People of Georgian: Clerk’s cross-Canada journeys make ‘every day an adventure’

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People of Georgian: Meet Michelle Kennedy

Growing up in Huntsville, a small town, I was fortunate enough to have parents that always made sure we understood there was so much more than this little place we were growing up in.

They were from Toronto, Newmarket, Aurora area. In my younger years, we spent every weekend going down there. Every weekend we’d pack up the car and go to the city.

A person wearing a winter coat hugs a snowy tree and smiles at the camera.

I was raised with a heightened awareness of how big the world really is. So, before I finished my last year of high school, I knew I wanted to see more of Canada.

With my parents’ consent, I enrolled in a school in Burnaby, B.C. for my last year of high school.

To get there, we drove there over six days. We stopped in every province, and my brother was attending university in Calgary, so we stopped there for almost two days.

‘Once I get a taste of this I’m going to be a free bird’

That first drive across Canada, I was like, “Oh yeah, this is amazing.”

It felt very freeing. It really was an amazing feeling. Also frightening because I knew, deep down, once I get a taste of this I’m going to be a free bird.

Originally when I went out there, I didn’t expect to stay, but I fell in love with it.

A person sits atop a rocky mountain and looks down at a forest at the edge of blue water.

I went to Capilano University, which was right beside Cypress Mountain.

You’d be on break from class and go for a few ski runs. It’s just a total lifestyle.

I’m always up for adventure, like skiing at Whistler and rock climbing – without any rock-climbing experience – in Squamish.

Years later, I moved back to Ontario to be closer to family.

Now, exploring at this stage in my life has taken on a different meaning.

Four people pose with their arms and legs outstretched in front of a lake at sunset.

My daughter and I spend a lot of time hiking and camping. I have to say, Lion’s Head in Tobermory – that area is gorgeous. If you haven’t been there, you should.

I think so many of us take for granted how beautiful Canada is and how many different parts there are. Every day is an adventure.

Michelle Kennedy, College and Career Preparation Clerk at the Muskoka Campus.

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