Never going back

Towards the end of the 5 year trial period, we had to have the talk. I mean, I reference it as if it was A Talk, but that's not really accurate. As with most things in a long relationship, this was a series of discussions and speculations over a period of several months.

The main points were pretty simple.

We had kids, though they could be moved. Hillary was enjoying her work and we were making friends out here.

We had a great home.

The deal became open ended at that point. We would be here until something came up in her career that required a move back to Ottawa. It could come up, but she wouldn't actively seek it out unless she reached a ceiling in British Columbia.

I did love Ottawa. If it ended up that we needed to be back there, I would have gone happily. I would have whined a bit each winter as cycling season ended, but I do enjoy the snow and being out in it.

As it turned out though, our decision to stay here was the right one. We, I, had more family that lived in the city which was critical during Hillary's cancer. And with where it ended up, that access has been and will continue to be needed in so many ways.

At some point in 2017 Mom and Hillary were having a discussion about this precise topic. The date is fuzzy, but I'm pretty confident it was before she was diagnosed with cancer. Hillary's main point was clear.

"We're never going back."