Alumni corner: Life in the slower lane
I’ve been known to make some pretty major moves. When I graduated from Concordia University’s Department of Journalism in 1997, at the tender age of 22, I got on a jet plane and high-tailed it to Tokyo for one year of language exchange and culture shock.
Approaching my 30s, I moved to Virginia to work on a ranch and settled in a small town of approximately 500 people. So while moving from Montreal to Gatineau to follow my heart doesn’t seem like such a major move in comparison — unless you factor leaving a good job in communications and my social network — the transition hasn’t always been seamless.
Take driving. As a Montrealer there is literally no need for me to have, or drive, a car. You might even call it counter-productive given the worsening (read: out of control) traffic situation in the city.
In Gatineau, having a vehicle is a must — as I quickly learned when I decided to brave the walk to Hull. After reading that scenes from On the Road, the forthcoming film adaptation of my all-time favourite book by Jack Kerouac, were filmed in and around Hull, I Google-mapped the walking directions and set out on an adventure.
It was all kinds of fun, but I was literally the only pedestrian on the road as far as the eye could see. I couldn’t believe how many odd looks I got from people driving by.
Since moving from the city, gone are the daily grind and the feeling of living through Groundhog Day, the movie, week after week. The grind, in fact, has been replaced by a refreshing question. What should I do today?
I decided to take a mini-break from full-time work after moving. I (try) to regularly write for my blog, the citycountry bumpkin, which chronicles my move from city to country, as well as pursue other literary opportunities — the lack of an imposed schedule has turned every day into a bit of an adventure.
My social circle has taken a bit of a hit and the truth is the older you get the harder it gets to make friends. Gone are the days when having similar pencil cases could make you best friends forever. Still, I’m confident that a citycountry bumpkin such as myself will find kindred spirits wherever I may roam.
In the meantime, in addition to staying connected to friends and family, what I've found most helpful is getting out and discovering new things and new people. Joining the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme Alumni Association, taking a cooking class, hitting the gym on a regular basis and learning to play the guitar have all kept me on my toes while I transition into a new way of living. Change can be exciting, but it can also be scary, especially when you don't have friends to share your experiences with. Forming new connections to a group of like-minded individuals is one of the best ways to ease the transition.
Since leaving Montreal I’ve had the good fortune of spending idyllic days at the beach, swimming in Meech Lake (in a purely non-political way), watching a polar bear get fed watermelon, visiting a winery, flying in a helicopter, going hunting, making bacon jam and taking more than one ride on the back of my beau’s Harley. I’ve conquered fears. I’ve done things for the first time.
And there’s something to be said for following your heart and throwing caution to the wind.