The last time I sat down with Kim she was getting ready to pack her brand new Mini Cooper with all her belongings and move from San Diego to Vancouver to be with her fiance. We had bonded four years earlier at an ad industry event having confessed to each other our newly separated statuses. She was my marketing representative for one of my top clients and I was sad to see her go but also excited for her.
I couldn’t help but wonder, while she was explaining her big adventure, what my next big thing was going to be. We had both since been let go of our work duties with said client after a new marketing director had swept out a whole crew of people. While I was still counting up the financial blow and wondering how I was going to find another client like that, Kim had a plan. She was going to drive up the coast, stop in Oregon and then enter into Canada. I could see her excitement and I wanted to feel that too.
“Here’s a picture of him,” she showed me on her phone. Her and her fiance had big smiles in their pose. I could see they were happy.
A few weeks later her journey began.
“Did you know Kim got stopped at the border?” Mike another former employee of the company Kim worked for asked me later on the phone.
“No, what happened?” I inquired.
It seems that somehow the border agents didn’t like Kim’s story and they were keeping her detained in Oregon for six months before she could go back in. Luckily she had family in Oregon that she could stay with while she was delayed.
So there were potholes on the road toward Kim’s second chance but it wasn’t going to stop her. After the six months were over she got back in that same car, with all her same things and drove right by the border patrol agents with a smile. She and her fiance were later married, and lived in Vancouver for a while before moving to Calgary for work.
In Calgary she got discovered by Avenue magazine where they featured her in a spread.
I wanted to know what her life is like now that she’s living her second chance so I asked her some questions.
Q: What’s your favorite dress up outfit?
A: Right now it’s the trend of leather. Whether it be a shirt, skirt or pants. Leather is so versatile and you can dress it up or down depending on how you accessorize.
Q: How did the magazine discover you?
A: Networking and visibility in the city which is primarily due to my position as the marketing director for the premier downtown shopping centre in Calgary.
Q: What makes you laugh?
A: Laugh? Witty people.
Q: What’s different about living in Calgary vs San Diego?
A: There are many differences between the two cities for sure and I miss San Diego a lot but beyond the obvious, Calgary allows for a comfortable lifestyle. The cost of living is less and there is a lot of opportunity. It has the most vibrant economy of any city in North America. People in Calgary look forward and focus on growth and it’s fun to be a part of that energy. Calgary very much has a small town feel. You continually meet someone and they will know someone else you know or are connected to.
Q: Who do you look up to?
A: There is not one person but multiple people and traits they have. Angelina Jolie for her humanitarian work and philanthropy. Amanda Lindhout for her power of forgiveness and strength. Princess Kate for her ability to stay real. Victoria Beckham for her style and fashion sense and last but not least my husband for his determination and motivation to be successful.
Q: What advice do you have for divorced women wanting to get remarried?
A: Don’t be afraid of change. Listen to your instincts and put yourself first.