After just over 13 months in the Cariboo, it’s time for me to say goodbye.
When I moved to Quesnel last May, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was nervous and excited, even as I worried about tracking down a place to live, meeting my co-workers and being totally alone far from the place I called home.
But I can’t speak more highly of my co-workers, who have given me advice not only about work, but also life in Quesnel, and who have gone out of their way to help me whenever I needed it. I became good friends with another person who was new to town, and together we celebrated our successes, vented about our failures, leaned on each other when we felt homesick, and watched more movies than I’ve probably seen in any other year of my life. I was also lucky to find a second home in the Cariboo, with people who took me in and taught me how to ice fish, drive an ATV and enjoy the quiet. They showed me how easy it is for strangers to become family; all it takes is a little kindness and a lot of heart.
Living and working in Quesnel has been a bit of a whirlwind. From driving a stock car around the Gold Pan Speedway to reporting from the evacuation zone in Nazko during the 2018 wildfires to covering local politics, it’s a year I won’t soon forget.
I saw (and reported on) my first rodeo, RCMP Musical Ride and provincial curling championship. I wrote about housing for seniors and the high hospital occupancy rates in Quesnel, covered court, fundraisers, and local business, and wrote longer articles about some of the City’s most interesting people and groups. Reporting on the monthly shows at the Quesnel Art Gallery has been one of my favourite things to do, along with writing about the Bouchie Lake Travel Series.
It’s been a privilege to have met and written about so many people, from elementary school kids to burlesque dancers to inventors and everything in between.
Now that my time here is over, I’ll be driving east to visit my family before I board a plane headed for New Zealand. I’ve got a visa, a backpack and no idea exactly what to expect when I arrive — but I’m ready for my next adventure.
To all of the Observer‘s readers, to everyone I’ve had the pleasure of meeting or interviewing, and to my wonderful co-workers: thank you. Thank you for your kindness and your support, and thank you for trusting me to tell your stories.
Until we meet again, Heather
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