This July 1st — Canada Day — marked 2 years since Josh and I moved from Vancouver to Toronto to start a new life together. 2 years! I honestly didn’t think I could make it to the 2 year mark. I knew I would definitely give it a year so I could really give it a good, honest go, but man…that first year was not easy.
I just read through my Moving to Toronto: The First Year post to remind myself of my headspace a year ago, and I’m pretty sure I left out all of the bad stuff. I do remember that when I wrote it I had just come back from visiting family and friends in Vancouver and started my new (and current) job. The first year definitely started and ended on a high, but if you were to ask me to do it all over again…I just don’t know if I could stomach it. I don’t regret moving, but I could not relive that first year again. It was a real test of strength, that’s for sure.
But I’m not here to talk about year 1. I’m here to reflect on year 2. Overall, it had way more highs than lows and was way more relaxed. I’d say for the first few months I was just focused on learning the ropes at the new job and enjoying the summer as a gainfully employed Torontonian with friends and money in the bank. A far cry from the previous summer, I must say.
After a fairly low-key summer, Josh and I started seriously thinking about settling down in Toronto for a few more years and buying a place in town. After finally getting a job in digital marketing and just feeling more comfortable in the city, the idea of having a plot of land to call our own seemed just right. Plus, Josh’s freelance career was doing better than ever, so this past winter our house hunt began.
You can read all about my house hunting experience in my house hunting blog post series, but needless to say after a few months of searching, we did not end up buying anything. Houses are way too overpriced for what they actually are in the city (crack shack or mansion anyone?), and renting just seemed like a smarter idea.
After that, I honestly think my whole fantasy of being a homeowner in Toronto for years to come faded away. Not to say that my husband and I won’t be staying in Toronto for the next little while, but I think the whole experience pretty much cemented the idea that we will move back to Vancouver one day for good. I don’t know when that will be, but when I think of my forever home, it’s in beautiful B.C.
Until we do move back to our original and forever home, I’ll just have to be ok with having two homes. I know it sounds weird to say, maybe not weird if you’ve moved around before, but it wasn’t until this Christmas that I truly felt like Vancouver and Toronto were both equally my homes. I never thought I could feel this comfortable in two places at once, but it’s true. And I know by the time year 3 finishes up, I’ll feel even more at home here in Toronto. But those winters, I’ll probably never get used to those.
Now that my husband and I are embarking on year 3 in Toronto, I look forward to what this next year will bring. I never can seem to predict what will happen, but I’m really hoping for another good year full of new experiences, personal growth, and fingers crossed a trip to someplace tropical with bottomless margaritas.
Have you ever moved away from your hometown before? How did each year compare to the other?
The post Moving Away from Home: What Year 2 Looked Like appeared first on Mo' Money Mo' Houses by Jessica Moorhouse