Winds of Change

I've recently returned from a brief foray back to my old stomping grounds. I was tasked to help our Edmonton office get through some of their backlog in light of some recent flood activity in the region.

Every time I find myself driving into the south of E-town it's like a homecoming. All of the stress and anxiety just melts away and I'm left with the feeling that all is well and good in the world.

This time was no exception. I had the pleasure of accompanying 3 people that had never experienced the beauty of the city and it was refreshing to see the city through their eyes. During the trip from Calgary I tried to explain some of the many differences between the two cities, though closely related in size of population, in my experience that is where the similarities end.

Of particular note is the people, or more precisely their respective attitudes. I've always found Edmonton to be more of a blue-collar sort of city and Calgary, well, it's just full of pretentious assholes, yearning for status and the all-mighty dollar. Living in Cowtown (that label works on so many levels as most people here are full of bullshit) I miss having a beer with my good friends, people that understand and accept me for who I am and care nothing for my position nor what I drive.

Having extolled the virtues of the city and its citizens I was pleased to find that the Edmonton staff are exactly the people that I like to work with. They share the same sense of humour as I do and treat each other with equal parts respect and playful condescension as my friends and I do with each other. The staff I brought from Calgary couldn't believe it was possible to have this much fun and still get a ton of work done in a day.

Of particular note is the fact that the Calgary staff felt it necessary to point out quite regularly that I am a completely different person in Edmonton versus Calgary. In Edmonton I'm apparently quite relaxed and jovial, not the bitter raging asshole that I am here. In my defense all I can say is that's what life can do to you when you're stuck in a festering cesspool with few friends and stuck in a shitty job.

Leaving today was for me bittersweet. For the first time in ages I actually had fun doing this craptacular job. I was tired from the work, but in a good way. I had a feeling of accomplishment, and the kudos from the people I worked with felt good as well. On the other hand I was looking forward to enjoying a frosty beverage in the confines of my abode, and sleeping in my own bed. I just wish that my residence was situated in Edmonton and not Calgary.

I leave you with an uncharacteristic hope that I can soon return to the warm embrace of the city I love. A city that accepted me as one of its own although I wasn't born there.

I can't wait to go home.