Turning out to be quite an adventure already.  Vancouver is being pounded by a record breaking snow storm for the past 4 days.  I haven’t seen snow like this since Michigan.  It’s hard to complain, considering that now I’m walking IN the storm and not just stick in traffic, while staying warm in my truck.  My shoes have proven themselves to be my best friends.  I can’t believe my feet are dry!!

Day before Christmas I ventured out into the storm in order to get some gear for the trip.  I’m not even going to consider dragging around luggage, so I got myself a nice 65 liter backpack.  Should be just enough to carry my clothes without me getting stinky.  Woo!!  No stink! Also, I finally got a new jacket.  So nice to wear something that is not 2 sizes too big.  It actually LOOKS nice too.  Yeah, i should have gotten one sooner, but I was a little nervous about spending $300+ on a jacket that would only replace the working jacket I already had…    but I spent less than $300, so all is good. It’s not a spectacular color, but the other colors they had were in styles that were very…  “meh”, ya know?  Zero character.  The new jacket works quite nicely with my Newsboy cap.  Before, it was just… wrong.

I wanted to go to work today to get stuff sorted out before I left on my journey.  I planned on also going to the currency exchange, but that didn’t happen…  because the storm hit hard again.  I left work around 2:30 (after raising my desk, cleaning up some code, etc.) and picked up the 130 bus.  I had it drop me off at a covered stop… waited for 30 minutes for the 25 bus.  Time passed and I saw a 130 coming that wasn’t full, so I decided I’d let it take me to the Skytrain, then figure it out from there.  I had to get somewhere, as the snow was piling up every minute.

At the Metrotown Sktrain & bus depot, I ran in the largest backlog of people I’d ever seen.  Why?  The tracks were frozen and people were lining up for the buses like it was Disney World.  I couldn’t even get up the escalators.  I thought about waiting it out at the mall, but I noticed that the crowds were just getting bigger, so if I was to move, it had to be right then.  I had no time to spare, I have a trip to pack for!

I walked from the mall and made it half way home before a 19 bus picked me up and carried me to safety.  People were packed on the bus to the point where I think someone was sitting in the driver’s lap.  OH!  That was me!  He was sweet.  I tell ya.  There was room for 1 person on that bus.  The door could barely close behind me.  Camera battery was dead, or else I’d have evidence.

 

I’m home now. The only event walking from the bus stop was me just taking note of my surroundings.  I don’t recognise anything.  Is that 2 feet out there?  I could barely get the front gate open.

Also, good news is it looks like I’ll have a place to stay while I’m in Sweden.  Never used couchsurfing.com (go figure) but so far, so good.  I’m all good with meeting new people and it’ll be nice to have a Swede tell me where all the hot spots are.  Here’s their response for my plea for help.

Hey hey Jeremy! Michael here (the elder son). There
shouldn’t be a problem giving you a place to sleep.
Around the sixth of january my dad might be coming
here so then you might have to take the couch if you
don’t mind. ;D However, you’re more than welcome to
sleep on our couch for a few days. (= Wed just like to
know which days and how long 😉 Don’t hesitate to
call.

I told them I’d call tomorrow at 6am (that’s 3pm Swedish time).  Almost got my days mixed up, they were expecting me to arrive tomorrow.

K, that’s enough for now.  Next time I’ll be typing, it may be moments before I meet with the angel.  A little mental preparation is in order.

Dear Heart,

Don’t fail me.  I will do my best to keep my head clear and calm.  No matter what the outcome, this is something that needs to be done.  She deserves it…   I deserve it.  Am I willing to give it all up for her?  Well, let’s just say that I really don’t know when I’ll return to Vancouver.  Whether it’s immediately or weeks after, that will be up to her.