Wow! Is This Really Happening?

See this little munchkin? This is me. I was seven, and a Brownie (though now I would be an Ember), and had just decided that Guiding in Canada was something I was going to stick with forever. I always say I’m going for an 100-year membership pin!

Soon after this, in Guides, we were learning about the World Centres (again) and we made mascots. I chose to make the Our Chalet squirrel, and I was the only one to choose that. Everyone wanted to make Sangelee. (Which is fair, she’s pretty cool). But as I was creating this cute clay squirrel I knew that one day, I would visit Our Chalet. I actually still have it somewhere, reminding me of the goals I set when I was tiny.

Life went on and I stayed in Guiding. I went through Guides and Pathfinders, and then in 2013 I was offered the opportunity to join a Guiding trip to Europe. The group was to visit Pax Lodge, and Our Chalet. I had never wanted anything more, so I joined up.

Two years of fundraising and I’d finally made it. Unfortunately we were only able to stay at the Chalet for two days, but I still treasure those memories.

Walking up the hill the first day (you can never forget Chalet Hill) was tough, but when we got to the Our Chalet sign I knew I was where I needed to be and that I would be back. It felt like coming home, even though I was 9 hours and 8457 km away.

I travelled, I explored, I went to school, I lived life as large as I could. I stayed in Guiding, moving on from being a girl member to working with the littlest Sparks (and loving it, especially when I was able to share my knowledge of world Guiding with them). I went to nursing school. I made friends. I learned new things. I got really good at doing group projects.

I was set to graduate in spring of 2020, so in the fall of 2019 my mum suggested that because I wouldn’t have any commitments the next year, other than working when I could, should I maybe consider applying to volunteer? I’d been talking about it and pondering it since I was young, but it had always been a “maybe someday” event. Now it was turning into a “maybe soon” and then a “definitely soon”.

I was nervous, especially as I was set to enter a career and then disappear for three months, but I decided it would be worth it. I applied in February at the same time as I was applying for jobs and finishing my final practicum. I had my first (and, it turns out, only) job interview around the same time as my Chalet interview. Right at the end, nervous as anything, I mentioned that I really wanted this job and I would be very committed long term buuuuut I was planning a trip to volunteer in Switzerland in the fall. My interviewer right away asked if it was for Girl Guides! Turns out that she had been very involved, had volunteered at Sangam, and had been a high-level commissioner in my province. So she was fully on board with my plan AND I’m pretty sure that conversation is why I got the job!

A lot happened in the next few weeks. On the 25th of February, I was offered the real-life job. I was over the moon. On the 1st of March, I was offered the Our Chalet job for Autumn of 2020. I was over Jupiter and so excited about all the joy that 2020 would bring.

And then, the 14th of March happened. (It was Pi day, but not one that we celebrated).

I was on a night shift on March 13th. It was my final practicum shift after four long years, so I was very excited and relieved as I went home and went to sleep. And I woke up to a different world.

COVID-19 was spreading. You all know this. You all remember. Lockdowns, fear, travel bans. Newly graduated and stuck at home all day – unable to do Guiding (except online), unable to go anywhere, do anything, see anyone. It was a tough time. All the joy that I’d felt in the last few months seeped away as events got cancelled and plans became unsure.

But, day by day, we made it through. I never thought that covid would become an issue, let alone one that would affect us for as long as it has. I figured my volunteer placement would likely still go ahead, and I wouldn’t worry about it for now.

Turns out I should have worried about it. My placement was on hold, then cancelled, then made available again with a lot of maybes, then made available for sure – but Switzerland wouldn’t let me in as I was high risk for complications of Covid. So it turned back into a “maybe next year”.

Thus began three years of will-she-won’t-she, developing a career, and keeping Our Chalet in the back of my mind 82% of the time. Every season I would think about it and decide not to reapply for one reason or another. I was offered a position for summer, but I had just started a new job that was summer-intensive and that I wanted to spend the rest of my career in. Then I was offered for autumn, but with lots of covid regulations still in place – not something I really wanted to have to worry about. Winter was never something I wanted to do. It started to feel like I was coming up with reasons not to go – and then Chalet closed so it became once again just a dream. During this time, the application process changed. I applied to Campfire (a great resource!) with a mind to eventually apply to volunteer at Our Chalet – and that application process took a lot longer than anticipated so I am glad I started when I did!

The same week my Campfire application – two years almost to the day after I should have started my position – was finally approved, Our Chalet was seeking Spring 2023 volunteers. I figured it was now or never and applied before I had too much time to think about it.

September 24th, 2022 I had an(other) interview. I had pulled out my notebook from my original interview so found all the answers I had already been wondering about. (I had also had many questions answered via the many, many emails I had sent over the last years). I had just finished a night shift (I think that is currently the last overnight shift I worked) and the details are foggy. I know I had to ask for more repetition than I like to – my tired brain gears were whirring but not turning anything. It also felt like I was just going through the motions because it had not worked out so many times, why would this time be any different?

I started telling everyone that I had applied but was trying to keep my expectations low. It had been so long that I was not confident it would finally work out. I went about life, tentatively planning but not really.

October 5th – I got the email. I got in.

(When I finally told everyone, they all said “Of course you did. We all saw that coming.” Confidence in yourself, folks, would have taken me a long way!)

I was so excited and so nervous. Was this really finally happening?

It sure was.

Follow your dreams. Things have a way of working out in the absolute best way.

-Maryna

Autumn Volunteer 2020 Spring Volunteer 2023