Embracing Home
I continue my journey on the Canada Line train from the airport, heading downtown. My surroundings are music to my ears. I smell freshly brewed coffee as students head for class. I see people in suits, good luck with the business meeting. I hear chattering from excited fans, Go Canucks Go! I am back home. As my station nears, I reminisce about a time when "he used to meet me on the eastside, in the city where the sun don't set".
Canadian cities are home to over 41 million people. In its true definition, a "home" is where we sleep, eat and live with family. A place where we settle every day, past dusk, at twilight, to recharge. When growing up, "home" represents hope, "At 17 we got a dream, to have a family, a house and everything in between". Unfortunately, rising real estate prices and worsening economic conditions make achieving such a dream in our cities complex. Suddenly, as young adults, "we turned 23 and got pressure for taking our life more seriously. We got our dead-end jobs and bills to pay. Have our old friends and enemies". The concept of home becomes a blur, and our childhood hopes become premature.
Living in a world where affordability and mental health are in crisis, our typical "home" may not provide us with a place to take a deep breath and be human. We require a third place, separate from sleep or work. Somewhere, we can connect with people, culture, and ourselves. A place where we create lifelong memories, tell wholehearted stories and push dreams into reality. A special home where you can be you.
As I get off the train, my emotions fill with nostalgia and excitement. I hear a message, "we can go anywhere we want, drive down to the coast, jump in the sea, just take my hand and come with me". I reply; I'll meet you at home.
While most may not realize, we interact with our third places every day. Studying in a cafe, reading at a library, going to a movie theatre, working out at a gym, playing soccer on a field, exploring a museum, visiting an art gallery, picnicking at a public park or watching sports in a stadium are all examples where our interests build individuality and places become our home. Knowing our personal third places enables us to appreciate our world, while strengthening human relationships and community. A quick Google search on "third places" will result in a plethora of articles on how our third places are "disappearing" in North America. As these essential spaces fall into the cobweb of economics, business, and politics, we must embrace the third places that impact our lives.
As I exit the station in downtown Vancouver, I see hundreds of people walking on the street. Each with their own memories, stories, and dreams. Each on a unique journey to a third place. Beyond home. I am one of those people, on my way to meet someone special. To a place where "she used to meet me on the eastside, in the city where the sun don't set".
-Written by Mikoto Ikenaga