it's easy to impulsively relate what my sense of edmonton is if someone asks me but when i have to write it down a more thorough process of thought shows how little i actually think about my usual responses. i say what i'm kind of expected to say, "it's cold", "it sucks", "i want to get the hell out of here", etc.
in a way i see edmonton as an island or a fortress. during the winter months brave souls leave through finite gateways to see their loved ones in different places. they have to cross the perilous snow to reach civilization and then kiss the ground on which they stand before their inevitable return. but in the summer, with clear wide highways and such accessible fields, for three or four months we hold a party. it is a celebration of the freedom we have gained, perhaps achieved, and definitely deserve.
for me, edmonton is characterized by seasonal hyperbole. it's what i have to cling to so as to not feel isolated and sad. the skies, the storms, the fond drunk memories, the lazy summer jobs. all of it seems bigger and more important in the summer. i may frequent the same places (mostly focused on the university, on whyte, on west ed, and various trashy pubs) but there is nothing quite like stepping outside without putting on a coat and knowing that the real true night will last only three hours.
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