Happy Anniversary to Us!

Flavour Of The Month, We Speak | August 06 2014

August marks the one year anniversary of The Stew for Craig and I and we couldn’t be more pleased with how it has evolved and grown. It has been one of the most amazing years! When we first started thinking about The Stew, a vision formed and we became really excited about the possibilities. As Craig and I both have very deep roots in the community we had a vision for The Stew that went beyond just a monthly magazine. We wanted to share the Cariboo with others and connect people. We wanted to share the beauty, mystery, fun, adventure, and sense of community that we have. The Cariboo is so rich and full of life, our vision was to capture that, bring people together, and look for the positive leisure and entertainment the region has to offer.

After our first year at it we are still inspired and energized. There is so much potential and so many ways that we still want to grow and expand. The first year has also been about learning and some trial and error, but we are dedicated to seeing the possibilities and reaching for what we know this magazine can become. All too often we fail to see how lucky we are here in the Cariboo, land of so much to do, see, experience, and enjoy, that one of the goals we set for The Stew was to share a little bit each month with our readers so that we appreciate more deeply our region.

Craig and I love to travel and everywhere we go we take in the surroundings and try to capture what it is about a place that makes it special and gives the feeling of community. I think what we have found is that most of the time it isn’t about the actual buildings or stores that we find in a Downtown but rather the sense of community that we feel while being there.

Our latest trip took us on a wondering drive through a bunch of coastal towns and villages, we stopped and walked around the streets and took in the sights. What we found the most appealing about some of the communities was the outdoor living. The communities that had taken to the outdoors were the ones where we spent the most time. The streets were full of venders, buskers, bistros, and activities. People wondered down streets and sat on benches. There was a sense of urgency in missing something if you were to just drive down the road. The parks and green spaces were so inviting and everywhere you looked there were more people walking than driving. All of this made us stop and wonder what creates this atmosphere and do we have it where we live? Well, we have the unique little stores, we have the delicious cafes and restaurants, we have parks and we have social spaces. We have all of the ingredients and I know we have the community spirit, so I would say we have it all but we can do it better. So for the next year our vision is to take what we have and encourage people to grow and expand on it, be bold, try new stuff and instead of the natural temptation to disregard something new, embrace it and give it an honest try.

Our community is extremely talented and we have incredible potential, so what’s stopping us? Craig and I believe that everything is worth trying at least once and for the next year that is just what we intend to do; try it.