October is an important month for Sheena Brown. It marks the one-year anniversary since she moved from Jamaica to Yorkton.

鈥淎 lot of people assume that you鈥檙e going to Toronto when you say you鈥檙e going to Canada,鈥� she joked.

Now, October is a little extra special for her. Brown is the winner of the Story Slam 2017 event.

鈥淔or me, 鈥榳onderful鈥� would be a word [to describe it],鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was pleasantly surprised.鈥�

The Story Slam was held on Oct. 18 at the Yorkton Public Library. Writers presented their original and unpublished stories to an audience. They had five minutes to read their tales aloud.

Brown鈥檚 winning story was called 鈥淔rom JA to SK.鈥� It detailed her experience of adjusting to life in Canada.

鈥淲hat led to the story was a mixture of trying to balance...looking forward to new opportunities [and] dealing with some daily realities,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 trying to adjust to all of that excitement.鈥�

Brown wrote the story back in February and shared it with the Parkland Writers Alliance. Their encouragement inspired Brown to submit her work to the competition. Between February and October, she completed five different drafts of the piece.

鈥淭he hardest part was not to fall too much in love with what [I wrote] that [I] didn鈥檛 want to edit,鈥� she said. 鈥淕et to the key point and just bring it down to the essence.

鈥淚 had to be a brutal editor.鈥�

Brown plans to write more stories about her experiences her new home country.

鈥淪omewhere in the back of my mind is a story about trying moose meat for the first time,鈥� she said.

From JA to SK by Sheena Brown

鈥淧ickney! Child!鈥� 鈥淕et up offa di ground, are you mad!, What are you doing rolling around in the snow and let people see you!鈥�

I shouted inside my head as my 10 year old gleefully crawled, dived and tunneled her way through the snow on the playground. My Jamaican mother sensibilities wanted to scream that this was 鈥渙ut of order鈥� behavior. Children should have manners and not embarrass their parents.

My daughter, Amara, flipped over on her back and began working a pattern into the snow with her arms. I took one determined step forward ready to end her fun but then she exclaimed.

鈥淚鈥檓 making a snow angel! My first snowfall ever! Best Ever!鈥�

Best Ever.聽 Best Ever.

Never did I expect this odd combination of emotions. My daughter鈥檚 obvious joy at experiencing snow and my... distress? disappointment? dissonance? Yes, my dissonance from this euphoric childhood moment. It was my first snowfall too but I was suspicious of this cold, plenty 鈥渘uff鈥� white stuff that kept in getting my mouth, my nose, my hair and running down my glasses.

鈥淢om, Mom!鈥� Amara jumped up, 鈥淭here is sooo much snow, I wish we could pack it, like in a bag or suitcase and take some back to Jamaica.鈥� 聽

We left Jamaica with 4 suitcases. It was 20 years of working experience, 12 years of marriage, 3 university degrees and 1 dream of better opportunities packed into those 4 bags. Now we were waiting to be cleared for travel to Canada by Jamaican immigration officials in Kingston, JA (Jamaica). 聽

鈥淕ood afternoon, so where are you and your family travelling today?鈥� the immigration officer asked.

鈥淪askatchewan, Canada鈥� I stated.

The officer blinked, looked at me, looked at the plane ticket and then back at me.

鈥淲here is that?鈥� she sounded as if she want proof.

鈥淚n Canada. One of the provinces鈥� I replied.

鈥淓h heh, hmm...鈥� she was not convinced. She held my gaze. Not blinking. Waiting. Our plane tickets firmly in her hand

鈥淚s this Sas-Saschuwan place near Toronto?鈥� she quizzed.

What the immigration officer wanted to know was, how could I be heading to a place called Saskatchewan which is not Toronto. So I attempted to answer.

鈥淲ell, Saskatchewan is very far from Toronto. Almost 3 hours by plane. Outside of Toronto, more heading west towards Alberta.鈥�

It didn鈥檛 work. I gave her too much information. The extra geography seemed to confuse her.

鈥淛ust a minute鈥�. She stood up and motioned to a senior officer.

I did not mean to eavesdrop. I just happened to hear the conversation that would basically decide our fate.

鈥淭hat lady and her family travelling to Canada but she say dat, she and her family going to one place name Sas..Sasuchwan inna Canada?鈥� she inquired

鈥淵eah man鈥�, the senior officer said 鈥淵ou remember Janet鈥檚 husband cousin?鈥�

鈥淵eah, her husband cousin migrate to Canada. Didn鈥檛 he go to Toronto?鈥� she asked.

鈥淣o man, is the same Saskatchewan place him get his immigration papers for farm work鈥� the senior office replied.

鈥淪o him really live there?鈥� she asked

鈥淗eh! Heh!鈥� Senior officer laughed 鈥淗e stay there for a little while but him say it was too damn cold and he left. Think him live in Toronto now鈥�.

I sighed as she returned her attention to me.

鈥淭hank you for your time鈥� She stamped all four passports. 鈥淓njoy your trip.鈥�

鈥淭hank YOU very much.鈥� I was happily surprised and then quietly whispered 鈥淭hank you Janet鈥檚 husband鈥檚 cousin.鈥�

My thoughts now landed back onto the snowy playground in Yorkton, SK.

鈥淗ey Mom鈥� Amara called 鈥淒ad is here with Ayanna.鈥�

I looked up to see Ayanna, my 2 year old, bursting into a full flying hug towards her sister. Mark smiled and sat down beside me.

鈥淗ey good news, I got the job starting Monday.鈥�

Snowflakes could not compete with the happy tears misting up my glasses.

鈥淎wesome鈥� I hugged him tightly 鈥淲e are going to do this.鈥�

Mark called out 鈥淕irls, are you ready, let鈥檚 go out and celebrate!鈥�

鈥淗ey wait!鈥� I quickly got up, pulled my toque over my ears, zipped up my jacket and jumped into a fresh pile of snow. I rolled over smiling.

鈥淟et鈥檚 make snow angels together. Best Ever!鈥�