Out of touch and out of place (?)

It has been nearly three weeks since I left London and I’ve been meaning to sit down and write something to cap off this crazy year. Writing like this has been a really good avenue for me to express “out loud” what I’ve experienced and how I’ve felt. It seems only fitting to include my first few weeks of re-integration as well.

I’ve been asked many times how it feels to be home, but to be quite honest, I’m not sure I’ve felt entirely settled yet. I spent all of seven nights at home in Squamish before making a stopover in Vancouver at a former roommate’s house before continuing on to Winnipeg for a 4 day visit. I didn’t really even get my new bedroom set up until after my return from Winnipeg. I’ve been kicked out of my childhood room in favour of the ground floor where my brother once was. The upstairs rooms are for guests. My new downstairs room is nice! Lots of room for activities! I do have a lot of things though. It can always be a little strange to come home after a trip and realize how many things you survived for weeks (or months) without. There are plenty of purgeable items - especially clothing to get rid of.

My trip to Winnipeg was really nice. It was interesting to have a place with so many familiar sights, sounds, and people - but still feeling somewhat removed. I’ll say more about that. I’m not so naive to think that things are just as I left them, even though some things may seem that way. This thought is primarily directed at people. I’ve changed over the year, and I’m sure they have too. In my mind it wouldn’t have been all that appropriate to approach all my relationships as if the last year hadn’t happened. I’m not sure if any of that makes sense. I packed my four days in Winnipeg with as many friends as possible on short notice! I think my days were fully booked out into two hour visit segments from noon until two AM, or whenever it was I actually managed to get to sleep. Being in Winnipeg reminded me of just how many people I knew there. I tried to go to a cafe that was a block away from my Winnipeg home to visit a friend that was working, but got stopped for nearly 30 minutes talking to a friend that had set up in the window to work, then by two more friends who walked through the door 15 minutes after I did. I made a couple visits back to my old work, Fools and Horses as well. I had the pleasure of running into some old co-workers while there, and some of my old regular customers! Winnipeg has some of the loveliest people!

My feeling of not being entirely settled has been punctuated by an earlier return to working life than I expected. I’m going to be working with a guy named Brad at his company Sea to Sky Finishes. He does just that, finishing. Sanding and spraying things to make them look pretty. I was in for an hour and a half on my second full day home, then again on my second full day back from Winnipeg. I learned on my return from Winnipeg that my work schedule may not be as consistent as I would have hoped. The beginning of October could be a little on the slow side. This might not be entirely a bad thing (though I do like to keep myself busy), I have yet to figure out just how to set myself up as an independent contractor so I can work for Brad, and likely a little bit of work for my dad’s business as well. This independent contractor thing is a new world to me - every time I try to sort through the regulations and requirements I get overloaded and give up.

I am trying to settle into Squamish life a little bit. There’s a facebook group for ultimate players in Squamish and I was able to join in on a pick-up game this past Tuesday. The “formal” pick up games finished in August, but some university students from Quest are inviting others out for as long as the weather isn’t miserable! I’ve also found some time to be a good grandson. There’s a cedar tree that showers my grandparent’s home with dead pieces of tree. I was up on their roof this past week as well to make sure the gutters are all clear in anticipation of the deluge that is currently falling outside. This weekend has been filled with helping my dad finish the roof on our new shed, and apples. There’s an apple tree across the street that is on railway property, and no-one really seemed to be picking the fresh fruit. I ended up picking two five gallon buckets on Friday, then spent eight hours on Saturday washing, peeling, cutting, and cooking the first half of those apples. I should probably get in the kitchen and try to process another couple pounds!

This blog has been an invaluable tool for me while travelling, but I’m not sure I have a place for it in my home life. It’s been a therapeutic tool - screaming into the void, as it were. It has been especially cool for me to know that the void isn’t completely empty - there have been a number of people that have joined me all along the way, and I really appreciate that!

Until the next adventure.