As a person, and especially as a writer, I have been known to overthink things. Often that leads to me living too much in my own head and not growing any real momentum because I struggle for perfection and focus. Well perfection is impossible and focus is only achieved with time and consistency. Chaos, or no chaos. I am on here to write about some great Edmonton stories to connect Edmonton to other countries around the world.
As I prepare to head out on another adventure in September (Greece and Turkey) I realized I never did report back on my last trip to the Dominican Republic. What struck me is that there are Edmonton stories of connection every where I go. Most of the time I find that there is a bit of other countries in Edmonton already. Dominican Republic has some of the best Cacao exports and some of Edmonton’s best chocolate (Jacek) comes from the cacao farms in Santa Domingo and Puerto Plata farms, but there are other stories waiting to be told. It’s not surprising. Edmonton is a city built from migrants of various backgrounds. It has made us a very diverse and open city. What creates the heart of Edmonton is the feeling of belonging in such a diverse city. It always comes down to the people. Business stories, stories of friendships and loves made, stories between people between Edmonton and other countries.
I want to create my own connection to other places, and I plan to leave a bit of myself everywhere I go, but I also want to dig these stories up from other people about YEG, my first true love.
I want to know what is your YEG connection? Do you have family here? Did you have a summer fling in YEG? Did you commit a crime in YEG? Maybe not advisable to write about it here. There are probably stories of international intruigue just waiting to be told.
I think a way to unite people in different countries, especially in times like these where there seems to be so much divide, are stories that serve as a reminder of how we are all connected.
I am heading to Turkey first on September 25th, and in advance of my travels I spoke with one Turkish migrant who has been living in Edmonton for over 10 years, and travels frequently back to Turkey to visit family. His recommendations for me, and his story of how he came to Canada will be next on my list. Stay tuned…
YEG&Beyond - A culture blog 