One of the unexpected benefits of owning a cleaning company is that it has given me the freedom to travel. I’ve always enjoyed exploring new places, meeting new people, and occasionally getting lost because I was absolutely certain I knew where I was going. During those times, I’ve had the opportunity to live in multiple countries and travel to nearly 40 more. I’ve eaten foods I couldn’t pronounce, gotten on trains going the wrong direction, and confidently spoken enough foreign languages to embarrass myself on at least four continents.

Travel has taught me many things, but perhaps the most important lesson is this:

People are a lot more alike than they are different.

Whether I was walking through a small village in Europe, exploring the bustling streets of Bangkok, strolling casually through the markets of Cairo, or chatting with someone here, in Canada, I found that most people want the same basic things. They want their families to be healthy, opportunities for their children, enjoy a good meal among friends, meaningful work, and a community where they feel accepted. And they want visitors to stop butchering their language. Yeah, I learned that lesson repeatedly.

Some of the most welcoming places I’ve visited were Canada, Europe, and Thailand. What made those places special wasn’t just the scenery or the food. It was the feeling that people were generally free to be themselves. Nobody seemed particularly interested in putting everyone into neat little boxes. And that openness creates something special.

It encourages creativity. It attracts talented people. It makes communities more vibrant. And perhaps most importantly, it helps people feel like they belong.

When my family moved to Oakville, one of the first things we noticed was how diverse the community is. People from different cultures, backgrounds, faiths, and experiences all call this town home. As newcomers ourselves, we appreciated that.

It’s one thing to read about diversity. It’s another thing to experience it firsthand when your neighbors, local business owners, teachers, and community members come from all over the world and somehow manage to create something that feels remarkably cohesive. Earlier this year, I wrote about why we love calling Oakville home. Diversity was one of the biggest reasons.

Not because diversity is a buzzword. Rather because diversity means exposure to different ideas, different perspectives, different experiences, and different ways of solving problems. It means learning from people whose life story may be completely different from your own.

Travel taught me that the strongest communities aren’t the ones where everyone is the same. They’re the ones where people can be different and still feel welcomed. That’s one of the reasons Pride Month resonates with me. At its core, it’s about belonging. It’s about making sure people can live authentically and participate fully in their communities without fear of being excluded.

You don’t have to travel to 40 countries to learn that lesson. But it certainly helped me. And after all those miles, delayed flights, questionable navigation decisions, and enthusiastic attempts at speaking languages I barely understood, I can say this:

The places I remember most aren’t necessarily the most beautiful. They’re the places where people felt welcomed. Fortunately, Oakville is one of them.

Happy Pride Month from all of us at Oakville Maids.