HerHerbivore: Monday Happies: The wilderness

Adjusting to living in Hamilton has been quite difficult. As someone who grew up in the middle of the bush, and who later moved to a relatively small city where I spent the beginning of my adult life, Hamilton is a whole new world. Every week there are cops on my street for one reason or another, and while we are lucky to live in an area that is pretty quiet at night, it is a strange feeling to have to lock not only the doors but also the windows if we leave for the evening.

Hamilton has a certain smell and sound about it all the time. It is like a soft buzz. Maybe it is far off vehicle traffic, or maybe just electric lines...and the smell... who knows. Perhaps just a buildup of trash, or something nasty brewing in the sewers.

Sometimes I miss the soft sweet smell of the North, and the quiet of my home growing up. I miss being able to leave my door unlocked, and I miss being able to walk wherever I want, at whatever time of day or night, and feel safe.

Working on my thesis has made it difficult for me to see the bright side of living in a place like Hamilton. I don't go out as often as I could to see music and art, and so I am left with a longing for somewhere else most of the time.

But sometimes on weekend VOMD takes me somewhere that makes me feel at peace. We've made it a bit of a tradition this summer to explore as many waterfalls and wild spots we can in Hamilton.

Even though Hamilton is big and loud and sometimes smelly, it is nice to know that peace and quiet and fresh air are only a short drive away.