We live here because we love here; the ups, the downs, the rain, and the sun. We don’t give up when things get hard– we rise to the challenge.
Life isn’t always easy. Sometimes, in order to succeed, we need to be resilient.
In the past eight weeks, we have been reminded just how lucky we are to live in a place like Vancouver; surrounded by passionate, driven, and community-minded individuals.
We wanted to take a moment and share our gratitude for our city, our industry, and our extended Oakwynites who have shown up and delivered during the COVID-19 crisis.
Live Where You Love
Along with the beautiful beaches, towering mountain ranges, and the deep forests that keep us moving, there is rain, silence, and grey-clouded calm. Those of us who call this city home understand that it comes with its own challenges. We live here because we want to; because we know this is where our hearts are most at ease.
Vancouver is beautiful. Our city is clean, clear, and blue. We can snowboard, hike, and swim all in the same day (really, it’s not just a rumour). We welcome newcomers, new customs, and new ideas. We consistently rank as one of the best cities in the world for quality of living. Vancouver is a place that you fall in love with.
This isn’t an easy time. But if we wanted easy, we wouldn’t be here. Live where you love means that you make it work, no matter the circumstance. We’ve made it through uncertainty before. This is just another bump in the road.
Find Your Silver Lining
Remember in January when it rained for thirty days straight? Sometimes things just don’t go the way we want them to. Does that mean we should give up? Throw in the towel? Hide under our beds and wait until it’s over? That doesn’t sound like our city.
When life gives you a crisis, you need to find your silver lining. Yes, we can’t work or connect with our clients the way that we are used to. But, we have found new ways of connecting, through Zoom, by telephone, and even cheering from our balconies at 7PM. We have had the chance to re-connect with our families, our pets, and ourselves in a way that we wouldn’t be able to while in the hustle. We have seen incredible efforts by governments, community members, and frontline workers to keep our society functioning and our people healthy. With the extra time at home, we have been able to relax in nature, find balance, and expand our knowledge of our craft in innovative ways. There is always an upside!
We're All In This Together
The truth is, we don’t know what is going to happen next. But, this crisis has created a global community, the likes of which we have never seen before. For the first time, we are connected to humans across the globe in a single shared experience.
Worrying won’t get us anywhere. The market will bounce back, the streets will open up once again, and soon enough we will all be back together enjoying the sunshine, our city, and elevating our careers in the way that only Vancouverites can.
This is the year of The Experience. So, let’s use this shared experience as a starting point for growth and compassion. If we work together, we can get through anything.
Thank you for experiencing this year with us. We can’t wait to see where we go from here.
