A Place to Call Our Own

8 apartments

6 hours

1/2 tank of gas
&
1 SUCCESS

Searching for an apartment in a completely new city is always a challenge. Each neighbourhood represents a different culture & finding one that suits you is very important. I believe that a wonderful home is about more than just what the place is like on the inside...it is also about the safety & comfort of its surroundings. Well after a long day of searching Andrew & I have landed an amazing apartment, a place to call our own. It is a 2 bedroom apartment in a 1.5 year old house. The unit is brand new & the rent includes the in-suite laundry, utilities, cable & internet. We have our own little patio which means we can have a BBQ & they're currently installing a hot tub...so excited! It is a basement apartment & a 10 minute drive from the school. And the best part is the neighbourhood...they all get together for BBQ's & drinks so we'll meet people quickly.

I got a very exciting phone call today as well from my Head Hunter. On Friday I will have an interview with Bouygues Batiment International. I'm very excited about this opportunity & I will have to learn a bit more about their projects & who they are...I will keep you posted.

Well its movie night here, so I'm off! Pray for Andrew & I tomorrow as he heads off to school & my interview with Scott Construction!

~Melissa

Swept Away

"It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door.

You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

~Bilbo Baggins (The Lord of the Rings)

Our first 3 days in the diverse & fresh city of Vancouver (& area) have swept us away. We have spent almost every waking moment taking in the sights, the sounds & the wonderfully clean smell of the city. Since Thursday, we've been on the skytrain 5 times, eaten at 4 delicious restaurants, enjoyed the nightlife 2 times & walked/hiked for a total of close to 12 hours. It has been a busy couple days, but that has been such a blessing...it keeps our minds off the sadness of moving.

We arrived at Uncle Chris' place in New Westminster around 5 PM on Thursday, took much needed showers & settled into our temporary sleeping quarters (which are absolutely stunning). Chris had already prepared dinner for us & he took us out to his favourite gelato place for dessert - they had something like 25 flavours to choose from...I was in heaven...chocolate caramel...peanut butter chocolate twist...oreo & cookie dough....oh my mouth is watering now. Needless to say, I think that may be one of our new fav places for a late night snack.

Capilano Bridge

Chris had to work on Friday, which meant that Andrew & I got to go explore on our own. We took the skytrain (our first time) down to Waterfront Station, which is right by the Canada Place & Vancouver Convention Centre. Both were gorgeous buildings that were consistently shown in the footage for the Olympics because the mountains are right across the water from them. It was a gloomy day & rainy in the city so we hopped on a free shuttle to the Capillano Suspension Bridge & got a neat tour through the city in an old trolly looking bus. We were in luck, it wasn't raining when we got to the Bridge, so we got out & did the whole tourist walk over the bridge & through the forest. It started to rain so we jumped back on the shuttle & headed back to the waterfront. Again we were lucky & the city was now sunny & warm. We spent the day touring the popular streets, shopping a little, checking out the Olympic Cauldron & walking along both the English Bay & Coal Harbour...for a whapping total of 8 hours!!! Man, if we keep this up you will be able to bounce a quarter off our bums, haha!

Yaletown

Saturday we got the luxury of sitting back as Chris took us around the greater Vancouver area, showing us his favourite spots. We went to snazzy West Vancouver for lunch, trendy Yaletown for a drink, & a bunch of other neat places. My cousins showed up later that day with our Uhaul, which we quickly unloaded into the garage...lets just say 4500 km with a Uhaul was starting to get to them & they were ready to be free of it. Andrew & I ended up going downtown with the boys for a drink, which was awesome! We went to a tavern style bar that doubled as a hostel for travellers. We met young people from all over the world...France, Ireland, England, Germany...the list keeps going...the funny part is that we only chose it because it didn't have a line up....so I guess the lesson here is: its worth a try!

Granville Street @ Night

So our night was a lot of fun, but what happened next was EPIC! We were grabbing some streetmeat, trying to figure out how to get home...the skytrain was no longer running & we were a good 25 minutes from home. Well up drives a stretch limo...it slowly goes past us...it stops about 10 metres from us...we look at each other. Andrew & Darrell walk over to the driver "How much for you to take us to Coquitlam?" The driver replies "$90.00"....SOLD! We all hop in, feeling like movie stars & we start driving. My cousins start yelling out the window hilarious things like "I'm Tom Cruise, ya!" or "Lady Gaga is in here!" It made my night!

Journey of a Lifetime: Day 5

Day 5
Hours driven by Andrew: 3.5
Hours driven by Melissa: 5.0
Kilometers: 800
Pee Stops: 4

A house is made of walls & beams; a home is built with love & dreams. ~Unknown

This quote really sums up how I'm feeling right now. We arrived in Vancouver today just after 4 PM & it felt so good to have finally reached our destination. I believe with all my heart that this last week driving across Canada has truly given Andrew & I the assurance that we can make our dreams come to life, we really can. We dreamt about moving away & going on a big adventure when we were engaged & God has really guided us to where we are now. I won't say that it has been easy leaving our family, our friends, a job I loved & a community of faith that has supported us since we were born, but I saw Vancouver for the first time and my heart was at peace. This is where we are called to be...this is where Andrew will get the chance to live out his dream & develop his skills....this is where we will grow together in our marriage....this is where I will get the oppurtunity to work for a new company & make new connections. We may not have a house of our own yet, but we really do have a home built of our dreams & our love for eachother & the Lord.

I checked my emails this evening and I was pleasantly surprised to see two very important messages waiting for me:

1. From Scott Construction - they would like to meet me next Wednesday for another interview
2. From a landlord in the Surrey area - they have a 2 bedroom place just minutes from Andrew's school & they haven't even listed it yet - we're going to see it Monday

Praise GOD, seriously! One of the hardest parts of moving for me has been the uncertainty & by recieving this emails it has given me even more confidence. I'll keep you updated on the status, keep your fingers crossed for us!

Journey of a Lifetime: Day 4

Day 4
Hours driven by Andrew: 3.0
Hours driven by Melissa: 0.0
Kilometers: 310
Pee Stops: 1

Today was by far our most exciting and active day yet. We had a great night at Terri's place, got a great rest & had fun in the morning trying to convince Kitkat to leave her new found friends...by the morning she was walking around like she owned the place! We went for brunch at Brittany's & then when on a hike just outside of Cochrane...we started off at this insane pace & I swear I was halfway up the first incline & my body (ie. torn ACL) starting screaming "TURN AROUND," but I of course did not listen & we hiked another 25 minutes before we finally turned around. I came to regret this decision later that night...but you'll have to wait to read about that later.

We said our goodbye's to Britt and headed off to Radium Hot Springs to meet up with my cousins, who had made it there a night earlier. The drive was glorious...3.0 hours & barely any traffic. The boys were out canoeing when we got into town so we did the tourist thing & spent an hour or so at the hot spring pools...they were so much hotter than when we were there for our honeymoon a year ago, it was awesome! While relaxing in the shade we got to talking with this huge Maple Leafs fan that had lived in Red Deer Alberta his old life...no word of a lie, can you say Leaf Nation :) He was a father of three boys who had met his wife at Bible College 38 years ago...he was a very wise man and he told us that the secret to a happy marriage includes two things: 1. Have Christ the centre of your relationship & 2. Turn off the TV & go for a walk with each other. I don't think he could have put it more simply & so Andrew & I have decided to really take his advice to heart & live it out.

Anyhow we finally met up with my cousins just after dinner & we headed off to this remote campsite that overlooked the valley. We set up camp, made a fire & enjoyed an evening of drinks, great stories & lots of laughs. Now back up a second...by set up camp I did not mean that we set up a tent to sleep in...I mean that we pulled out all of our clothes & bags from the car in order to make more room in the CAR for sleeping...yea so not comfortable! But here's the funny part of the evening for you: Well as I mentioned earlier, the hike was very hard on my bunged up knee & lets remember that we went camping...in a remote location without toilets. Yep so here I am, I've had a lot of coffee/water/energy drinks that day & I need to go (in camping terms I need to "pop-a-squat")...so off I trek away from the boys, I crouch down and...I fall over. Yep, I fell over. My knee was so worn out from our hike that everytime I tried to crouch I would just tumble over...I will spare you any other details, but let me tell you that I will be listening to my body next time it says "turn around!"

On that note, good night!

Journey of a Lifetime: Day 3

Day 3

Hours driven by Andrew: 5.0

Hours driven by Melissa: 2.5

Kilometers: 820

Pee Stops: 3

Today we’re treating ourselves to a short drive & some tourist activities. We woke up after a fantastic night of sleep, packed up our little family (KitKat, Andrew & I) and headed off to next destination: Calgary. We were more on the ball this morning & gave Kitkat her calming medicine (ie. sedative) before we left, in hope that she would enjoy the drive a little more today….or at least be zonked out for the majority of it.

We crossed into Alberta and it had not even been 5 km when we say 3 men on horseback wearing cowboy hats…Andrew exclaimed with childlike enthusiasm “Look REAL cowboys!” I almost died of laughter. The rest of Alberta was very much the same…rolling hills, cows, pickup trucks & more REAL cowboys. We arrived in Calgary at 3 PM & went straight for the carwash. You would not believe the build up of bugs we had gotten in the last 3 days…it looked like a carpet on the front of the car…we couldn’t even see our license plate! Disgusting I tell you!

We then made our way to Cochrane, a little town NorhWest of Calgary where my friends Terri & Brittany live. We had ice cream at MacKay’s & then met T.dot at Olive R Twist for dinner….delicious! After dinner we rented “The Back-up Plan” (which was cheesy but wonderful) & went back to Terri’s new condo…gorgeous! The funny part was watching KitKat and T’s 2 cats attack/play with each other all night…I think they will be best of friends by morning.

Well its sleepy time, I’ll write again soon.

Mel

Journey of a Lifetime: Day 2

Day 2
Hours driven by Andrew: 7.5
Hours driven by Melissa: 9.0
Kilometers: 1647
Pee Stops: 4

There is no telling how many miles you will have to run while chasing a dream.

~Author Unknown

Today was all about perseverance. We began our day around 7 AM, grabbing continental breakfast from the hotel & taking extra bagels for our lunch (hehehe, at least we got our money’s worth). Our plan was to drive 12 hours to Winnipeg, assuming everything went well at the border. After our 10.5 hour drive yesterday 12 seemed attainable, especially if Andrew let me drive for some of it, haha! Well an hour into our drive we got a message from my cousin who is driving out our Uhaul & he said that they were planning to make it to Regina that night. We thought, “Hmmm Regina is only another 5 hours…we could do that.” Well, let me tell you we were a little crazy…17 hours in a car with a stressed out shedding cat…17 hours in a car with your tired spouse…17 hours in a car through Northern Minnesota & across the Prairies…BORING.

It was a long day without a doubt, but well worth it. We arrived in Regina around 11 PM their time (1:00 AM Ontario time) & were blessed to be able to spend the night at a family friend’s place. We had called Andrew’s mom earlier that day with the thought that maybe we could crash at Jane & Stefan’s house for the night & about 3 hours later we got a call saying it was a go. AMAZING! That meant that not only had we cut off a day of driving, but now we didn’t have to pay for a hotel…plus the bed at their place was much more comfortable! Tomorrow we set off for Calgary…I’m very excited to visit with my two best friends that live out there!

Journey of a Lifetime: Day 1

Day 1
Hours driven by Andrew: 10.5
Hours driven by Melissa: 0
Kilometers: 800
Pee Stops: 2

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. ~Lao Tzu

Today marked the first day of a new chapter in our lives...and we couldn't be more excited/nervous! We finished our good byes to our family & friends and set off on the 4500 km trek across the States & Canada to our new home: VANCOUVER.

Our hope for today was to arrive in Marquette, MI around 9 PM, but as any avid border-crosser knows, you can never guess how long your wait may be at the border. We were probably about a kilometer away from the Blue Water Bridge when traffic came to a dead stop...by dead I mean people were shutting off their cars and going to the porta-potties! Once traffic began to inch forward everyone had to merge from 6 to only 3 lanes (well except for those Nexus pass holders, I shook my fist at them and their zero wait times!)

This black car kept trying to sneak in & Andrew was hellbent on keeping his spot in line, but I convinced him that one car wouldn't make a difference. Well the car ended up being driven by a traveling Christian speaker who was just returning from a conference in Toronto (Andrew's dream job). We talked for about half an hour while we waited to get on the bridge & Andrew got his information & promised to call him up one day. The gentlemen wished a blessing on us & as we were crossing the toll booth the cashier told us that the black car had paid our way...amazing! So 1.5 hours later we were successfully in the States & a whole $3.00 richer....I know it was only $3.00, but that $3.00 to me was yet another sign that this is where we are supposed to be...God has been so good to us and everyday He gives me more confidence in this decision to move.

Funny thought for the day: We passed through two towns today that gave us a chuckle:

1. Gaylord...need I say more?
   
2. Christmas... can you imagine going to visit someone there..."Yep I'm going to my parent's for Christmas in Christmas"...

A Great Step of Faith

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord, "...plans to give you hope & a future." Jeremiah 29:11

This verse has been my comfort in the last month as Andrew & I work to get every in order to move to Vancouver. From the job-searching to the packing & then to the tearful good-byes, it is our faith that the Lord has plans for us out West that has kept us upbeat & ready to take on the challenge.

A few weeks ago we had found two amazing apartments, both of which fell into our price range & fit what we were looking for. Unfortunately, due to the fact that they had never met us, they chose to rent their places to other couples. This devastated me as we were only 2.5 weeks away from moving & we now had no home to move to. I called my wonderful mother in tears & she very quickly reminded me of the reason we were moving out West...because we felt God calling us on an adventure. Perhaps this has become a bigger adventure than I expected, but I am most positive that is God's doing, having Andrew & I rely fully on Him, having faith that His plans are greater than we can imagine.

Andrew is so excited to start school & can't wait to choose his courses once we get out there. His first 2 years will be sent in a specialized program through the Youth Ministry Institute at Pacific Life. These first years will earn him a diploma and if he wishes, he can continue for another 2 years and receive his Bachelor's degree in Pastoral Leadership.

As for myself, I do not have a job lined up yet, but I have a couple great prospects. I have already had a phone interview with Scott Construction (a sister company to Aecon) and they told me that it looked "positive" but they wanted to meet me first. I hope to meet them the week after we arrive & see what they have to offer. If that does not work out, I have been in contact with a Head Hunter out West now & he will be my best contact for job postings. I'm a little anxious about moving without a job, but armed with 2 great reference letters & a year of specialized hospital redevelopment experience I know that I will be a great asset to a company.

Everyone continually tells us that we will never move back to Ontario, but I have a million reasons why I know we will (here are just a few):

1. Our families are here - we will miss them being that far away
2. I love the seasons here....I have a feeling the rain is going to get to me
3. Our friends are here - we can't ok their bf's or gf's if we can't bug them in person
   
4. I want to come back and see the hospital I'm working on all finished
5. I'm going to miss the smog in Toronto....who likes clean mountain air anyway?
6. If we stay past Andrew's schooling we have to apply for BC health insurance....no thank you
7. I don't want to change our license plate to a BC plate....white & blue is better
8. Andrew wants to be around for his little bro as he finishes highschool, gets his first gf, goes off to university, etc.
9. Andrew & I want to be around to teach our little nephew how to play soccer, how to make excessive amounts of noise & of course how to make fun of grandpa
10. And last but not least, we want to be around our families as we start a family of our own

Peace out for now, Melissa