Just for Fun

An American in Canada

On April 17th, I received an email from my boss about a job in our Canadian office. “It’s an opportunity that we should discuss,” he said.

And discuss we did. What would it look like for me to relocate from Pittsburgh–the city where I grew up, where my friends are, where I go to church, where my mom, dad, brother, sister, nephew, aunts, uncles, cousins live–and move to Toronto, Ontario?

Beyond a new currency and figuring out the metric system, it would mean picking up and moving to a new country where I knew only my coworkers. The job itself was appealing – a role where I could build out a team and grow an arm of our digital marketing services. I couldn’t find a reason not to do it. I love new things and it sounded like an adventure.

On April 26th, the eve of my 30th Birthday, I sent this message to my soon-to-be-ex-boss, “I think we’re doing this!”

And do this we did.

I signed the papers, quit my commitments, said my goodbyes and moved to Toronto, Ontario on June 28th, 2019.

I gave away furniture, clothes, dishes and random items to friends that just wouldn’t fit into my new Canadian lifestyle (or the Uhual). I met friends for going away happy hours, dinners, breakfast and Target runs. My mother cried for days. Happy tears and sad tears; tears that I knew meant she would miss me.

It’s now September and I’ve been in Toronto for 2.5 months. My high-rise, 1 bed + 1 den apartment is 95% furnished (pink velvet couch included). I’ll post pics soon.

I’m making friends, finding a good church and discovering the benefits of having a fully-loaded Presto card. My commute to work consists of a 17 minute walk (with one right turn). I rarely take my car out from the underground garage and will probably sell it soon. I now buy shoes based on their comfort level and walkability since I walk close to a hour each day.

The move also gave me something I haven’t had in a long time: space. Space to think, space to be alone, space to wander. Any friend will tell you the 2-week waiting planning period required for my schedule in Pittsburgh. Now, there’s flexibility for happy hour to go extra long or to pop into breakfast with a coworker because I’m in the neighbourhood. I’ve got to tell you, this freedom – it’s intoxicating.

My Canadian coworkers here have been nothing but welcoming. We work together, sample cocktails together, eat tacos after work and go to the beach. It’s week 2 of rec league volleyball and our team is thriving.

One downside to moving across borders and downsizing to live in the 4th largest city in North America is you’ve got to be selective about your belongings. My bins (and bins and bins) of yarn was a “phase 2” delivery and so I moved here relatively empty handed. Yes, this is a confession: I have’t crocheted in 2.5 months.

And so that’s it. That’s the big news in JJCrochet’s world right now. After living in Pittsburgh for 30 minus 2 years of my life, I’ve moved to Toronto. If anyone is interested in applying for a 3-year work visa, moving to Canada or the details of universal healthcare, I’m now an expert. Send me an email.

I have my hooks and needles, of course, but there wasn’t room for yarn. Before I left, I made a large drop-off of yarn to the library and my old knitting group (The Knotty Knitters) who I’ve no doubt will put the skeins to good use.

The weather here in Toronto has turned cooler in the mornings and evenings; autumn is almost here.

It’s Saturday morning and I woke up with the thought that today I would blog and make a trip to a yarn store. Space. It’s a wonderful, freeing, empowering feeling.

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