Where to begin?
As a writer, I find other people’s stories fascinating; By comparison, my own life story seemed rather dull and ordinary.
It wasn’t until after a conversation with a friend that I came to see my existence in a different light. My life may not be the stuff of legends, but it’s not quite the humdrum existence it seemed to be.
It was around five years ago when I realized I was bored. And frustrated. I was tired of traffic, noise and all the other things that go along with city life. Living in a city I could not have a dog either.
But I had such a good job, complete with benefits, a pension, and paid vacation. I had created a good life. Good friends.
My kids were living their own lives by now and I had….nothing that brought me contentment in my day-to-day existence.
It was the summer of 2019 when I went to visit a friend in a tiny little place called Lone Butte in British Columbia.
I seriously thought I was being put on when he told me the name as I could not find it on any maps. Until I looked on Google and zoomed in…and zoomed in some more…and zoomed in even more.
There it was!
I did not realize it at the time but my heart fell for the South Cariboo during that first visit.
A month went by and I felt the lack in my life even more.
I went for another visit. This time I brought the dog I had adopted knowing I would find the perfect place to live and a job and all the other things my heart was telling me I was missing in my perfect life.
I found the perfect place out in the boonies just a two-minute walk to the lake and the dock where I would keep my kayak. Not that I owned one at that point.
Everybody thought I was nuts and gave me a year tops before I came to my senses and moved back to civilization.
But I didn’t. Instead, I set about making the perfect life for myself.
I hung out under night skies so big and clear I felt I could reach out and touch the stars.
The sounds of nature lulled me into dreams each night.
Morning coffee spent watching the sun rise in colours unique to Mother Nature.
The chickens that followed me when I went to take photos of the Canada Geese and their babies.
Getting to know the tiny community was an adventure in itself - the characters, the historians, the volunteers, the farm people, the horsey people and so many more.
I decided to work for myself doing invitation design. As I had the dog this allowed me to be home with him instead of leaving him alone for during the day.
Everything was off to a promising start when the pandemic hit. Suddenly there was no call for invitations.
So I took up cleaning.
I cleaned houses and offices, did yard work, and detailed trucks, cars, RVs, dump trucks and all manner of heavy equipment. Thinking about the layers of grime coating the big machines used fighting forest fires still sends a shiver down my spine.
After purchasing a pair of work boots, I went to to work at the local recycling centre.
It was hard work but I thrived.
I did manage to take on a few graphic design jobs before fate intervened and I was hired as a multi-media journalist for the local paper.
I covered it all.
From dancing turkeys to ghost hunters to bird watchers and botanists. The athletes, the crafters, the volunteers and the politicians. The horse people, the artists, the dancers and those who try to make a difference.
I’ve bowled with the White Cane Club while wearing glasses that simulate what it is like to be sight-impaired. I went cross-country skiing for the first time in 40 years and shared pictures with the community of the bumps and the bliss of the afternoon. (My editor had way too much fun snapping photos of me sprawled in the snow banks.) My lack of artistic skill was put on display as I tried to paint two ceramic frogs - Frodo and Frieze, I’m sorry.
The creativity of people astounded me and I laughed and cried as I learned their stories.
Then, ten months ago I decided to go back to school full-time. After a couple of months, I realized that going to school while working full-time was too much to handle.
Thankfully, my boss was understanding and I cut back to part-time hours. It was a nice feeling to be in bed again before midnight@
It was at that time my situation took a turn and I made the decision to leave the forests of British Columbia for the wheat fields of Saskatchewan.
The day when I handed in my notice was a hard one. I loved the work and have never worked with such an amazing group of people.
So it was, on a cold and snowy day in January 2024, I packed up what would fit in my jeep and put the rest of my belongings in storage, With tears in my eyes I began the long drive to the prairies.
But that is another story.
The last five years have been incredible. My experiences have taught me to reach out and grab life with both hands; I’ve hit black ice from time-to-time and wound up skidding into the ditch but I always managed to ease my way out again.
My perfect life is far from perfect. But it brings me a level of happiness and a feeling of contentment I was missing.
Some days I am still amazed I dared to toss everything away and begin this new stage of my life.
Let the adventure continue!
