Last fall, we asked the community to fill in the blank:
“Downtown Victoria is my place to be _______”
Then, we asked them to tell us why.
We had many great responses, including one from Mar Dolinski-French. Watch Mar’s beautiful Your Place to Be video and read more about why Downtown is Mar’s place to be a romantic.
Watch Mar’s YP2B video:
a different perspective of romance
When I call myself a romantic, I am not only referring to the feelings and acts of romance towards the specific person or people I love. Instead, I include in the term the feelings of love towards the scenery, my life, and the entire Victoria community.
Why downtown?
Every time my heart guides me, it takes me downtown. Downtown is where people connect with love. I have been fortunate enough to have jobs downtown where I found family, run and staffed by people who are accepting and who encourage loving energy being exchanged between myself, coworkers, and the customers who grace our doors.
I’m in love with everyone I meet through work, or on the streets.
A Romantic Memory of Downtown
Sitting in the September sun, awaiting the cooler sweater months, I embrace the warmth in total relaxation and bliss.
No matter the business of downtown, there are always places to lay in the peace of personal mind.
There’s a spot by the ocean I really enjoy, to sit and relax and be one with the breeze. In the moments I spend here, my mind is clear, my body is put to ease. It’s always the same spot, the same feeling, the consistency that keeps me a regular. Take the time to feel the energy of the sea and let them clear your mind. It’s a place to be carefree.
Mar who?
Mar fell in love with Victoria the first time she visited the city at age 14. She moved to Victoria in September 2017 and hasn’t looked back. Originally from Kelowna, Mar found her groove and community while working at both the Drake and Bliss. Mar loves to explore downtown on a skateboard or rollerblades. She also loves crafts, baking, and playing hockey. She lives with her partner and her cat, Khimaera.
Watch all the Your Place to Be videos on our YouTube page.
Want to be involved in the Your Place to Be Storytelling Project? Send us an email about why you love downtown, using the sentence “Downtown Victoria is my place to be…”
