26. Never Say Never...

Having never done my OE (overseas experience) or “year out” when I was younger, perhaps the moral to this particular story is that it is never too late. Don’t give up on your dreams or say ‘never’. I have never heard of anyone on their deathbed saying “I wish I had worked harder” but maybe regret not to have taken some risks or changed things that society would deem “desirable”.

Where do I start when talking about the past ten and half months?  So many memories still make me smile and many can’t be conveyed in simple words (or at least not mine).  I have flashbacks of :

·         Why one should never get into a hot tub at 480C or more

·         Those little waves that can cause havoc when doing a little sea kayaking

·         Don’t stop to help a lonely bison on the side of the road

·         Wear body armour when downhill mountain biking

·         If you are unfortunate enough to hit an animal in Western Canada whilst driving, chances are it’s going to be bigger than a squirrel!

·         That only in Canada will a moose be found to play in the “pow”

·         There are definitely no friends on a “powder day” (read also “boyfriends”)!!

…and you think this has covered my bucket list? Think again. It’s a work in progress and not getting shorter. Contrary to popular belief I still consider the world to be a pretty big place and have found new things I want to try. Meeting new people and getting out of a routine life simply generated new ideas. So check out some of my new plans (although some may have to wait a while):

·         Run a marathon (probably Kelowna October 2012)

·         Compete in the Canadian indoor rowing champs (2013?)

·         Taste the steak, drink the wine and smash the pow in South America (next sabbatical?)

·         Hike the Himalayas and Pyrenees (maybe not “back to back”)

·         Snowboard Revelstoke and Jackson Hole mountains

·         Camp out at Glastonbury music festival

·         Cycle the wine region in France (maybe do some wine tasting along the way)

Taking the plunge to leave behind a “well paid” job in which I had been happy and had made many friends over a period of 12 years was a scary and sad experience. However, in addition to all of the fun times that I gained, it also helped me grow as a person – not height, silly!  At the risk of sounding self-righteous, having made such a change in my life has given me the confidence to make decisions and turn ideas into actions faster. I used to be a lot more cautious. On the downside I have also gotten a whole lot less tolerant of things that annoy me. One example which immediately springs to mind is that typical British trait of meaningless insincere pleasantries. It really winds me up when someone says “let’s do lunch” and has no intention to commit to a specific date and time. Oh boy, have I turned ‘German’? ;-)

The past few months, and now moving to Canada, continue to teach me that the materialistic world in which we live really counts for very little in the big scheme of things. Yes of course I had the image at one stage when living in a new country that I would be wearing the latest “designer” gear, driving a big Audi and living in a fancy waterside apartment. I won’t because I want to have time to play and do what really makes me happy.  What matters the most is that I have time to be me and the future is not determined by anyone else, that I have a loving caring relationship with the most amazing person I have ever met and we are both lucky enough to be fit and healthy. So, bring on the future - not my next shopping trip!

Words cannot describe what a wild experience these past few months have been, indeed it has been the “ride of my life”, but my advice is to live life to the full, with no regrets, and never say “never”…