I'm back! and starting over!

Some of you may recognize me, or rather (hopefully) remember me.  I had a blog awhile back, The Big Push Out West, and rather suddenly, for personal reasons, needed to give up blogging for a short time last April.  Well.....that short time turned into over a year.

Let me just clear up, for those who were worried, that I am alright, everything is fine!  My personal issues and reasons for leaving blogging were actually cleared up and straightened out within a few months. 

So WHY didn't I come back to my blog right away?

Well, several reasons.  I realized I needed to take some time for myself, and work on my life out here in Alberta.  I wasn't really living a life, I was just living here because I had to.  I struggled to find friends, I let my hobbies go, I kept to myself and I realized that it wasn't ok.  So I took this past year and a bit to work on ME, and to create a much more balanced life for me, and Stephan.

So that's just what I did!

I worked on my faith and my church life, and through that discovered a surrogate family in addition to my cousins who already live out here.  These people have taken me in and consider me their family, and treat me as such, and I do so in return.  I know my parents feel relieved to know that I have someone to turn to, especially when Stephan is away for work.  Having these people in my life has made my life that much richer. 

I have more friends now, through my Calgary family! Two daughters from the one family that has claimed me have become my close friends.  I now have a girlfriend to watch a movie with, or go out for beer and wings downtown, or go out dancing, or to just hang out.  Through Calgary Mom #2 (Linda, an elderly lady in my church who I have so much admiration and respect for) I have discovered more of Calgary.  She has shown me so many places, and taken me exploring throughout the city.  I don't think I realized how little I knew of Calgary, and what I was missing.  She motivated me to get out and do things!  She was the push that got me going again. 

I have taken up old, and new, hobbies.  Slowly (and I'm still working on this), I have tried to get back more into my music and my artwork.  I am hoping to someday gain the courage to share this you.  I have also discovered new hobbies such as gardening, and bird-watching, and have slowly started to work on my German.

Stephan has been supportive of me every step of the way, and I couldn't be more grateful to have such a loving partner. He has been nothing but encouraging in my discovery of my hobbies, and in developing new friends.  Our relationship this past year has also grown much stronger, and I thank God every day that I have him by my side, and continue to pray that our relationship stays strong.

Why not just pick up where I left off with my old blog, why create a new one??

Well....I'm not that person anymore, and for lack of a better explanation, I just don't feel connected to that blog.  I have changed so much in the last year, and for the better.  That blog was written during a time when I was struggling personally (and privately), and although it doesn't show on the blog, it wasn't me.  It wasn't who I am.  And I didn't want to return to that, not that my life before was bad, it just wasn't what I wanted it to be.

I want this blog to be ME. Strong, independent, in a committed relationship, faithful and religious, and enjoying and discovering my life in the West...not just waking up and living each day because I had to be here. 

I can happily say, for the first time, that I have actually come to love living out here, and I don't think I would give up my life here anytime soon :)

I also am looking forward to catching up on all the blogs I used to follow, and to discovering new blogs! Its great to be back :)

Until my next post,
Tchuss!!!