How does a diehard traveller with a Soul of a Nomad, maintain equilibrium while “staying the blazes home?”
Unlike a real nomad, I do have a fixed address. During many childhood years, and much of my adult life, this hasn’t been the case. My dad was a military man. We moved. Then I became a military woman. I moved. I married a military man. We continued moving – but not always together. We retired and settled into a home where I’ve now lived for twenty-six years.
Now, I answer the question, “Where’s home?” with certainty. I tell folks that I’m from the Comox Valley. Although not born here, I feel a sense of belonging and have lived in this place longer than anywhere else. I’ve become that annoying person who provides directions to a newcomer with statements such as, “Across from where Canadian Tire used to be.” I reminisce about forests that once occupied what are now Walmart, Home Depot, Costco and their enormous parking lots. I grumble about these changes and in so doing realize how anchored I’ve become.
Even so, my parents instilled in me a wanderlust – a nomadic soul. I crave exploration, adventure, new horizons. COVID-19 has kept me at home, compliant with national and provincial health measures and mandates, but I fret. I plan upcoming adventures and hope I don’t age-out before getting back on the road again.
While biding time at home, I finished writing one book and wrote another. Writing about past journeys has kept me occupied during our Vancouver Island version of “lock-down.” Soul of a Nomad – The Journey Continues was published last November, but never officially launched due to COVID gathering restrictions. In the Footsteps of a Roman Legion – Walking the Via Egnatia, will be available in bookshops by 19 November this year. A double book launch is in the works.
I don’t spend every moment of my life writing. Walking with friends and my dog Lacy in nearby Seal Bay Park provides joy and inspiration and my garden keeps me busy, too.
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