The Long Quick Goodbye

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This town is old
It's breathing
Time to leave
I'm seething _______________________________________________________________________

Copenhagen you slick little devil you. Your food is making me ever-hungry, and that despite just having eaten. Your fantastic National Museum made it easy on my non-Danish speaking Anglophone bones and displayed a good number of all kinds of sacrificial and ceremonial bones as well. You have quite a long and interesting history for such a small nation. I especially like your ancient sun-chariot worship, and that at one point your people believed that musicians were shamans who could traverse between the breathing and spirit worlds. Perhaps there are still believers in such un-scientific madness.

Although your charms are constant, I must admit that my darling Berlin was dearly missed as soon as my butt hit the bus seat and I knew that my goodbye had come and gone before I could accept it. Why did I feel so at home in the German-speaking lands? Berlin especially is so effortlessly cool, despite many similarities to Toronto; it just felt like nobody was trying as hard yet reaping twice the cool beans. However, unlike some goodbyes, my goodbye with the Deutsche is only temporary.

How far Toronto lags behind in cycling infrastructure is extremely apparent, and perhaps it is no coincidence that Europeans are so comparatively fit. Beyond mere lines of paint in established car dominated streets, both recent cities have full boulevards dedicated to cyclists, and not just down one street, but all major arteries. It is a dream to see, and makes me wish I had my pedal monster with me. I can't believe not just how many bikes are on the streets here, but in Copenhagen, how many nice bikes aren't even locked up. I was horrified in Berlin to see most people ride up to a bakery, leave their bike unlocked and run in for some delicious breads and pastries. And yet nobody got their ride stolen... Some kind of mutual respect is missing back home.

Tomorrow marks the end of this chapter of traveling, and returning to working for a company that doesn't strive for greatness will be a massive challenge. Perhaps schooling looms closely on the horizon, and if not as soon as would be welcomed, at least traveling to more inspiring lands until official intellectual betterment is possible.

To all who read these words, thank you (and fear not the comments box).

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If every day you lay a brick
It will take a long time
But eventually you will have a strong foundation
If every day you start a fire
Even a small fire
Eventually you will have created an uncontrollable blaze

So beware of the burn
Whose scars will remain
And the magical elixir
Which exists not in that bottle

And start laying bricks
One at a time
So that one day
You will have built a home
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