, and vice versa.  This has been a winning combination that has led to Vancouver consistently being named one of the best cities in not only North America, but also the world.  This kind of recognition is not surprising, fully deserved and one of the reasons I consider myself lucky to now live in Vancouver.

Photos by Amanda Lang

You might also like...

• WTF? and Whine Wednesday
• Olympic Hockey Pressure
• Olympic Photo Journal
• Your Guide to Olympic Drinking
• Adhesif’s Wonderland

Leigh Sembaluk

Leigh Sembaluk was born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan. He completed a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology at Simon Fraser University. While at SFU Leigh played varsity soccer and has since followed his passion and has gone on to play professionally in North America and continues to coach youth players.

Homepage

Twitter Page