A year ago, I dreamed about the future. I spoke of wrapping up my life in Ottawa within months, finishing off my sleeve tattoo, going on road trips to Newfoundland and the United-States, and moving to New Zealand. We were in the lockdown then for Covid-19, but the thought it would be over soon.
I was wrong: the lockdown kept going on, New Zealand and the United-States shut their borders, as did Atlantic Canada to the other provinces, and my tattoo artist was prohibited from operating.
So I made choices! Given time pressures related to a fixed timeline for having a kid with a pal, New Zealand was out and Vancouver was in. Buying my Jeep sealed things.
Fast forward to today, and things have again changed!
I landed my dream job as a senior software engineer for a San Fransisco start-up. I work remote, so I can install myself in any city, no problem, and I’m raking in cash so I don’t have to worry about the money.
But that flexibility got me thinking: why stop at Vancouver? Let’s dream bigger: I’m going nomadic. Once I’m vaccinated in the Fall and things open up, I’m going on one long adventure. Might even make it to the Bahamas.
Meanwhile I’m having a blast going around with the Jeep and I just picked up a kayak!
Life is amazing right now. I have my dream car (four wheel drive! convertible! stick shift!); I have my almost-dream apartment (downtown! HVAC! in-unit washing machines!); I have my dream job (Silicon Valley start-up! Senior back-end engineer!)
Not to mention other developments of the past three years: bottom surgery, laser eye surgery, the tattoo, learning to drive stick, my first car then second, the trip around Europe, moving downtown, getting that previous job in Kanata. Above all, I have friends and dates that put smiles on my face.
I’ve become the person I aspired to be. I sorted out my sexuality, stopped caring about my weight, became a direct communicator, developed a healthy relationship with kink, really got to enjoy outdoors and create my own happiness. It took a lot to get here, but I’m here now.