"I find myself missing Vancouver more and more these days."

A friend of mine south of the border said that to me a while back. No, really! It is true I am a well known verbose fan of Vancouver. Even occasionally masochistically! For example, I was very disappointed recently when a brilliant sunny day ruined the city's chances of breaking a record going back to 1952 for most consecutive days with measurable rainfall - a mark of a true Vancouverite I thought. The statement still caused me to reflect a bit because I myself have just returned to this fair rainy twilight coast. So, if you find yourself muttering the above statement these days... Don't fret! You might want to pick yourself up a copy of this book just to tide you over if you are far afield. And remember, you know, but you're not alone in this regard! There seems to be a growing sentiment of this kind... Especially amongst my work friends. My friend James and I had many, many, conversations while working together in Los Angeles that perhaps people were just getting to that age, or time in their careers, where the intangibles outside the studio were beginning to count for more and more. I mean, it is not that people don't like other west coast places in North America like San Francisco (or L.A. surprisingly!) but there seems to be a remaining appeal to ole Vangroovey that people don't shake easily. Whereas people seem to "grow out of" L.A. or where-ever else. Is it because there is a feeling that Vancouver as a place is "growing along with you?" I wonder if Portland is more like Vancouver in this regard? Who knows? Since coming back, after three years in "bigger places," (San Francisco, Madrid, London, Los Angeles) I think that I have figured it out. Quite simply, aside from lack of a particular job opportunity (like say, Pixar in my industry, the top job or whatever in your respective industry) living in Vancouver is just kinda "better." Cheaper cost of living (though still high by Canadian standards - after all it is the San Francisco of Canada!), very diverse, multicultural, and so tolerant (much more so than even San Francisco), no guns! (relatively speaking, but hey! at least our Prime Minister is actively campaigning on "a total ban of hand guns"), politicians who can actually speak lucidly(no kidding!), way less 'religiosity' (in fact the near total absense of religious programming on television is a shock in comparison to the U.S.) a much greater sense of social well being, etc. Hence, I may say things like "I miss my social life in London." Or "even though I had an amazing job in L.A. I only really miss the dry roads." Or "I would love to live in San Francisco for a "stint" again." However, saying all that "I would NEVER trade them for Vancouver." Canada in general seems a more welcoming, less arrogant place than many in my opinion. And Vancouver really seems to be "becoming something." I don't mind the rain as some people do... I grew up in it, and it never did me any harm. Though Meg and I still plan on living in Spain temporarily at times throughout life. Ah yes, but you're still thinking about the work. I have come to realize that we have to work hard to change the "work opportunity problem" ourselves. We can't sit back and "just hope someone does something about it." The opportunities to create a Pixar are long gone, maybe even the opportunities to create a WETA are gone, but nonetheless there is 'net growth' in the computer graphics industry. I am under no illusions about my own "level," and thus I realize the imperative for a team. So it is all about creating the opportunity to do good work, in a way that we who have spent time away from this place have learned to do it, with that team... The answer to "how?" still remains fiction. We'll see.