I’ve been living in Nanaimo for about seven months now, and over those months I’ve grown steadily more fond of my new home. However, like many relationships, mine with Nanaimo didn’t get off to the most promising start.

It was a chilly day last December when I drove my car onto the ferry at Horseshoe Bay on the mainland. My destination: Departure Bay, Nanaimo. I was excited, eager—and anxious. I’d never been to Nanaimo before—or Vancouver Island. This was a maiden voyage for me. As the boat crossed the Strait of Georgia, I gazed back, awestruck, at the towering, snow-capped mountains hugging the BC coastline.

Goodbye mainland…

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