Michael Sweet:
CLASS OF 1987
Central Memorial High SchoolClass of 1987
Calgary, AB
New Sarepta Collegiate High SchoolClass of 1987
New sarepta, AB
Cross High SchoolClass of 1984
Calgary, AB
Michael's Story
Life
Life history, well here goes.
I didnt circulate much at school, I had a small circle of friends, we liked sports but none of us were jocks, or heads or ever going to be any part of the popular scene. At 17, skinny and pimply, I was mostly afraid of being beat up. School was mostly about teenage angst and hanging by the lockers talking NHL. I was to shy for girls. Being originally from edmonton I was one of the few kids who would wear an oilers jersey to school. i never graduated at Central. My family moved to New Zealand during my grade 12 year, that was in Nov 86.
NZ was everything Canada wasnt. An island nation of rugby, cricket,sailing, funny accents,rainy winters, Christmas in the summer. I spent one estranged year in the quirky NZ public school system and went on to Wellington University. Uni was virtually free at the time. My fair skin was repeatedly brutilized into holding some colour. One wonderful summer I lost my virginity.
For the next 4 years I scraped by as students do, shared accom, pasta dinners, the worst part time jobs ever. My family moved away. Uni was fun but by the 3rd year i was sick of equation side of the economics degree. When i finally graduated I swore never to bother with learning ever again. Apart from that NZ is a marvelous country bursting full of wild adventures and natural wonders. Hiking, skiing, golf and snorkeling were my favourite activities. I left for a solo tour around the south island by bicycle. Camping and biking on the road lasted 2 months. At the time it was the best thing i had ever done.
After almost 7 years in exile i figured it was time to come back to Canada I wasnt able to make good on my degree. After several failed attempts at landing a desk job, i became a bicycle courier in downtown Vancouver for a year. I loved that job, riding the streets hard, scoping out the office babes, trying to date a few, but never succeeding.
From a friend I heard about tree planting, so...Expand for more
the next 2 summers i would migrate north to pound trees into the mud of northern alberta. The relentless sun, the toil, the filthy socks, the wasps and horseflies, the bears, the helicopters, the camps. That was some kinda self inflicted punishment. I continued followed seasonal forestry work for a time, burning clearcuts in clearwater/blue river BC. Based on a fellow planters advice i coasted the next winter on UI and became a ski bum with my friend Jason Zazaluk. We bought season ski passes and I freeloaded off of Morgan Heards couch in Calgary on weekends. I saw a few of you around in the bars.
Then it happened, I met a pretty woman in a bar, became fixated and moved in with her and her 2 young children for 5 years of on again/off again dysfunctional bliss. Booze and drugs figured prominently. I drove trucks and installed office furniture for a few years. Self loathing mounted, i was approaching 30 and hadnt risen above the rank of labourer.
So i bit the bullet,and took out a huge loan and went to ITI college for a 9 month crash course in IT during the rise of the tech bubble. The school was great. Luckily i graduated just before the school went bankrupt. Unbelievably an agency offered me a juicy contract to work in germany before i had even graduated. I accepted. The funny thing was that the economics degree was necessary for the german work permit. That was June 2000. I landed in Frankfurt, and my first job was in Dusseldorf for 3 years, close to the dutch border. May 2007 and Ive been living in Munich for the last 4 years with my german girlfriend Denise. I love it here, the weather is mild and winters are mercifully short. From here Ive had the opportunity to explore many countries. But i still love exploring by bicycle best.
I no longer own a car, i dont own a house, im not married and i dont ever expect to have kids. When this contract finally expires, i plan to do get on my bike again and do the biggest bike tour yet.
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