Well that happened

My One Year Commitment

This one is hard to write and I have been putting it off for months. When I decided to return to Canada after travelling for almost 2 years…I chose Calgary. I still needed something new, I always need something new. I didn’t want to move back to Vancouver and fall into the same 20 year funk I was in living there…existing but not living. I need new! So I chose Alberta, I had never lived in this province before and I had only been to Calgary once when I was a kid. I really didn’t know what to expect.

First let’s talk about Calgary. Calgary has never shaken off its “Cowtown” nickname. It’s a reference to the city’s long history as the center of a vast cattle-rearing region and is a name that has been of immense value to tourism marketers, conjuring up romantic ideas of cowboys, cattle drives, and an untamed Wild West.

This is why, if you visit in the mid summer you can catch the world famous Calgary Stampede each July.

Step by Step Guide to you and me

Let’s Break Down My Year

I arrived in April 2022 straight from having lived in Albania. Upon my arrival, there was snow and it was cold and windy AF. I was staying in an Airbnb until I was able to find an apartment that I could commit to living in for a whole year. Once I found my apartment, I was living in Eau Claire. My apartment was a true gem of a find. High up in the high rise with a birds eye view of the Bow River, and as far as the eye could see, there in the distance was the Western gaze upon the existential Rocky Mountain Vistas. SCORE! 

Now that I has a place to live, got myself a car, now I needed to furnish my apartment…because I did only arrive in Canada with 3 suitcases. LOL So I had literally nothing. And it was time to get acquainted with my new home. I explored like mad, but the thing that not many people talk about is the wind in Calgary. The wind chill factor is a real thing. Within my first two weeks of arriving in Calgary, I had wind burn on my cheeks and nose. Before you say something moronic, I am Canadian, I know cold. This is a different beast.  

Step by Step Guide to you and me

Then Came the Identity Crisis

In a matter of 2 days, it went from ice freezing winds to needing a tank top and shorts. This is no joke. One day, I was freezing and the next day it was 20 degrees, then it wasn’t. LOL This is the true definition of an identity crisis and Calgary has it bad. 

But then one fine day at the end of May, the weather changed and life was GRAND. I basically spent my entire summer (LOL, in Calgary that’s 4 months) riding my bike. Calgary is far superior to any other city I have lived in for it’s recreational paths within the city and beyond. You can ride a bike anywhere, ANYWHERE, and barely have to cross a street. I bought my bike in June and I rode my bike until September, and in that 4 months, I rode 800km all on bike paths.

Step by Step Guide to you and me

Neighbourhoods Worth Knowing

Another thing that was extremely surprising was the downtown core is a dead zone. I always try to live in the core of the city so that I can explore on foot. But Calgary downtown core basically closes down at 5pm every day, even weekends. LIFE, does not happen downtown in Calgary.

So if you visit Calgary, do not stay downtown. A few super super cool neighbourhoods that I couldn’t get enough of were:

KENSIGNTON
Located just on the North side of the river gives Main Street vibes in Vancouver. It’s a collection of heritage buildings with cafes and dining, holistic shopping and second hand stores galore. I liked exploring this area and it was an easy peasy walk from my apartment. In the winter, be prepared as you cross the bridge…as I mentioned, the wind is real.

BELTLINE
The Beltline is packed with hundreds of eclectic businesses that make it one of the most popular neighbourhoods in the Calgary. Also known as Calgary’s design district. This area is super vibrant and where all the fun happens. The entire strip is back to back shops and restaurants all unique in their own right. If you stay in Calgary, I would highly recommend this area. It’s close to everything, the pathway along the Bow River is walkable, easy to get in and out of downtown and there is lots happening.

INGLEWOOD
Inglewood’s Main Street – 9 Ave SE – is the city’s original downtown. Across the Elbow River from East Village and downtown it is nestled along the Bow River, with easy access via the City’s pathway system. It has retained much of its historic charm, with an edgy vibe.  The neighbourhood is a mecca for live music venues, fashion, and great dining and is also a microbrewery hotspot. This vibrant Main Street  is chock-a-block full with locally-owned, independent retailers.

BRIDGELAND
If you’re craving a small-town feel in the big city, Bridgeland is the neighbourhood for you. This small, walkable community, just northeast of Calgary’s downtown, is a great place to park your bike and explore on foot. It’s super easy to get to via bike paths along the Bow River. Along the main street you’ll find locally owned restaurants with mouth-watering dishes, outdoor attractions for the whole family, and local shops that carry items you can’t find anywhere else.

It’s Not all bad

A Few of My Favourites…

The Calgary Library is a incredible architecture landmark. There were so many great things about this building. The building itself oozes with inspiration, it’s modern and clean and flooded with natural light. I walked inside and the first thing you see is the grand staircase climbing into the sky housing floors upon floors of knowledge. I loved this library on so many levels, but most of all, how I felt in my core for the one hour I spent exploring it.

There was so much happening, kids and adults reading, people working, doing homework, taking classes…Your access to this facility gives you free access to device borrowing, printing, creative spaces, and programs — not to mention our entire collection of books, movies and music. This facility can do so much for you!  It’s worth a stop 100%. It will change your perspective on libraries.

The Wilder Institute/ Calgary Zoo, but I wrote a whole other journal entry about the zoo in “Journey from the Rockies to the Heart of Africa”. Founded in 1929, the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is one of the oldest charities in Alberta and the most visited zoo in Canada. Home to over 4,000 animals across more than 100 species, the zoo is internationally recognized for its world-class animal care and habitat design practices at its 125-acre facility.

The abundance of visual and performance arts. Calgary has so many art galleries, over 12 museums in its core, over 17 Theatres that house every performance art know to man.

At the Calgary Stampede, you will experience an event like no other. It is a rodeo, a music and arts festival, a carnival, a foodie’s paradise, and a celebration of western heritage. The first Stampede took place in 1912 with 80,000 people. Now more than 1 million visitors from around the world visit the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. Here is everything you need to know to have an awesome Stampede. Yahoo! “Yahoo” is the tagline of the stampede, you will see “Yahoo” all over the city during the stampede week. Stampede features the World’s Largest Outdoor Rodeo. Top athletes and animals compete across six events: barrel racing, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, saddle bronc, bull riding, and bareback. The action starts every afternoon at 1:30 p.m. building towards Showdown Sunday.

And of course the Stampede is famed for it’s unique foods are one of the highlights of the Calgary Stampede Midway. Some past creations include funnel cake poutine, scorpion pizza, and mac n’cheese soft serve, kool-aid chicken burger, peanut butter pickle dog. Every spring, locals look forward to what new midway foods will be available that year. Of course, this is only if you are adventurous enough to dare.

In the end…

The Verdict

Your summers are epic! There is no doubt about that…but when it can go from epic bike rides in gorgeous weather wearing a tank top and shorts to needing my Winter tires on my car just a mere 2 weeks AND you add on the relentlessness of the winter lasting from October until April… well then our break up was inevitable LOL…it was decided, this City wasn’t for me.  That was 9 months of winter in the 1 year I was there.

You were nothing like me and our connection wasn’t anything more than surface level infatuation. When October came around and I discovered your grandeur summer front was just a façade for what was to come, it was Adios to you.