Family Visits Vancouver

Hey! It's been a while since we've updated our blog! No need to fret, we're all good over here. Life has been busy these past few months. Since our last post, Aaron and I moved to a new home (a beautiful little apartment, very close to the train line in a leafy neighbourhood), celebrated my birthday (in the middle of summer instead of an Aussie winter!), landed our first Canadian jobs and started working full time.

We are settling into our jobs and trying to strike a better work-life balance. I'm in retail at the moment and my employment sees me working daytime or evening shifts. It varies from week-to-week. It isn't ideal for seeing Aaron (or getting out and exploring Canada for that matter), but I see it as a stepping stone to greater things. For those curious, the minimum wage is significantly lower here, plus the way the pay rates/industry awards work is a little different. Unfortunately for me, retail doesn't require a whole lotta 'expertise', so my pay rate is only a smidgen above the minimum. I'm trying to remain positive despite the huge reduction in fortnightly wage.. like I said, it's a stepping stone to bigger and better opportunities ;)

After many months counting down (and years of anticipation), Sunday marked the date for Lorette and Michael's holiday to Canada! Aaron's parents departed Melbourne on the 18th and arrived in Vancouver a few hours later on the same date - of course travelling 18 hours and multiple time zones in-between. It was surreal to see family here, with us, on the other side of the world. It really brought home just how small the world can be. All you need is the money for a plane ticket!

We caught the skytrain back to our apartment to drop off luggage, before walking through the neighbourhoods, giving a tour of the surrounding areas and their significance to us. As we wandered the streets, we caught up on life and shared stories. We enjoyed the view of the surrounding mountains, without snow caps but still just as magical, and the change in the trees from vibrant green to a smattering of colours as Vancouver enters fall.

We headed to Neighbours Restaurant for dinner to share our discovery of some of the best pizza we've ever tasted. Following dinner, we walked back home through the leafy streets, talking relationships and families. We finished off the night sharing a few of our favourite treats - a cream puff and chocolates from Beta 5, candy apple from Rocky Mountain Chocolate and Ole Smoky's Apple Pie Moonshine. A day well spent :)

Lorette and Michael left our humble home very early Tuesday to begin their travels around the US and Canada. We look forward to seeing them once more in early October for a few days before they head back to the land down under. I'm have no doubt Aaron's parents are having the time of their lives exploring this beautiful country. They'll be seeing more of Canada than we have yet to experience! I can't wait for us to get out and see it for ourselves.

With regards to greater things - I'm excited to explore video production further. I've been watching a number of vlogs and love the greater level of depth that can be captured by film. I will always adore photography (whether or not I pursue it professionally), but video allows the viewer to feel as if they are there with you. The audience can be far more immersed in the experience and can establish a connection to the situation (the people, the conversation and the emotions) where photos and words on their own are limited. 

I'm looking forward to investing in a more compact camera specifically for vlogging, but for now will be using my giant DSLR (so apologies in advance for the shakes - my 5D is not a light camera, especially when trying to film with one hand!)

All my love,
Kimi xx

Oh, and we'll try not to leave it 3 months before another update next time!