To Those Things Undiscovered

As a practice, The Locale has been around now for some time, well past the one-year mark, and along the way I have had both the pleasure and the joy of sharing the project with many friends; some old, many new, but all with the similar interest for exploring the unexplored. Because it has been around for the time it has, and because of the growing audience and participant support, I have decided to offer a re-introduction to any readers who may be wondering what this is all about, how it started, and, most importantly, what might make it worth reading.

I suppose the best place to start would be to tell you briefly about myself and how I came to be your narrator. Well, after studying the culinary arts and travelling abroad, I gained not only a passion, but, perhaps even more so, a respect for undiscovered terrains. Not so much for overseas and cross-province exploration, but rather in our much more immediate surroundings. Through neighbourhoods, forests, alleys, side streets, shops, bars, houses, the lives of others far more intriguing than my own, I gained appreciation for all the things I'd taken for granted for so many years; I finally realized that adventure didn't need an airline ticket. I came to a realization that the concept of "new" is not one that needs to be feared or avoided.

We are all very well aware that change is the only constant in our lives, so why don't we embrace that and apply it to our every day? Why don't we make change a challenge for ourselves? Something to enjoy, to share, to write about or speak of at our next get together. It is within this construct of "new becoming familiar, becoming loved, becoming tradition" that I accepted the challenge to overcome and embrace what I once called fear, but now call opportunity.

And so that's essentially how The Locale started: as a newcomer to Guelph, completely unfamiliar to what the city had to offer, I thought it wise to journal my experiences as I sought them out; hopefully in such a way that could benefit not only other newbies, but also long-life residents who have potentially been missing out on that backyard goldmine they've been avoiding or putting off for so many years.

Since its inception, I've hiked trails, foraged through poison ivy, canoed and kayaked, dined on vegan delicacies, toured the halls of great kitchens, spoken with chefs, and experienced music the likes of which I'd never thought to previously enjoy. It has indeed been a ride of memories and great reflections, but, of course, not all of my adventures have been positive ones. In fact, there have been quite a few occasions that define the just opposite, stewing in their own negative juices, begging to be forgotten and cast out to sea; but that's not the point of this project. I don't want to venture out into a world so that I can tell you where not to go, I'd rather find those gems and remind you of their worth, invest into them with you so that their value can grow and only get better with time.

So, yes, as you read you will undoubtedly note much praise being given, and little to no insult dished out unto any particular thing, person or place; as far as I'm concerned, an establishment will do well to promote its own poor reputation without my help; and so with that in mind, read on with the trust that those experiences I do choose to post or publish are worth it, and that they are words I will stand by until the end.

And so for those dedicated followers: a reminder to you that my goal remains the same as the day I started, and a great big thank you for helping me in continuing to achieve it. Your emails, notes, messages and comments are all greatly appreciated and taken to heart. For those reading for the first time: I hope to keep you interested, to spark a sense of adventure in you, to trigger that craving you didn't know you had, as well as to hear your insights, your reviews, your suggestions and passions along the way; I believe that as a collective we may be able to navigate throughout this fair city on nothing but positive experiences and contagious interests.

Be it recipes, restaurants, music or reviews, The Locale promises to keep its mind open to the unfamiliar. Bring it on Guelph, bring it on.

Cheers all.

Phil