Nicki Goff

Who, Me?

Married, to Dennis for 41 years, I'm a mother and grandmother, ex-teacher and librarian, business owner, and now internet marketer. I love to travel, to read, hike, garden, paint with watercolors, and watch movies. I'm enjoying getting to know my way around internet marketing, article writing and blogging.

I'm a proud Canadian, born in BC, spent most of my married life in Edmonton, Alberta, and now live on a small island off the coast of BC. We live on a clifftop overlooking Georgia Strait, and have marvellous views of the water, the Coast Mountains, and at night, the lights of Vancouver. We enjoy travelling to less known places, and currently are exploring Ecuador, where we now have a second home in the small village of Cotacachi.

The Early Years

I'd have to say that my mother was by far the greatest influence in my early years. Her story is for another time, but she was a well-educated woman with a great sense of adventure, a true pioneer, coming alone to Canada in 1928 and making a new life in the mountains of BC on a small farm. She was the glue that held our family of 8 children together through tough times, all with very little money. I recall her sending me off to school on the school bus when I was less than 5, because she had already taught me to read and knew I was ready. After graduating from high school, I was lucky enough to win enough scholarship money to allow me to go to university. I remember my first terrified yet excited impressions of Vancouver, BC, as I'd rarely been away from our small town before.

I worked my way through university, taking a year off to work and make money between each of my years of student life. My career choice was to become an elementary school teacher, a decision based on what I perceived as job security, rather that a love of teaching. Not the best way to make a choice! Although I loved working with children, my heart was never in it. I disliked the rules and restrictions of our education system, and after 5 years switched to a position as a teacher/librarian. Those were my most rewarding years. I was able to help design a new library, hire my own assistant, and set up and run the school library. Since I've always been a reader, it was rewarding to me to help others read and discover the adventures and insights that only good books can give them.

With the birth of my second daughter, I decided to leave teaching, and just enjoy her first years. What a great holiday that was! After she began school, I started to assist my husband in his photography business in Northern Alberta. Within a few years, we had built up a business with 22 employees, and both of us working long hours, and often 6 days a week. He refers to it as 'running an adult daycare' at times! It did teach us both that there had to be a better way! When we sold our business, he continued work as a business consultant, and I began to take a bit of time off for my hobbies of weaving (mainly unique clothing) and took some art lessons as well.

The Last Ten Years

In 1991, we had purchased an acreage on one of BC's Gulf Islands, with the aim of building first a guest cottage (1994), and then a main house.