Diversity

Diversity is a word of our era. Diversity of city neighbourhoods – low density mixed with high density, diversity of people racially and culturally. Every morning I am amazed at the diversity of nature that surrounds me: changing weather patterns, deer, rabbits, bear, cougars, seals, whales, sea lions, a plethora of bird life: eagles, herons, hawks, owls, robins, thrushes, hummingbirds. And now, I realize diversity even extends to retirement. Here I constantly hear people spontaneously exclaiming, ”Who would have thought that retirement would be such fun!” or “I feel so blessed not to have to work.” Then, when I am back in the city, the tune often changes… “Retirement is highly overrated.” “I never intend to stop working.” “I am working on my PhD and want to start working in my new field before 70!” My problem is I swing from the one camp of thought to other - I want it all.

tic toc

Last ten days were a whirlwind. Camping at Campbell River – highlight was lunch at April Point – fantastic wild environment. Back home for a day or two, then off to Ucluet and the stunning Black Rock Resort – our patio stretched out over the ocean. Enjoyed an exciting eco tour to the Clayquot Sound hot springs. Back home overnight and then into Vancouver for a 65^th birthday (another one bites the dust!), a birthday celebration with our daughter and an opportunity to listen to some Vancouver Jazz fare AND visit Ikea  (how fantastic is that?)! Now we are back home. Everything is a wild blur. Perhaps life, like fine wine or food, should be savoured slowly. But is that possible when you hear the clock ticking …tic (do it now) tock (time is running out)…..

I’m Baaack…

Two and half years since we moved to Vancouver Island. Two and half years since I wrote on this blog. Two and a half years since I stopped working. I really thought I would never quit working….that I if I did, I would become be irrelevant to society and hence totally invisible. So, unwittingly, on a whim, we bought a house in Qualicum Beach – the home of the oldest population in Canada! I still cant’ believe we did this – afterall, I firmly preach the necessity of diversity – diversity of age, race, sex – everything! Well my world has been turned upside after two and half years … I have no regrets.

Simple Life

Milner Gardens at Christmas. The gardens are open at night for a Christmas display. We decided to check it out. Parking at the side of the road (because it is busy) we make our way into the gardens. It’s dark. The paths are hardly lit and what light we have is supplied by a rather simple display of multicoloured Christmas lights and the stars. I’m still a city gal. I can’t believe they aren’t worried about lawsuits if someone trips and falls. There are old folks, little kids, teenagers and families walking in the darkness. The display is pretty basic … no flashing lights, no innovative lighting hotspots – just coloured Xmas lights. And everyone is delighted. It is so simple and peaceful. No carols, no piped music. We find Santa and Mrs Clause in a cabin in the ‘forest’ gently talking to youngsters – surrounded by parents, darkness, stars and quiet. In another building, a woman is reading a story quietly. Kids are lying on the floor listening. No twitching, no whispering… they are engrossed. My husband thinks we have been transported back 50 years to another era. And then we walk in the darkness and the silence back to the car. I’m certainly not in the big city anymore. I just seems so simple. And, people seem to enjoy it. Can I adapt?

4 more sleeps

Four sleeps to go before the big move. Walked the dog at Ambleside beach in West Vancouver – the most civilized dog park in the world. Big winds, high waves. Kite boarders dancing across the wave tops. Surfers waiting to catch a wave. Very unusual for Vancouver. Fantastic dramatic sky. First snow of the season highlights the mountain tops. Then over to Whole Foods. Love the store, the displays, the music…. the civility. OMG what am I doing? No looking backwards. No regrets. Four more days and I will be in my new life.

Changing life

Can a city gal and her husband change their lives? For thirty years we have lived in North Vancouver. In the same house. Raised two children. Made money. Enjoyed all the city had to offer. And then we went camping in our VW westvalia. We unplugged – from the computer, the Internet and the TV. We sat under the stars on Vancouver Island, stared at a roaring fire and decided to change our life. We weren’t planning to. In two days we bought a new house. Came back home and sold our old one. We move on Saturday October 31 – a month after our camping trip.

Can we make new friends? Embrace new activities? Live an outdoor life? Can we reinvent ourselves? We have decided to give it one year. And then we can move back to city if our experiement fails. But our one year trial must be a fair trial and we must embrace our new life and try every opportunity it affords.

We needed an adventure. We have one.