The transition from Gold Bridge, British Columbia to a my new domain in Stratford, Ontario has been interesting. Actually, I am feeling quite disoriented as I try to find my bearings; everything seems so familiar yet different. Having lived a good portion of my life in South Western Ontario the landscape and landmarks were certainly familiar enough but the difference was in how I found myself navigating back into busy civilization.

Negotiating traffic, construction, pedestrians, peppered with something I had not seen in a long time – road rage; has been a challenge for me. Noticing how people rush around with the utmost urgency has been, I must admit, a little distressing. Finding a rhythm more closely linked with nature, unfortunately, is still a continuing struggle.

This struggle became very apparent when I lost my car at a busy mall parking lot. As I walked up and down aisles looking for headlights to come on while I pushed the car door opener, I wondered, how could this happen? I have always had a great sense of direction and rarely get lost. I eventually found my vehicle, climbed in with relief, sat and thought about what had just happened.

What I came to realize was that I had lost my bearings. I had just driven back into familiar territory without giving myself some time to transition. I had to slow down to breathe for a while. By just stopping I gave myself the opportunity to regain my bearings and while doing this I noticed that things really felt different this time.

I had to acknowledge that perhaps I have changed; perhaps losing my car made me stop to evaluate what is important in my life right now. Jumping back into city life at breakneck speed is just not for me anymore. Finding my own pace, keeping true to my natural bearings and doing what feels right, will be the next journey for me to master.

Christmas shopping sure will be interesting this year.