The answer is 10 years, I’d been told.
Though I’ve also heard seven is the baseline; and one ambitious would-be local claimed to have done it in three.
Another woman, who first set foot on Pender Island some 14 years ago, suggested it was not so much the length of time that made one a local, but other factors. She hadn’t started feeling at home here until she’d secured the proper set of boots for the rainy season.
So, when does one stop feeling like a newcomer? Is there an established timeline? Or is it really as much about having the right footwear as it is about the amount of time served?
A year ago this month, my family loaded into a car outside our Toronto home and set out for a new life here on Pender. I would have guessed I’d feel untethered for the next decade, at least.
Imagine my surprise when I sat down to reminisce on my first year on Pender Island and realized that… I’m good.
I’ve found a level of comfort and welcome here that I couldn’t have expected so quickly. Perhaps it helps that I’d already fallen in love as a summer visitor, or maybe the answer lies somewhere within the collection of well-maintained shoes I rummaged from the Nu-to-Yu in my earliest days on the island.
Personally, I think it is more about my work with The Pender Post Society, and finding a way to invest myself that I find both important, and rewarding. And perhaps – as I age into my wiser years – I’m simply less focused on fitting in, and more focused on finding my place.
Something about Pender Island seems to appeal to those of us with that mindset.
As the spirited summer months recede, it is the perfect time to consider the start of new things.
Construction has begun on the pathway connecting Magic Lake to the school grounds. So has the search for a new dog park, and the launch of a brand-new public radio station is just around the corner.
At The Pender Post, we are celebrating a few of our own new beginnings. Our MP, Elizabeth May, has submitted her first report for publication on our pages. And we’re launching a new feature series that should appeal to all readers, but especially those new to the island.
Mark my words. You don’t have to wait 10 years to feel at home here. Finding the proper set of boots does help, though, assuming they fit just right.