Ken's Coast

Life in Lotus Land

by Kenneth Fagan

Trying to look cool in the Okanagan Valley © Kenneth Fagan

When I was a wee lad going to school, the excitement of opening up brand new shining (and often overpriced) school books for the new school year was almost too much to bear. Not every book had to be bought new though; the atlas was a hand-me-down, but I can remember it being the one book that I spent most of my time perusing through during Geography class. We didn't use it much, but it was far more interesting than listening to our teacher ramble on about semi-porous rocks. That was where my love for travel spawned. So why Canada?

With all that focus on atlases in Geography class, it wasn't until I reached my early twenties that I started to move around. My first big tour was a month traveling around the rather vast Australian east coast. After that it was some trips to Europe and around Ireland.

It was in a spurt of boredom one night while watching "Antiques Roadshow" on the TV, (about a year after my tour of Australia) that I came out with, "Fuck it, I want to do some more travel." I was so jacked my brother didn't even attempt to discourage me. After about ten minutes of deliberation (I think I had my old and tatty school atlas out), I decided on Canada. Don't know why; it just looked big, mountainy and lakey. My biggest dilemma was where in Canada I would make my port-of-call.

I had a penchant for photography (and still do, of course), so I decided I would take some photography courses while I was out there. This was what helped me decide whereabouts to go. I emailed photography schools in just about every province from east coast to west coast and back again. I took my chances and went with the first school that responded to me with some kind of enthusiasm. It so happened that an over-eager private school in Vancouver sang their own praises and reeled me in. It all went uphill after that.

In September 2005, I made my maiden voyage to Vancouver from London, England. Spent a year in photography school, made a good few friends (but just kept the good ones), and then left again after a little under a year.

I will admit my experience did have as many downs as it had ups, but it was possibly the most important year of my early adulthood. Perhaps you could suggest that the visit shaped the man I am today.

I left Vancouver in August 2006 not thinking too much about returning. But as the years rolled on, I yearned to return. In 2009 I packed in my job in Ireland, packed up my bags and moved back to Vancouver. I enrolled myself in college and done some more learning. Being an international student meant international fees, but I didn't care. I just wanted to be there, to be a part of it all. I think I can safely say that this was the time when my feet firmly took root in Canada.

I was never overly impressed with Vancouver, but it now feels like home. With a full time job in the city, some local schooling behind me, and enough good friends to keep me happy, I actually feel like a local. You could almost say I feel Canadian. It is late December and I have returned home to Ireland for the Christmas festivities. A good time to rewind and look back on two good years in my home of choice. My feet are in Ireland but my heart is in Canada.