I know it has been ages since my last post but I guess that is just a by-product of life. Life happens and the direction in which you thought you were going does a crazy 180 and you become lost in the whirlwind of new sounds, smells, tastes, routines etc. I seem to be living a life that is so far removed from where I was three months ago it difficult for me to swallow that my wild journey even occurred in this lifetime!
For those of you who haven't heard a whisper concerning my whereabouts, I am happy to say I am alive and well and just finishing up a work contract up the sunshine coast in British Columbia.
There are so many things I'd love to write about, but how to get it all down and in an organized fashion to boot, will be a bit of a challenge. Let's rewind a little and go back to my return home. Undeniably, I have the most amazing and supportive family in the whole, wide, world. It was incredible to come home and reconnect with everyone and have a warm, comfy bed to sleep in, good food to eat (which was not dehydrated chili, woohoo) and simply relax. I found myself embracing my fellow Torontonians and felt a closeness to strangers, like a brotherly and sisterly love for all those walking the streets. I spent some time reconnecting with old friends who I hadn't connected with in ages, and was happy to listen and see the direction their lives had taken. Life was golden for about two and a half weeks before I started to feel antsy. The city began to overwhelm me and I couldn't help but start to feel a bit stagnant. There I was, staying in one place after having spent the last four months constantly on the move. I was going CRAZY! I began the mad hunt for jobs and applied to several, but still didn't feel really good about planting my roots in Toronto. I was so conflicted. I love my family and good friends with all my heart, yet the big city life, the high-stress, chaos and fast pace of it all does not coincide with my heart's rhythm. It was too much in the end, and I couldn't commit myself to a long term job, knowing how I felt in that setting.
As a result of my unwavering faith in the universe, I believed something would come up that would work with my schedule (my summer's are a no-go, dedicated to the Ranger Program in northern Ontario for 10 weeks). I wanted a job that was flexible, paid fairly well and left me with very few expenses as I wanted to put a serious dent in my student loans...Et Voila! A great friend of mine contacted me out of the blue with an offer to work as a housekeeper for a fairly large construction contractor, building a massive water pipeline just up the coast from the small town of Sechelt. The pay was great, room and board was provided and the work was two weeks on, one week off. As someone who needs a lot of physical exercise, the outdoors and more mental stimulation than what cleaning can offer, it was certainly challenging at times but totally worth it. I met some of the most incredible, hardworking, genuine people out there. I also worked with a few of my really close friends and so, despite the work being a bit monotonous and tedious, we were able to make cleaning shit-stains off toilets a riot!
It is not an easy place to work for a lot of the men. The days are extremely long, and they are outside in all weather conditions, working in very hazardous and steep mountain terrain. Many of them have seen the the project through from its infancy, almost two years in the making. I salute every one of those men and all the incredibly dedicated and hardworking housekeeping and kitchen staff.
The inlet in which the project is taking place is absolutely gorgeous, surrounded by picturesque mountains and a plethora of cascading waterfalls any which way you turn your head. Industry has been a part of Clohom Lake for years now, with logging being the first, hydro dams and now this pipeline. It has been quite an active place, yet there is still something so serene, wild and beautiful about it. There were so many mornings where I'd walk to the barge to grab some breakfast and see mist rising up out of the trees like it was something out of a fantasy novel. The deep sleep that I fell into each night, partly from exhaustion but mostly because I could hear the quite murmurings of a flowing river right next to my window. Life had a sort of simplicity that is hard to come by these days. There were many moments where I was so conflicted, because I felt that so much of what I'd spent the last four months learning wasn't being put to use. I felt stagnant, un-stimulated by the work and found myself losing motivation to repeat the work of the day before. I had to keep reminding myself, that it is not what job you have but rather how you do and approach that job that matters.
My final night there, I finally received some much needed confirmation from some of the men that yes, indeed my work and cleaning was greatly appreciated. I firmly believe it is not what you do but how you do it that really counts. For a long time I felt I wasn't making much of a difference in the lives of these men, but little did I know that they loved nothing more than to come off that mountain after a hard days work, and smile because we were smiling right back at them. It's crazy how you can change someone's whole being and energy with something as simple as a smile and "how was your day?" I cared, and the rest of the kitchen staff cared and this is what made that work camp such a special place. I now understand that for me it is so important to feel passion behind what I do, but it was essential for me to work a job like that to find those moments of passion that sustained me for the rest of the day. Laughter is another one of those things that help us keep on' keepin' on.
I'm currently staying with a friend in Vancouver until next week, when I fly back to Toronto. I have less than a week to gather my things and then migrate up north for another fantastic season at Dividing Lake Ranger Camp. If there is one thing that is consistent in my life it is this program and place. Magic happens there every summer and I get to be a part of it. There is no stronger word than Love and I absolutely LOVE it up there. It has become a sancutary for a me... A place where I can relax, reflect, make sense of my life and the world around me without the interference of billboards, electronics, media etc. It probably won't be until after the summer that I will write again, so Adieu for now and have an amazing summer as I know I will!
One love to the world and beyond,
xo Naomi
For those of you who haven't heard a whisper concerning my whereabouts, I am happy to say I am alive and well and just finishing up a work contract up the sunshine coast in British Columbia.
There are so many things I'd love to write about, but how to get it all down and in an organized fashion to boot, will be a bit of a challenge. Let's rewind a little and go back to my return home. Undeniably, I have the most amazing and supportive family in the whole, wide, world. It was incredible to come home and reconnect with everyone and have a warm, comfy bed to sleep in, good food to eat (which was not dehydrated chili, woohoo) and simply relax. I found myself embracing my fellow Torontonians and felt a closeness to strangers, like a brotherly and sisterly love for all those walking the streets. I spent some time reconnecting with old friends who I hadn't connected with in ages, and was happy to listen and see the direction their lives had taken. Life was golden for about two and a half weeks before I started to feel antsy. The city began to overwhelm me and I couldn't help but start to feel a bit stagnant. There I was, staying in one place after having spent the last four months constantly on the move. I was going CRAZY! I began the mad hunt for jobs and applied to several, but still didn't feel really good about planting my roots in Toronto. I was so conflicted. I love my family and good friends with all my heart, yet the big city life, the high-stress, chaos and fast pace of it all does not coincide with my heart's rhythm. It was too much in the end, and I couldn't commit myself to a long term job, knowing how I felt in that setting.
As a result of my unwavering faith in the universe, I believed something would come up that would work with my schedule (my summer's are a no-go, dedicated to the Ranger Program in northern Ontario for 10 weeks). I wanted a job that was flexible, paid fairly well and left me with very few expenses as I wanted to put a serious dent in my student loans...Et Voila! A great friend of mine contacted me out of the blue with an offer to work as a housekeeper for a fairly large construction contractor, building a massive water pipeline just up the coast from the small town of Sechelt. The pay was great, room and board was provided and the work was two weeks on, one week off. As someone who needs a lot of physical exercise, the outdoors and more mental stimulation than what cleaning can offer, it was certainly challenging at times but totally worth it. I met some of the most incredible, hardworking, genuine people out there. I also worked with a few of my really close friends and so, despite the work being a bit monotonous and tedious, we were able to make cleaning shit-stains off toilets a riot!
It is not an easy place to work for a lot of the men. The days are extremely long, and they are outside in all weather conditions, working in very hazardous and steep mountain terrain. Many of them have seen the the project through from its infancy, almost two years in the making. I salute every one of those men and all the incredibly dedicated and hardworking housekeeping and kitchen staff.
The inlet in which the project is taking place is absolutely gorgeous, surrounded by picturesque mountains and a plethora of cascading waterfalls any which way you turn your head. Industry has been a part of Clohom Lake for years now, with logging being the first, hydro dams and now this pipeline. It has been quite an active place, yet there is still something so serene, wild and beautiful about it. There were so many mornings where I'd walk to the barge to grab some breakfast and see mist rising up out of the trees like it was something out of a fantasy novel. The deep sleep that I fell into each night, partly from exhaustion but mostly because I could hear the quite murmurings of a flowing river right next to my window. Life had a sort of simplicity that is hard to come by these days. There were many moments where I was so conflicted, because I felt that so much of what I'd spent the last four months learning wasn't being put to use. I felt stagnant, un-stimulated by the work and found myself losing motivation to repeat the work of the day before. I had to keep reminding myself, that it is not what job you have but rather how you do and approach that job that matters.
My final night there, I finally received some much needed confirmation from some of the men that yes, indeed my work and cleaning was greatly appreciated. I firmly believe it is not what you do but how you do it that really counts. For a long time I felt I wasn't making much of a difference in the lives of these men, but little did I know that they loved nothing more than to come off that mountain after a hard days work, and smile because we were smiling right back at them. It's crazy how you can change someone's whole being and energy with something as simple as a smile and "how was your day?" I cared, and the rest of the kitchen staff cared and this is what made that work camp such a special place. I now understand that for me it is so important to feel passion behind what I do, but it was essential for me to work a job like that to find those moments of passion that sustained me for the rest of the day. Laughter is another one of those things that help us keep on' keepin' on.
I'm currently staying with a friend in Vancouver until next week, when I fly back to Toronto. I have less than a week to gather my things and then migrate up north for another fantastic season at Dividing Lake Ranger Camp. If there is one thing that is consistent in my life it is this program and place. Magic happens there every summer and I get to be a part of it. There is no stronger word than Love and I absolutely LOVE it up there. It has become a sancutary for a me... A place where I can relax, reflect, make sense of my life and the world around me without the interference of billboards, electronics, media etc. It probably won't be until after the summer that I will write again, so Adieu for now and have an amazing summer as I know I will!
One love to the world and beyond,
xo Naomi
Comments
Post a Comment