Bosh on the road

This video captures the past year of Bosh on the road, including my final days before I left in April 2010.

BOSHING AROUND 2: ROAMING IN THE GLOAMING from Dave Griffiths on Vimeo.

6 months later

I've been here for 6 months now. I've had a couple of strange moments recently. For the most part Canada feels normal now, like home. Occasionally though I suddenly hear everyone's accents, my own accent and realise that this is not the place where I grew up. It sometimes happens when I hear another English accent (like when my parents came to visit). It amuses me. I suspect the strange part will going back to visit at Christmas.

Do I miss England? I miss my family and friends, they are my homeland and what I miss. But Kitchener, Ontario is becoming home now. My soon to be wife is here with me, I have a growing network of friends here too, roots are being planted.

Talking of my soon to be wife, Wedding plans are coming on. We have a reception venue, a church and a date. In the next while communications will go out to our friends about the wedding.

A lot can happen in 6 months.

Engagement

I got engaged. Thanksgiving 2010 was the weekend when I asked Katelynn to marry me.And she said yes! We're very excited to get married in next year.

I also had my parents to visit to celebrate, my first visitors from the homeland. It made me miss my family and friends all the more, but I'm very thankful for them and their visit. We also had our parents meet each other for the first time.

Other than that, the band played at a Student event in Paris, Ontario. Campus for Christ is amusing. At student events in England, people were pretty chilled out. At Campus for Christ summit, the different University groups came in with war paint, had chants for the universities and were generally loud. It was a lot of fun worshipping with them.

We enjoyed the rest of thanksgiving with Katelynn's family.Everything it seems has come together. Thank you Jesus.

9 short weeks and it will be Christmas. I can't believe it's been almost 6 months since I moved here to Canada.....

More to come soon...

4 months later

It's been quite the summer, and now the season is changing.

Autumn is kicking in, labour day weekend (this weekend) is commonly known to signify the end of summer, and quite appropriately the weather has turned and it's now 16C instead of 32C. Apparently "the fall" in Ontario is short (6 weeks or so) and is quite spectacular, before descending into the sub zero temperatures that characterize winter. I've already experienced some winter conditions last Christmas (-16C) but it can go colder and I didn't experience a massive snow storm. On the shopping list in the next 2 months will be some winter clothes, snow tires and rust proofing for the car. Talking of cars, 1 month later the Altima has travelled 3000km and it's going strong. It still puts a smile on my face when it costs $60 to fill up instead of £70-80 which is what it would cost in England. There are some things I miss about England (my family, friends, the music scene, the sea) and some things I do not. The cost of living is one of those things!

Katelynn is starting her new job next week as a music teacher in Kitchener, she's going to be great. My job is getting busy too, which in a strange way makes me happy, I would rather be busy than struggling to find things to do.

I've got another music job coming up, this time playing at a worship event in London, Ontario. It will be my first 'gig' since I left Bosh, I'm looking forward to it.

Everyday life

Some things I've been up to of late.......

With the excuse of taking the new car on a celebratory road trip, Katelynn and I drove to Niagara Falls. The falls were beautiful, ferocious and awesome. The tourist area around the falls was very expensive, tacky and busy. Niagara on the lake was nice though. I also went to Toronto to visit my friend Paul and we went to a Korean BBQ restaurant, which was a table with a small hot plate in the middle and an unlimited supply of meat and fish to grill. Amazing.

My work is going well, as with a lot of tech jobs, it will take a while to get on top of everything, and I'm sure in 2 years time I will still be asking questions to my colleagues. Nonetheless it's going good and they're starting to hand over to me clients to manage. I'm hopefully doing some travel soon within Canada which will be fun.

I'm now getting to know Kitchener, and figuring out where everything is. Kitchener/Waterloo is the size of Bournemouth. Driving on the other side of the road is more or less second nature now.

Katelynn and I are heading to England for a visit this Christmas. It's going to amazing to see friends and family again, but will also strange. It's strange because I'm noticing Kitchener is beginning to feel like home...

3 months later

Firstly, below is my new car. A 2006 Nissan Altima. 2.5 litre, 175bhp. It's a lot of fun!

Now that things are settling a bit (for the moment) I've had some time to look back on this whole experience so far. There have been things which were expected, a number of things not. I certainly underestimated how much I would miss my family and friends, that certainly has been the hardest part, and still is every time I skype my family.

There were some lessons in patience. It took 2 months to get a job, which looking back on it is not much and is fairly normal when people emigrate, but it was a lesson in patience and waiting on God. And he provided and exactly what was needed and in his timing. I had 2 months off which in hindsight was a great time of getting used to my new surroundings and allowed Katelynn and I to adjust to being in the same country together and build our relationship further. It took longer than expected to get a car figured out as being an immigrant makes things more complex, but once again God provided in the form of lifts to work and then the generosity of a couple from church lending me their Jetta as they went to South Africa on a missions trip for 2 weeks.

If as I mention the term "God's provision" you are wondering this is just luck or a set of advantageous coincidences, then know that there are many more incidents of advantageous coincidence and "luck" over the past couple of years that convince me that this isn't random. And if it's not random, then I certainly am not special and super spiritual in some way. No, I honestly believe that if God can do this, then he can do far more than in and through you.

New car!

I finally got a new car. 2006 Nissan Altima 2.5. Pictures will come soon.

The sound of settling

The idea for that title comes off a Death Cab for Cutie song, but it summarises what's going on now. The past few months have seen a momentous change in my life. I packed up my life into 3 suitcases and a piano, quit my job, my band, said goodbye to friends and family and moved to Canada in faith that God would provide. And he has. Quite amazingly.

I am 2 weeks into my new job, and I am about to start sharing a house. Hopefully I will finally purchase a car this week (getting credit as a new immigrant is somewhat tricky), finally the rate of change is slowing, and I'm beginning to settle. When I was in England I could only see a few months into the future, but now I can see a lot further which is strange but refreshing at the same time. I know I am going to be here for a while, both Katelynn and I now have great jobs, my job is sponsoring my visa extension so I'll be tied to that company for a while. Slowly Kitchener is beginning to feel like home.

This has been an interesting week.

I had my first Canadian earthquake, the shaking was minor here in Kitchener (I thought it was the washing machine in the basement), but apparently damaged some buildings/infrastructure in Ottawa and Quebec. The earthquake I felt in England 2 years ago was much more intense.

I also got offered a job! I will be a Client Project Manager for Creative Options, a company part of the Protiviti group. This will involve managing projects to implement auditing and employee communication software. It took a few weeks and 4 separate interviews, but I got it! I am very thankful for God's provision, I've also learnt a lesson or three in being patient and trusting God. I'll be getting some more details in the next couple of days. More updates coming soon.

4 weeks later

I've been here for 4 weeks now. No big news about jobs yet, watch this space though....

In the mean time I've continued to adjust to life here and have some fun in the process. I spent some time in a recording studio earlier this week playing keys for a friend. I discovered what a skunk smells like, what a dead skunk smells like, tried my first 7-11 slurpee. I also requisitioned a bed for $90 and got a couple of items for an apartment in a garage sale.

Everything here is slowly becoming normal. I'm hilariously aware of the English accent when I speak to my family and hear it on the television. I haven't lost mine (just in case you were wondering) but for the most part I forget that I speak differently until it comes up in conversation. The strange thing that has been happening since I arrived is that I seem to dream of England a lot. When I would come back from visiting Canada I would dream that I was here, now it seems I dream of my homeland. I'm sure it will be surreal when Katelynn and I go for a visit at Christmas.

3 weeks in...

I thought I'd give a quick update. Job hunt is going well, I'm having a number of interviews at the moment which are looking promising. Once the job is sorted I can do a number of things, one of them being moving out of the basement of Katelynn and her family's house into the city, I have a room secured at a friend's house to rent, eventually I will rent an apartment. Secondly I can buy a car. Now being who I am, I've already had some fun test driving different cars and am sure will do some more of that but I've got a couple of ideas in mind ;)

Other than looking for jobs we've been doing normal life, going to church, going out for coffee, hanging out with friends. I've been working out lots and have a 30 day gym membership. I also have a musical project on the go assisting a friend of mine who's recording a song. I feel like I'm having a holiday, which is a good thing. As much as I wanted a job straight away, I can see the wisdom of God's plans in giving me some rest and relaxation as I adjust to moving half way across the world. As has been throughout this journey, it's been a case of one thing at a time.

Talking of adjusting, someone the other day asked me if I've had culture shock, it was an interesting question. In some ways not really, I more or less know what Canadian culture is like from my travels here before I moved, so that's not come too much as a shock. The hard part for me is being away from family and friends in England. The ubiquitous skype application has been very helpful in that regard. Moving country is harder than I thought. But was it worth it? A resounding YES.

A few pictures...

Arrival

After a delayed flight with a diversion over the arctic circle in Greenland (with some incredible views of remote snow covered mountains), a surprisingly quick immigration process and a convoluted paperwork party at the cargo terminal I made it to Canada. Needless to say, despite having had a long journey in more ways than one, I was glad to finally arrive, as was Katelynn.

Now begins the process of settling into a new country. It's not actually that new to me, I have been here 9 times previously including a stint working for a summer camp for 2 months, but it's different this time. Katelynn and I are also realising we need to continue to trust God for everything we need, the lesson in faith is still in progress.

More to come soon...

It is time

The bags have been packed. Emotional goodbyes have been made. It's time to go. Katelynn and I have spent the last 15 months talking and dreaming about the day when we won't be separated any more by an ocean, I can't believe that this day is now upon us. For me this is filled with excitement juxtaposed by a few nerves and sadness as I leave my home, my family and friends for a new adventure in Canada.

Things to pray for: The practical aspects (i.e job, apartment, car, all the government paperwork like driving license, Social Insurance number etc), and to get settled into church, social groups and finally bring about a degree of stability after months of being in limbo, and for Katelynn and I as we transition into the new arrangement of being together in Canada. Also pray for my family as we all adjust to me being apart from them.

T -10

As I write this, I've now finished work and left Bournemouth. This week unexpectedly flew by, and suddenly I find myself at my parents house trying to process the fact that I'm completely done with this chapter of my life, and in ten short days the moment that Katelynn and I have been waiting for for months will actually happen. The lesson I've learnt is that leaving your home is harder in reality than the idealistic dream it appears to be when it is conceptualized months or even years previously.

Katelynn has now completely finished University this week, she will be a great music teacher. It's apt in a strange way that for both of us, chapters of our lives are closing at the same time, shortly after we'll synchronously begin new chapters of our lives. It's exciting.

Job update: I've been having some interviews recently, they've been going well and have a couple of more coming up (I won't disclose details over the internet but you can ask me if you want). It's encouraging to see some interest now developing as I prepare to move. Watch this space....

Update: T -18

As I write this I have 2 ½ weeks left in England. In some ways the days are getting slower (work is certainly dragging!) but in reality 11th May is coming up very quickly. This weekend I will move all but a couple of bags out of the Griffiths house, I’ve been very blessed living with them and will miss them. In a week’s time I will finish my job. A event of momentary sadness will occur as I give back my BMW 3 Series to the company, for the first time since I was 18 I will be without a car! (Needless to say I will be buying a car when I’m in Canada which if anyone knows me I will have a lot of fun doing) From then on I have 10 days at my parents house to pack my life into 3 bags and entrust Air Canada cargo to ship my piano safely, and enjoy some quality time with my family before it’s time to go.

Thankfully the Volcano eruption in Iceland and the ensuing chaos in air traffic now appears to have subsided so all things being equal I will fly on the 11th. It’s hard to get my head round the fact that this time I fly to Canada, I won’t have a return flight a couple of weeks later. Things will never be the same again.

T- 28

Countdowns have been a source of both excitement and dread over the past year or so. The exciting part was the expectation of what's going to happen when that particular countdown was up, and then the dread was knowing that even more quickly the timer would be turned upside down and start again. I'm sure there will be countdowns to other things in life, but to Katelynn and I at least this feels like the last countdown.

As this last timer steadily runs out, I find myself taking note of the last time I do anything, to the point where I note inconsequential events such as my last haircut in England or my last phone bill in England, as well as the important events like seeing people for the last time and saying goodbye. The realisation of what is about to transpire is now sinking in for the both of us. As the realisation comes, so does the excitement of what we expect this new season will bring, but subsequently we seem to become more acutely aware of all the things that still need working on. One major thing is that both of us need jobs soon. It's so easy to worry, but we were reminded this week by a wise and Godly friend of the verse below, which as the Bible does so well puts everything back into perspective:


Matthew 6
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

The Adventure begins...

On the 11th May 2010, I will be leaving the shores of England to move to Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. I have set up this blog to keep everyone up to date with what I'm up to as I move to and settle in Canada.

A couple of weeks ago as I was sitting in a meeting room at my office in a state of nervous excitement giving details of my departure from the company, my CEO (who's my boss) asked me why on earth I was quitting my job, packing my life up and moving several thousand miles west. As I tried to make an eloquent response, the answer I realised could easily take hours to explain, but in the end comes back to God and his plans for Katelynn and I, and this step that we are taking is simply being obedient to him and following where he leads us.

A few years ago long before I met Katelynn I made a somewhat audacious statement to a friend at church, saying that it's good to at least once in your life, drop everything to go on an adventure and trust God that he would provide. Now it seems God is calling me on that statement and seeing if I'm going to live up to that. Everything could all go horribly wrong, both of us are trusting God that he would indeed provide everything we need. But if there wasn't a risk, it wouldn't be an adventure.

I'm discovering that there is a lesson in faith being taught here, as a person I'm fairly level headed and not naturally inclined to make what to most would consider an unmeasured decision, but I'm realising more and more that in God's kingdom what is actually wise and measured can often be far different from what the world around us considers it to be. The bible often describes God's wisdom as foolishness to the world, and this experience is teaching me that.

As I write this, my life living in England is beginning to draw to a close. One major ending was my involvement with Bosh. For 5 1/2 years I played keys as we matured musically and went further than any of us expected, we recorded music and played gigs that we were all very proud of. It was a sad farewell, as I savoured each of the last notes of the last song of the last gig in Cornwall, I definitely ended my time on a high. And I will appear on part of the new album which which makes me happy :) Check out the Bosh myspace at www.myspace.com/boshmusic

There's a lot to do now, I have to pack up, get everything ready to be administered remotely, say goodbye to as many people as possible and spend time with my family. I will also need to find a job, I'm talking to a couple of different companies right now about that, watch this space.

I'll write more again soon. I'm told that short, succinct and frequent blogs are better than infrequent epic monologues, so I'll try and stick with that method.

Grant