Well, it’s been over a month since I shared an update with you all. In between packing up our home, throwing Nick a surprise 30th birthday, finishing up work projects, and moving continents, life has been hectic.
As you’d expect, travelling home was mildly stressful. We wore masks for the entirety of three flights and layovers with the exception of meal breaks during our long haul to Auckland to Los Angeles. After having not worn masks in New Zealand (they were not required during the first outbreak) it was a slight adjustment. It took us three days to get back to Saskatchewan as flight options are understandably very limited right now. We overnighted near LAX and it was a ghost town due to safe-at-home orders.
After landing at the Regina airport,, we drove ourselves to the family cabin at Crystal Lake for our 14-day quarantine. Fortunately, neither of us got sick and we ended up having the most relaxing time. The weather was BEAUTIFUL, so we made the most of it. We did TRX workouts on the deck, made cocktails and applied for jobs (more on that later…) It was the break we didn’t know we needed.
After quarantining, we drove home to Yorkton to spend a few weeks with my family. My sister, Stephanie and her partner, Mark were home (from Saskatoon) for the long weekend, so it was the first time we were all together in over a year. I hadn’t felt so at ease in forever — the anxiety and stress of moving countries dissipated as I hugged my family, soaked up the endless sunshine and 9pm sunsets. We ate all my favourite meals, watched Hamilton outside on the projector, and enjoyed each other’s company. As cliché as it sounds, there’s nothing quite like a pandemic to make you realize what’s important in life. With everything going on this year, I had my doubts about the added burden of relocating. As it turns out, returning home and being close to family feels like the right decision.
The three weeks zoomed by and we soon found ourselves packing up (not that we had much to pack up) and moving to Vancouver. First, we stopped in Saskatoon and Nicole Buhler captured some sunny imagery of the six of us (eight, if you count Loki and Poet!) My parents were tied up with work and unable to take the time off, so we’ll have to get full family photos at Christmas or as soon as our littlest family member arrives (I CAN’T wait to be an auntie!)
I also caught up with some pals and relatives for physically distant catch ups in Saskatoon, Calgary and Kelowna. The scenic drive across Alberta to British Columbia was good for the soul. I don’t think I’ve ever truly appreciated just how stunning (and vast) our country is before. Having previously lived in Toronto and explored the Maritimes, there’s plenty I haven’t yet seen out west. We were amazed by how similar the landscape in Lake Country (Okanagan) is to Queenstown. Soon after, we arrived in Vancouver to settle in and find a more permanent home. It’s been a whirlwind so far, but we’re thrilled to be here.
As we settle into our new rhythm here in Vancouver, I’ll be sharing more about apartment hunting, furnishing our new place, and our experience WFH. If you ever want to chat, my comments section and DMs are always open.
prairie girl musings 