This Opinion article is part of a Narcity Media series. The views expressed are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
I moved to B.C. from the East Coast a year ago, and even though I'm still in Canada, there's so much that's wildly different — including the people.
I had to get used to the way people talk, the things that are totally normal here that aren't anywhere else, and even the animals. If you're planning to move to B.C. anytime soon, take some notes so you're a bit more prepared than I was.
B.C. is a massive province, with all different kinds of people, but these interactions hit the nail on the head for some of the personalities out here.
The time my neighbour said, "Nice, day huh?" and it had been raining all morning
The hardest part about moving to Vancouver was adapting to the almost-daily rain. In the fall, the weather is rough, and you don't see the sun for days sometimes.
One day it really sunk in how normal it is for people here when there was a two-hour break in the rain and my neighbour said to me, "Nice day, huh?"
No sir, it rained all morning, it's not a nice day!
The time I was the only one freaking out over seeing signs of a bear
Another thing I had to get used to here was the wildlife. Bear sightings are super common in B.C. during hikes and walks, and people don't bat an eye at signs of the animals being nearby.
The other day I was walking on a trail and saw bear droppings, and while I was low-key freaking out, others were casually walking by.
The time someone told me they "wished it would get cold already"
This is more specific to ski towns (of which there are a lot in the province), but this year while we were having an unusually warm fall and I was soaking up the sun, a server let me know she was over it. At the first sign of cold weather, people get super excited, ready for ski season to start.
The time I was offered a wooden crate to carry my groceries out of the store
Unlike my home province of New Brunswick, B.C. banned plastic bags early this year. I'm all for this rule, but at the start, I would forget my reusable tote bag all the time.
One store I go to didn't have paper bags either, so they offered me a big wooden crate to get my groceries home. Gotta love B.C.!
The time people ran past me on the Grouse Grind, while I could barely walk it
The Grouse Grind is a popular tourist attraction, but some locals use it as their daily workout. It's a super steep hike with steps leading to the top of Grouse Mountain.
People here are so outdoorsy and fit, it was no big deal for them. While I was breathing heavily just walking up and taking breaks along the way, people were running past me, doing a casual workout.
The fact that every time I go camping, I meet van-lifers
Van-lifers are huge here. Every time I go camping, I have an interaction with someone who's travelling around the province living in their van, and usually loving life.
Any time someone has asked how long I'm here for
It's super common for people all over Canada, and other countries, to move to B.C. It's a beautiful place to live with mild weather in some parts and lots of things to do, so it makes sense.
There are so many people from away that it's common for people to ask how long you're living here for, because for a lot of people, it's temporary.
The many times I've heard someone ask, "How much do you pay in rent?"
The biggest downside to living in B.C. is definitely the cost of the rent. People are well aware of how wild it is, so it's not a weird question when people ask how much you pay.
Same goes for "How did you find your apartment?"
Housing in general is tough to find, so people take any chance they can to get some advice. If you scored a nice place at a decent price, you've gotta share the knowledge!
9 Interactions I've Had In BC Since I Moved That Say So Much About The Province
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