… discovering the best of what’s next

Italy, Canada, England and smokin' Cuba in Naples, FL

So life back in Vancouver after a week of ‘around-the-world‘ libations with Old Iron in Florida is… well, it simply is.  Although my babies Pebbles and Chandler are beyond purrific that I am home after leaving them alone for a little less than a week, I am doing everything I can to not go stir crazy and hit that ugly desperate stage of being unemployed.

I got the news yesterday that in spite of being one of two selected ‘finalists’ for a great employment opportunity back in Ontario… I wasn’t chosen.  Well, HR really wanted me in the position but the manager chose the other candidate who had more international contracting experience than I had. and while I understand the decision, it still sort of took the wind out of my sails, in spite of the fact that my womanly intuition already knew I wasn’t getting the job, my ego wanted it: badly.  What this has done however is made me realize just how much I want to get out of Vancouver.  This city, the mentality, the politics, the people, the despair, the poverty, the amount of mental illness, the strange ethics and standards to which they work at… has had me reeling since I got here.  The other thing to is as a Contract Administrator, there seems to be lacking in opportunities here in BC but is in booming abundance in other parts of the country.  I get headhunters emailing/calling on a fairly regular basis for everywhere BUT Vancouver – so it does appear as though it is fated:  I am leaving the province.  I guess it helps that while it’s been an interesting ride, I am really READY to leave this place.   I came.  I conquered.  I live to tell the tale.  NEXT!!!!

Room with an Ocean View

So right now… I am living on distractions.  Old Iron was a fabulous distraction and a most incredible host and insanely crazy generous friend.  We took a side trip to South Beach Miami, where he put us up at the beautiful The Palms Hotel & Spa, with an ocean-view room and we drank copious amounts of Mojitos and a real Cuba Libres  (with both Gin & White Rum) and indulged in a Swedish massage at the Aveda Spa that included a steam room like no other steam room I’ve ever been in!  We both concluded that in spite of the luxurious surroundings we found ourselves in, the place itself is full of pretentious and oddly tackily styled people & store fronts.  I very much wanted to do the whole Art Deco scene as it is this very amateurish photogs dream… but time eluded us.  We’ve both concluded that South Beach doesn’t warrant a whole weekend and considering its pretty much around the corner, it will be a one day trip.  We spent St. Patty’s day with blue haired snow birds from around the world watching them dance the afternoon away while enjoying this wonderful drink called “The Nutty Irishman.”  It was a GREAT afternoon that made me smile.  And fate intervened allowing me to spend on extra night in Naples with yet another plane malfunction (something about a hydraulic leak… but I didn’t pay too much attention) as the Fort Myers Airport seems to have each time I go thru it.  It was perfect for me since I really didn’t want to

A Nutty Irishman Indeed

leave and had looked into extending my trip but I couldn’t justify the costs.  We spent that extra night drinking more Irish drinks, taking turns mixing while eating wings and watching movies until we passed out.  I must admit, it was a fabulous time in spite of my bugging the living shit out of Old Iron with all my ‘worst case scenarios‘ and him putting up with both internal and external attacks on my physique and robust appearance.  He was a hero… and for that I am eternally grateful (and I already know he’ll try to downplay the importance or the role he played in keeping me grounded).

So now that I am back on Canadian soil … and Old Iron heads back to Nigeria, I have successfully managed to keep me preoccupied with many distractions.  In between fielding various interest from headhunters for mediocre positions and setting up a job interview with a local company that I am not interested in working for, I have two VANOC parties and two concerts to attend, the 2010 Beer & Wine Festival at the local casino, finally meeting with the surgeon about my ankle and playing the role of big sister for my kid sister that I recently reunited with after almost 10 years of separation, who is very eager for my approval.  Distractions are good… but I am getting antzy to figure out what’s next… where I will end up and what I will do.  I am now at a point in my life that I no longer HAVE to simply accept whatever is offered.  No.  Rather, I am now in a position in my life that I can choose what I want and where I want to be.  I am to old to simply accept mediocrity.  But I am definitely anxious to discover the best of what’s next for me.

I must admit though… Canada isn’t a bad place to be figuring this all out at the moment.  While I might not relate to the political fever that is BC, nor the lifestyle that comes with it, it is a far better place to be than having to deal with the mess that is USA at the moment.  Yes.  I believe that medical care ought to be readily available to all Americans – wait.  No.  Available to anyone, anywhere… I think that the President and its current administration of what was once a very powerful and dominating country has successfully managed to make a mockery and a mess of the country and its so called democracy.  And while that has absolutely nothing to do with my period of self discovery, what it does confirm for me is that: in spite of very boring and unappealing Canadian politics scene, Canada is apparently a much more ‘stabler‘ place to live… and work.  So I will stick it out here for a bit longer… or until Old Iron somehow convinces me that abroad is better.