Six Months In

Posted on 21/01/2013 under Canada

Yesterday marked six months in Canada, half of my yearlong work visa. I can’t believe how fast this has gone by, how many fantastic people I have met and how many exciting things I have crammed into this time. Before coming out here I was a little worried that I would get lonely or homesick and kept in the back of my mind that I could always return to the UK early. I am happy to report that none of these things have happened yet and while there has been the normal ups and downs, overall I am having a blast! IMG_1584 Toy bears being thrown into the ice during a hockey game. Donations for underprivileged children at Christmas A big part of coming out here was to take some time to reflect on what I want from life and what direction to take next. Almost exactly two years ago I was leaving the security of a salary and becoming self employed full time. I worked really hard to get myself into that position, but working towards being self employed (something I had wanted for a long time) felt more than worth it. I was excited and remember going to bed being looking forward to waking up and getting back to it the next day. Within a year I had to admit that while I enjoyed being self employed, freelance web development wasn’t for me. I was stressed and unhappy. Reluctantly I had to admit to myself that it was time for me to stop. Since then I have felt lost and without purpose, which has been hard for me. I guess I could have sucked it up or got some other job in the UK but I didn’t want to compromise. This is my life and I want to enjoy it, I also want to once again find that drive and excitement in working towards something meaningful for me. So in search of new experiences here I am in Canada! I feel very fortunate that I was able to uproot like this and despite being a little scared, I knew that if I didn’t do it I would regret it later in life. Tim Travis, who has been cycling around the world for the past 10 years wrote this on his ten year anniversary letter which sums up pretty well how I feel:
I imagine that thirty years from now, sitting in some hard luck bar, I’ll listen to other old men talk about life’s lost dreams, the years wasted on chasing careers and money. I think I’ll just smile and keep my mouth shut. I will always treasure my memories of vagabonding around. I’ll never feel like I wasted my life.
Tim Travis – A Decade Down the Road: My ten year anniversary reflections So where am I after six months – having had these amazing experiences, meeting these fantastic people and all of the laughs? Well I am still uncertain what things down the road will look like. And that’s OK. It’s both exciting and scary for me. I never expected things to happen overnight, but I am getting out there and most importantly I am having fun and experiencing, which is what my time here is all about. Actually, it’s probably what “life” is all about. IMG_1480 Watching the salmon run I have some plans and a few goals for the next six months which include: buying a van, a huge road trip across Canada, running some big runs including the Juan de Fuca coastal path, improve my French (I have been lazy with this one so far), more woofing and to spend some time in Montreal during the summer. I’m pretty excited – so watch this space! You can see how I have spent the last six months by reading back over previous posts, but here are some bits and pieces not included in those… I have been welcomed with kindness and generosity by everyone I have met in Canada, I have also noticed that most Canadians are very polite, respectful and patient people. They do however seem to have a hard time understanding me, so I often have to repeat myself – I think mainly because they are taken by surprise at my funny accent. How I pronounce my name causes a lot of confusion and nearly every time I say my name Canadians hear either “Jay” or “Gerry” and switch between which they hear as I try to correct them. This happens so often I am considering adopting Jay as my Canadian name! IMG_1503 Great views found everywhere! There are subtle differences in English words an terms used like trash/garbage, toilet/washroom, spanners/wrenches that can slow down a conversation or even make it grind to a halt so I have started adopting the North Americanisms for my own sanity. But more often then not these act as a nice ice breaker or topic of debate. Some random observations: IMG_1488 Me and Richard jucing apples – soon to be cider I have had many firsts during my time here, which include (some big, some silly): IMG_1471 IMG_1667 Running in the Cumberland hills – and then there was snow! So there you have it. Bring on the next 6!

2 thoughts on "Six Months In"

  1. Ruth Pritchard says:
    February 5, 2013 at 11:32 am

    I’m really proud of you bro. I hope Henry grows up to be just like his Uncle Joe! Love you x

    1. Joe says:
      February 6, 2013 at 8:19 am

      Aw sis, if only you could know how much that means to me. I love you too.