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The Next Chapter


Double rainbow from our hotel in Yellowknife
Three years ago I started a blog called "Sara in Grenada" chronicling my time as a volunteer with Cuso International on the Spice Island. At the time a dear friend, Jay, was working in Iqaluit and while our climates were radically different the challenges faced by our respective communities were very similar.  

I loved almost everything about living and working in Grenada although, I was not a fan of my mini-bus ride. When I came back from Grenada I felt invigorated, being able to contribute is really important to me. While I wanted to find another opportunity to contribute for family reasons had decided to stay put in Ontario after our return in 2015.

In her book Transitions, Gail Sheeshy talks about a time in your life when you look around and start to wonder "Is this really all there is"? I was definitely in that place. Having done the same job for 10 years, I wasn't learning anything new. I wasn't seeing meaningful change in my participants, yet I had a beautiful mortgage free house, an easy commute and no financial stress at all. The perfect life. Yet for me, it felt hollow- it felt like I was cheating. Work is supposed to be work- it isn't supposed to be so easy you get bored. In order to fill the gap, I did consulting work- because at least that was challenging. I also volunteered with a non-profit helping youth in conflict with the law, because it was meaningful.

A few months ago one of my clients, was looking at a position in the Northwest Territories. To help her I reviewed her application against the job poster. Jay had recently moved to Yellowknife and so my interest was peaked to see what other kind of jobs were available. The very first job listed was Coordinator Career Development and Training. It felt like someone wrote out my dream job and then left it there for me to find.

Over the course of the summer I interviewed with the Government of the Northwest Territories, and tried to decide what I would do if I was offered the job. My boys are 13 and 15, an age where friends but also academic paths are important. Was this the right move for them? What about my husband? My mom literally lived around the corner and spent lots of time with our family, a move would have a dramatic impact on her.

Even though I work in career advising I really struggled with this decision. Right up until three weeks before we moved to Yellowknife I still wasn't sure. At the very last moment I felt like we just needed to do it. At which point my husband said he didn't feel the same. But after a day of evaluating priorities (money vs meaning) he changed his mind. I was lucky to have a lot of support from colleagues and friends at work, who know me well enough to know I need to contribute.


So Yellowknife here we come.


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