The Dream I Forgot

Remember those dreams you had for your future when you were younger? 

The dream job? Dream house? Dream travel? Dream adventure?

I had forgotten them as well.

By my early twenties I wanted a farm. But I had to finish school. Then I had to get settled in a career (which took 13 years to find). By then I had the husband and house and two kids and they were all more important than my dreams. Be real-we needed money and stability, not fantasy and adventure. I was an adult with responsibility. But maybe someday……

A separation, fixing up two 
houses, a great paying job (thank you Dr. Hennig Optometrist), a supportive family, growing with teenagers, drama, anxiety, depression, and school took up all the minutes in my day. I forgot myself and my dreams.

Even with all the support and a fantastic job (that I loved), I could never get financially ahead enough reach out for that dream which now also included doing a big home renovation/flip.

Christmas of 2017 I was listening to a story about someone who had moved to New Brunswick, bought a run down house with lots of acreage and has been fixing it up. Stories about the “well”, the wood burning furnace, the bears walking across the back yard and my brother looked at me and voiced what I was feeling…”that sounds like something you would love Shannon!”. He was right and that started the wheels turning.

My plan would involve breaking up my family, (taking my 16 year old daughter, but not my 20 year old son) quitting a job I loved with people I respected and considered friends (Sandi-I miss you already!!). Selling my home, moving two provinces away (or three when we started to consider Nova Scotia as well) from all I knew. 

But I would be working a farm, renovating a house, and finding the peace that had very much been missing from my life. And doing it all with my best friend and daughter Zoe.

I had never been to New Brunswick or Nova Scotia. I had lived in Newfoundland for 3.5 months over 25 years ago and loved the calm, friendly, slower pace.  I would be taking such a huge leap of faith that this was where I would achieve my dream!!

But I knew moving out East I could live mortgage free and work toward my goal of living off a productive farm. I could purchase an inexpensive, run down home to renovate, and I would be fulfilling that lifetime dream; realizing, even if I failed, I had tried. And there was the very real possibility I could fail, but then what? I move back to Ontario, rent an apartment, get a job, and carry on!

I had to try.