August 2012
As with most things in life, my perspective has changed (and continues to change) with my experience of living in Iqaluit. When I first arrived, I felt confined to town due to my inexperience on the land and the extremely costly airfare. But now that I can adventure with a snowmobile and make excellent use of my Aeroplan points, my comfort level is totally different. (Of course there are many other factors at play, too.) So I guess the point is this: your value of and feeling toward a place are all relative.
Have your views similarly adapted depending on whether you live in the north or south? Have you had a similar epiphany that has led you to reflect on your own relationship with the north or south? If so, please tell us about it!
RE: North by South Perspective
I was born and raised in Iqaluit. As a young adult of 20 years old I moved south because I wanted to experience something outside of my hometown. At that time I had grown to dislike Iqaluit because I felt bored, isolated, and I could not stand the slow clock of a little town. Time moves much slower up here and my short attention span at that age could not handle it.
I absolutely loved living in the city. There was so much to see and so much to do- shopping, concerts, road trips, restaurants etc. Despite all the fun I was having there was always something missing- nature. Sure I went hiking and camping in various city and provincial parks, but it felt so urban since there was immediate access to roads, amenities, and other people. It never quite seemed like camping if you drove there in a car and rented a manicured plot for $15 a night. I would jokingly say “this is not camping, this is simply sleeping in a tent”.
During some of these little adventures I would make attempts to go deeper into forests and try to be as far from the trails and paths as possible. It may seem odd to some urban folk but I was yearning to be in the middle of nowhere. When you live all your life with the endless wilderness as your backyard it becomes part of your identity. It was then that I started to truly appreciate the North.
Now that I am living back home I think back to when I disliked it here. It’s weird to think that for all the reasons why I left here are the same reasons why I came back. I love the isolation! In this case isolation equals freedom. Where else can you have access to 2 million square KM’s of open nature? You can literally be in the middle of nowhere within 15 minutes. And as for the slow clock of small town? Iqaluit is not as small as it used to be but it sure beats the traffic and tight schedules associated with the big cities. That slow clock also equals freedom. You can squeeze so much more into a day when your commute is 10 minutes or less. I have the freedom to go home for lunch, shop for food, cook, and be done eating all before 6:30PM, or go hunting after work for a few hours.
I can probably do another stint down south but I know I will always return home. The wilderness calls out for me and it is in me to obey that urge to get out there no matter what.
Steven – what an incredibly thoughtful comment. You could have written an entire blog post! Thank you so much for sharing your own perspectives on the north and south. We completely understand what you mean when you say “it’s weird to think that for all the reasons why I left here are the same reasons why I came back.” We are sure your story will resonate with many other people as well. Thanks again
Much obliged, I’m happy to write.
Very interesting and true point. I wonder if it starts with where you grew up, though I also believe points of view can change. I grew up in a city. I like cities with their anonymity that they grant to each person walking down the sidewalk, and because there’s always something to do, there’s constant stimulation. I was hesitant about moving to the suburbs and I still hate driving in the country at night, but I’ve come to love my empty backyard looking out onto a small forest. Whenever I’m back in a city and walk down the street I still experience the thrill of being in a city, but I no longer want to live with constant traffic noise.