Goodbye home, hello home

It's the same area code. The same province. Even the apartment layout is pretty similar. But it's a town of strangers. Funny enough, I feel relatively at home here.

Kelowna's a cute little city. Lots to do, beautiful scenery, and a new life that's starting for K and I, a little closer to the cities we used to call home back in Alberta. K's dad came out to help us move and drive the U-Haul over the rain-covered Coquihalla, after we had said goodbye to friends, family, and the beautiful coast that we called home for the past few years. It fit me like a worn in pair of shoes that you don't want to throw away. But maybe these new shoes will be alright after some wear and tear.

K was just napping on the couch with me a few minutes ago, and now she's puttering away in the kitchen getting some dessert ready for later tonight. We took a short drive up to Kalamalka Lake earlier this afternoon, got some fresh fruits and veggies at a small store off the lake, and came back into Kelowna for lunch here at the new apartment that has officially been unpacked and put away. We still need some things, and we haven't had the opportunity to establish our own smells and sounds, but it's coming along. We have more space, the building is somewhat young, and K loves it. She was like a kid again at the lake, where she spent at least a weel nearly every summer of her childhood. Her aunt brought over dinner and some fresh fruit and veggies from their garden to help us get settled in before we had the chance to hit up the grocery store. It's 30 degrees and sunny and the surrounding lakes shine a brilliant green in the afternoon. Our apartment is on a huge park. Maybe things aren't so bad around these parts.

I even had the chance to meet a couple more teachers and touch base with the head volleyball coach that I'll be kinda-sorta working with over the next few months. I have textbooks in hand, and maybe, just maybe, I'll be a great teacher like I'm hoping. I have no doubt that there's a tonne of work ahead, but it's what I've been working toward the past few years. Now I guess it's time to embrace it. And I can already smell the smell of peach crisp browning in the oven. I'll say it again... maybe things aren't so bad around these parts.

- T