Before I visited Canada in July I was asked to do a podcast by my mentors Tom and Nick Karadza at Rock Star Real Estate Brokerage. I had no idea what I was going to be asked. I was a bit nervous before heading there because I'm not heavily into stats and data if we were going to talk about real estate. Ernest was not present with me. I prayed and asked God to grant me peace and to guide the interview in a way that I could answer.
When I arrived there I was quite peaceful and calm. This turned out to be a most enjoyable podcast of going down memory lane from back in my 20's when I would sit down and stare out of the window of the office I was working at and wondered what people who were outside driving around on the 427 Highway did for a living, to what I am presently doing now. I shared how pivotal the year 2015 was for me. It was a difficult one which also brought some of my biggest blessings in life like getting married and saying "I quit", as I firmly believed I belonged somewhere else in life, but didn't know where.
Having the chance to hear myself speak about the story of how we left Canada, traveled extensively during the lockdowns and ended up in the Azores made me realize how much our past prepared us for this journey and took us to where we are now. We were not just traveling without purpose. As real estate investors, we are always looking at real estate wherever we go. It helps us to have a better understanding of each market as we travel. Hearing myself speak about the little things I did like made me smile as they set us up for success to live the lives we would lead in the future. Some of these were becoming paperless, following currencies as we traveled, engaging in personal development to gain the courage and to learn to have a more successful mindset, living a more minimalist lifestyle, trusting God's plan and not resisting it have all inspired me even more to keep moving forward.
One of the things I mentioned in the podcast is the unique property we found here in the Azores which is my first real estate development project. The manor on the property was once owned by Thomas Hickling, the first Vice Consul to the Azores from the United States. It's still gorgeous even though it is in ruins. Why would I do a development project in a different country? It makes sense. I'm enjoying learning how things work here, new country, new culture, new systems. There will always be pros and cons but what a glorious way to learn how to do something different in life by venturing out of the comfort zone a little. I'm grateful that I've come a long way from sitting at a desk pushing paper and dreaming of a different life to having this opportunity to give new life to the community around me and that gorgeous manor which once housed the former First US Vice Consul, his wife and their 16 children.