Just over one year ago my life was quite different. I was living in one of the most beautiful
places at the edge of the Pacific Ocean on Vancouver Island; Tofino a small town
I had come to call my home. I had an
amazing job that I absolutely loved… I was dedicated (many felt a little too dedicated) to
a fault that I knew at this point I needed to find a balance. My contract was over and although I loved
this position and everyone I worked with I always felt stranded in this remote
town often taking the 5 hour trip to Vancouver to get a taste of the city I longed
for. I knew it was time for change and I also knew
I wanted to travel (working in the hospitality and tourism industry you meet so
many people doing exactly this and it makes it hard not to want to just pick-up
and do the same thing). For someone who
had only been to the states a handful of times and one all-inclusive vacation in
Cuba, I was quite timid to just pick-up and travel the world on my own. As the stars didn’t seem to align to find a
travel companion and with job offer to stay I couldn’t refuse I decided to put
these travel aspirations on hold until September 2009.
So in late 2008 and as 2009 approached I made the conscious decision
to seek balance and settle into winter, spring and summer in Tofino. The year brought a number of amazing people
into my life, both personally and professionally, at a much deeper level than
before and I in turn made it a priority to balance my time to enjoy work and
play. A year filled with incredible and
unexpected experiences, highs, lows, and travel. I stopped planning and calculating my life
and was blessed with the unexpected which turned out to be exactly what I
needed. I flew to Toronto on a whim and
back to Vancouver on Via rail (I had never been east of Saskatchewan
before). Had my best friend finally (after
three years living here) come to visit me in BC and I met her in Vancouver
during one of the biggest snow falls the city had ever seen. I managed to travel to Alberta to enjoy
Christmas with my family and see extended family I hadn’t seen in years. 2009 brought my first trip to another
continent; I found myself travelling to Europe last minute and exploring
Eastern Germany. All of the above travel
I managed to fit in while being employed full time and experiencing some of the
most rewarding months as a manager to date.
Somewhere along the line I started planning for my departure in the
fall. I set my sights on New Zealand in
the fall after visiting my family. The
spring and summer brought new challenges but with my thoughts focused on my
future trip I finally stopped fighting with Tofino and settling in nicely. On this cold December day in Alberta I miss
those busy summer days on the island in the warmth of the sun overlooking
beautiful beaches in the day and running free on them in the evenings.
As September drew near the changes began and I found myself
in Alberta, unemployed and visiting family longer than expected. All the security I fought with over the past
few years was gone and I missed it more than I thought I would. My plans for New Zealand fell through and I
spent time figuring out what to do next.
Thinking about things too much can be paralyzing. So I decided to go on a trip to Vegas, B.C.
and Spain. When I started travelling
again my mind became clear and I realized that the reason I was stuck on where
to go now was routed in my determination to go anywhere but New Zeland when
really there was nothing wrong with going to there. I was so focused on finding another place to
go but I kept finding myself coming to the same conclusion. New Zealand it is 2010 and this time
completely on my own. I have heard from
so many people that backpacking solo has been the best thing they ever
did. Now I am ready. I fly from Canada on December 30th
(celebrate the New Year on the plane) and land in Auckland Jan 1st. To all my friends and family that have been
asking for pictures and stories stay tuned to my new blog. I wish you all the best for the holidays and
in the year to come. I am truly blessed
to have such amazing people in my life.
This is for you :)
