The way life is meant to be lived...

Sometimes we take our hometowns and the surrounding area for granted. By taking places for granted we don't take the time to truly explore them or appreciate their unique beauty. On such place for me is Salt Spring Island. This island, with a population of 10,000, is only a short two hour ferry ride away from Vancouver where I reside. A few weeks ago, I finally visited Salt Spring for the first time. In short, I can say that I was truly impressed.

In the two hours it takes the BC ferry to arrive to Salt Spring from Vancouver, you feel as if you've been transported into another decade. The first oddity "city folk" will come across is the fact that nobody on Salt Spring seems to lock their doors at any time of day or night. The idea of a traffic jam here is a laughable one. The closest Salt Spring comes to a traffic jam is the lineup of cars at the ferry terminal.

The residents of Salt Spring are an interesting bunch. Most seem to be former "city folk" who got tired of the life in the fast lane and exiled themselves to the quiet life the island has to offer. Economics of Salt Spring make it rather similar to Vancouver. Real estate is expensive and for most locals unaffordable. Like most other similar communities Salt Spring makes a good chunk of its income from tourism. Hence, summers are the busiest time of the year when the population swells to over 20,000. To make ends meet most residents hold down a few part time jobs and most of those jobs are in one way or another related to tourism.

Salt Spring is rather rich in an artistic sense. Many painters, sculptors and other artists call this island their home and use it as their muse. Some other business that successfully operate on the island are goat farms that produce cheese and a local vineyard. All of these goods are put on public display for all to enjoy and purchase each Saturday at the Farmer's Market. The market runs during the summer season.