The Great Tectonic Shift: Moving Outside Your Comfort Zone

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Have you moved away from where you were born? Or, have you remained in the same location for your whole life? What is it that you miss most about where you grew up? Is there a smell or a specific song that takes you back there?

We all have unique connections with our hometowns that mean something to us. Whether you have lived in the same city for your entire life or been all over the world, everyone has an origin story. It is something that you have no say in but is a part of us forever. Some people do not spend much time where they were born before their family moves somewhere new. For others, where their story started is where it will end, and it is a huge part of their identity.

For me, the streets in northwest Calgary will always be home. I spent the first thirty years of my life there. I never associated with the “cowboy” rhetoric that surrounds the city. And while Alberta accounts for nearly a quarter of all Canadian farms, I did not fall into a “Cow-town” stereotype of growing up on a ranch and eating a steak every night for dinner. Like most places, the general stereotypes that are generated are not accurate depictions of the people living there. The reason I will always be connected to the city is that those were the streets I cut my teeth on – where buddies were made, and trouble was caused. Those experiences could have been anywhere really, and the impact would have been the same. But it was in NW Calgary where these were experienced for me, and that is why those streets will always echo with memories.

Although I have moments where I miss my roots, moving away from my hometown was the best thing I have ever done. Not because there are scars there or problems that I am running away from. Quite the opposite in fact. I have friends and family there that I miss dearly, and those strong connections are what still make it a challenge to be away at times.

The reason it was so good for me to move and get out of my comfort zone was, essentially, change. While that word can have a range of connotations, I am talking about foundational shifts in routine. What your eyes see every day. The typical weather systems you endure. The colour of the road signs that direct you where you need to go. I had no idea how desperately I need to alter my environment. Sometimes you are in a funk, and you do not even know it. How could you? Especially if the reason is just some deep-seated feeling in your gut that something needs to shift. Something you cannot quite put your finger on until you jump into the unknown of such a life-altering shift and realize you needed it all along.

This is not to say that moving away from all you know is easy. I still struggle with living in a different city from my parents with whom I am very close. The big things like the people you care about will always be there regardless of distance. What is comforting is I can always take my mind (or my physical self) back to the streets I spent 30 years on, for a little hometown cooking.

It is the small things about your hometown you miss once you move away. For me, it is the prairie summer sunsets. There is something to be said about “big sky country” and the colours it can produce when the sun is in transition. If it is a rainy, overcast stretch here in Vancouver, I transport myself to cruising down John Laurie Boulevard in Calgary in a 1993 Jeep Cherokee. I would rumble around in that old red beauty with the windows down cranking tunes. Something about dusk in the prairies brings out the fresh aromas as the temperature cools. The scent of fresh-cut grass wafts through the air as oranges, pinks, and reds create a warming hue that hugs its surroundings. I love how during those summer months the sunsets last forever. The last tinges of colour are still distant on the horizon as the navy-blue curtain of darkness suppresses those warm tones. You wait so long for those summer nights as the winter storms rage on during the winter months. They make you earn it through the ice and cold, but they are worth the wait. If you can stop and admire how special those nights are, you can almost convince yourself it is worth another freezing winter.

Being able to go back to visit is a perfect way to keep these emotions in a time capsule that I can open every now and then when I am back. As I write about what I remember and miss, I find myself asking “if those memories are so important then why did I leave?” The new life experiences I am forging here in Vancouver are captivating and energizing. New people and challenges have kept me on my toes. I love that feeling of not being totally comfortable, but I sometimes feel like I am still just a visitor here. The lush greenery and foggy mornings I am growing to love still do not feel like my natural environment. That is what is captivating about it, the sense of potential and adventure.

I guess the core sentiment is – what are you doing to push yourself out of your comfort zone? This can could be attempted in many areas in life, but have you stopped to evaluate how comfortable you are in your current routine? Moving across the country might not be the answer for you – it would be hard to convince anyone to move away from beautiful BC – but that kind of tectonic shift injected my life with a lot of good.

My journey took me to Winnipeg before finally settling here on the west coast. And I may end up with the itch to drive different roads again. But for now, my aura is settling into this amazing spot.

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