Closing one door as another one opens

My life has taken some ups & downs over the years but then again whose hasn't and the years have lead me to what I am doing now, which I am quite excited for and for what it shall bring me in the future. The last 7 years I have been an operator, guide and operations manager of a whale watching company out of Victoria, BC on Vancouver Island, Canada. It has taught me many things including boat handling in some crazy conditions, as well as, safely and responsibly interacting with marine mammals, such as, humpbacks and orca. The last few years were tough and I wasn't finding too much joy in it anymore, which is a sad thing to say when you think about what it is my actual job was and that people all over the world would come to the island just to experience a few hours of what it was my I did for a living.

However, that lead me to successfully gain employment with an Antarctic expedition company, as well as, a multi-day sailing company that goes into incredibly remote regions along the northern BC coastline. Honestly, I would love to continue doing all three of these jobs but time simply won't permit me to do so or my sanity because that is an insane amount of work and energy that you need for one of those jobs let alone three of them.

What I came to realize after relaxing and travelling for the past month is that I will have to say goodbye to one of those gigs, which is kind of a bummer, as they all have great pros in their own right. However, I figured in life in order to grow you have to push yourself out of what feels comfortable, safe and learn new things about yourself and the world that surrounds you. As much as I am going to miss hanging out with the people I have worked with in Victoria whom are not only some of my closest friends but who have been mentors that have assisted me other the years in learning and fine tuning my skill level.

Not only that but the opportunity to spend hours and hours on the waters in southern BC interacting with numerous marine mammals and being able to go home each night to rest before more hours on the water will occur the following day. Some of my favourite memories and encounters are too many to list and sadly I will probably forget some as the years progress but I am hoping it will simply make room for more unforgettable memories I will make on these new ventures.