It was in 2008 when I opted to make some major changes in this life of mine.
I was twenty-five years old and stuck in an argumentative, stagnant short-term relationship, unhappily committed to the mortgage of an unfinished home (that in all honesty, at times I would have rather burned than lived in), all while drowning in an abhorrence of unnecessary stuff that reminded me of how many vacations I could have had, but rather chose an extensive scented candle collection instead.
My truck was one that I had impulsively bought off the lot, clad with shiny tires and astronomical monthly payments, my fishing tackle room was like a game of graphite pick-up-sticks and the Chilliwack river was only minutes away from my front door… with the exception of young and foolish financing, I knew I had it good, but I couldn’t help but notice the slight pang of denial that sparked my heart when I told myself that it didn’t get any better.
I clearly remember the day when I opened my eyes in the orange glow of my small bedroom and realized that while I might be temporarily placed in discontentment, I was certainly not stuck there.
With some realization of how short my life is, I bid farewell to my grouchy man, checked the vacancy of hotel mom & dad, held a massive garage sale that saw almost every one of my belongings walk away behind a penny-pinching smile… and I made a vow that I would never feel trapped again.
The result? The compressed and rotten pit in my stomach magically disappeared, the constant feeling of disorganized and scattered focus cleared, and I was left feeling like I could finally see which aspects of my life were actually important to who I was as a growing woman. Free, invigorated and energized, like the first shower after a week-long camping trip, I was ready to run.
Discarding of the insignificant items (and let’s be honest, people) in my life who were constantly dragging me down as simple and often negative placeholders, seemed to raise my productivity tenfold and even miraculously upgraded my integrity. Now, with an abundance of wholesomeness in my heart and in my head, I was able to give all of my time and love to the people and passions in my life that actually mattered.
Upon dipping my toes in the lukewarm water of change, I was so delighted by the cleansing that I decided to take it one step further by selling my truck and deciding to sample the nomadic lifestyle of a girl and her dog who could thrive in the cultural pursuits of others who understood this need for simplicity.
So I sold my truck, got an Expedia point travel credit card, began flying with one airline to receive extra points and kept my expenses to a minimum. (For those of you who are wondering how I have not had a vehicle for five years, I rent through one company/Enterprise, rack up points which have granted me a platinum account, write off the expenses through the business, use my travel Visa card as my insurance and use my rewards points for my rentals. I rent a small economy car for drives to the city, a truck or an SUV for guiding, use my upgrades for anyone I need to impress, and don’t ever have to worry about maintenance, storage or depreciation.)
I began paying for everything with my Visa, paid it off immediately, and didn’t bat an eye when it came time to pay for any destination flights by means of accumulated points. The small amount of items that I did own (art, fishing gear, clothing, etc.) sat safe in an inexpensive storage unit and when I needed a place to rest my head for one or two nights in Chilliwack, it was a pleasure and an honest excuse to be able to spend time at either my folks home or at my best friends house… a house that just so happens to be an awesome B&B on the Chilliwack River. http://www.riverbendguesthouse.com
As I reveal this now, completely exposed and excited to finally be able to speak my mind on this new website (free from feeling as though I am tarnishing the purpose of the Fly Gal business blog), I figured I would take the next four or five posts to do some brief updates on the last 6 months…
January:
In November, I had moved into the Fraser River’s Edge where I had cut a deal with friends Mike and Adriana Jones. They, much like me, needed to roam the world and as a result, spent six months abroad while I in turn lived and ran their operation during the weeks that I was in town.
I had a month until winter steelhead guiding season began and I was plump from Christmas dinners and eager to get back on the road again. I hopped a quick flight to Denver for the Fly-Fishing show and my best bud Ben Grady drove down with Colby to meet me there.
Teaming with the Fly Fishing Show, Colorado Skies and The Laughing Grizzly fly shop, I was kept running through beautiful Colorado for the first week of the month. A short clip here…
Some teaching and steelhead presentations kept a smile on my face but it was cold and I was anxious to get to the flats. My dear friend, Al Ritt is a professional fly tier who has a contagious laugh and a soft sense of humour. His wife Diana is possibly the coolest woman in the world, and with a kiss on Al’s cheek and a “good luck” cheer to us both, she dropped us at the CO airport where we were scheduled to catch a morning flight to Mexico.
Al and I were headed to Pesca Maya, home of the huge permit in Ascension Bay Mexico!
The lodge was the perfect angler destination, obviously the choice of lead anglers in the industry, its desks were littered with a plethora of decals, outstanding photographs and a table of the most perfect margaritas I have ever tasted (at least I think I remember them being that delicious/strong… same thing).
Unpacked and relaxed, I settled in for the evening to answer emails and get a little office work done.
Fishing had been tough but my ongoing love affair with permit simply wouldn’t be the same if they gave it up too easily… like a highschool boy on the chase for some tail, I fell apart at the seams when a thirty pounder swam my way.
As unsurprising as it may sound, there were no 30 pounders landed that week but Al and I had a great time in the warm weather and even managed to play with some little guys.
Cute little thing…
Al’s fish.
Safe release.
A freshwater rinse in an old canoe.
Iguana island was a little creepy but made for entertainment when I fed the little rascals my apple from my hand… I don’t know who was more sketched out; me or the iguanas.
We got real close to the dolphins… so cool!
A good looking crab.
On the bow ready to cast below the osprey nest.
Running ’em down.
Rocking some raccoon eyes before hopping a flight home.
It wasn’t long before Al and I parted ways that I found myself on a flight back to Seattle. Good friend and fellow steelhead junkie Lisa Schweitzer and her husband Andrew loaded me up into their car and we headed back to the Fraser River’s Edge for a little relaxation and time to get caught up at work.
And after a few days of drunken hip hop moves and painful poker, it was time to complete the month of January at one last trade show for the year. It was the annual January Fly Fusion inspired Western Canadian Fly Fishing Expo in Calgary. This show brings together some of the best of friends and never fails to entertain.
Our long-time friend and film maker Nick Pujic couldn’t make it away from “work” so fellow Fly Gal booth operator Paula Shearer brought him with us on a stick … very cute Paula.
As always, Puj inspired the ladies to react.
Setting up.
Voila! The Fly Gal booth completed!
And with a quick demo and some lessons on how to double haul, January was officially over and I was headed back “home” to a large open view and a waiting pile of fire logs.
The life abroad is not one that is paved for all…. for there are some people on this Earth who need structure, security, scheduling and consistency. While I feel those desires somewhere deep in my womanly instinct, I prepare for them at a distance but second them to my undeniable urgency of living for today.
My next few posts will highlight some of these changes and I am excited to share some of my innermost secrets and plans… both which I have stifled for longer than I care to remember. Thank you for reading! February blog is in the works!
April Vokey.
