The last destination of my little exploration of the Pacific Northwest was Vancouver. It was late evening by the time I crossed the border into Canada, and I lost count of the number of times I wish I could've pulled over because I was surrounded by the most stunning scenes of nature.

My heart filled with wonder as I realized I'd never driven in a different country before, and as I tried not to get distracted by all the night lights, it occurred to me that I had to figure out the mile to kilometer conversion. Yikes!

The purpose of visiting Vancouver was to see a bunch of friends from Virginia who've relocated there in the past year. It's sort of strange to see familiar faces dwelling somewhere unfamiliar, but it's also neat to witness how these dear friends of mine have worked to plant roots and are in the process of building community in the place they now call home.

My tour guides were thebomb.com. Seriously. I felt so cared for and welcomed as they planned where to take me each day; they made certain that I saw and ate and did everything the city has to offer.

Vancouver is really a breathtaking slice of the earth. There's something about having mountains, water, and skyscrapers clustered in one line of sight that gets me every single time.