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“Luckily, her cancer was diagnosed early and she’s doing well now. She’s recovered. Family is always the No. 1 priority for me, and having her beside me is why I’ve been able to do what I’ve been able to do.”

After clearing out his offices in both Edmonton and Ottawa, Sohi took some time off. He’s been spending time at home, with his family. He went to Las Vegas on a quick vacation with some friends, and he’s grown out a beard — “when you’re sitting at home, the last thing you want to do is shave,” he laughed. He’s also doing a lot of reading, but his politics-heavy reading list betrays a desire to stay involved in public life.

He’s also spent a lot of time reflecting on his unique path to office, coming to Canada as a teenager knowing almost no English. He’s writing a lot about his experiences, and says the opportunities that Canada provides is a topic he’s considering sharing thoughts on through public speaking.

“Imagine my journey, landing in the middle of winter in Edmonton, feeling the coldest that I had ever felt,” Sohi said. “I started my journey as a working-class individual and an immigrant and reached to being part of a select group of people in cabinet making decisions on behalf of our country.”

Sohi says he has no regrets about the campaign or his time in office, feeling particularly proud about his work on pipelines and reducing child poverty in Canada. But there’s no denying he wants to do more, and he says he’s not finished with public life at age 55.

However, Sohi says he’s yet to make any decisions on what his future political involvement will be, declining to say whether another run for office is in store — but “I’m not going to retire to seclusion and not do anything,” he says.

“Public service and politics are ingrained in my DNA.”

jherring@postmedia.com

twitter.com/jasonfherring