Well, it is official. We are moving. I was able to give my final day of work notice yesterday so now I can start blogging about it. Trust me, it is not as easy as jumping in the U-Haul and hitting the road.
The most difficult part of the process has been the decision to move. Carolynn and I were completely happy to stay here in Natuashish for another year. But the universe was conspiring to point us in another direction. The only real concerns I have are with the organisation I was hired to work for when we came here. There have been problems right from the get-go - no other social workers here when I was told there would be three of us, withholding Carolynn's ticket until I promised things I should not have been made to promise, our roof still has a hole in it because no one seems to know who is responsible for our house, no training, no support and the list goes on. Both Carolynn and I have had our moments when we weren't sure we could adjust together to the community, but those were minor concerns and we did adjust.
A while back, I was approached by the Nunatsiavut government to go and work for them. Initially, I told them we were fine where we were and decided not to take them up on the offer. Then things deteriorated and what do you know, another call came from Nunatsiavut. So, I decided to hear what they had to say. Then they offered me a job in Nain. Because I was getting no where with my concerns here, it seemed like we should go for it. And so we are. Now, moving on the coast of Labrador in winter is a right royal pain. In the summer it is easy - jsut box everything up, put it on the cargo boat and go. In the winter, everything has to go by freight plane. The freight plane is not on a schedule - it comes here when it is full of goods for the coast. We will be able to fill the plane with our own things and have to sell off a bunch of food that we ordered for the year that is now filling our basement and freezer. Damn. Anyway, the good news is that our dogs and cats can fly with us on the freighter, whereas they cannot on a passenger flight (no pets allowed in the cabin, too cold in cargo).
We are in selling, packing, and tearful good-bye mode. This is the last move before we settle down somewhere for ever and ever, amen.
