Hey everyone, I am a travel nurse about to take on my first contract outside of Canada! I wanted to pick your lovely brains on what you do to manage loneliness. This is a two part question: - I’m about to start a life in Australia, leaving everything behind for 1 year +. Do you have any advice on networking and building community in a new place? I want to be intentional with who I surround myself with, how do you maintain a standard of friendship when the urgency for connection is strong? - Leaving home has brought up lots of feelings. I feel there is a disconnect between myself and my loved ones who can’t relate to the experience I’m having. I feel as though time spent with me is not being prioritized by my loved ones which has left me feeling ironically lonely before I leave. How do you grieve imperfect goodbyes?

Life is full of adventures hiding behind an entrance fee of curiosity! It must simply be greater than our self-doubt and fears! Very few people in life land their truly aligned career or relationship on first attempt. We’ve all lived far more colourful lives than first impressions could ever tell. Share one of those stories here! For myself, last summer, I had an epiphany that I must CHALLENGE my limiting beliefs. One was that I could not be a heli-pilot because of 3 heart procedures as a kid with leukaemia. You can’t fly with risk of heart palpitations - which I have had probably once a month for 20 years. But I never medically confirmed this to disqualify me. The day after I realized I made an assumption, rather than make proof, I went to an aviation medical examiner, did all the test and passed with flying colors! 💫 I expressed my concerns and he said ‘no, you’re a young healthy guy despite your cancer, crazy if you DONT go for this with your clean bill of health.” 🤯 Next step, I call my only heli-pilot contact I met a a horseback guide in the Yukon a decade ago. I asked for pointers before paying $80,000 in schooling. 9min phone call later, he offered me a job as ground crew at his helicopter outfit in a remote Inuit village in the Yukon. I dropped my life, drove 37hours and spent 2 months in the epic north! Learned a TON! BUT! I learned that my truest calling is to be of deep and personal service to individuals. My gifts are to elevate others, and flying was just a ‘that’s pretty badass’ dream that I thought was denied me because of my heart procedures. But that man gave me an opportunity to realize my priorities and saved me heart $100,000 and YEARS of debt by giving me an inside view before investing. So my words to you, do not simply buy into any negative assumption about yourself. Challenge it and realize how often ONLY our own mindset and the story we tell ourselves is in the way! Thanks to @Georgiana D for inspiring this conversation!