Hi! How have you been? Home is where the heart is... October 2017

How many people here love getting newsletters in their Inbox? Not me! That's why I decided to only send my Truli fans 4 E-Letters a year! For me, it's a perfect opportunity to reflect on the past 3 months and for you, well, less email flooding your inbox. Also, my goal is for you to actually OPEN your email and stay in touch with me. I Truli love connecting with other passionate water woman.

Looking back at the last 3 months, some very interesting and (dare I say it?) "life-changing" things happened. I kinda love it when life itself shakes things up for me and forces me to re-think my original plans. Well...love may not have been the word I used at the time, but I'm loving it now!

As you may know, in 2014 I moved to the Turks & Caicos Islands and began working for a scuba liveaboard company there. In the beginning, I worked as crew on the boat for a year and then I moved over to admin work and living on island. In the evenings and on weekends I continued to run my women's wetsuit business. It's been a lot of work, but such a cool experience! I was pretty tired a lot of the time, but I'm also an expert at having fun - so I definitely enjoyed myself! I don't take anything for granted!

But, this all changed only a few days after I sent my 3rd Quarter E-Letter on July 7th, 2017. The Turks & Caicos government refused to renew my work permit and I suddenly had 2 weeks to leave the island! Normally a sudden change like this - even if it required an international move - wouldn't faze me. I've spent most of my life living and working outside of my home-country of Canada. In fact, over the last 17 years, only 7 have been in Canada. The other 10 years I worked in: Japan, Oman, The Dominican Republic, The Bahamas, and the Turks & Caicos Islands, not to mention some fun adventurous travels to about 20 other countries along the way!

There is a lot of unpredictability of living overseas that many people don't realize. So, my first reaction was to find another Caribbean destination to spend my time. But I quickly recognized, I couldn't figure this all out in 2 weeks time. I needed to head back to "Home-Base" in Toronto to re-group and make a plan. But, while all this was going on for me down south, my father had finally taken the plunge and sold our childhood home (aka my Home-Base!).

I've been fortunate that over the years with the support of my family, I've always had a place to come home to in Toronto. This allowed me to set-up my business even while I travelled and worked abroad. I can't tell you how much this has helped me considering the unpredictable nature of travel.

Without a definite place to call home, I arrived back in Toronto at the end of July with as many possessions as I could carry. This was the beginning of a challenging couch-surfing life (including a stint on a sailboat) while I figured out my next steps.

I continued to run my business and tried to work for the scuba liveaboard company online, but it didn't work. I quit soon after coming home and focused 100% on Truli. On a whim, I signed up to sell Truli at a few summer festivals with big success!

And in September, I took a trip to the motherland of wetsuits - California - for some market research. On my flights and greyhound bus trips, I finalized the design for the much coveted new Truli Wetsuit!

As the weeks went by and I wrote and re-wrote my new life plans, one key factor kept coming to the forefront - Home-Base.

Travelling the world is fun and has been integral in the development and design of my products. But in order for the business to grow, I need a solid foundation. Especially in a place like Canada that gives me the freedom to come and go as I please and won't ask me to leave! With that in mind, I refreshed my business plan, studied my financials and made a plan for 2018. My refreshed vision allows me to create a home of my own that I will always be able to come back to. It's been a long time since I've said this, but...I'm excited to be back in Canada!

I'm a different person now. I know that's an obvious statement. As humans, we grow and adapt as life and experiences happen - whether we acknowledge it or not.

I've always loved coming home to see my Canadian family and friends, but until now, I never felt a longing to stay. The underwater world, water sports and cultural exchanges of living overseas seemed to inspire me more. This time though, the desire for success in business is out-weighing my personal needs. Kitesurfing whenever I want or going for a mid-February ocean dip on a sunny day are just going to have to wait. Bring on snow-kiting and maybe even ice-diving! Who knows? Maybe inspiration for a Truli dry-suit may ensue!

So, I start (another) new chapter in my life that I can't wait to share with you. This feeling I have right now reminds me of whenever I'm about to embark on a trip somewhere new. My travels will never be over, but for now they will be to/from Toronto. Home is where the heart is.