Waves in Newfoundland Cove

Waves2, originally uploaded by thedeciderints.

I'm Canadian and most of my family is still in Canada very close to where I grew up. Last year my brother-in-law sold his business and he and my sister retired. They didn't just retire, however. They sold pretty much everything and moved to Newfoundland. Anyone who knows Canada well is probably already scratching their head and thinking, "You're kidding, right?" I'm trying to think of a location in the U.S. that might bring the same question to mind. All I can think of is moving up to the top of the "chimney" of Idaho where it borders on Canada. You're kidding, right? The Newfoundlanders (commonly referred to as Newfies) are the butt of many jokes. Take pretty much any Aggie joke you've ever heard and substitute Newfie for Aggie and you'll be on the mark.

They live in a little port town called Grate's Cove which, during the summer influx, swells to a population approaching 250! The full-time population is about 180. The closest place of any size is about two hours away. My mind still boggles at this! But they are enjoying retired life in Grate's Cove a great deal. They have embraced life in a small town openly and enthusiastically. I receive a regular batch of photos by email and you know what? I'm really looking forward to visiting them! My niece and nephew have both visited and are looking forward to returning for more visits.

My sister has sent me pictures from various places around the province and they have been incredibly beautiful without exception. (Well, OK, she's not going to send me ugly pictures, I know!) The flow of pictures has made me realize how I had judged the province based on the isolated location and the uncomplimentary Newfie jokes and deemed it an undesirable place. Lesson learned! I'm unlikely to ever consider moving to Newfoundland but it's definitely in my future travel plans.