Ep 30: 'Completing' Brentwood

Seeing All the Streets with a 'This Little Life' Walk

Introduction

Unlike my last time “completing” a neighbourhood, I finished Brentwood not on a runner’s high but while getting over the flu, without much planning. After resting for a few days—reading books and catching up on anime—I headed out on a summer day to run some errands: picking up medicine at a local Shoppers and grabbing something sweet from Gabi & Jules on Hastings.

In the spirit of exploring, I decided to bumble through Brentwood’s streets instead of taking the quickest route. This let me cover both familiar roads and new areas while getting my errands done. With Hailaker’s new album playing in my ears, I set off on a relaxed stroll through the neighbourhood.

The Walk

The real walk started about Braelawn Drive, passing by familiar dead-ends and cul-de-sacs.

Photos from Braelawn Drive and nearby

Making my way up to Brentwood Park brought back memories of my first “expedition-like” walk that looped around the hill—good times. I walked along a few red segments scattered on my map, seeing spots that I hadn’t seen before.

(left): Brentwood Park signboard (right): Gogomi showing me at the park, highlighting unexplored roads in red

As I wandered, I met a nice elderly couple who thought I was lost and offered directions. Even when I explained that I knew where I was going and shared a little bit about my quest, they still wanted to help, which was really sweet.

Brentwood has grown a lot lately, especially in terms of tall buildings. I didn’t really feel this change until I got some distance. When I looked back after walking north, I could see how much taller the neighbourhood was getting.

Brentwood Towers in the distance

Bringing my gaze down to street level, I spotted some odd sights: things left outside, some tossed away and others cleverly placed. I saw things like an angry-looking glove on a fence and a mattress next to someone’s house.

(left): Angry-looking glove (right): Mattress next to someone's house

Walking down an alley, I noticed an old breeze block wall, an artefact from mid-century modern architecture. It struck an emotional chord in me, reminding me of a lot of buildings back in Ghana, including the one I lived in. It was a nice callback and made me feel nostalgic and homesick.

Cool architecture

Throughout the walk, I kept an eye on my Gogomi map. I’d been on most of the roads before, but I was curious about what lay along the red lines. Following these unexplored paths, I found another way into a creek I knew well. This discovery triggered memories of past adventures: falling into the creek while crows laughed, or the time I walked to the sea and slipped into the creek again.

An alternative entrance to one of the creeks I strolled by (read: fell into) many episodes ago

At the park behind École Alpha Secondary School, I took a detour to actually touch some grass. The scene was heartwarming: a dad taking a video of his son rolling down the hill, and a man playing frisbee with his daughter. It was quite cute.

Touching grass at the park behind the school

As I made my way north and finally close to Hastings Street, I started imagining the smell of the pastries I’d soon be enjoying. Finally, at Gabi & Jules, I treated myself to something nice.

Making my way to Gabi & Jules for some crostatas

On my way back to Shoppers, I enjoyed seeing the vibrant summer flowers in bloom.

Reflection

Finishing Brentwood on such a laid-back walk shows what “this little life” is all about. It’s not always about planning big trips or runs, but about letting yourself wander through streets and follow your curiosity. The twisty path I took shows this perfectly – isn’t it nice?

Trace of the ‘little life’ walk around Brentwood

When I got home and saw the notifications from Gogomi, I felt proud. Wow, two areas covered, just like that.

Gogomi app showing two Brentwood and Dawson-Delta covered