Charlotte
“I’m not saying it’s easy or that we [women] should have to do it all but I think we have so much more potential to accomplish great things (sorry not sorry boys).”
She is a nurturer who is always looking out for, and after those around her. When Charlotte is around, you feel safe. She is caring, compassionate and incredibly hard working. She gives 100% into everything she does, whether she’s at work, cooking up a new recipe or offering some advice. Above all, Charlotte has a passion for adventure and is most at home when she’s in her skis, surrounded by the mountains. Meet Charlotte. This is her story.
P: Please introduce yourself!
C: Kia ora folks. My name is Charlotte. I am in my late 20’s (aka 29). I am a proud Canadian living in New Zealand. New Zealand has fantastic chocolate and great coffee but I sure do miss perogies and poutine. I have a full time government job and absolutely no clue what I really want to do for work. I love being out in nature and dream of one day being a ski mom.
P: Describe yourself in your own words.
C:
I am taller than average (5’10).
I can be very stubborn and set in my ways of doing things (thanks for this one Grandpa).
I am caring and loving to people around me (unless you are rude or mean, in which case I probably won’t say anything to your face but I’ll think bad things about you in my head).
I like to think of myself as spiritual, and I believe in some uniting force that is bigger than us all.
I am hard working, things don’t typically come to me easily but I am proud that everything I have in my life is something I have worked hard to achieve.
I am a great cook and love being in the kitchen and feeding people.
I feel like the most authentic version of myself when I am away from all the people, and concrete buildings of a city, and tucked away in a forest (preferably also next to mountains and a lake if I’m to get really specific).
I would do anything for my friends and family.
I am strong and resilient.
P: What is your favourite thing about yourself?
C: My favourite thing about myself is my ability to connect with other people. I love helping people and its been a common thread throughout my life. I am open and love to hear about other people’s thoughts and stories. When we meet someone very different from who we are, there is always something we can find in common to unite us.
P: Tell us a story. Have you had an experience that’s defined you or made you stronger?
C: Distance has made me stronger. I always felt a pull away from my hometown of Woodstock, Ontario (Home to Oxycotin pill poppers, rednecks, and inbreds – Urban Dictionary). After high school I moved to Antigonish, Nova Scotia for University. I put myself in a situation where I didn’t know the area, knew no one, and was a two day drive away from my family.
Four years later I graduated and left St. Francis Xavier University feeling like an independent, educated gal ready to take on the world. After a couple years back in Woodstock I felt the pull again and this time to the mountains of British Columbia. I worked and lived at Panorama Mountain Resort for two years. Here I gained confidence, a close knit community of like-minded people and a deeper love for the spirituality of nature. I also met a Kiwi boy and fell in love.
Now it was time to really put some distance between me and my family and move thousands of kilometres away to New Zealand. This move was a big one and has been a real test and learning opportunity for me. I traded my support system, small community, skis and relaxed mountain lifestyle for the suburbs of Auckland. I had no friends and no career aspirations in a city that revolves around money and career advancement. I was forced to face thoughts and anxieties that I had previously encountered but not dealt with. I learned the only way forward is to face the issues, understand where they come from, and find a way to cope with them.
The move to New Zealand has been the toughest period of my life. Thank you to my favourite therapist Whittaker’s Chocolate for helping be through! Due to Covid it has been over two years since I have seen my family and friends back home and I would be lying if I said its all fun and games travelling and being so far away. I have always been on the move and there is a chance my whole life might be on the move. I struggle to stay in one place and I have learned that when you are constantly moving its easier to ignore persistent thoughts and emotions that we know we will need to face eventually. New Zealand and Covid have given me to chance to sit with myself, evaluate areas of myself that I need to work on and has made me a more resilient person.
P: What is one piece of advice you’d give your younger self?
C: Everything will always work out. Things might not work out in the way you want them to, but in the end you will always get to the place you are meant to be.
Also, running shoes (like actual shoes you use for running) and jeans are not a great look and will not get you much attention from high school boys.
P: What does being a woman mean to you?
C: Being a woman means doing everything. Men can’t multitask (well the men I’ve met can’t!) Women literally can do it all. Women can have a full time job, be a Mom, cook supper every night, clean the house, read, meditate, watch Netflix and workout all in a day. Think about how much more we get done in life! I’m not saying it’s easy or that we should have to do it all but I think we have so much more potential to accomplish great things (sorry not sorry boys).
C: Who is one woman that inspires you?
P: Chelsea Handler! I love that she doesn’t give a fuck what anyone thinks. She says what everyone is thinking but what most people don’t have the guts to say. I have always found her hilarious and now that she is becoming a mountain woman she is everything I aspire to be. She skis topless, loves Canada, and smokes weed. She is my idol.