Sunday, July 6, was the last day of the convention, closing with a “Big Meeting” at the stadium from 9-11am. We left the condo to make our way there about 7:30am.

This time we sat in a section that provided access to the larger screen. The crowd dynamic was significantly different than that first meeting Friday night and we were able to get seats closer to the front. Greg #2 met us there, resulting in the photo on the right.

All 3 speakers were very good. There was also a presentation of the 43rd millionth Big Book to the warden of Dorchester Penitentiary in New Brunswick which was quite touching. They’ve been allowing meetings to be taken behind the walls for over 75 years. Recordings were played of current and ex inmates who testified to how life changing that was for them.

After the meeting we walked over to Davie Village for brunch at the Fountainhead Pub.

We shared cauliflower bites to Start. Ash, Mark and I got the Power Bowl with Cajun chicken, a cold dish of quinoa and vegetables that was not only tasty but very filling. Greg #1 got a brisket hash dish and Greg #2 got a benedict.

There was a gathering of naked bike riders at the beach. Not something you see everyday. They were getting ready to take off as we walked by from the sidewalk above. I’m not sure which was more entertaining: them (in the middle), or the gawkers lining up to catch a peak (on the left and right). Which I guess at that point included us.

We went back to the condo for naps. I was down for about 90 minutes and Ash was already up when I got up. I started working on photos, eventually Greg and Mark got back from their ride. Ash and I spent several hours trying to check-in to our Air Canada flight which had been purchased through United. Let’s just say there was a glitch on the Air Canada side and for a while it was so unclear whether or not we had seats that we booked an alternative flight for later tomorrow evening (for a much higher rate!) just in case. After nearly 3 hours of phone calls back and forth, it got fixed and we were able to check-in to our original flight. Ash cancelled the other tickets while we were at dinner.

For dinner we went to The Sandbar on Granville Island, which is just across False Creek from us but not easy to walk to so we took a Lyft there and back. It made for some beautiful views.

We started with a crab and artichoke dip, and an ahi poke stack. We were split on which was one was better but both enjoyed by all. Ash got the salmon, a steak for Mark, I had halibut, and Greg got a hotpot (clockwise).

On the left is a photo Ash took of us at the beach which I snagged from his phone at dinner. Greg took the one of us on the right just outside the restaurant to capture some of the view.

I took this standing just passed where we were in the Greg took. It’s probably my favorite scenic photo of the trip.

And that is it for us. We will make our way out about 10am today for a direct flight home. This has been an amazing trip. We enjoyed the convention activities we partook in and felt like we did enough there. For us the trip was also about getting to know Vancouver, and we enjoyed that so much we’ve booked a place to come back next summer already. Everything about it was wonderful: the views, the cleanliness, the lovely people everywhere we went, very diverse and perfect weather. Add to it the community we shared with close friends and lots of others, and it was a great experience of how blessed we are, something we acknowledge to each other nearly every day of our lives.

While we had Vasco, the foreign exchange student we had for 10 months, we weren’t able to leave the country with him. So, the rest of the year we catch up on our international travel: Africa the last 2 weeks in July, Paris in October, and an Amazon River cruise for the December holidays. And Thanksgiving week in NYC while we’re at it. We hope you join us!

Finally, here’s a post I made on the Alcoholics Anonymous subreddit yesterday morning.

I attended the International Convention of AA this weekend. As an extreme introvert, I find these events challenging and make choices to manage my energy, but always appreciate the experience. This was no exception. Some facts and observations from the weekend:

• Fellowship opportunities were everywhere. Roughly 35k alcoholics gathered downtown from 89 countries, and conference badges made us easily identifiable. It was like running into friends everywhere you went. Especially coffee shops.
• At the closing meeting this morning, the 43rd millionth copy of the Big Book was presented to the warden of Dorchester Penitentiary in New Brunswick, where the message of AA has been taken behind the walls there for over 75 years.
• At the big meeting last night, there were over 250 folks with 50+ years of sobriety, 12 of whom were selected randomly to speak for a few minutes and that was the highlight of the meeting.
• And all of this from two guys sitting at a kitchen table 90 years ago.
• I will have 34 years next week. Along with the 4 folks I’m traveling with, we have over 100 years together.

The language of the heart has been spoken all weekend and I have been moved to tears many times, especially when you realize how many of us would be dead if it wasn’t for AA.

And it suddenly struck me as so odd how many people come to this sub to talk about how AA doesn’t work. It’s like coming into my home and trashing my house.

This weekend provided overwhelming evidence that it is working for millions of people around the world. I’m one of those who would be dead without it and will keep coming back.