oh canada

vancouver from the grouse grind gondola // baby's first baseball game // vancouver aquarium 
We drove to Dallas the morning of July 5th and arrived at our new apartment in downtown the afternoon of the 6th. We bought a bed, some groceries and re-packed to leave for Vancouver, British Columbia on Monday.
Preston's goal was for me to beg to move to Vancouver by the end of the week. This did not happen, but I did really love his hometown. The first night I went to my first Major League Baseball game, Mariners vs. Red Sox. (We flew into Seattle and drove to Vancouver). The first thing I noticed about the Pacific Northwest was the perfect summer weather. We had just come from east coast humidity, desert heat and southern humidity, so the 72 degree weather felt miraculous and refreshing.  So Vancouver is the Asia of North America. Maybe not, but there were so many Asians for miles and miles. Growing up as the token Asian girl in every group of friends and even at BYU for a bit, I couldn't get over it. I made Preston take me to bubble tea as many times as possible (which is the Vancouver's equivalent to frozen yogurt in Provo). It is a very diverse and active city. No fatties. 

difficult but beautiful hike // an effing bear // me and my trainer

We hiked the Grouse Grind aka "The Peak of Vancouver." This was very difficult for me, but I am proud to say I kept up with Preston the whole time. This was also the most beautiful hike I've ever done. It was all in the forest and the end was a very worthwhile view of the entire city. We took a gondola on the way down. Also I saw a bear. Another day we biked around Stanley Park (it was also very hard to capture the lil azn babies strapped to the bikes, but I was able to do that as well) and went to the Vancouver Aquarium. In addition to a baby panda or tiger, I would be content with a tank of jellyfish. Stanley Park was really pretty, like the rest of Vancouver, and I was still not over the incredible weather. It was perfectly pleasant to be outside the entire week. One of the downfalls of Dallas is the intense heat makes it impossible to do any outdoor activities that don't involve a body of water. I liked how you could be outside all day and be completely comfortable.

stanley park // azn bb madness
Seeing Preston's hometown and meeting his friends was such a treat. We also went through old boxes of school work and pictures and found many gems. Preston was a very avid illustrator and author in elementary school. I should have brought back some of his early work. Also he was/is very good at basketball and sports in general. Lots of trophies and scrapbooks full of newspaper articles. Swoon.
My parents came on Friday and we had reception #2 on Saturday at the Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Center, a few minutes from his house. I was stoked to wear my dress a second time and also meet the people Preston grew up with. The reception was beautiful and the Kutney family friends were the sweetest. We were overwhelmed with both of our families' friends' kindness and generosity. We returned to America July 14 and Preston started his new job on the 15. So will begin the record of our adventures in Dallas.