I have to admit, every now and then, I miss the life that I once knew.  There are moments when I actually miss getting up at 5AM to walk the dog, rush back home to get ready for work, run out to catch the bus to the subway station, fight throngs of pushing people to squeeze into a subway car, and then compose myself and prepare for a day of teaching a class full of ESL students.  The view from my classroom was of a beautiful concrete jungle. Even though it was mostly just a view of buildings upon buildings and everything was the same shade of grey as the concrete that paved the sidewalks, there was something so beautiful about the city. Every day, it was pretty much the same thing. There were people bustling, cars bumper to bumper in traffic...always busy in the city.

I sometimes miss running out for a quick lunch, inhaling it, and rushing back to go over the materials I would teach in my afternoon classes. I miss the convenience of the city.  There are so many restaurants within walking distance of the school I taught at. I miss my co-workers and my friends.  I miss my boss.  I miss my students in Toronto. I miss being able to just pop by the stores on my way home from work. I sometimes miss the shopping, hanging out with friends after work on a Friday evening, or even just the simple act of ordering in delivery! I used to have several restaurants on speed dial and they all knew our apartment and our orders by heart!

Then I remember that how much more meaning my new life has for me.  We have a beautiful 750 acre farm that is our livelihood.  We get to witness the most spectacular events each and every day. For example, we watched the Northern Lights dance across the night sky two nights ago.  We star gazed and marveled at the beauty of the constellations. The Milky Way was so beautiful and we even saw Mars, Jupiter, and Venus.  I keep asking myself, "How is this possible!? I must be dreaming!"

I'm still an ESL teacher (although I have taken a few months sabbatical) and I get to live on an island that is a little slice of Heaven. We have a great life, although not as fancy as the life I grew up with.  We live within our means, make the most of what we've got, and don't splurge (often).  The best thing is that our daughter gets to experience all of this...








The simple pleasures in life mean the most to me.  I hope our little one continues to appreciate the beautiful life she has and never ceases to be amazed each and every day. It's a beautiful thing to see the smiles and hear the excitement in her laughter when she learns something new on the farm.