Howdy Y'all!

I decided to blow the dust off my blog page and freshen it up with a new post.  With our first year of living in Alberta anniversary now upon us, I had the idea of writing a letter and mailing it out with some pics to family and friends, but then I thought, why not put it on the interwebs for anyone who wants to read it?  One thing I have been really disappointed with is the lack of resources for spouses involved in a work transfer/relocation.  Perhaps some lost soul who has just been moved as the result of their husband/wife's job will stumble upon this and breath a sigh of relief that someone else is going through what they are going through.  Or maybe not.  Either way, here is our year.  *and if by some miracle someone I don't know does read this and is also the victim of a work relocation, I would love to hear from you.  Give me a shout.  We can be buddies.

We made it here July 29, 2010.  We had driven here and the house we arranged to rent wouldn't be ready for another three weeks or so, so we lived in a hotel.  Living in a hotel with a nine month old sucks.  Especially when you are in a place you don't want to be, with the memories of loved ones crying as you say goodbye still fresh in your mind.  Our animals were still back in Windsor and I missed them desperately.  I missed all the baby gear I had accumulated and was sad when I realized that by the time we moved into the house, Sommer would be done with it already.  I remember putting her in her exersaucer in the hallway of the hotel because it wouldn't fit in the room with her playpen and other things.  She mastered crawling in that room.  For this type A mama that had to have everything perfect for her baby, this was all very surreal and bizarre.

Once we got in the house things got a bit better, and I tried to find my way in my new town.  It was hard.  My loneliness was palpable.  Back home I had a fantastic group of mom friends who's kids were all the same age as mine.  We were able to do things together that worked for us and our babies' ages.  We were an active bunch and helped each other get fit after giving birth.  They are the reason I survived Nick being gone for his training.  Wow, how I missed, and still miss, my girls.  So, to cope, I went for lots of walks and searched for anything and everything to help find some kind of social life here, but it was useless.  I wasn't in the right mental state to be striking up friends, and my sad and pessimistic attitude about my new surroundings was sure to scare off anyone who came within ten yards of me.

My sister came to spend August with us and we ended up going home in October for Sommer's first birthday.  I have to admit, fall was quite nice.  It was warm in October and we had a million kids for Halloween.  I will definitely be going crazy with decorations this year, which I can't wait for, because I LOVE Halloween.


The winter is a big blur.  It wasn't as bad as I expected, though the snow was horrible.  Coming from Ontario, I am used to large volumes of snow, but not in November.  It's still summer in November where I come from!  And I am definitely not used to the snow NOT MELTING UNTIL MAY.  WTF is that people.  But, it was in the winter that I discovered hot yoga, which totally changed my perception of life here.  And a Christmas where we aren't running around to ten different houses?  YES, PLEASE!  Christmas here rocked.  It was white, and I made a turkey dinner, and Sommer was visited by Santa.  Christmas was fantastic.

It was over the holidays that I noticed an ad in the local paper for a part-time job in Communications.  It was only a few hours a week with amazing benefits.  How could I not apply?  I needed the break, to get out of the house a few days a week.  And I could tell Sommer needed other kids.  It was a total win/win for both of us, and getting the job knocked me out of the slump I had been in since the cold weather arrived.  In November.

Once I started working time really started flying.  We went home again in March but this trip felt rushed and I wasn't able to do anything I really wanted to do.  We tried our best to see everyone but feeling still got hurt.  Dem's da breaks I guess.  Something we will need to get used to.

Once it got nice here, it really got nice.  I've been loving every minute the weather has been a positive number, or even a single digit negative.  My kid LOVES her dayhome, and through work I am meeting some wonderful and interesting people.  I was able to find a place where I feel like I fit in, which is something I really needed.  I'm not sure how this relocation would be going today if it wasn't for my job.

Right now we are preparing to move into the house we bought.  We will celebrate our first-year in Alberta anniversary in our own home and I can't wait.  My sister arrives in less than two weeks and will be with us all summer.  I still have bad days where I miss my friends and family terribly, but I see the good here more and more everyday.  No matter what happens, I will be grateful for this experience.

Things I love about Alberta:

The sun
The friendliness
The family-friendliness

Clean air and the feeling that nature is everywhere
The landscape and wildlife
The beef (I don't think I'll ever be able to eat beef in Ontario again)
The events, festivals, attractions
The availability of hot yoga and other wellness initiatives
The mall

Things I don't love

The cold
The slower work style
The dryness
The lack of good sushi
How far it is from Ontario :(
The housing market
The big trucks

Are you visiting and live in Alberta?  What am I missing out on?  Please let me know!!