When Neil and I rung in 2016 in a tiny studio apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan I doubt that either of us had any idea what this year had in store for us. Throughout our week and a half vacation we kept saying to each other…”what if we could live here?” We loved the hustle and bustle, the museums and shows, and that you could eat almost anything you wanted at any time of the day. It felt like the world was at our fingertips.
It was lovely to think about, but with my job in oil and gas it dictated where we could live and work. This dream didn’t feel tangible at all. It was more of a sigh with murmurs of “someday.”
After February’s events it was now my time to dream. I promised myself that I would take the month of February to just…be… I wasn’t going to think about finding another job right away or stress over what I should be doing. I wanted to be kind to myself as I navigated these new waters. Once I did start reflecting on what brought me joy it became clear that I was not interested in returning to the job or role that I used to do.
What do you do when you’ve spent fifteen years of your career in one industry? How do you transform your life?
I attended an online information session for a full time MBA (Masters of Business Administration) program and as I read through the program description I found myself nodding up and down. This sounded so exciting to me! I began researching schools and studying for the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test), hence why I was reacquainting myself with math at the end of March.
It wasn’t an easy process. Given my age and experience level several schools pushed me towards their part time programs which focus on people who will enhance their existing career. Students work during the week and go to school on the weekends. I was interested in a full time program because I was looking for a transformation springboard. When I pushed back I was told that my potential for change was not as large as someone younger than me, and that I would be less employable than my classmates. These were not easy words to hear and I definitely shed a few tears wondering if I was making the right choice.
The harsh words spurred me on to put some hard thought in to what I wanted out of an MBA and to find the program that was the right fit for me. Thankfully Neil was incredibly supportive as this would mean huge changes for both of us. I interviewed with my dream school and then held my breath as I waited to hear back from the admissions team.
On a bike ride with friends in Banff we stopped and got off our bikes to walk through one of the animal fence gates. As I got off my bike I quickly checked my phone and there it was. An offer of admission from the Sauder School of Business at The University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Neil and I were officially moving to Vancouver.
The final build towards Ironman Boulder became a whirlwind of putting our house in Calgary on the market and looking for an apartment in Vancouver. It definitely added a lot of additional stress to Ironman training, that is for sure! Selling a house in a buyer’s market and finding a rental apartment in a city with a 0.8% vacancy rate is not for the faint hearted. It was also absolutely insane to be negotiating an offer on our house two days before race day. Ironman stress plus home selling stress? Yikes!
Here we are now, on the cusp of a new adventure in Vancouver. After ten years I have officially said goodbye to Calgary. That is now the longest that I have ever lived in one city! I will miss Calgary and the wonderful friends that I made there dearly. However I am very excited for the future and the world that awaits in business school and on the other side. Here is to embracing challenges, joy and opportunities!
I can’t believe a school would comment about your potential simply because of your age-good for you for pushing back! I would think your maturity and previous work experience would only make you more valuable in a business environment.
I visited Vancouver only once (stayed in Kitsilano) and it was so beautiful…it was the place that inspired me to start getting fit back in 2006! I was pushing Jack in a stroller and wanted to walk along the SeaWall, a very nice runner offered to carry the stroller down the steps-I saw everyone running or cycling and decided that I wanted that kind of lifestyle 🙂
I’m so happy for you!! As someone who absolutely loves Vancouver, I am incredibly excited for you. The VanCity lifestyle is irreplaceable and I hope you love it. Good luck with school, you’re going to do so well. I am hoping to do the SeaWheeze next year so hopefully I’ll see you at some point 🙂 Xx
Leana – what a fabulously exciting new step! Like the commenter above I cannot believe that your age was held against you – frankly, the older you get, the more you understand yourself – in my opinion – and once you understand yourself lasting change is absolutely possible! Their loss though and Vancouver’s gain. I haven’t been in a while but I absolutely love it there. Have a wonderful, exciting time and keep us posted. Any races on the agenda?
Congrats on your new adventure! I’m back in school again in my 30’s, and it’s definitely different the second time around.
Vancouver is a beautiful city, I’m jealous!
I can’t wait to see how things turn out for you, and wish you all the best. I’m so glad I got to know you here, and hope we meet up again!
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I’m really looking forward to reading all about your Vancouver adventures over the next little while!
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Congrats on your move! I’ve only been to Vancouver once and it’s a fun town. 🙂
( I can’t believe the comments you received from some schools. Horrible.)
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Wishing you all the best on your new journey!
How exciting that you are chasing your dreams. It is inspiring. I can’t believe that a school would comment on your age. How silly.
Congrats on your new adventure. Vancouver will be amazing!!
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We will miss you in Calgary but you will love the triathlon culture in Vancouver. Wish I was still living there 🙂
Good luck with school and I look forward to seeing you soon
I observed the way in which you managed your career and life change from a P.Eng oil patch worker to the UBC MBA program combined with your real estate moves at the same time, I’d like to offer my congratulations, I’ve never witnessed anyone handling a similar situation with such grace and power. Your personal power will serve you well and your Ironman triathlon journey is part of the reason you are so damn tough. I would love to have you a member of my management team. You are young, smart, beautiful and strong; go kick some ass.
So exciting! The comments from that school are ridiculous though. I know you’ll prove them wrong!
Thanks Lindsay! For some reason your comments went to spam…not sure why…but not to worry. I found and approved them!
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