What do I want to accomplish with this move?

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

• I'd like to find a place in Canada that I feel I can belong. That I can see myself living in 10 years. A community that I’m proud to be a resident of and that I want to contribute too. One where I would eventually raise children in and be proud of the activities they could be involved in. And one that is close enough to family that I can drive there in a weekend if I must.

CHARACTER, CHARACTER, CHARACTER

• I want to find a home / apartment / condo / trailer / tent that is full of character. So I can sit in it and marvel, dream and inspire as I did so many days and nights in 394 River.

FUN & ADVENTURE

• Life is, after all, a marvellous adventure and I’d like to be somewhere that has activities that I like: canoeing, kayaking, hiking, running trails, beach vball courts, potentially an indoor vball team, vineyards and farms to explore, farmers markets galore and rivers / open water
• I do want to find a pub / live music venue that is similar to the Toad. Chill. Laidback. Good live music. BLUES.
• I’d love if other like-minded people lived around me. Not just hippies, but yuppies with a social mind as well.

PASSION

• Of course I want to keep furthering my career. Whether at first that is doing marketing consultations and communications and then eventually moving into something deeper and more meaningful then that – workshops for young women? Social consciousness in every part of our lives? A bookstore / fundraising and event-planning venue?
• Spanish. I want to be able to find people around me to speak Spanish.
• Volunteering. I hope there are ample opportunities to get involved with causes that are vital to me – like women, homelessness, depression, reading disabilities. I want to HELP locally and internationally.

FRIENDS

• Because I am doing this move virtually alone (with one or two partners along the way), I’d love to meet a wide network of friends as I was so blessed to have in Winnipeg…
• My sit and talk about life, the moon and the stars friend (Sean)
• My sit and talk about politics, mental stimulation and good food (Zach)
• My “hobby” friend (Tara)
• My need-a-girls-night-and-vent-and-cry friend (Jen)
• My feels-like-family when I come over friend (Jill)
• My save-the-world discussions friend (Kevin)
• My let’s-just-go-out-and-have-fun friend (Nick, Alex, Russ, Max)
• My work family (Kim, David Brock, Hep) (not sure how I’ll get that back initially)
• My school friends (although many moved – Ash to V, Kent to C)
• My volleyball friends (how will I find such great girls again?)

LOVE

• For myself. I want to be a better me. I felt that Winnipeg was somewhat defined for me by who I was over the years. I was a college student, a career girl, the life (or gong-show?) of the party and a girlfriend. Everywhere I turned there was someone I knew, a client, a reminder of the past. I lived with two very special girls and then was in 394 River (between working and living there) for five years. It documented my changes and I'm so grateful for what was, but I want the room and creativity and space and environment to see who I am now, not who I was.

Ahh…as I write this I realize that I had many beautiful, blessed things in Winnipeg, almost everything I want now, minus a few. Like the options to go out and hike and canoe – although there were many options to do those things near there - you just had to drive and plan and have a cottage. I lacked the time and energy to research those options because I was heartbroken near the end and I decided that it was time to go. Maybe one day I’ll go back. But for now, off to explore and learn new lessons in a brand new arena. One where I spent many childhood camping vacations and fell in love with the last two years as I made trips to see if the mountains still held the majesty. For me, they did.