Well, it has come to the end of September. What happened this month? Well, i turned nineteen. Thats pretty much the only exciting thing… oh shit wait, the first “flock” of (insert name for Katimavik participants. Ex. katimavikers, katima-victims.), now that is some exciting news. I was talking to one young lady, what would have been Tuesday night slash Wednesday morning and she was leaving that morning at 6am, for Katimavik. Her excitement definitely caught on. I was thinking to myself as we chatted via msn…”what would i be feeling like if i was in her shoes right now?” I think i would be feeling well, like i had just stepped foot on the moon, and found out it really was cheese. For one, i would be really high, in the most literal sense, and second, i would have a whole load of cheese. Thats just exciting. I wonder what the people who have left already are doing right now? I wonder what the house they are staying in are like, i wonder what it feels like for them to be beginning a whole new way of life for the next nine months? hmmm….well, since i am not them i cant really answer any of these questions, but these are all things i am looking forward to finding out.

I was reading about some of the history of Katimavik the other day, and found out some interesting facts that i never knew before. Thought many of the participants would also find these interesting:

1. In 1984, every dollar the government spent on Katimavik, it made $2.63.

2. 2 years later the Tory government, under Brian Mulroney, Katimavik was canceled. He is quoted as saying, “[katimavik] is a program which has run its course.”

3. Eight years later once the Liberal Government was back in power under Jean Chretien, the program was reestablished.

4. In the beginnings of the program participants were paid $1 a day rather then $3.

The program was meant to be the very thing that would make the next generation of Canadians. And so it did, maybe not what the government was totally expecting but it really did shape a generation. With over 200 000 participants gone through the program it has become not only an important part of Canadian culture but also constituted approximately 252 000 000 hours of volunteer service to Canada which at a minimum wage of $5 equals 1 260 000 000 dollars of labour. You have to think about how much it cost to run the program but it still equals a lot of profit to the government as well as a great amount of work, much less a lot of heart, put into this countries communities, people and culture. It was, and still is, giving Canadian youth everywhere an opportunity which very few people ever get. To travel, and at an age when traveling is most meaningful, and at relatively no expense to the participant. What better way to make a Canadian young person love there country and Government. Paying for them to travel. And maybe teach them how to take care of themselves at the same time.

And so here the program is today, still shaping Canadian youth, still shipping us off around the country and still trying to teach us all something about the land we live in, and hopefully a long the way something about ourselves. Well, until next next, keep the peace.

PS. In case you are wondering…i chose the Fleur De Lys background because that is the tattoo i have on my back! How suitable.

Today i set the date i will be done work at the Lighthouse before leaving for Katimavik. November 15 i will be done work, and preparing to leave home for nine months. I felt fears begin to ease there way in today. Before today i was all positive, ever since applying for the program i had nothing but positive and could not wait to leave. I still feel this way, and still feel the excitement of beginning, but now i feel that tense, tight stomach feeling. I can imagine a lot of the participants that leave the end of this month are feeling that right now too. I am not sure what my biggest fear is. I think most of us have heard at least one horror story about crazy participants. I know i have for sure. My biggest fear is just the fear of not knowing what might happen. I think the worst, but i really hope i do enjoy Katimavik. If i don’t then it will surely be one hellish nine months. Once again, i do tend to think the worst.

People come into the bookstore where i work, and upon asking what i will be doing this fall i quickly inform them of Katimavik. After quickly explaining what the program is, they look at me with a partially shocked look and ask “wont you be home for Christmas with your parents?” as though this is the biggest issue at hand. Now one would think this would be a greatest fear, not being home for that famous holiday season when families everywhere gather to be sentimental for a few days. I love Christmas personally, the time of year where everyone is nice to everybody no matter what. Unless you work at a Wal-mart, people surely are not nice there to everyone during Christmas. Gives new meaning to “a killer of a deal.” I reply to those who question my being gone for Christmas with saying that i look forward to spending Christmas with a group of people who will hopefully all be good friends by the time Christmas comes. I look forward to spending time with people from another province, people with different mind sets and views. This is like more then half of the experience. So, the point i am getting at is, the thing i am not scared of is leaving home, as much as i love my parents, and my friends here, i will miss them, but i am excited to meet new people, to be in a situation where i don’t know anyone is, and have 9 months to get to know them. Now thats just exciting when you think about it. So what is there to be scared of? Well being homesick, the work that comes along with relationships, much less 9 of them, but hey thats what relationships are for, being there for others when things get less then easy.

The one thing i am going to miss most i realized this weekend is a place called St. Andrews. It sits comfortably along the coast on the bay of Fundy and is a small Resort area. A couple of my friends just moved there to go to school and i was there for the weekend to see them. This place is beyond all beauty, beyond all imagination. This is the place i have gone whenever able to clear my mind, to gain new perspective and to just plain have one good time. Knowing that i cannot get away to this place whenever i like is one thing that saddens me. I love my hometown, Fredericton, but St. Andrews is the type of place that feels more like home. So by homesick, i would mean missing St. Andrews. Now hopefully my mother is not reading this but if she is, yes mom i will miss you too.

I am hopping around a lot here with this blog, so hopefully you are still with me. I ordered a book the other day some of you may be interested in. Its called “I was a katima-victim” and is by Will Ferguson, one if the famous Ferguson brothers i do believe. It is about Katimavik back in the 80′s when it first began and one mans experience with it. I have yet to read it, but it looks humorous and since i cant leave for Katimavik now, i am filling in the the void with anything “Katima.” I also will be finding out in the soon coming month where my placements wil be. You can expect one exciting Blog when i do find out! But until then keep the peace, and eat healthy, cause you never know.

On November 22, i will be leaving home to do as many other young Canadians have done before. Some have not been so lucky, some have not been so brave, and some don’t survive it. I am going to meet with the great Spirit of Canada, that it may give me its wisdom. …Alas, all of this is not quite as intense as it seems. I am going on Katimavik. Pronounced ka-team-a-vick, not ka-time-a-veek or ka-tim-a-vike, Katimavik. It is a program which is run by the Canadian Government. It is the leading youth volunteer program in Canada, and is the cousin of Canada World Youth. It was started by Jacques Hebert, under the Liberal government of the late great, Pierre Elliot Trudeau and has been carried on (except for a brief time when the Tories decided youth volunteering is bad) by the Canadian Government ever since.

A Brief Outline of the Program in one minute or less:

Youth ages 17 - 21 embark on a journey to 3 different places in Canada for a period of three months at a time working for volunteer organizations. All airfare housing and food is paid for, and all jobs are on a volunteer basis. You make 3 dollars a day which is for spending money along the way. The program was designed to give Canadian youth the skills they need to be involved Canadians, and to give the experience they will someday need to get jobs. One placement out of the three is a french placement in which you are given an introduction to bilingualism. Each group of young people is made up of 9-11youth from across Canada, both English and French. They will travel as a group for the full nine months they are in the program. Those who do not make the full nine months do not get the 1000$ incentive for completing the program. too bad so sad. lets hope that doesn’t happen.  

So there you have it. Hopefully that was under a minute. I do that at least once a day when people ask what i am doing this fall. They expect “oh i am going to school” or “oh i am going to be working at __________ (insert place of employment)” but oh no not me! I am traveling!Or more like Katimaviking. (refer to pronouncement key above.) How did i decide to do this some may ask. You wont be able to spend Christmas with your family others may say. What about your girlfriend some have remarked. All left behind. For nine months at least. My wanderlust is slowly kicking in and there was no other decision. I was and still am low on cash, and that is not good for traveling. So lo and behold Katimavik! Work off your travel! Its paid for! How could one resist. So there i went onto the katimavik website www.katimavik.org and put in an e-application. Wondering whether or not i would be excepted, i excitedly awaited a reply. Work brightened up at the prospect of getting to travel, quality of home life increased at the possibility of being on my own. Then there was no call. i worried, i chewed my nails, i drank….too much coffee and finally i got up the courage to call them. The phone rang, then it rang again, then an electronic voice….”Allo Bonjour and welcome to katimavik, to continue in english please press 9″ i quickly pressed nine. A lady came on the phone i told her i was calling to find out if i was excepted….then i was transfered….please hold, your call is important to us…..then someone picked up! oh could this be it!!!! A man came on the phone with a heavy accent. “Allo, Micah” yes yes this is Micah i shouted into the phone!!!”i ave some good news for you, you have been accepted into Katimavik for the date of November 22.” I ripped off my shirt in a fit of joy! (Some aspects of this story may be stretched for entertainment reasons.) Thank you i shouted! thank you! I was then told they would review my medical file and my criminal record check!    Wonderful i thought, because i am not a criminal nor do i have chronic diarrhea! I said good by and hung up the phone. Thus the beginning of my katima-life. I have not left yet, it is still less then three months in the distance. But with each passing day that November 22 draws closer i get giddy-er and giddy-er. Who will be in my group? What do i need to take? how much underwear? these are the questions that now fill my mind as i await for that rapturous day when i leave to meet this great land we call Canada!

I hope you will stay tuned as i update my blog weekly with my thoughts, my fears and my excitement. I hope that somehow those of you who are doing Katimavik can relate and those of you who are not grow envious! Until next Blog, Au Revoir!