I recently stepped up and became a grown up stubble jumper.
I know, I’m already a grown-up legally, but metaphorically, changing my driver’s license over was my way of saying, hey Alberta I’m here to stay.
It was a big step for me, being from Ontario and growing up with a very tight knit family. Moving out west was one of the biggest, and scariest decisions I ever made, but I keep in touch with my family, and have grown to love Barrhead in all its small town glory.
So on Wednesday I handed in my Ontario license, which felt like the first step in a very big decision.
I turned to Ryan (my significant other), and the clerk behind the desk and said, “I am officially an Albertan!”
It felt like an accomplishment, an honour to receive such a title. I had always wondered if I would be one of those kids who’d move away from home and find a life in a distant far off land, and I did.
Of course, going home will be bittersweet, and I have planned a trip in July to go back to my old stomping grounds, but I know how hard it will be to say goodbye when it comes time to leave.
I will be leaving behind an amazing family, which consists of so many people you would need a forest to fill my family tree.
That’s a lot of people to miss, but I also have a lot of people to look forward to meeting.
If anything, this experience has made me realize the importance of family, and how even though you feel very far away, you know they are there for you through thick and thin.
Ontario may be my roots, but Alberta is truly starting to feel like home.
