Johnny Ritz

I suspect that many of you reading my blog likely already know me. For those that do, maybe you'll learn something that you didn't know? For those that don't, here's me in a nutshell. 

​

First things first, I'm Canadian (and like most Canadians, tremendously proud of it). I grew up in a small farming community called Netley in rural Manitoba (that's the province in the middle for all you non-Canadian readers). We lived on an 80-acre plot of land where my family built a home neighbouring my grandparents who had moved there back in the 1960's. It was a great place to grow up; plenty of space for my sister and I to: build forts, ride dirt bikes, play loud music and do pretty much whatever we wanted (within reason). We learned a great deal working with our parents (and grandparents) on the farm; practical, hard-working values that I carry with me to this day. 

 

Like many young people who grow up in rural communities, despite how great they had it in the "boonies" (a term Canadians use to describe rural communities in the back arse of nowhere) the excitement of the big city life piques their curiousity and inevitibly they move. I was no exception. I moved to the city of Winnipeg when I was 17, where I worked, played and did a bit of growing up. Part of growing up led me to university where I completed my Bachelor of Commerce degree focusing on Marketing and International Business. With by diploma in hand and post secondary school in my rearview mirror I moved once again, this time to an even bigger city, Calgary, Alberta. 

Calgary was fast living and REALLY exciting. It had everything that a 25 year old, Manitoban country boy could imagine and to say that I let my hair down is putting it quite mildly. I moved in with one of my best high-school buddies who had moved there a few years earlier. Chad and are I still the best of friends and I owe him a great deal for letting me take up residence on his couch for all those months (or was is years, Chad?).

 

Years of work building my career eventually led me to my lovely wife, Edel, whom I met at a job with an exciting advertising agency. She caught my eye immediately and next she caught my ear with her melodic Irish accent. "An Irish chick?!" I thought to myself. "This is exciting!" And after two and a half years we were married and planning to move once more; the biggest move of my life to date. 

 

In the summer of 2015, with our five year old golden retriever, Ruby, we moved accross the globe to a lovely small heritage town in County Waterford, Ireland called Lismore. That's in the "sunny southeast" of the country for all you non-Irish readers. By the way, I'm not sure who nick-named this part of the country the "sunny southeast" because frankly it's very rarely sunny at all; like all regions in Ireland, it rains A LOT. Perhaps the term is relative? I'm sure I'll revisit this topic in a future blogpost as I travel to other areas of the Emerald Isle. 

 

Alas, when I step back I see that things have more or less come full circle. When I was younger I couldn't grow up and move to the big city fast enough. And more than 20 years (and two BIG cities) later I found myself yearning for a simplier life and moving back to the countryside. I know, I know... I'm quite literally on the other side of the world from where I made all those fond rural memories; surely the Canadian "boonies" is quite different than "culchie" Ireland? It absolutely is. But I've discovered that there are quite a lot of similarities too. 

 

Join me on this Irish adventure as I share my new experiences through deep thoughts, spontaneous rants and the spewing of randomn hilarity in what we'll call my blog. 

 

Enjoy!