01
After graduating I spent three months traveling. I had sacrificed an earlier graduation to work throughout school, granting me this privilege. Growing up in Calgary, AB, Canada, I had very limited exposure to Eastern cultures. My frame of reference was largely based on media (and the occasional Asian friend), so my decision to travel through much of Asia was propelled by a desire to learn and experience rich, cultured adventure.
Calgary is the fourth largest metropolitan area in Canada and is nestled between the Great Canadian Shield (prairies) to the East and the Rocky Mountains to the West in the oil-rich province of Alberta. It experiences bitter winters characterized by short days, extreme temperatures (often lower than -30ºC), and frequent snowfalls. And it’s wide. It wasn’t designed to accommodate the now 1.5 million citizens it has, a figure that rises annually. Due to the wide expanse of growing communities in the suburbs and harsh winter climate, Calgary is not a walking city—it is traffic-oriented and a large CO2 emitter. Public transit is slow, exacerbated by the icy streets in the wintertime. But Calgary is my home and it will always hold a special place in my heart.