I've always had this longing inside of me to see the world and to leave a mark wherever I go. As long as I can remember it's been there. So you can imagine when this opportunity came up to travel in South Africa, I jumped at the chance. I will be studying for 3 months in Worcester SA taking a course called Introduction to Primary Health Care in developing countries. And then I'll be traveling around for 2 months working in clinics all over Africa.
I have to admit that my excitement has mainly been over run by stress as I've had to pack up my life, and say goodbye to people that I will miss and a job that I love before heading out... putting all of my belongings in storage however does put you in a place to be ok with getting rid of things you don't actually need. To say the least I feel lighter and ready to move forward and leave the baggage behind. I think that might have also been my motivation behind cutting off 12 inches of hair lol.
I've realized a few things lately about myself and about my life. I can't believe how truly blessed I am to have the friends and family that I have. Some of my closest friendships have been relationships that started within the last year or so. A bond like that is hard to create, but once it's solid there is no breaking it! And I have people in my life who have been there through it all and I wouldn't be who I am with out their support. Like my friend Jeremy... A guy who after carrying $86US in his wallet since 2006 wanted to give it to me so that I could do something special for myself while on this trip. I'm sure he worked it like a champ to make that money and I'm truly grateful for his generosity.
And I would not be here without the love and support of my family. I can't say thank you enough!
A few years ago my life took a bit of a funny twist... I found myself quitting my secure, high paying job without really having a plan of what was coming next. But I knew it was the right thing for me to do. I just felt peace about this decision so I went for it. I've always been one of those people that isn't afraid of taking chances and so far they have all paid off. (Maybe not the spiky hair haha)... And then the opportunity to work at Trailhead came up. Hey a retail job selling outdoor gear sounded like the perfect segway into the next phase of my life so I jumped on it. Woohoo $11 an hour! Less then half of what I used to make. This sounds like a fun challenge! Lol... And it was! And completely worth it!!
Because of that job I realized my potential in sales, testing my limits with adventure racing and the endless opportunities to meet amazing people and help them start their adventures. To some this might seem silly but as far as jobs go I couldn't have been happier.
I firmly believe that there is a silver lining in every situation. Me leaving the money and job security because I wasn't happy was a leap of faith but it has provided many new and exciting opportunities for me. Joining up with the Disaster Management Team of the Canadian Red Cross last year is one of the biggest rewards of my decision. It's been a ride that's for sure. It helped me to realize and reinforce that need to help and make a difference in the world and one of the biggest factors in my decision to travel to Africa.
So I feel as though I've hit the jackpot. I can say that I've lived an incredible life so far and can't wait for this adventure to begin!
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