Canada Wasn’t Quite What I Expected

When Dave and I moved back to Canada, I thought I knew what I was getting into. I was born in Canada, had always wanted to live there again, and by then Mom was living with us. We also hoped that moving to Canada would mean better healthcare for her.

It didn’t.
But that’s another story. 😉

Then reality showed up.

The job that was supposed to be perfect for me turned out to be anything but. I briefly considered writing, wondered whether I actually had anything anyone wanted to read, and eventually took a wireless tech-support job instead.

It wasn’t my dream job. The pay sucked, and some of the customers were… memorable. But I worked from home, had a flexible schedule, and we were settling into Nanaimo.

And there was plenty to love about where we lived. The ocean, beach, walking trails and bike paths were minutes away. We had bikes we barely used and a kayak that had never touched the water. Apparently, we were going to become outdoorsy people. 😂

Eventually, though, I realized that finding a job in my field was going to be difficult. Canada didn’t recognize my U.S. education the way I expected, so I stopped trying to fit into someone else’s requirements and created my own opportunity.

I opened a graphic design business.

And it worked.

That business became a big part of our twelve years in Canada—and eventually, when it was time, we came home to Oregon.

Funny how the plans that don’t work out sometimes lead you somewhere you never expected to go. 💜