YYZ to YWG

Winnipeg!

When I started telling people that's where I was headed this summer, I got a lot of laughs and skeptical looks. "Why Winnipeg?" they would ask, "Of all places?"

I guess, like any Canadian prairie city, Winnipeg has a bad reputation for being boring as hell. But hey, my friends are from Ontario. Aren't we seen as being kinda stuck up to the rest of the country?

So I'm going to Winnipeg with an open mind. I'm leaving behind all my negative preconceptions of this place, and hoping that I'll be able to discover the city that produced so many great musicians.

But the question remains: Why Winnipeg?

Well, a number of reasons. Last summer, I had an experience of a lifetime in Asia. While I'd love to just go back and do it all again, I recognize the need to try out different things and explore life and the world in different ways. So this summer I decided I'd check out a field I'd never been introduced to before: the private sector. I don't pretend to know how the private sector works, and I think it's about time I learn.

And what better way to do so than to throw myself into it all as deeply as I can? So I found myself a job in accounting. Now, I'm no accountant. Nope. Not me. I study political science and psychology, not accounting. In fact, I've never even taken an accounting class. Not even in high school.

Again, when I explained this to friends, people told me I'd be having the most boring summer in the world (in the most boring city in the world). But look at it from my perspective. I don't know anything about accounting. Seriously, nothing. And I want to learn about the private sector, which I also know nothing about. So why not do something I've never done before, and which - as of right now - I have zero intention of doing ever again over the course of my career? Each and every moment will be a learning opportunity. So by the end of it all, yes, I might think accounting is boring, but at least I'll understand what it actually is and how it's done, and what it's for, and all that.

So part of being in Winnipeg is because that's where the job is. The other part is because I wanted to get out of Ontario. Yeah, Ontario's cool and has a lot to offer, but I was born there, grew up there, and still study there. And while last summer I ran off to the other side of the world to have crazy adventures, I did so without having yet seen the entirety of my own country. I wanted to go west of Ontario this summer, since I haven't been in a long time and I know the Maritimes a bit already. I wanted to explore a city I hadn't explored before. And Winnipeg fit all of that. And that's why today I'm flying from Toronto to Winnipeg.

The next logical question is "Why a blog?"

It's a fair question. My adventures won't be nearly as blog-worthy as last summer's, I suspect, but I do believe my list of reasons is decent enough. Here it is:

1) The fam loves it. This is the easiest way to keep them up to date.

2) My goal for my free time is to actively explore the city. Surely that exploration will provide some interesting stories (unless Winnipeg really IS as boring as my friends seem to think it is).

3) Other than when travelling, I've never lived outside of either my parents' home or a university residence. This will be a new experience, and hopefully a funny one.

4) As I said, I'm not an accountant but I got an accounting job. I see comedic potential in this situation, which may translate into blog posts.

5) Blogging is fun.

So now I'm at Pearson, waiting to board in the next few minutes. I'll be getting in in the afternoon, and starting work tomorrow! So stay tuned, the fun is about to begin.