View from the Strip
By Casey Lessard
Maybe I have a soft spot for people who have taken a big risk and left the comfort of a job or home to start a new life doing something completely different. You’ll read about Thomas and Gail Bailey, who started their own church. Hank and Diane VanderVelden have continued to simplify their lives so they could take it to an extreme: living the next ten years (that’s the plan for now) on a boat they built from scratch. And all of the people photographed for the front and back covers took a risk to move to Canada, including our cover subjects Marta Fiore and Joseph Fasolato, who moved from Argentina; on the back page, the Van Der Linde boys moved from South Africa, Elvis and Daniela Gerber from Cuba, and the Selvarajans from Sri Lanka.
My parents moved a lot before I was born, with my dad’s military service taking him all over Europe (my mom followed him to Germany) and into the Middle East. I’ve lived in England, and Angela has lived there and in Switzerland. Moving away from home takes a lot of courage and stamina, and you’re never quite sure what’s going to happen in the long-term, but that’s also one of the good things about it.
As you’ll read in our stories, the most successful risks require both planning and faith. It’s important to know what you can expect, but it’s equally important to realize that some things cannot be planned. Risk-takers require an organic attitude, an edge that allows them to be prepared for the worst, and the adrenaline that comes from being imperfectly prepared.
The key to success is having a good support system, and I’ve certainly found that to be true. I’m very thankful for the people who have helped me along the way.
I hope people will read this issue and see that dreams can be fulfilled, as long as you are prepared for the work involved and surround yourself with good people. And don’t forget to keep the faith.
Tell me about your adventures: drop me an note at the email address at the top of this page.