Ach, it’s a Bonnie life!!

My mind, not the game … I’m in the middle of preparing a Business Plan for the next year (or so) and every time I think I have the framework down and can start fleshing out the various components, I think of another HUGE factor that needs to be taken into account. My mind is just boggling at the moment with all of it.

So to give my poor brain a bit of a break, I’ll start with a “recap” of this Bonnie Life… some know my story and some don’t but it’s been a roller coaster ride, I’ll tell you…

I grew up “a townie” in Niagara-on-the-Lake … a beautiful place to visit (provided of course that you’re over 19 (drinking age) and if you have a driver’s license and a car), but a really boring place to grow up. There was “nothing” in town. There were (and still are) a lot of cute touristy stores, but otherwise?? Nada, zip, not much at all. There was no mall to hang out at, there’s no McD’s (or any fast food places at all), there’s no movie theatre, no record store, nothing really for a teen. Is it any wonder we used to play “Capture the Flag” on (and in) places we probably shouldn’t have been? Last time I was there I noticed that a McD’s had opened near the high school, but that’s a few miles outside of town, I’m sure it wouldn’t be allowed in town. Of course, as an adult, it’s wonderful to go back and visit - go to the theatre, shop in the Christmas Store, hit a few wineries and the lovely brewery in Virgil, but this is now and that was then …

As soon as I graduated from high school I went to London to go to University to take a B.Sc. degree in computer programming. I loved computers. I discovered that I loved “playing” with computers, but programming??? No thanks. So .. what to do? Rather than waste money I didn’t have going to university, I decided to move to Toronto, get a job and think about it. When I knew what I wanted to take at School, I’d go back. Simple, right?

Well, the first thing that brought that crashing down was my mother. Apparently if I moved to the big, horrible, Evil City, I’d be murdered, mugged, and raped (not necessarily in that order) within the first 5 minutes. While mother was lamenting the impending death of her only daughter to her friends, she hit upon another idea for me. Why didn’t I go to Germany and live with her friend Inge? I could learn German, see Europe, work for Inge’s company and it would keep me out of the Evil City.

Hmmm. Let me think here. I’m 19. My choices are to (1) move to The Evil City and struggle to find a job & apartment and figure out what to do with the rest of my life or (2) have a free trip to Europe for a year or so? What to do … what to do… So the next thing I knew I was applying for residence/work permits and packing for my European adventure.

This seems like a good stopping place for the moment (and I really should get some work done today…), so stay tuned all!!

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