It was love at first sight ... twice!

Story by DAVID SORCHER
Photo by VERONICA SORCHER

What makes an American photographer leave a comfortable life in Cincinnati, Ohio for the rural lifestyle of South Shore’s Lunenburg County? For me it was simply a matter of love at first sight…twice!
The first time was when I met Veronica in 1999. Though she was living in Montreal at that time, she is Nova Scotian born, raised in Lunenburg County. Her family moved to Halifax when she was a teenager, but from there she followed a similar pattern of many of her peers. Longing for brighter lights and broader horizons she struck out for the bigger cities of Central Canada, though in the back of her mind she always remained true to her Nova Scotian roots.
I first saw the South Shore in 2000 and suddenly love at first sight struck again. I mean, what photographer could resist such natural splendor? After we got engaged Veronica decided to come live with me in the States. We made Cincinnati our home for nearly two decades, but always made the annual sojourn to her homeland for visits. I looked forward to those vacations with greater and greater anticipation. We spent hours exploring the craggy coastline with our cameras, enjoying the company of friends and family, and delighting in the amiable culture of small maritime communities. And every time we came we found it harder to leave.
Of course, the one stumbling block was a common one. How could we make our living here, especially if we chose a rural location closer to both Veronica’s parents and the wonderful beaches that we loved so much? We didn’t want to wait until
retirement age to make our move. Finally we adopted the mantra, “If not now, when?” and decided the only way to do this at all was to just do it. So we adopted a second mantra. “We are moving to Nova Scotia, where together we will thrive and prosper.”
So in 2017 we bought an old Cape Cod in P etite Rivière. We arrived with our moving truck late one night in September 2018 after three very long days of travel. I became a permanent resident that October and immediately landed some freelance work with LighthouseNOW. I hope to continue growing my photography business throughout the coming year, focusing on journalism and portraiture. Veronica has found work as a bookseller and freelances as an editor and proofreader. The community here is just fantastic, and I already feel part of it.
Most importantly though, we both feel we are finally home. View David’s portfolio on his website: https://dsorcher.wixsite.com/sorcher-photography
See images of his new neighborhood on his photo blog: http://
davidsorcherphotography.blogspot.com