photo – Karen Anderson
Congratulations to my dear friend Lindsay Lauren Anderson (no relation – sadly) on completing her amazing year – 365 Days of Dining – for Tourism Richmond in Richmond, B.C. Here is a video of her at the beginning of her adventure.
I joined Lindsay for dinner about mid way through her year on Day 164 on my way to India last fall. We had a nice catch up and I got to hear what it was like to eat and write everyday with no days off for a year. She loved all the restaurants and people she was meeting. She was missing a little down time and a chance to visit her family.
Tourism Richmond responded by flying her family down from Northern B.C. for Christmas and putting them all up at the beautiful Fairmont at the Vancouver International Airport. I think those posts, seeing her family embrace and support her and them all making the best of Christmas in a hotel, were my favourite posts. It is plain to see where Anderson’s love of life, her grounded way of being (with a side of adventure), comes from after reading about her time with her loving family.
Throughout the whole year I enjoyed reading Anderson’s spot on commentary about the food she tried everyday. Having a Master’s in Gastronomy and a communications degree made her the perfect candidate for this job. Her creativity and artful approach to writing and photography made her blog a joy to read each day. There is never any pretension with Anderson. She does her research and makes intelligent analysis of offerings. She’s inclusive and constructive. She’s resourceful and organized and above all else she’s fair.
Lindsay Anderson had to sign her name and by association, the name of Richmond to each of her blog posts. That is a way of blogging that I commend. The restaurant industry takes an unfair beating from many a blogger that hides behind a pseudonym. I respect the fact that this 365 Richmond blog set a new standard for accountability. It reached far and wide to highlight as many food offerings as possible and Lindsay’s light got to shine on many partners in the food industry – the big and the small, the quirky and quaint, the flashy and the extremely modest. Her work had the impact it was meant to as well. I have my list of “LindsEats” favourites that I’m coming back to Richmond to try when next I travel to the lower mainland of British Columbia.
Here’s Anderson’s video goodbye and thank you from today, her last day as “365”. Welcome back to your life Lindsay. I’m excited for your new project to start and my guest room is at the ready for when you come through Calgary. Take some time to rest and I hope you’ll always Savour Food and Savour Life. Come on by so we can do that together. With love, your friend, Karen
PS – thanks for teaching me how to “link” properly!
