As a young biologist, Ryan Liebe was rising fast in the Richmond-based environmental engineering firm he joined in 1997. When he was offered a project management post in Prince George – a career-advancing move not available to him in Richmond – he said yes.
Liebe and his wife, a teacher, enjoyed living in the smaller community. But they always knew they would be moving again to be closer to family members in the Lower Mainland.
Because of that, Liebe said he and his wife didn’t put down roots in the community.
“Year after year passed, and one year turned into three, turned into five, turned into 10, and ultimately we stayed in Prince George for 12 years,” Liebe said.
The couple now lives in Kamloops, a much closer drive to visit family in the Vancouver area. But Liebe said he now regrets not getting more involved in Prince George.
“We set aside some of the key activities that really make us who we are,” Liebe said.
When they made the decision to move to Kamloops, Liebe and his wife were determined to jump in immediately.
“Right away, on the drive to Kamloops, we said whether we’re here for a year or more, we’re going to put every effort into becoming part of this community.”
Liebe joined the Rotary Club, and his wife is now active in Kamloops Search and Rescue.
“When we met someone or started making friendships, we’d invite them over to our house and start to form better bonds with people,” he said.
The end result is a more balanced life. Liebe also believes that jumping in with both feet this time around has made him “more effective” at work.
on Prioritizing life as well as work: “It doesn’t have to be [about] moving. I think one thing that’s really common is at certain points in people’s careers they end up really working a lot of hours. They want to get ahead, they want to perform … the end result is the same. You pass up on activities that really bring balance to your life.”
