Returning to the West End of Vancouver after living in New York, Jude Gorgopa appreciates being close to Stanley Park once more, especially to the trees.

As life would have it, I moved back to my beloved West End a few years ago, two blocks from Stanley Park. The first things I noticed were the signature aroma of green and the dizzying effect of so much oxygen. Moving into the depths of the woods, I find the cool stillness, the rich smell of earth, and the wise old trees towering above me suddenly so familiar. I still like to watch the trees, the way the light transforms them during a day, a season. Best of all is just being right here. Back to the woods. Back to the womb. Back home.