As Lyndsey Properzi works at her weeklong pasta-free diet that’ll allow her to squeeze into her grad dress she’s counting the days until the grad celebration is over. She wants to get on with the part of her life that she hopes will help her decide what she really wants to be ‘when she grows up’.
“Some friends are going to college. But I don’t know about many because I’ve lost touch, trying to save money to go to the Yukon.”
She’s been working in her mom’s clothing store for the past number of months, but says the goods are too tempting for a teen that loves clothes. That’s why she jumped at the chance to work in the Yukon territories, partly to continue an experience she began five years ago, and partly because she knows she’ll be able to save some money to meet her goals.
“I knew I wanted to travel but would have had a lot more trouble doing it here when Edmonton is just a two-and-a-half hour drive,” the teen admitted last week. “And I knew it’d be a lot easier (to save money) when I wasn’t working in a clothing store.”
That, in essence is the state of affairs in Properzi’s life these days. Two weeks after grad she’ll be heading to Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory. There’s a job as a dietician’s assistant waiting there for her. She’s not sure that’s what she wants to do for the rest of her life, but it’s as good a start as any.
One thing the 18-year-old does know is that she wants to travel and see as much of the world as she can before she settles down and begins a career.
Born and raised in Slave Lake, Properzi spent the summer in Whitehorse just after she finished Grade 8. She hoped to raise a little money while she was staying with her aunt that summer, but had to settle for experience when the ‘job’ she landed was working as a volunteer at the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) centre in the northern city.
But it was something about that summer experience that left her craving more. That’s why she’s looking forward to the return trip.
“I know it’ll get dark real soon,” she says, but Lyndsey’s excited about her return to the north. Whether the wanderlust bug has bitten her, or if it’s the gold rush fever, she’s not sure. She just feels the north calling.
“Some say it’s like gold rush fever – once you go, you want to go back.” Or maybe it’s the chance to fulfill that dream to travel – to Mexico in June, and maybe to Australia to visit her sister sometime in the coming year.
But for now, Lyndsey is excited about returning to the land of gold rushes and daylong nights.
“I’ve experienced the summer, but it’s more like the land of the tourists. And I know what it’s like to experience 24 hour sunlight and hanging black sheets over the windows.”
“Maybe in the winter I’ll be able to see more of the culture. I know there are definitely differences, and I want to ride dog sleds.”

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