Posted on 2021.01.12
I’ve been a professional Companion for 12 years. When I started I had three goals: money in the bank, a house of my own, and a full passport. That’s it. I had school loans to pay off, I was renting a not so great apartment, and had only been to Florida on a family vacation when I was 16. When I made the decision to become a Companion, I went out and opened a savings account and bought a world map. I truly believe that manifestation works and I had decided that within a month I would be lying on a beach in the Caribbean.
My first few clients were… interesting. I learned quickly that whatever I thought a client would be like or look like was more often than not, the exact opposite! The Gentlemen who choose to spend time with Companions do so for a variety of reasons, and if there was a photo album of the men I’ve spent time with, you’d see exactly what I mean. Yes, there are the high rollers and the athletes, but there are also men who are recently widowed, women who are in the closet, university students, and happily single men who have no problem meeting women in their regular lives but choose to spend time with me. I’ve helped couples celebrate their anniversaries and singers who always make sure to have a tour stop in Toronto so that we can spend time together. The Clients I’ve spent time with over these past 12 years have shown me a world I was only able to imagine.
My first trip to the Caribbean was happened exactly three weeks after I started. I had a Client book me my first week out and we had an amazing time. When he learned that I was new to the agency, he asked me why I chose to work as a Companion. I told him my three goals and he was impressed. He was the age I am now and had done very well for himself. He started making recommendations for resorts and places to visit and I took detailed mental notes. Imagine my surprise a week later when I got the message to make sure my passport was up to date and that I had all my vaccinations! He told a friend of his about me and HE called to book me for a five-night stay at a five-star resort! I was officially on my way to becoming a world explorer! I’ve been to every continent – including Antarctica to see the penguins – and even started my own travel site that focuses on my non-Client related trips.
About 6 years ago, I checked my savings and saw that it was time to start searching for a home. As I started looking, I realized that buying a home was not what I expected at all – it was like when I realized years earlier that what I expected a client to be like wasn’t the reality. What I thought I was supposed to have wasn’t what I liked or even really wanted and when I applied the same commitment to open-mindedness that I had with Clients, I found the perfect place in an area I would have never thought I would live in. It was older, and needed a lot of upgrades – which I spent two years doing and when it was time to move in, I decided to sell it. Yes, a lady is allowed to change her mind! Selling it gave me the inspiration to flip houses and I’ve done three in the past six years.
This time, I’m going to buy my forever home. I actually have a couple of properties that I rent out (it’s all about the multiple streams of income kids), and I think I’ve found the home that was meant for me. This year I’ll be turning 35 and I’m actually surprised that I’ve been a Companion this long. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I’m saying I have to be put out to pasture or anything like that, I just thought I would get bored. I thought I would be seeing the same type of Client every week for the same type of date, because that was the misconception I had in my mind. Now, do I see regular Clients who like a particular routine? Of course, but they’re part of MY variety, so everybody wins.
I already started to tell some of my favourites that I’ll be retiring soon. Some have asked if it’s permanent and I have learned to never say never. There are clients I’m definitely going to miss and telling them almost feels like a breakup, but it’s time for me to move on. Usually when people retire, they travel and I kinda hit every spot on that list – including Florida (Miami not Tampa though). I’m thinking about going back to school, doing a bit of writing, take a sport, the possibilities are truly endless right now and even though I’m closing this door (but not locking it), the freedom I’ve had over the years has prepared me to look forward to what’s next.
To all my Clients, I wish you nothing but sun, sand, adventure, and fulfilling your heart’s desires the way you have filled mine. xoxo
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