It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
That is how I feel writing this column to tell you all that I am parting ways with Squamish and returning to Australia for the near future.
And while it hurts, and I cannot imagine a life without these beautiful mountains surrounding me, I am so grateful to have experienced a love for a place as deeply as I have felt for this town.
It is a place that has taught me I have more physical capabilities than I once thought I had, that beauty can be found over, under or quite literally hooked onto a rock, and a day spent outside is a day well spent.
But if I can offer one piece of parting advice, it would be this. Treat others as you would wish to be treated, and perhaps never judge a book by its cover.
As most of you would know already, I spent much of my time in Squamish, living in and out of my van.
Yes, a van. Those things that all of us van lifers are abundantly aware that you dislike.
But the funny thing is, even when I wasn’t living in my vehicle and resided in a house, simply driving around in my van was enough to garner distaste and unpleasant looks.
While parked downtown (in a public car park, abiding by all rules and general parking etiquette), I have had notes left on my car telling me to leave, or to park elsewhere, my car has been keyed, and I have been yelled at more times than I care to count to “find a house.”
In conversations with people I have met on the job, more than one person has told me that they purposefully honk their horn while driving past vans they see, at all hours of the day.
And I honestly cannot fathom why.
I know there is a general consensus that van lifers are dirty, leave a mess everywhere and defecate in bushes.
Well, let me tell you this. My entire time I have lived in Squamish in my van, not once have I pooped in a bush.
But you know who probably has? Those running ultra-marathons or doing extreme sports often end up with an upset stomach from it (we all know about runners' stomach).
Obviously, there are exceptions to the rule, but the same can be said for house dwellers, too.
Tourists are also known for leaving trash everywhere, but they’re still welcome because they bring in money that the town desperately needs to survive the quiet season.
Believe it or not, we van lifers also spend money here, too.
If the issue is that we take up too much parking, perhaps a parking lot dedicated to RVs and vans would solve the problem?
Or maybe it's that we should just treat everyone with the kindness we would like to receive in return.
Because we are all human and just trying to enjoy the beautiful place Squamish is.
A place I will miss dearly.
