Some days, I wish I had a time machine.

I'm having a moment of nostalgia. I wish I was a youth again, just for a day. I miss my friends in Vancouver and those "good ol' days" at BYG - Broadway Youth Group, for those that don't know. I miss the youth nights with the awesome youth worship band and the Spirit-filled preaching. I miss the whole atmosphere of youth group - the fun, the expectancy, the bittersweet feeling that Fridays were far too short. I miss doing stuff like photo scavenger hunt, and wacky games, and going to see the fireworks at English Bay during the summer. I miss going to Fall Breakaway and youth convention and Camp Yukon. I felt so fresh and naive - everything about God was such a wonder to me. Not that I do not experience wonder and awe at what God does now! But rather, I had no knowledge about God other than He was in my life, so everything I learned was new and amazing. And I miss the group of people. I miss the times when the Holy Spirit moved on my friends in our prayer huddles. I miss ministering to my friends and being used of God in such an unknowing way. I miss being alongside those other youth and watching them experience God and discover who they were.

I miss life in Vancouver a bit too, actually. I think I like summers there, though winters are dreary and too much time there is draining. But I really liked roller blading down False Creek and around English Bay. I liked meeting with people for coffee and walks and build-your-own stirfry. I liked going to Silver City and going shopping at Metrotown. I liked walking down the hot streets and dipping in for a cool frappucino. I don't miss sitting shivering at bus stops for 45 minutes! I liked going for sushi and stopping in at Chapters for an hour. Or the library!

But mostly I miss the people. I miss Broadway Church and BYG, though I know that it is not the same place as it was 10 years ago - obviously. I feel like BYG and my life at that time is a friend who passed away and whom I am remembering fondly. I feel like my life ended when I moved away from Vancouver and restarted as a completely different person when I started college in Abbotsford. Truly, I am a completely different person than who I was. And so are all of my friends from Vancouver, and all the people I used to go to BYG with. I wish I could reconcile the two - bring that atmosphere and feeling here along with the wisdom and experience and opportunity I have now. I wish that I could just rewind time to 10 years ago, just for a day...preferably on a Friday. lol.

My diamond ring

So last week, I tried on an engagement ring. No, I am not engaged. I do not even have someone to be engaged to. I was just walking by Tiffany & Co in Vancouver and decided I'd go in.

I've had five girlfriends in the last year get married. Lots of oohing and aahing over dresses and wedding rings. Lots of looking on the internet for different styles of bands and diamonds. So I thought going in to Tiffany's would be fun.

I was wearing jeans and a hoodie, had a backpack on and my laptop case slung over my shoulder. But I got treated like I could actually afford those glittering stars in the display cases - which made me feel nice. I did feel slightly like a criminal being in there without the intention of buying anything - but the lady behind the ring counter did offer to let me try on rings. So I did. I tried on a beautiful, 2 carat diamond ring with trilliant cut side diamonds, worth $47,000 - providentially only able to fit on my ring finger. I didn't try on the 1.3 million dollar 6 carat ring in the case next to it. I should have.

She asked if she should write down the design specs for my $47 grand ring - which I said no, thank you - but she gave me a Tiffany's Diamonds booklet with her card in it marking the page with the picture of the ring I tried on. I joked that i just needed to go get a rich boyfriend and I'd be set.

Seriously though. Who would buy a 1.3 million dollar engagement ring?! That diamond was like the size of a quarter! You'd want to insure your hand, not just your diamond!