Back to Roots...

I grew up on a farm in a small rural town of Muskoka. It was 200 acres of field and forest with limitless opportunities for new places to explore. My childhood was full of snowmobiling, tobogganing, skiing, biking, hiking, swimming, boating, and the hateful daily task of rounding up cows from the neighbors. There was no shortage of outdoor activities and chores. We didn't have phones and tablets those days and we were okay with that. It made us who we are today. Quite often my mother could be heard yelling for me to come in for dinner but I often ignored as I had better things to do. It was much more important to climb a tree or explore the barns to retrieve some animal or treasure.

The farm bordered a river and there were waterfalls a short bike ride down the road. Summers were spent swimming there or jumping off the cliffs into the deep water. It was the thing to do. A secret place only the locals knew about. It was a hidden gem and we always scowled at any newcomers to this secret place. It was a special club and NO ONE was allowed to join. That's what we thought when we were kids anyways and we believed we could protect the secret forever.

But as life does, it carried on, and we all got older. People either left to go to school or chose to stay in the small town to make a life there. I couldn't wait to leave. I wanted more. I wanted to explore the world. So when I was accepted to the University of Toronto, I moved to the big city of Toronto. It was a bit of shock but my survival instincts kicked in. I acclimated to living in the city with cement and buildings, my new forests for exploration. It wasn't ideal but I needed to make a living. I worked up the proverbial corporate ladder and transitioned into 3 different careers. I remained in the city for over (ahem!) 20 years. For a while, I could never picture myself chopping wood, driving a tractor, or fighting relentless mosquito attacks ever again. I had morphed into a city girl. I never thought I would see that day. The mud-puddle-sitting and bug-flicking tomboy from Muskoka became the somewhat entitled "citidiot" as we called them in our town.

But with the many visits back to cottage country over the years, our thoughts were changing. We were stressed. We were becoming unhealthy from living in the city. Our life was dependent on technology. And fresh air, what was that? We were not happy and we needed a change.

We were tired of living in a city where the only speed was "FULL AHEAD." Wherever we went, we had stress with endless traffic, grocery store lineups, and even walking down the road. We could not get away from stress. We could not rest nor slow down. It took its toll and our health started to suffer. We would visit friends' cottages and dream of owning our own. We knew how we felt when we visited the cottage. We talked and talked. How can we do this? How can we achieve our dream of owning a cottage? We made a plan and vowed that once the market in our area was at its peak we would sell our home. We had our reservations. We had fear. Where would we live when we are working in Toronto? I had faith and knew it would all work out. Well, as of June 2017, we sold our house and bought a beautiful home east of Peterborough in an up and coming neighborhood. It's on the water and has 2 acres.

One year later we still can't believe we are living in such heaven. It all worked out and on weekends, we watch all the wildlife pass us by and enjoy all the outdoor activities we have always dreamed about.

So now I am acclimating to a familiar environment, not a new environment. My roots. My home. I am back home and couldn't be happier. Sometimes you just have to go within yourself to find your happiness and "going back to roots" was key to it all. I urge everyone to find their "zen" environment. Focus, determination, and a sprinkle of faith will get you there. This is just the start of a new chapter for us and we can't wait to see where the adventure leads us. Keep an eye out! Our experiences will hopefully help you on your journey or maybe it will just be pure comedic entertainment. And there is nothing wrong with that!

Cheers!

Bella

Living on the Water = Heaven

Snowmobiling... One of the Many Outdoor Activities

The battle of the mosquito is on!

Yup... City Girl Stacking Wood

What? Driving a Tractor?? Ok, a Lawn Tractor!