Stepping Off the Cliff

I decided to just do it. If you want something enough, it’s worth the risk, even if it ends in failure. Then at least you knew you tried, and you’ll never have to wonder “what if?” Anyways, to fall is not to fail; you fail when you don’t try, to quote the Superchicks.

Off the cliff and into the fog I stepped. With no way to legally work, and not knowing when or if it would happen at some point, about a month ago, I booked a flight back to Vancouver to look for an apartment. I’d decided I was just going to up and move there. Full stop.

A few days later, I called to follow up on the resume I’d Fedex-ed in response to the only interpreter job posting I’d been able to find. By the time I got off the phone, I had an interview lined up for the next week at a Greater Vancouver school district.

One step at a time, I can see a little ways into the fog, and like the new glass floor you can walk out onto over the Grand Canyon, somehow I can’t see the path I’m on, but I’m not falling.

The woman I interviewed with said I could have the job as long as my work permit was approved and the rest of the paperwork came through. Woo! On with the paper trail I trudged. I got the required medical exam the following week, dropping half a G on it, followed by visa photos, bank statements, college transcripts, background checks, blah blah.

A hurdle appears. Last week I called her again to touch base and she had changed her story. She said her supervisor said they weren’t set up to take on foreigners but the job was still mine if I could get the permit on my own.

The thing is I can’t. Not until I have a year’s worth of experience in my field and that application process can take months, even years. The other thing is, I’ve been their only applicant in at least five months so they need someone as badly as I need the job. I have no other backup plan, I’m too far into this to give up now, and don’t feel that this hurdle means I take a detour to another city but that now it’s time to fight for it. I’m drafting a letter to send to the woman at the school district, but right now I’ve pretty much just word vomited onto the word processor document.

I’ll fight, that is, after I’m done ignoring life for a while, once I work up the fight in me. The last week, I haven’t felt like I’ve had much. Soon I’ll crawl out of my hole and muster up that gumption again.

I’m moving to Vancouver! January 6th is the day of my one way ticket. I didn’t find an apartment that week, but I have some of the best friends ever that are going to let me be their roomie my first month. Who knows, depending on the work situation, I may be there one month, or I may be there the full length of that three-year cell phone contract I signed last month.

Any Canadians out there wanna marry me? ;) Hey, whatever it takes. Yeah right.