Our Prince Edward County home is surrounded by water and farm fields, very different than what we’re used to in the city.
Instead of seeing skyscrapers, pavement, and street lights, we are in the company of horses, cows, and the smell of fresh manure.
I feel so blessed to be able to raise my daughter Audrey in a different world than what I was used to growing up. She will learn about city living, as we go to Toronto often, but will also be right at home with country life and all that it entails.
In contrast, my husband Mike grew up on a hobby farm just outside of Peterborough. He was the youngest of 5, and spent a lot of time on his own, exploring and learning about nature and his surroundings. His interests are vast but he also gets excited about things that most people wouldn’t even think about, like foraging for wild foods and howling coyotes.
I grew up in Suburbia, where every house looked like the one next to it and the lawns were meticulously landscaped and well-manicured. I ventured to downtown Toronto frequently to go shopping, try out new restaurants, and meet up with my friends. I was comfortable riding the bus and subway by myself, even when I was young, and the vibrancy of the eclectic people I would come across in my travels would really feed my creative soul.
Our daughter Audrey will grow up with a little bit of everything; truly the best of both worlds. With such a vast repertoire of sights, smells, sounds, and people to pique her curiosity, it brings a smile to my face when I dream of what will inspire her and how these things will shape her future.
These days – and sometimes I wish they would never end – she loves to ride in her red wagon to visit the Holstein cows about a kilometre from our house. The curious cows always come to the fence to say hello, and Audrey is in her glory, smiling and waving to them excitedly, the picture of innocence and wonder.
It’s an image of her that is never far from my mind.
