The Spa of the City

It's a warm and sunny August afternoon. I sit in a cafe on Vancouver's Granville Street. The windows are wide open, allowing the breeze to freely wander the tables and chairs inside. I lazily nurse a strawberry ice cream fruchillo while pedestrians meander up and down the sidewalk in front of me. Smells from nearby restaurants waft by enticingly while hot dogs in hot rods vie for the attention of their prey. Pigeons and drifters compete for handouts, while the sun gleams powerfully off the condo towers overhead. I savour this moment.

The June crush of lesson planning, marking, meetings, and report cards feels like ancient history. The physical demands and mental fatigue of the school year are distant memories. My mind and spirit recharge daily, and my imagination flickers with fresh vision for the year ahead.

I am almost ready to return.