MEET AMANDA
BORN AND RAISED IN THE PRAIRIES OF ALBERTA, WITH AMPLE TIME SPENT RACING ON SKI TRAILS ACROSS THE WORLD, I'VE ODDLY FELT MOST AT HOME NEAR THE WATER.
Whether that be the west coast of Africa, where I lived for a decade, the shores of Melbourne, Shanghai, Amsterdam, Swansea, Aarhus or even Manhattan (does that count?) being next to the ocean just always felt right...
After retiring from a previous life as a competitive athlete, I knew there were many other adventures awaiting.
My journeys always began with a desire to discover and learn. From working at an English arts and culture magazine in Shanghai, writing alongside Liberian refugees in Ghana, teaching ESL and doing communications in Senegal, among many other ventures, this journey has always been about exploring new places, people, and ways of life.
The energy of arriving somewhere unknown and settling into life without any handrails was thrilling, challenging and most of all revealing.
After more than 15 years abroad, I returned to my home country wearing various new lenses -- ones I picked up living across five continents and eight countries.
Arriving back to Canada in the spring of 2018, I was now looking at everything -- our culture, language, environment, politics, media -- through new eyes, including those of a new mother.
I slowly began to understand the privilege of living here, but also the unique confusions, misunderstandings and challenges faced by newcomers from both far and near.
This platform is a way of interpreting this new home, community and way of life, and an effort towards perhaps helping others do the same.
SO WHY DID I START WELCOME HOME VAN ISLE? TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCES SETTLING IN AS A CANADIAN-REPAT- ISLAND-NEWCOMER? YES. TO FIND AN EXCUSE TO TAKE MY FAMILY TO NEW PLACES AND MEET NEW PEOPLE ACROSS THE REGION? YES, YES. BUT ALSO IN THE HOPES THAT MAYBE SOME OF THESE INTERVIEWS, BLOGS OR MUSINGS MIGHT ACTUALLY INSPIRE, INFORM OR PROMPT OTHERS WHO ARE ALSO NEW TO VANCOUVER ISLAND TO FEEL A BIT MORE CONNECTED, A TITCH MORE INSPIRED AND PERHAPS A TOUCH MORE AT HOME AS THEY SETTLE INTO LIFE AND COMMUNITY IN THIS MAGICAL PLACE I'M GRATEFUL TO NOW CALL HOME.