I left Vancouver and forgot about these 9 specific things until I came back to visit

The whole city starts earlier

This might just be my jet lag talking (ask me again when it's 8 pm. and I can't keep my eyes open), but operating on PST is superior. I think because the country kind of centers around EST, thanks to Toronto being the hub for business, the day starts earlier for most people here.

Working 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. instead of a 9-to-5 isn't uncommon, and when I go out for a coffee before starting work, the streets are decently bustling.

It's a refreshing 'seize the day' vibe in the A.M., and with the corporate workday wrapping up earlier for many, it gives way to a better work-life balance.

People are less chatty, but they're still friendly

To be fair, I'm coming from the Maritimes, where chattiness is at an all-time high. There are conversations happening in grocery store aisles, at gas station pumps, and check-out lines all across Atlantic Canada.

Vancouver's known for being unfriendly, and I actually don't think that's fair. It's not "strike up a conversation in the elevator with a stranger" vibes, sure, but it is still friendly.

It's more on a need-to basis (think asking for directions or where the bathroom is), but when you do get talking to a stranger, they're just as helpful and kind as back home – it just takes some effort to get them there.

It really is the most beautiful city in Canada

Toronto's waterfront nearly had me convinced.

The mountain views and sparkling ocean had drifted off in my memory, making Montreal's architecture, Halifax's boardwalk, and Toronto's lake views seem like real competitors.

They're not, and it took one sunny day over here to remind me of that fact.

The style

East VS West Coast style is a real thing, and it's noticeable right off the bat.

I was recently in Toronto, and it's way more buttoned-up, somewhat preppy, and nearing on a basic fashion sense. Atlantic Canada is more relaxed, but overall also leans basic and, for the most part, more practical than cute.

The West Coast strikes that balance, though – laid-back and casual, but cooler and more outdoorsy. People like to talk about how Vancouver is all Lululemons and Arc'teryx, and that's not true, but it is intentional and styled for the most part.

Not to sh*t on Toronto, but the style is just unquestionably better in Vancouver, and my recent people-watching here reinspired me.

People love a patio

This is oddly specific, but can't go unnoticed.

Bar pouring rain, people will be out on a patio here. The city gets a reputation for not knowing how to deal with "real weather," but I'd argue that they are tougher than most. Yes, they're not usually dealing with freezing temperatures or snow, but even on a bone-chilly wet day, people are out there in the fresh air.

I'm currently sitting at a cafe on a gloomy and somewhat icy-feeling spring morning, and the patio is full of people.

That smell 

You walk off the plane at YVR, take a deep breath, and are hit with that first hit of fresh-rain smell. Until I smelt that specific smell when I landed, I'd completely forgotten it existed.

It's hard to explain, but the humid, almost tropical-like air here is unlike anywhere else in the country that I've been.

It lacks the overwhelming feeling of other cities

Alright, I guess I am going to sh*t on Toronto. Sorry.

It's hard not to compare when I was in both cities within the same month, and one is clearly better.

Walking around downtown Toronto (especially coming from a small town) feels like A LOT. It's that classic bustling city with skyscrapers everywhere and an overwhelming vibe.

I'm even staying in Downtown Vancouver, but I don't feel quite that same intensity, as if the city is closing in on me. It feels more spacious overall, with wide streets, lots of green space, and often a water view not far away.

You need your umbrella 

I know – I'm talking about the rain. It's not just that it's raining, though, it's the kind of rain. The kind that requires an umbrella (one that I didn't pack, though I'm visiting Vancouver in the spring).

When you're not actively waking up to rain every day, it's hard to remember that this is a necessity.

It's not just 'I'll get a little wet walking to the car and can get away with pulling my jacket over my head' weather. When it rains here (on a regular basis), it often pours throughout the day, and I really could use an umbrella right now.

Yeah okay  — and the prices are wild

Like I said at the start, I never forgot that Vancouver is, at its core, a wildly expensive place. Everyone East knows this fact and brings it up at the very mention of the West Coast (mostly because we're jealous and need to justify why we don't live there).

Still, I forgot how it feels to be bleeding money every day.

I'm grabbing coffee, eating out, and hearing from people what they're paying in rent — and it all has me counting my New Brunswick blessings.

To be fair, this isn't all that Vancouver-specific (more city-specific), but still, I managed to forget just how daunting the cost of living is when you're actively in it.