Achi news desk-
This First Person column is the experience of Satya Patel, who lives in Mayerthorpe, Alta. For more information on CBS First Person stories, please see the Frequently Asked Questions.
My stomach turned during my training at McDonald’s as I learned how to wrap breakfast sandwiches. I had never eaten an egg and the smell of meat was overwhelming.
As a new immigrant to Canada from India, I needed a stable source of income. I never dreamed that I would be working in a restaurant with my multiple degrees and certificates in pharmacy and business administration. I’m a vegetarian and I was hoping the nausea I was experiencing wasn’t reflected on my face while I was working at the fast food counter in West Edmonton.
But there is no way I could have known that seven years later I would be sitting in my own pharmacy and being greeted with baked goods and homemade gifts flowing in from my patients at Christmas time .
Meaning: Out of my comfort zone
In 2012, when I received my permanent resident visa for Canada, I was plagued with doubts about moving to a new country almost 12,000 kilometers away from home. Should I go? Do I want to start again? Is it worth the risk? So many unknowns. Also, we would leave our family, friends and culture behind.
What tipped my decision towards Canada was the thrill of a new adventure and the satisfaction that came from being able to establish ourselves on our own.
I knew the transition wouldn’t be easy, but then I told myself, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
My husband and I took a leap of faith and decided to try Canada. We arrived in Canada on April 30th of the same year and were completely exhausted after a 40 hour flight from India. My husband had contracted food poisoning during our layover in London, eight hours before we arrived in Canada, and was in no condition to help me navigate this strange new world to our new home.
It was starting to hit me just how this journey would take me out of my comfort zone.
Speed bumps on my journey
My early days in Canada were not easy.
After applying for jobs everywhere based on my previous experience in clinical research, I failed to get any interviews. I tried to work at McDonald’s, but I only lasted a day.
Next, I got a part-time job as a cashier in a Supermarket.
My job as a university professor in Ahmedabad in western India was kept for me, with the option to go back to my job within three months if I decided to return to India. I’d be lying if I said the thought didn’t cross my mind.
Thankfully, the universe had a different plan for me. One night, a woman walked into the shop and asked me if I was new there. I was surprised and said, “Yes, I am new, how did you know?”
He smiled and told me I didn’t look like a regular cashier. Then it hit me how nervous I looked. She asked me what I did for living at home, and after talking briefly, she asked for my contact number, which I reluctantly gave her.
Rural opportunity
Just as I was ready to give up my new venture in Canada, I got a call from the cousin of a Superstore customer. He owned a pharmacy and was looking for a pharmacy assistant.
WATCH | CCBC host Adrienne Lamb took a road trip northwest from Edmonton to Lac Ste. Anne County:
Join CBSC host Adrienne Lamb for interesting stories from the capital, including a road trip northwest from Edmonton to Lac Ste. Anneshire.
After a formal interview, I landed the position, which was located in Evansburg, Alta., — a hamlet about 90 kilometers west of Edmonton with a population of under 1,000.
My first thought upon arrival was, “Where is everyone? It’s so quiet here.”
I saw a deer crossing sign for the first time and asked my new boss, “Do deer actually, physically cross here? In town?”
I grew up in Mumbai, a concrete jungle, so the thought of seeing wildlife in the middle of town was unimaginable to me.
I wondered if the pharmacy even had enough customers to warrant hiring me. But I soon found out I was wrong. Evansburg is a busy little community and the pharmacy was very busy. People were friendly and I soon knew most patients by name.
Go for my dreams
My boss pushed me to renew my license to work as a pharmacist in Canada. It took me three years to do the paperwork, endless hours of study with a full-time job and unfamiliar regulations that I found challenging.
During this time, I also worked as a back-up pharmacist in Edmonton and realized that the connection I made with my patients in a country town was completely different to the city. They did not feel like a number to serve.
When I was finally ready to open my own pharmacy, my husband and I visited several locations in rural Alberta.
We wanted a community with all the basic amenities and close to the city if needed for a day trip. Mayerthorpe, Alta., a town just north of Evansburg and about 130 kilometers northwest of Edmonton, ticked all the boxes.
Mayerthorpe Value Drug Market opened in December 2019.
Many people were surprised that I knew their names when they came to my shop and my patients started referring their friends and family. Clearly, my lifelong prowess in remembering names paid off.
The community welcomed me into their fold. During my second Christmas at Mayerthorpe, as pandemic lockdowns kept most people indoors, my wonderful clients dropped off gifts such as crocheted socks, table runners, earrings, candles, soap, plants and flowers.
One of my patients dropped fresh apples and asked me, “Do you know how to make a pie?”
“Not at all,” I said and laughed. The following Monday, I had three pies in the shop to share with my staff, thanks to that kind patient.
I am grateful to everyone in the town of Mayerthorpe for welcoming me with an open heart.
Nilufa Virji, the Superstore customer to whom I was reluctant to give my phone number, is now a close friend of mine. I called her after every pharmacy exam I passed. We meet often in Edmonton, and after I moved to Mayerthorpe, we keep in touch via phone calls and texts.
Rural communities are often overlooked by larger organisations. But in my opinion, they are the heart of Canada and the reason I’m still here and intend to be for a long time to come.
Mayerthorpe is home now and it feels like everyone knows my name.
Do you have a compelling personal story that can bring understanding or help others? We want to hear from you. This is it more information on how to submit an application to us.
Ad blocking test (Why?)
Source link
Related
