"My Edmonton.” What is your sense of this city? How do you inhabit it? What do you regularly see? Where do you go/hang out – and where do you not go? Do you observe “city limits”?

"My Edmonton" is almost non-existent. I kind of feel that I've taken the city for granted because it is pretty much attached to my home town and there is probably tons for me to do and see, but I tend to avoid it at all costs. It's never felt that exciting to me and people are constantly griping about it: "our hockey team sucks, there's nothing noteworthy to do, and they don't clear the snow quickly enough." I mainly only go into the city for school or, if there is a special event happening and I need something fancy, I might amble on down Whyte Ave. My bus route even takes me straight down Whyte Ave, so that and the university area are the only places I frequent. Being a full time student as well as holding down a full time job really inhibits me from going places that I deem "far away" (that mean's longer than a five minute drive). My perception of Edmonton as the far off big city coupled with my blatant lack of interest in it, really prevents me from exploring it at all. My city limit for Edmonton is really anything outside of the University and my bus. I'm hoping that with this class I change my view of Edmonton and get out and actually see it. Maybe I'll discover a really great restaurant or find that there's a really nice area of parks or shops that I'd really like. My goal is to learn more about not only what the city can offer me, but also to learn what I can offer the city because I'm nearing the end of my academic career and soon will have to start a real job. I know that I can't live in my bubble forever, so understanding the city will definitely help me in the long run.