Although the trip was really rough it was also great. All three provinces were absolutely beautiful and people were wonderful everywhere we went.
I strive to be creative and in my life but I am a very left brained type. I usually can have my likes and desires but then sit down and make a pro con list and get "rational" or "practical" and come up with solutions. With this one I have not been able to as of yet.
I am drawn mostly to both PEI and Nova Scotia. We will obviously be renting when we move at the end of January no matter what. I am thinking it would be smartest to rent on PEI to see if island living is for us and get a better feel for it. That makes sense mostly.
Here are some things running through my brain though.
I am crunchy. I was not raised as such, and strive to be so each day. I feel like a wannabe hippy often and try so hard to be as earthy as I would like to be. I fall pretty crunchy to most who meet me I think I just have this inner thing from how I was raised.
Anyhow I practice attachment parenting, I co-sleep, extended breast feed, unschool. All these things I am very happy with and do not need outer approval for. I do, however, worry about being the only EBF mom on the Island affecting Bliss' relationships potentially. It is a very progressive place in many ways, very eco friendly etc. but there is an underlying conservatism too that I cannot quite figure out.
I also worry about giving birth there. Ideally I would have a VBAC home birth but I know that may not happen. The option of a midwife, even at the hospital, is very appealing. That would only be possible in Nova Scotia from what I am gathering. (PLEASE correct me if I am wrong if anyone knows otherwise) I would like to find other unschoolers, or at least non-religious homeschooling groups and do not know how easy that will be on PEI.
Affordability just housing prices alone goes to PEI hands down. Finding a place with a barn as well but we want to start a business and doing that on the island may prove way more expensive because of costs to bring goods in or ship out. These are all things I have to try and think about.
Geographically I could likely be happy either place although the islands red earth and valley's really spoke to me so did the parts of Nova Scotia I got to see (I drove so much in the dark there).
Then there is the question about renting. Do we rent a furnished place and hope to find something really soon and make it easier on us to start, maybe only bringing my memory foam mattress for my last few months of pregnancy? Or do we go unfurnished? I could house hunt in the snow since I have seen most areas, at least I think I could, but is it realistic for the last 3 months of my pregnancy?
I hate the idea of being in a rental when I give birth but I know it may happen.
All of these things wake me up at 2am sometimes and I am still trying to figure them out. I don't want to buy a place unless we really really feel good about it too. I just feel like I cannot figure out what is quite best for us yet.
In the meantime we are finally packing stuff slowly but surely and trying to be very smart about it. We also have to FINALLY get a tree tomorrow.
WHEW, ok, the trip story is officially over!!!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
the trip final thoughts...
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9 om's.:
PEI is a great island. I love the island and the people (my family lived there for 3 years) but I did find people who are not born on the island are treated differently. They'll call you "from away" no matter how long you live there. My mother saw this in her job when people were very resentful of her coming from Ontario and taking a job away from them. Just something to consider...
It's really too bad that you didn't get to see the Fredericton area. I can think of places only 20 minutes out of town that might have what you're looking for. E.g., Keswick Ridge, Durham Bridge... And, further up the road, Woodstock.
I've not been to Saint John, but I find Moncton and Fredericton to be VERY different. I also think that you'd find more like-minded folk (i.e., your description of your parenting, etc.) here than in some of the smaller communities across the Maritimes.
I've not been to PEI, but we had to go someplace with a law school and job possibilities. I loved Nova Scotia, but we didn't want to live in Halifax and, again, had limitation in terms of job options. Once we researched Fredericton (two universities and the provincial seat of government) and then visited, we were sold. As with any place in the Maritimes, it has its challenges, but we love it!
I'm sorry you had such a dreadful experience. I know what it's like to travel with a kid who hates flying and gets sick...
Well, best wishes in your journey. And, if you decide to check out Fredericton, be sure to let me know as we'd be happy to show you around.
P.S. We've traveled a lot and have often carried our son's birth certificate, though I don't recall that we've ever had to show it. I think that it might be easier that there are two of us (the moms, that is) and that we all have PR cards with the same hyphenated name. When we landed and it took FOREVER, we were surrounded by posters about missing kids, etc. I thought for sure they were running every data base in the world, making sure he wasn't being kidnapped. Turned out we were the first landing this officer had ever processed.
Just wanted to drop you a line to say hi and hope all is going well for you!! :)
Yes, you do come across as very crunchy!
Are there local Le Leche League groups that you can scope out online and get a feel for how EBF would be viewed on the island?
I think your idea to rent first sounds reasonable, that way you have time to really find that place that feels like home to you.
I found a local homebirth group in my very conservative part of Ohio online- they were a Yahoo group. I wonder if you could find something similar in N.S. or PEI. I found both my doula and my OB/midwives through this group's suggestions.
I don't know anything about the Maritimes and local differences as I've never been that far east. But I think you are wise to approach this rationally - my wonderful country can be progressive from a distance, but up close and in the rural areas things can be very different. MrsSpock's idea is a very good one about trying to find a LLL group that might be able to give you some info and maybe also connect you in with any AP/EBF/homebirth folks in the area. And MSEH sounds like a great contact, too.
Thinking of you often and wishing you much clarity in your decision-making.
No advice really. And yes you are crunchy :). I think that the renting sounds like a good plan if for no other reason than if you get in an area and end up not liking it you don't have to worry about selling etc. I'd take enough stuff to get by but maybe not everything for the first couple of months. It's not easy living with minimal stuff but it is doable. At least until you decide where you want to stay. Mrs. Spock also had good ideas about getting a feel for the area.
I cannot believe the gall of that flight attendant! I hope you complained. It is his job to be hospitable. If he didn't like you, too bad. wow! How amazingly unprofessional!
I hope all goes well with the planning and the move. It's a huge undertaking!
I agree with Annacylopedia on this one. I spent 6 weeks in Nova Scotia a few years ago. The area I was in (the French Shore) was certainly not the most open-minded place I've ever been.
I've also heard from people who lived on PEI for several years that they were always looked at as outsiders.
I'm certainly not judging the Maritimes solely on these two things. I did love Nova Scotia and the people I met there, and a friend of mine recently moved back to the prairies after 8 years of living in Halifax and loving it. She found it to be a very open and welcoming place. But I would recommend trying to find some first-hand accounts of some of the areas (especially rural ones) before you make any major decisions.
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