Category: Canada

Welcome to a new year with Probe and Ponder…Blog 141

January 2025…how has the year started for you? Slow and steady? Like a whirlwind? Full of expectancy? Waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop? Are you excited about new beginnings? None of these outlooks are right or wrong…they just are. And that’s ok.

Mine started rather quietly – we slipped into 2025 without much fanfare. Like many people at certain stages of life, we were already in dreamland by the time the clock struck midnight!

That was until January 3rd.

I love to smile, but recently I have been conscious of people’s reactions when they see a gap where until that day, a tooth lived. It happened like this:

I was meeting with a close friend, enjoying a great cup of coffee and a soft veggie wrap. We were laughing together, catching up on each other’s lives, and about to begin talking about a second walk together on the Camino de Santiago, when I felt the strangest thing…there was a hole where a front tooth used to be! My tongue explored it, my finger found the hole, and a selfie confirmed what I feared…I had lost a tooth. It split up the middle and was gone! I truly did lose it—it wasn’t in my mouth, nor was it stuck in the wrap…it was gone. Well, not completely lost, I had swallowed it!

As you can read in my memoir, life is not exactly stress-free when one’s husband has some major medical issues. So when this happened, I looked at my friend, recognizing my shock reflected in her face, and we both laughed! What else could we do? I immediately reached out to our dental office and shared my story of woe, and the receptionist laughed as well! Realizing her reaction may not have been overly empathetic, she quickly apologized.

Within an hour I was sitting in the dental chair having x-rays taken, then setting up an appointment with my dentist for the following week (of course it happened on a day when the dentist wasn’t working!). Thus began the long process of having a tooth implanted by a dental surgeon…but first the remainder of my broken tooth needs to be removed. (There are many things I would rather do than visit the dentist…for any reason!)

So here was the dilemma I now faced. I was booked to be interviewed on a podcast (video, not audio), and present an Author Meet at our local library. I am also in the process of recording an audiobook. Do you know how difficult it is to pronounce ‘th’ and ‘f’ sounds when you are missing a front tooth? The recording mic is so sensitive the production guy could hear a plane passing overhead, a sound I couldn’t even hear!

What to do? We were able to adjust the mic far enough from my mouth so as not to have the offending sounds pop the mic…one problem solved. But what about the podcast? If you have spent any time on virtual calls, you know how distracting it is to see your face on a screen just inches away. It can be disconcerting to say the least. Add to that the insult of seeing a very visible gap anytime you smile, multiplying the distraction. So the podcast appearance was cancelled.

But what about the Author Meet? I seriously considered cancelling it as well, until I was hit with one of those epiphany experiences. That quiet inner voice reminded me that I had committed to be open and transparent both in my writing and in life in general. Having a tooth fall out is just part of life (at least my life).

So here I am, missing tooth and all, ready to take on 2025. I look forward to openly and transparently sharing my probings and ponderings with you. Please stay tuned as I continue sharing my learnings from life and travel with you. Who knows what’s next?

By the way, if you ever want to reach out for coaching, speaking events, or simply to say ‘hi’, here are my contacts:

roberta@samisremote.com | resawatzky.com | robertasawatzky.com | https://calendly.com/roberta20/complimentary-chat

As 2024 comes to an end…Blog 140

I’m sitting in my home office, gazing out at a very gray day. We had snow last evening, but mild temperatures and light rain have turned the fresh blanket of snow into a dull, mushy mess.

Winter isn’t my favorite season—my soul seems to hibernate, awaiting the awakening signaled by the first buds of spring appearing on the trees outside my window. These buds signal new life.

In summer, we slow down to soak up the sun’s warmth, shedding cumbersome jackets, socks, and ‘whole shoes’ (as our daughter used to call them) to make way for sandals, sundresses, t-shirts, and the ever-present sunnies. At times, the sun’s heat becomes oppressive, prompting us to seek the perfect shade under which to sip a cool beverage, dreaming of storing this glorious heat to be slowly released during the cold, frigid winter months.

Then autumn arrives. How I love this season! The summer heat fades, leaving warm days and nights that call for the cozy embrace of light sweaters to fend off the evening chill. The greens of summer transform into vibrant reds, ambers, and crimson leaves, drawing me in like the crackling flames of the fires my mum used to set in the evenings back in Ireland.

However, without the winter months that prompt us to hunker down and reflect on the gifts of new life, warmth, and harvest, we might miss the lessons nature offers.

I believe the four seasons—winter, spring, summer, and autumn—are a rich metaphor for life, especially when we consider the changes each one brings. Over the past year, I’ve been working on a book about change and transition. Initially, its focus was on transitioning from full-time employment to part-time, contract work. This transition would bridge the years between the workforce and possibly leaving paid employment altogether. As I wrote, I realized that life is, and will continue to be, filled with various transitions, each with its own intensity. This process has made me reflect on the many changes and transitions I’ve experienced and consider how successfully or unsuccessfully I’ve navigated each. Transitions stem from change; some are self-initiated, while others result from decisions made by others that impact us. Some transitions bring wonderful opportunities filled with adventure and excitment, while others may lead to loss, grief, and anxiety.

During this winter solstice season, as I reflect on the past year, I remember moments of joy and laughter, delight and pleasure, beauty and wonder, awe and curiosity, peace and stillness. I also remember moments of deep sadness and tears, anger and fear, loss and grief. This is life; these are the seasons of life that shape us into unique and wonderful human beings living amidst its messiness.

One of my favorite Broadway experiences was Rent. From the opening number, I was captivated by the stories of a group of young bohemians endeavoring to live fully. It chronicles a year in their lives. The opening song, “Seasons of Life,” asks, “How do you measure the value of a year in a person’s life?” A big question! But is it really? Looking back over 2024, how would you describe its value in terms of your accomplishments, contributions, and what you’ve received? What gauge or criterion might you use to evaluate its worth? I believe this question, posed by songwriter Jonathan Larson, provides a simple yet profound foundation for closing off a year and setting intentions for 2025, marking it as a year of great value.

What do you think? How might you measure the value of 2024?

PEI…Canada’s smallest province…Blog 139

It happens this time every year…I wonder where the summer went?

Where I live, summer was everything it should be: mostly blue skies, hot temperatures (ok, those days with temperatures in the high 30’s was a bit much), very little smoke from fires, travel, and a much slower pace of life.

I did a great deal of reading; some books for learning, some for inspiration, and others simply for entertainment. I took time to work on my next book (about life transitions, but no inspiration for a title as yet…ideas?), contracted a marketing specialist for my business, who lifted a massive weight off my shoulders making my summer so much more pleasurable.

In my last blog I shared the joy of discovering and learning about yoga and mediation. What I failed to learn is that when they say ‘listen to your body and let it guide you’, they mean it! The trouble is, sometimes your body doesn’t speak until the day after you pushed to do those 100 leg lifts after a nasty spill on a concrete sidewalk the previous day. Yup, all headway I made with my regular exercise program came to a full stop until my muscles and ligaments do some much needed healing.

This isn’t the first time I’ve done a number on my body…you can read about it in a previous blog.

Enough about the woes of my irresponsibility, let’s talk about travel. I have done a great deal of travel in the U.S. and Europe, but not as much in my own country of Canada. It is a vast area stretching over 4,700 miles (7,560 kilometers) from West to East, and crosses six time zones. We are surrounded by the Pacific Ocean in the west, the Atlantic Ocean in the east, and the Arctic Ocean to the north.

Each of the ten provinces and three territories offer their own beauty; according to National Geographic Kids, Canada is home to two million lakes (14% of the world’s lakes), 8,500 named rivers, 125 mountain ranges including the Rockies, the Appalachian Mountains, St. Elias Mountains, the Laurentian Mountains and the Purcell Mountains. Three of our provinces, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta constitute the great wheat-producing region of Canada and are a major source for petroleum, potash, and natural gas…and they offer the most amazing sunsets and sunrises.

I lived my teenage years in Ontario, Canada. School trips and camp experiences included brought us to a lush forested areas called Algonquin Park. This incredible park covers an area of 7,630 km² (or about 2,946 square miles). To give some perspective, Algonquin Park is larger than Canada’s smallest province, Prince Edward Island, or, around the same size as Delaware and Rhode Island, U.S….COMBINED!

It would take a life time to fully take in all Canada has to offer. To date, my experiences in my own country have mostly been in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario. However, this summer I fell in love with Prince Edward Island. A friend is driving across Canada (taking several months to make the return trip), so I decided to meet up with her for a week in PEI.

What a beautiful place! We were welcomed with such warm hospitality, drove by fields of such varied crops, especially potatoes (and ate our share of french fries), and iron-rich rust coloured soil. We visited the Anne of Green Gable site, a favourite of my Mums, and marvelled at the amazing and inspirational talent of author Lucy Maude Mongomery. And the lighthouse…all sixty one of them!

For me the best of PEI was the beaches — more than 1000 km of coastline and 90 beaches! The long stretches of soft silky red or white sand, ocean so inviting it was impossible to resist at least walking along the waters edge, if not taking a dip in the clearn, refreshing ocean. Most welcome when the temperatures were high and the humidity even higher. Most beaches sported incredible sand dunes, however, over the past two decades, on-going coastal erosion is threatening the dunes, causing great concern to locals and Nature Conservancy alike.

If you are a lover of oysters, PEI would be a haven for you. Sadly, I am one of many deprived individuals who can’t partake of these gems of the sea, so I enjoyed them vicariously through my friend. I can’t remember all the varieties she sampled, but here are a few: Northern Belle, Lucky Limes, Rustico, Sweet Blue, and Colville Bay…her pleasure and delight was a joy to behold.

An amazing volunteer at the Summerside information centre told us about a series of concerts called ‘Under the Spire’, held in the Historic St. Mary’s Church, built in 1902 by Island architect William Critchlow Harris. Fortunately for us, we were able to get tickets for the next night. The Acadian sounds of Vishtèn Connexions were amazing, thrilling us with musical combinations of fiddles, keyboard, flutes, bodhrán, guitar, mouth harp, and of course, vocal harmonies that carried the words of their original works across the enraptured audience.

So much more could be said about this nature inspired, understated Island, but I’ll leave it up to you to discover when you go visit for yourself – I’m confident you’ll be as enraptured as I was.

Photographs by Me.

Travel with all your senses…Blog 136

I really enjoy spring and summer. There’s something wonderful about the bursting forth of new life, the many shades of green, and the blooming flowers that turn so intently, yet gently to smile at the sun. Who can blame them after a long winter’s hibernation?

Green truly is my favourite colour. Growing up in Ireland, the Emerald Isle, may have left a greater imprint on my psyche than I imagined. Even now as I watch travel shows or movies that feature my homeland, there is something deep inside that calls out to me, an internal connection that can only come from deeply seeded memories of years gone by. Memories of times spent roaming among the purple heather on the Mountains of Mourne, walking along the shores of the Irish Sea and climbing the boulder sized rocks close to my grandparent’s home in the small fishing village of Annalong. Long days filled with picnics, swimming, sandcastle building and simply lazing at Tyrella Beach in County Down. And not to be forgotten, swimming lessons in the frigid waters of Pickie Pool in Bangor; the water was so cold it forced the breath out of my young lungs, propelling me to the safety and warmth of the edge of the pool where Mum crouched with a cup of hot cocoa. I just needed to reach her!

Green, as I sit writing this blog from my deck in Kelowna, BC, my eyes again get to feast on the many shades of green: cedar hedges, maple trees, manicured lawns, tree covered hills, grasses in patio containers, and of course herbs, ready and waiting to add an element of freshness to my morning smoothies (or to be eaten by my youngest grandkids before making it into the house).

I’m currently reading “The Heartbeat of Trees” by Peter Wohllenben. To be honest, it’s not the kind of book I traditionally read, but when you have grandkids who are committed to learning about and preserving our planet, they have a tendency to open your eyes and truly take in the beauty and creation around us. And to realise how much we need nature to live healthy lives.

Early in the book, the author speaks to how being in the forest, among those stately and life giving trees, can benefit our very health. He says:

“It’s a good idea to give your nose, palate, and gut a break every now and again by going out into the forest and spending a good long time there. Everything that flows over your senses when you are in the forest is exactly the kind of compound your body is made for. If you take along a snack of natural, minimally processed food without additives, then your time spent forest bathing will be even more beneficial.”

As you know, my blog, Probe and Ponder is all about travel and learning. Now, I don’t travel for the sole purpose of education, although that certainly is an amazing byproduct of travel. But I do want to be intentional about being aware of what’s around me, of utilizing my senses. What am I seeing, what am I hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling through touch?

Those who know me well will confirm that I can only fully see something when my sense of touch is involved (yes, even having to touch those sacred fresnos and statutes throughout Europe!). Needless to say, I was thrilled to read Wohllenben’s reflection on research regarding how touching helps us think. I get it!

So, as you head out on your travels this summer, let me share a suggestion from “The Heartbeat of Trees”.

“The next time you are walking outside, try touching a variety of objects. The feather lying by the side of the path is just waiting to be picked up. Even the slippery rock covered with algae offers unusual experiences of contact and motion.”

In other words, experience the forest, the seaside, the mountains the way you did as a child. Or, perhaps, rather than getting frustrated with the slow, exploratory ways the little ones in your life go for a walk, take a moment to look at the tiny bug walking along the sidewalk, explore the many beautiful shells strewn across the beach, stop and smell the wildflowers on the mountain side, help them gather the ‘nature’ they encounter along the way and bask in the moment shared with those who have not yet lost their sense of wonder.

Cafés, coffee, and creativity…Blog #133

One of the many things I love about travel, is finding new cafés. Now, I’m a little picky about my cafés ~ they need to have character, atmosphere, background music that isn’t overbearing (jazz is always a good choice), comfortable chairs, and of course the necessary internet connections. When doing work travel, cafés are my location of choice to write and prepare for whatever projects I may be working on at the time.

I’ve shared some of my favourites in this blog.

Customer service is also important, I want to get the feeling that I’m welcome there, not just a source of revenue to the owners. I have experienced all of these elements in coffee shops across Canada and Europe, but I’ve also experienced some that cause me to quickly drink my beverage and leave…after all who wants to feel like an inconvenience?

As I write this blog, I’m sitting in a local café in my home town of Kelowna BC. Soft jazz is playing, I’m sitting in a comfortable chair by the window providing a view of the lake. I am very much enjoying a decaffeinated, double espresso, macchiato. (It has to go be strong to make me forget it is decaf!). A new barista asked if I wanted a 12 or 16 ounce — good clue that she was new. However, the person training her respectfully whispered that she was not quite on the right track, then proceeded to coach her through making my not-so-often requested drink. The training was magnificent, as was my coffee.

I have a home office (currently being redesigned by a new start up business, Design Floral), and I really do like working in it. However, there’s something about the inspiration I get when working from such coffee shops as this one. I use my AirBuds to quiet down some of the distractions, while still allowing the gentle ‘buzz’ of the patrons to filter through. It’s peaceful, and for some reason, provides an atmosphere that stimulates creativity.

I’m sure you have come across some hidden gems from your travels, or even in your own home town — I would love to hear about them. What do you look for? What are some non-negotiables? What kind of work do you feel most inspired to do in a café of choice? What would perhaps make a one-time-visit-never-to-return experience? What location would you recommend as a must visit?

Cafés, coffee, and creativity ~~ a dynamic combination.

Let’s talk airport special assistance…Blog #132

I love writing about travel experiences — so many wonderfully amazing places in this world to visit. I’ve waxed eloquent (hopefully) about such magnificent places as the Acropolis in Athens, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or Skookumchuk Narrows in British Collumbia’s Sunshine Coast. And what can match the mystery of the Giant’s Causeway in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, or the wondrous display of a Creators sense of humour as schools of angelfish decided my freckles were bits of food just waiting for their tiny beaks to feed on me while snorkelling! Do you know how hard it is to laugh while wearing goggles — and how could I not?

What I have never written about are the journeys taken to get to these amazing places, and the hours spent in airports. Who hasn’t experienced the mad rush to make it to the gate before it closes, or endured hours sitting on hard benches while your flight has been delayed yet again. Or what about the seemingly miles of unending halls to navigate, and security that is compelled to aggressively dig through the carefully packed contents of your carryon luggage? (I know…it’s for our own safety)

*Sculpture ~ Vancouver, BC International Airport*

On our recent trip to Europe, my husband and I had the joy of spending time in no less than four airports, each way. At times the layovers were of a short duration, other times we had several hours to fill before boarding yet another plane.

We have travelled a great deal and feel very blessed to have done so, and mostly without incident. However, life changed greatly three years ago when my husband was diagnosed with a serious medical condition. We still wanted to travel, but the simple task of getting from one gate to the next very quickly became an insurmountable task…or so we thought.

On this trip, our amazing travel agent at Flight Centre added a request on my hubby’s ticket…’wheelchair required’. It was a game changer. At each airport, a trained and ever so gracious ‘assistant’ was waiting to take him from point A to point B with both speed and efficiency. Who knew there were so many back halls and corridors available to those with the necessary security clearance. The added bonus? We got to bypass all the lineups for security and passport control…it was amazing!

Have you ever tried to keep up with a wheelchair pushed by a licensed wheelchair operator while lugging two four-wheeled suitcases? (I’m sure they must take some kind of wheelchair driving course to move that fast) It’s not for the faint of heart, believe me. I achieved a week’s worth of exercise just trying to keep up. When time allowed, and it generally did, they would leave my husband (and me as the tag along) in one of the airport lounges available through my credit card, then magically show up just in time to get us to the next gate ready for pre-boarding.

In all seriousness, these amazing humans deserve more than they are probably paid and have earned our undying admiration for life. In leadership we talk about ‘servant leadership’, what we witnessed was such a lovely example of customer service servanthood.

Travel will never be as effortless for us as it was in the past, but having access to such assistance made all the difference in the world. There are many more amazing places in this world we want to visit — these airport angels are now an important element in making this possible.

Trip Saavy | Wheelchair and Guided Assistance | Arranging special assistance UK | Canadian Affair | Travelling with disabilities

‘Thank you’ Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Pexels.com

Autumn, it’s the most wonderful time of the year…Blog # 128

I love Autumn. Always have, and always will. It was the perfect month for me to be born! (Actually, today’s my birthday!) There’s something about the feeling of the warmth of the sun filtering through the cool, crisp air. The light is somehow softer in the autumn, as sun rays are less direct. By early afternoon through early evening, the sun beats through my home office window. I have one of those oversize chairs by the window — my favourite place to sit and read, listen to an audio book, or even allow myself to have a short afternoon snooze while the sun serves as a warming blanket.

Every autumn, our city in western Canada treats us to a cacophony of fall colours as trees display their red, orange and yellow leaves. Who doesn’t love strutting through the leaves and hearing them rustling underfoot? While I appreciate the diligence of city workers and gardners as they rake these autumn carpets, I simply can’t resist gathering the leaves and throwing them in the air, then laughing at the shower they provide as, once again, they float to the ground.

I haven’t travelled since May, and even though I’m always ready to travel to some far-off place, my husband and I have thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of the Okanagan Valley. Have you ever walked around your area and looked through the eyes of a first-time visitor, or a tourist? Try it…I guarantee you will appreciate the surrounding beauty in a new light.

We can’t all live by the ocean (sad, but true), nor can we all live by a 90-mile-long lake (like we do), however, there is such beauty in a prairie sunrise or sunset. I will never forget my first visit to the Canadian prairies…how could anything be so flat?? On my first day I decided to brave the brisk early morning October air. Dawn was just breaking on the horizon and I witnessed the most spectacular sunrise I have ever seen. It’s awesomeness literally brought tears to my eyes. Then there are the spectacular views from atop a mountain or the sense of insignificance we feel when looking up at such majesty from a lush valley. I remember standing with a friend on Mars Hill in Athens and gazing over the expanse of the magnificent city spread out before us.

Who can forget their first experience of wonder when snorkelling in the waters of Hawaii, or Mexico? It is like entering another world, one that is peaceful, abundant with every colour of the rainbow, and occupied by the most amazing sea life that would give Dr. Seuss’s creative mind a run for his money!

You get the idea. Yes, travelling is wonderful, something never to be taken for granted. But so is the world immediately around us, in our backyard, across the street, on the other side of town, a day trip away, or a bike ride along a peaceful country road.

Sadly, there are times when beauty is destroyed by devastating events caused by nature, or man. My hope is that in the midst of such devastation, we are able to eventually see beauty…like a phoenix rising from the ashes. In the meantime, I’m happy to share nature’s beauty with you, looking through my eyes.

All photographs taken from right here in Kelowna, Canada. We truly live in a four seasons playground.

A travel legacy from my Dad…Blog# 123

This Sunday is Father’s Day. A day when we traditionally honour our dads and those men who have had a significant impact on our lives. For some the memories are not something deserving focus or release from long, shut away memory vaults. My heart hurts for those of you who had to suffer such pain.

For others, Father’s Day is an opportunity to reflect on past memories, and turn back the hands of time to consider how our dads have left their imprint on our lives. I’m one of the fortunate ones; while my dad wasn’t perfect, he certainly loved his family and did the very best he could. My father passed away July 2021 after suffering several years with vascular dementia.

While he still could, I loved taking Dad for coffee where we laughed, and at times cried together at shared memories of the past. He always asked the same questions. 1. How’s Rob (my husband)? How are Ian and Jennifer (my brother and sister)? How are all the kids?

The next question? Have you travelled anywhere lately? This would immediately lead to a lovely walk down memory lane as we chatted about vacations taken as a family. You see, my dad loved to travel, and he passed his love of travel on to me.

Growing up in Ireland, many of our holidays were to the South of Ireland, England, or Scotland. In our coffee chats, a favourite holiday that often surfaced in our conversations found our family of five riding a pony and trap around the Gap of Dunloe in Killarney, Ireland.

I was eight. We were surrounded by lush green beauty dotted with deep purple heather that abounds across Ireland. Amongst the heather were herds of sheep, meandering along with no thought of destination. We pasted many lakes, and jaunted along the River Loe, taking it’s time to weave from one lake to the next. I remember the surrounding majestic mountains (ok, big hills), poised and ready for the Cavalry, soon to appear rescuing me from the monotony of riding in that slow, rickety carriage!

The Cavalry never came. While the carriage was good for my parents and new born sister…and I think my brother was happy with it…it simply didn’t cut it for me! I so desperately wanted to ride a horse, untethered, free to wander and explore. Not go at a snail’s pace! But there I sat, taking in the beauty, and not sporting a bad attitude at all!

Still, the memory brings a warmth to my soul. In spite of my dampened spirit, it was a trip to remember.

Then there was the trip to Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands where we actually saw Nessie! Yup, the fabled Loch Ness Monster. It was a damp, rainy day (of course). The fog was hovering over the lake creating an eerie stillness. Cars were pulled over to the side of the road. Dad, having as curious a nature as I, pulled over to investigate. Everyone was speaking in low whispers, eyes peeled on the lake. Then we saw her…Nessie appeared through the fog, cutting a trail through the placid waters. Head held high, her eyes glowed—I held my breath not wanting to break the spell.

Then the film crew emerged through the fog and the spell was broken (deep sigh). Another wonderful shared family holiday.

I have so many memories that continue to feed my love of travel. This excerpt from my memoir (coming soon, I hope!) paints a lovely picture of what travel looked like for our family.

Imagine weekends heading to Annalong, the small fishing village in Ireland where my dad grew up. Fancy dress parades in the English gardens of a grand old boarding house in the South of Ireland. Eating fish and chips on the pebble beaches of Portsmouth and Bournemouth, England, all the while protecting the yumminess from hungry seagulls. After immigrating to Canada, even though finances were tight, our family still managed to vacation in beach front cabins that provided front row seats to weather that lit up the sky, causing our hair to stand on end, while we giggled at the sight we must have been lying in bed with umbrellas protecting us from the effects of a leaky roof in much need of repair.

From storms to heat that had our virgin Irish skin running for cover, were the trips to Disney World when four long days of mind-blowing boredom on unending highways were immediately forgotten when our eyes feasted on the magic that would create memories never to be erased.

I don’t remember a year passing without a family vacation, something my husband and I continued with our kids. Travel can be to far off lands, or to nearby campsites. It can be for multiple weeks, or a couple of days. Near, far, extensive, short–travel creates a lifetime of memories and opens up a whole new world. And, from my experience, it’s best shared with those you love.

So, Dad…thanks, you made travel happen for our family and modelled values that continue to guide the lives of your off-spring; you opened our eyes to a big, beautiful world. You are greatly missed.

Publish? Me?…Blog #117

Have you ever had something nagging in the back of your mind that is not so strong as to be hushed, but also not so quiet as to be ignored? I think that niggling (or whatever you might call it) has been my constant companion for a few years. Just to be clear, when I use the word niggling, I don’t mean worrisome, more like persistent.

I found this quote in a blog called That Niggling Thought, it gives voice to what I’m endeavouring to say.

Sometimes a thought returns so incessantly it needs to be investigated. Learning to listen and to simply be open to trying is more challenging than we’d like.

My niggling thought? Should I write a book? Of course, along with the idea has always come an inner dialogue with the potential to fast track me onto a roller coaster of reasoning that only a strategic thinker could conceive.

But, what if I did? What would it be about? Would anyone want to read it? Would anyone pay to read it? What if no one did read it, would it have been a waste of time and money? But…what if I did and it ended up being an encouragement to others? Perhaps even insightful? What if it made them laugh, or cry? What if it provided an enjoyable read as they relaxed on some spectacular beach overlooking the ocean on a warm summer’s day? Ok, that’s maybe going too far. But…what if?

Sometimes you just need to open that unknown door, and do it! That’s exactly where my niggling has led me.

If you’ve been following my blogs for a while, you’ll know that my husband and I spent several months in Portugal and Spain while I was on an extended study leave from teaching HR and Management at Okanagan School of Business in Kelowna, BC, Canada. We expected it to be an adventure, and it was. We expected it to be a learning experience, and it was. We expected it to be amazing, and it was. We didn’t expect it to be filled with many challenges and shall we say, growth opportunities. But it was!

The years of niggling finally provided both the impetus and inspiration to write a memoir, which I did. Having finally submitted it to a publisher, a whole new learning journey begins.

I invite you to share in this journey with me. Hopefully it will be both informational and inspirational. Hopefully you’ll pay attention to whatever is niggling at you and step through that door to adventure and learning. And hopefully you’ll share your experiences of following the niggling.

The deepest satisfaction of writing is precisely that it opens up new spaces within us of which we were not aware before we started to write. To write is to embark on a journey whose final destination we do not know.

Henri Nouwen

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I’m back…Blog #116

*Photograph by Ken Hagen; Kelowna Sunset

Hello all! No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth, haven’t gone to live on some deserted island, nor moved to a secluded cabin deep in the woods. I’ve been busy! More about that in a moment.

Christmas is now in the rear view mirror. It was truly lovely. So very different from last year in Portugal…equally lovely, but so different. This Christmas, my husband and I decided to make up for missing out on the many Christmas celebrations and traditions so common to our past experience. The month of December found us exploring our own city, Kelowna, BC, Canada, and the many events it offered. Our hearts were filled while enjoying an uplifting concert by Spectrum, one of our amazing local audition choirs, were touched by the words and music from The Messiah, did the proud grandparent thing as our baby grandson had his first stage appearance as baby Jesus in a church pageants, celebrated local artisans as they displayed their wares at the many Christmas markets all the while walking around with a mug of locally made mulled wine. It was wonderful.

Then the cold hit! We literally went from -1 C, blue sky with sun shining on Dec 14th to -25 C a week later! Just reminding us we were back home in Canada. You can imagine how many conversations we had that started with, “Remember this time last year when we were walking on the beach in Albufeira?” While it did warm up for a crisp Christmas Day walk, we certainly weren’t running into the ocean for a dip as we did the previous year!

It is amazing how much you don’t know about your hometown unless you intentionally go looking. We have lived in Kelowna since 1987, but have never spent time exploring the downtown area with its unique shops and cafés. So that’s exactly what we did the week before Christmas. We still had a couple of gifts to purchase, so we got in the car and drove the short 5km to explore new territory. It was so much fun.

We started with coffee (of course) at a café I had been to a couple of years previous, but it was new to my husband. Pulp Fiction is a coffee shop with personality…you must go visit their website and check it out. Honestly, I have no idea why I never returned there! We loved the vibe; the place was full, some folks visiting, others reading, several working on their laptops…the hum of people doing life was delicious.

From there we walked across the street to Olive and Elle, another delightful shop worth checking out for their unique and high quality home decor, adorable baby ‘stuff’, among other lovelies.

The third shop we visited was down right dangerous…in the very best way possible! Textile Apparel, I had no idea what it was, sells clothes you just want to live in! Natural fabrics, Canadian made, funky but classic…and right on our doorstep! I had no intention of purchasing anything that day, after all, we were suppose to be finishing up our Christmas shopping, but I couldn’t resist.

Have you ever had a garment in mind that you knew you’d love but couldn’t find it anywhere? That’s what happened. A long, wool coat, forest green, my size…how could I resist! I tried it on and it was love at first sight. It is now hanging in my closet, ready for me to adorn every opportunity possible. It was a good day.

We explored and discovered more places that day, but I’ll leave it there for now.

Back to the start of this post and my busyness. This wasn’t necessarily activity based, but more creative. You see, I knew back in 2019 that I wanted to go on an extended study leave for 2021/2022. I also anticipated that it would be an adventure of a lifetime that would both inspire and stretch me. That’s when I started writing a memoir that would capture the journey from inception to completion.

For the past few months I have been focused on completing the manuscript, having it beta read, and finally, submitted to a publisher just yesterday. I’m sure you see what I mean by being creatively busy! This was a huge step for me…scary, exciting, and just unbelievable! It will be published, and I hope and pray it will also sell and be read…but that’s totally out of my control.

It will be a few months before it’s ready to promote and sell, I’ll keep you posted.

For now, I plan on continuing to blog and share my learnings from life and travel.

Hope you’ll keep joining me.

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*Ken Hagen linkedin.com/in/kenhagen Freelance Photographer and Videographer based out of Kelowna, BC

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