Rolling with the Punches in Vancouver

by Taylor
for July 6th

This morning my uncle went outside and found our car door open and my uncle’s trunk open. Someone had broken into both cars during the night. I didn’t really pay that much attention to it because I had just woken up so I was tired and I was in shock because of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George going to the Clippers. Luckily nothing got stolen that was valuable except Rachel’s purse and my mom’s portable charger. Our passports were in the glove box. They were pulled out and left spread out on the front seat. That was really lucky that nobody stole those. Rachel had $80 in cash, her debit card and BYU ID in her purse. We called and filed a police report. All they took from my uncle's car was a phone mount. The only other things in the cars anyway were ponchos and sweatshirts.

Besides that, it was a fun day. I am really tired though because I have been sleeping in the main part of the house and because the house is small and everyone (as in my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins – 21 people to be exact) is there. Therefore, I am the last one to go to bed and am one of the first people up. Also, I am sleeping on a mattress with a small pillow. It is all right though. Sometimes you just gotta roll with the punches. Our grandparents cooked us pancakes and sausage and bacon this morning. It was amazing because I haven’t really eaten good food in a long time. Then we drove to a suspension bridge called Lynn Canyon Bridge. It was really high up and wobbly and I don’t like heights. I just sorta rushed my way across the bridge, not looking down and not enjoying the view. We then hiked a little bit to a waterfall.

Here I am with my grandpa inside Lynn Canyon Park

I walked too fast across the bridge for anyone to take my picture, but here is my mom and sisters on Lynn Canyon Bridge.

After the waterfalls we went a little further to the thirty foot pools. They were dope but I don’t remember them that much. Then our plans were to drive to Graus Mountain and take a cable car up it and it was supposed to have amazing views. Unfortunately when we got there it was raining and 59 degrees. We just huddled under the awning and ate our lunches. We wouldn’t have been able to see a thing if we went up so we decided to skip that. We then decided to go to Science World Museum. The science museum was all right. After that right next door was this Latino carnaval thingy. While we were walking there, the sun came out. It was the first time we had seen the sun since our plane landed on Tuesday morning. At first I was a little skeptical about the carnival but then I had a blast there. The band there was good, the food was really good and the atmosphere was all right.  Porter and I walked around a bunch and explored the place. It was interesting to go to a Latino carnival because actually Vancouver is 41% Asian.

Here I am with Rachel and my cousin in front of Science World

Drinking a pina colada at the Carnival del Sol

Tomorrow we are returning to the United States. I am disappointed because I wanted to find some merch from the old NBA team in Vancouver called the Vancouver Grizzlies—who are now the Memphis Grizzlies. But I couldn’t find it any anywhere. Yesterday we were at a touristy shopping street and I walked into the sports store and I asked the lady if she had in Vancouver Grizzlies merch and she looked at me like I had a third eye and did like a confused laugh and said unconfidently “No.” I think she thought I was pulling her leg. I haven’t seemed anything from the Vancouver Grizzlies. Just the old stadium where they used to play. I haven’t heard any locals talk about them, or seen anyone wearing some merchandise from them. Oh well like I said before Sometimes you just gotta roll with the punches. 

Addendum: My uncle went to get some bread to make sandwiches and came back with a Vancouver Grizzles hat for me! That was pretty exciting!