In the Beginning......

     Hello friends and loved ones! And welcome. I imagine most of the people who will follow this blog will know me, and my story (to varying degrees). But, since my line of work is constantly connecting me with new friends and acquaintances, I’m going to use this first entry to give a quick background on who I am, and why I’m writing this blog. And the rest of you can use it as a refresher course. No pop quizzes though, I promise.
 
    My name is Marissa, but most people call me Mar. I am a Canadian female in my mid-twenties, born in the prairies and raised on the west coast. My first stint in the travel and tourism industry conveniently coincided with the time that I moved out of my parent’s house. I was barely 19 years old, and it would be an understatement to say that I struggled at what was to be my first of many resort jobs. I lasted a mere 7 months in Lake Louise, AB, and then ran crying back to the real world, where I happily put down roots for 3 whole years! (The thought of doing ANYTHING for three years straight at this point in my life is mind-boggling. Funny how much we human beings can change in such a short amount of time.)

    Then, as it does, life and the universe conspired to change my trajectory. Due to a variety of circumstances, I dug up said roots and left Victoria, BC in September of 2009. Since then, I have not lived anywhere longer than 8 months, with the average stay being more like 4 months. I have lived in no less than 8 different “places”, and worked for no less than 11 different companies in the past 7 years, all within the borders of this beautiful country I hail from. (To clarify: this is a good thing, a GREAT thing. For me. I know the thought of moving around so much, and starting a new job every 5 or 6 months would make a few of my family members shudder in terror and discomfort. But rest assured, it makes me endlessly happy.)

    Thus far, I have managed to combine my passion for new places, people, and challenges with that necessary evil of “making a living”. I have worked, thrived, and advanced within various arenas of the food service/hospitality/travel/tourism industries since starting my first real job at the age of 16. And I don’t intend to stop anytime soon.

    I’ve just returned to Manning Park Resort for another winter season (my second time here, and my first time EVER returning to a job). I will finish up here in April, and in May I will return to Utik Lake, Manitoba, for a second summer at the oh-so-wonderful North Haven Resort. And then? Then things get REALLY exciting. Then I leave this continent for another. And another. And another. And....well, you get the point. I’ll be traveling on work visas for the first few years, so I suppose I’ll still be “making a living” overseas, but in a much different interpretation of the phrase. I foresee earning money overseas for the sole purpose of being able to enjoy life, and to get the most out of my foreign experience (don’t worry Da, I’ll be contributing to my RRSP fund and savings accounts, too). More like, working so I can really LIVE, you know?

    This blog is my way of staying connected with the many important people in my life, of keeping friends and loved ones up to date on where I am, what I’m doing, and what my life looks like while I’m away from “home”.

    You see, I’m away from home far more often than not. But it’s funny, because home is SUCH a subjective term. For me, “Home” is Vancouver, because that is where my sister, and the majority of my very close friends, live. “Home” is Winnipeg, because that is where my Da and Mom live. And ultimately, “home” is wherever I am.
   
    This is the life I have chosen for myself, and the path that the universe has chosen for me. This is Fernweh.

Love,

Mar xx

Monday, December 10, 2012