A Day in Vancouver That Just Felt Good

I didn’t plan anything. I just walked out of Waterfront Station and hoped for the best.

Of course, I went the wrong way right away. A man with a giant coffee pointed behind me and said, “Harbour’s that way.”

I laughed. He laughed. Easy start.

Coal Harbour was quiet. Soft air. Calm water. 

I took out my phone just to waste a little time and opened https://onlyspins.com/ca/.

And wow — it actually made me smile. Bright. Fun. Light. No stress. One of those little things that just puts you in a good mood for no reason. I felt like, “Okay, this trip is finally happening.”

Funny how small things can do that.

Coal Harbour has a popular pathway with several public artworks.

I headed toward Stanley Park. I stepped into the bike lane again — I always do that — and a cyclist rang the bell at me. Not mad. Just a friendly “move, please.” I hopped over fast. I laughed at myself again.

The trees in the park are huge. Really huge. I kept stopping and staring like a kid. The air smelled clean. Wet. Fresh. My brain felt slow and calm. No pressure. No rushing. Just walking. Just breathing. I don’t get many days like that.

Back downtown, I walked into the Vancouver Art Gallery just to warm up. Saw some modern art that made no sense to me. I whispered, “What is this?” to myself. A woman next to me whispered, “No idea.” We both laughed quietly and left at the same time.

Granville Street was loud, but in a fun way. Music everywhere. A street musician forgot the words to his own song and said, “Whoops.”

It was funny. I continued on my route.

Granville Island Public Market was wild. People everywhere. Smells everywhere. I bought a pastry that fell apart the second I bit it. Crumbs everywhere. A guy at my table said, “That looked expensive.” We laughed like old friends.

Kitsilano was warm and bright. Kits Beach had volleyball games going on nonstop. Everyone looked like they were having the best day of their lives.

And honestly? I was too.

On the bus back, I tapped my card wrong AGAIN. The driver just said, “Try the other side.” No judgment. Very Canadian.

I finished the day at English Bay. The sunset wasn’t perfect. Not the Instagram kind.

But it felt real. Soft. Calm. Warm.

I sat there thinking how nice it is when a city doesn’t make you try hard. Vancouver just lets you be you — messy, tired, hungry, happy, relaxed, curious. Whatever.

And yeah, somewhere between walking too much, dropping food and taking the wrong turn, I felt something really simple:

I was happy.

Just honestly happy.

And that’s why this day in Vancouver will stick with me for a long time.