Returning from my Hibernation- Life in Canada

I have been gone too long from my blog. I didn’t even take a break this long when my son was born! Not only have I been missing writing, I’ve been missing being in touch with all of you- my readers. I miss your thoughtful comments and your words of encouragement.

I’m back! After a long winter of hibernation, the sun shining in the sky and the buds blossoming on trees are motivating me to get going again.

So what has kept me busy this long? What could it be that has kept me away from my passion?

Here are some of the things that have happened in the last few months:

1. I got wings… uh, wheels…

One of the best things that happened to me after I moved to Canada was getting my Canadian license. It was long awaited and much missed all of last year, but because the Canadian authorities did not recognize my Indian license, I had to wait a year like a new driver to even take the road test.

A persistent driving instructor, a curt examiner, a failed test and a re-test later, I was finally awarded a drivers’ license! I literally felt like I got wings. I no longer had to depend on my husband to drive me for every little thing I required. Even better, on my birthday, I got my own car. There has hardly been a moment more liberating in my life than getting my license and car in Canada

2. I got a job… my own job!

My husband and I managed to self-employ ourselves one more time! What we are doing and how we got here is a long story, but in short, he is back to marketing, business development and financial management, while I am back to employee management, customer care and recruitment! Needless to say, it has kept me busy as hell.

3. My kid started school

I should have done a whole blog about this!! It’s supposed to be a huge moment in a mom’s life and it definitely was for me too. It’s been more than 3 months now and after initial hiccups and emotional moments, our son is now a regular at pre-school. I’ll certainly be back with a blog on this.

4. Hibernation means even more food!

If there’s one thing that Canada keeps me super-busy with, it’s chores. And the biggest chore is cooking. It’s amazing how quickly we go through cooked food. I have taken to cooking in bulk on Sundays thinking what I have prepared is going to last us most of the week! It doesn’t last us a day and a half! And since most winter is spent indoors with the cold gnawing away your calories, I have been busy cooking and feeding my little family. Well, on the bright side, I’ve certainly become a lot better at cooking than I was when the winter began.

5. Winter-ing

Oh yes, winter-ing is a thing here in Canada. There are tons of preparations you have to do going in to winter- seal away all doors and windows, set new filters on your heating vents, get shovels to prepare for the dumps of snow that are going to come and buying the right coats, boots, caps, gloves and what not.

Then comes winter, and it takes you 15 minutes to get dressed every time you have to go out and another 15 minutes to get undressed when you return. You have to constantly battle the tons of snow that the sky keeps dumping on your driveway and scrape it all off your car windscreens before it freezes over.

And then when winter finally ends and the snow melts away, you have to clean all the dead leaves that got caught under the blanket of white, wash away all those woollens and jackets, open the windows and air the house after 6 long months of being boxed in and clean away a season’s worth of grime from the house, shed, cars and garage.

Phew, is it not a wonder I have been missing from my blog? Now that I think about it, where was the time to write?

Nevertheless, as I said, the clear air, perky sun and positive temperatures have set me in the mood to write. And God willing, I will continue through the months to come.