Penticton.

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Stop one on the 2010 Grande Tour de Friendville was Penticton, BC. Penticton is a pleasant little city filled with fresh fruit and summer air and lakeside conversation. There are orchards and vineyards and craftspeople all throughout the Okanagan, and during the summer it is commonplace to see local vendors selling their wares in parks and on sidewalks to the flood of incoming tourists. People here seem light (as citizens of Perpetual Summer should appear); nobody rushes and everyone smiles.

I met up here with fabulous friends I had during my first year of college, who were in from Ontario, visiting family. Emily & Dave were almost immediately two of my closest connections during Year One of my college cycle. When I met them, they weren't yet "Emily&Dave", but their friendship soon turned into crushing turned into obvious attraction turned into DAVEJUSTASKHEROUT. Now they are married. Seeing them Friday was a comfort and a joy at once. Dave still tells his memorable stories with actions and humor, and beautiful Em still defines Genuine Grace; it's nice to know that some things never change. It's a rarity for some to come across the type of friendship that doesn't break over time, and yet I seem lucky enough to have a collection of these frienships; Emily and Dave are no exception. Now if only we could convince them to move to BC, so I don't have to wait another 5 years for a visit.