Home is where the heart is
We knew we were ready to be home owners, we just didn’t know we would find our forever home on our first try in the middle of a global pandemic. Armed with very little experience navigating the housing market, we stumbled upon a property that seemed too good to be true. We had a good feeling about it, the only catch was it was located in the Slocan Valley and we were residing on Vancouver Island. Knowing how fast things move in real estate, we dropped everything and ripped out to the Kootenays for a viewing that week. Our feeling was confirmed after the tour and we sat in a parking lot by the iconic orange bridge in Nelson on the hottest day of the summer debating whether we should put in an offer. The question that would be the ultimate decider was, “would we regret it if we didn’t try?” The answer was a resounding “yes”. Much to our surprise, we got the call later that night that our offer had been accepted.
Fast forward 2 months, the day we got the keys was surreal and emotional. But we weren’t quite ready to make the big move and start our new chapter just yet. We needed to formulate a plan to transition our healthcare work to our new location. So the brainstorming began…Do we open a storefront healthcare studio in town during a pandemic? Do we work at a clinic that is already established? Do we take our services online? Do we scrap our healthcare passion altogether and start a food truck?
There were a few things we were unwaveringly sure about. We wanted to be surrounded by nature. We wanted to continue helping people become healthier, happier versions of themselves. We wanted to share our gifts and knowledge with those we care about. We wanted to turn our day jobs into a legacy. We had a vision for creating a healthcare space that was mindfully curated like a work of art and welcoming to everyone.
And so, we ultimately decided to live and work from our dream property and launch Virtue Healthcare, a virtual healthcare platform where we will provide you with education on how to take care of your body in order to live a long, active, happy life.
Mike: “This has been a dream of mine since I was a teenager and we made our first trip out to B.C. for a friends & family snowboard trip. It felt like I had come home to the place that I was always meant to be. The trees, the mountains, the air, the lakes and the snow. It was so quiet and peaceful. Snowboarding in the mountains blew my mind… I didn’t want to leave! Dreaming of the next time I would visit. Now we are making this vision a reality, building our dreams in the forest together. A peaceful and mindful form of healthcare that we are excited to share with all of you.”
Kate: “It’s been a wild ride thus far. If you had told me 5 years ago that I’d be living in the mountains, creating a homestead and online workspace, I wouldn’t have believed you. It just goes to show that so much can change in what seems like a short amount of time. Embracing the unknown has been very freeing and rewarding, albeit tough sometimes, I can feel the magic in following my heart and pursuing my dreams.”