O Canada!

Katie D.

September 15, 2009 - 10:30 PM

Here I am folks, reporting again from the train, southbound from Vancouver, BC en route to Eugene, Oregon. My first trip to Canada! And what a success. During my three and a half day time, I visited my cousin, met up with some friends from the Inside-Out Training Program, toured the city, drove up the coast on the Sea to Sky highway to see harbors, a waterfall, and other gorgeous natural sites, and still found time for some thesis-related research.

I had been looking for a chance to visit Canada for years, and now a cousin of mine is living in Vancouver, working on an engineer. I also needed this trip as a sort of mental-health moment. The new school year is about to begin. I've set up some incredible opportunities for volunteering and employment for my senior year. But it's all become very overwhelming somehow. This will be the busiest year of college, and I also want it to be the most joyful and memorable. That's a lot to process. So I got out of town! I'm happiest when I'm traveling, so I purchased the tickets and set off for an adventure. Sounds like a good plan, eh?

My journey is book-ended by travel on bus and train. It takes approximately twelve hours (including layovers) to travel from Eugene, Oregon to Vancouver, Canada. On Friday I set off around 11:00 am, and spent the day reading, writing letters to friends in Chile, and staring out the window. Today, on the train again, I read another book for my thesis, read some articles, talked to some friends on the phone (in the vestibule, away from other passengers!), and wrote these blogs. Train time is productive time.

I arrived after midnight, and my gracious hosts picked me up, gave me a late-night city tour, and took me to a funky all-night vegetarian restaurant called Naam. Jane and Fraser also attended the Inside-Out Training Program this August, and are wonderful hosts. I had asked for a place to stay on Friday night, and for some activities with them the following Monday.

But first I had a weekend with my cousin. Tony is just two years older than me, already fully launched into adult life, complete with matching furniture and his very own grill set just months after graduating. He's in Vancouver for about three years, working on a road and bridge expansion program. It's so fun to get to know him as an adult!

We spent Saturday touring the city. We ate a great meal right next to the inlet, watching sea planes take off and land. I guess it really was the hip place to be: three movie stars, including Reese Witherspoon, were also lunching there.

After that, we walked along the waterfront, and then into the historic downtown area of Gasstown. We chatted and window-shopped, and took pictures in front of all the goofiest tourist spots. Then we headed over to Stanley Park, a beautiful natural park right on the edge of downtown. They have a collection of traditional totem poles, which we stopped to admire.

Our Sunday was the "Tony's Nature Tour" day. We headed north out of town, along the Sea to Sky highway. The trip was so beautiful: with forests and mountains to our right and an ocean inlet with islands and sailboats to our left. We stopped at Shanon Falls, where we not only hiked, but also scrambled around on the boulders, like we used to when we would hike in Colorado as eight- and ten-year-olds. The perfect "inner child" day! We also went to see The Chief, a massive rock face that dominated an entire mountainside. There were some brave climbers, and it made me want to strap on my harness and start getting back into shape!

We had a late lunch in Horseshoe Bay, at Troll's, which was recommended as our Uncle's favorite fish 'n' chips place. Uncle Pat knows what he's talking about: the meal was fabulous.

Our final stop of the day was Mount Cypress, a wintertime ski hill with a glorious view of downtown Vancouver. What a day!

My Monday was something else entirely. Jane and Fraser picked me up, and I spent the day discussing the Inside-Out Program with various colleagues of theirs, and also getting a look into the nature of Canadian correctional programs. As you all know from reading my blogs, I can go on and on about the Inside-Out Program. (Please read those old blogs if you haven't had the chance!) So introducing these potential future instructors was a wonderful opportunity! Jane is hoping to pilot the first Canadian Inside-Out class in September of 2010. I had the chance to be part of the introductory process.

Then I toured Genesis Halfway House. Canadians have a very different perspective on correctional procedures than the US. Generally, US inmates are released directly back into general populations, with supervision from parole officers, and perhaps some small assistance in finding housing. But the halfway house I visited was a federally funded facility designed to house individuals during their transition from incarceration to full community membership. The house had reasonable (and negotiable) curfew hours, parole officers and social workers for all residents, and programs available to help them reintegrate. Most were employed. The statistics bear out this kind of system as incredibly helpful in removing prior offenders from a cycle of crime. Beyond all this, it was a place like I would never imagine in the states: the house was beautiful, the residents and staff friendly with each other, and a general feeling of optimism and realism that are often absent from US organization in quite that mix of the practical and the hopeful.

Monday night I had another new experience. Jane asked me to come to two of her Criminology 201 classes, to present on the Inside-Out Program and my thoughts on the US Criminal Justice System. It was a strange thing to be a guest lecturer in a college class. I was a little nervous (these are my peers, remember!) but the students were engaged and I enjoyed the experience. We watched the Inside-Out video of the UO class, and people responded with interest and questions. I was honored and inspired, and hope to have more opportunities like that in the future.

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All this added up to a fabulous trip. In the midst of all my planning for next year, it was wonderful to enact some plan. Classes start September 29th, and there is still so much to be done. I've thought a lot about my plans for fall term (which I'll share later once I've made final commitments). Let's just say that I'm looking at a schedule unlike anything I've ever undertaken before, with coursework, employment, my thesis, volunteering, and personal goals for activities and maintaining friendships. This is the last deep breath before the plunge into senior year.

Thank you, Canada! Senior year, here I come.