From the Big City to the Country: Two Months In

In my introductory post I mentioned that I moved from a big smokey city to the refreshing countryside almost two thousand kilometres away from my home. Toronto just didn't cut it for me anymore but I did not realize my move would be so soon!

It all started about eighteen months ago upon my return from a holiday in the caribbean. It seemed as though my travels were becoming more and more of an escape than a vacation. Escape from what though? I wanted my life to feel fulfilled everyday not just when I am travelling. What was it that made me feel unfulfilled? I have a wonderful family, amazing friends and a well paying job. So what really was the problem? What was it that my soul was yearning for and what was pushing me so intensely to get out of the city? In those months leading up to the move the answers to those questions went unanswered. All I felt was this driving force propelling me into the unknown. Just stopping for one second to even think about what was happening would have had me running the other way. It's just not something I would normally do.

Life in the city had taken its toll on me. Work was becoming increasingly stressful, traffic was more and more congested and I began to feel very confined to my home because I couldn't be bothered sitting in traffic for hours. There had been a lot of changes to the city in the last several years in terms of construction; more and more condos, less and less infrastructure. It is a veritable concrete jungle. It started with a general feeling of dissatisfaction with my life and morphed into the realization that I was not actually living the life that I wanted.

When you stop and think about what you want and how you are living your life you start to realize what is acceptable and what is not. Yes, income is important to me. For years I busted my butt off working and making great money. Looking back I now see how robotic I was. So robotic in fact that I did not even have the inclination to even contemplate the possibilities for my life. I was too busy working, going through the motions, paying bills, going out and having fun. It was a work hard, play hard kind of lifestyle and eventually the steam ran out.

Another reason for leaving the city was the unaffordable housing market. Buying a house in Toronto was not an option because there was no way I would ever consider getting a gargantuan mortgage. Above and beyond numbers though, the big city was not nourishing my soul the way nature does. I was constantly stressed at work, driving in traffic, sick with smog allergies and just simply not able to enjoy the outdoors within a stone's throw away. Last summer was the final straw, the heat and humidity were so intense that doing outdoor activities was nearly impossible. In the summer of 2016 I said 'I'm done' and never looked back. It was here that the dream began.

The dream of living in Nova Scotia started with my first visit to the East Coast in 2014. It was an instantaneous knowing that this was the place for me. After a couple of more years visiting different places in Nova Scotia, the intention was set and both my boyfriend and I were ready to make the move. The creation of our future reality began to take shape.

Slowly but surely the dream grew limbs which outstretched all the way to the ocean. It formed all our thoughts and ideas into one single house in a country village that we would later find and settle into. It was no small feat; we had poured our whole lives into this project that took about eight months to conclude. Many tears had been shed and disappointments conquered and I don't remember ever being so focused on any one particular thing. It was exhausting.

If it weren't for travelling I am not sure that I would have come to know what kind of life I wanted. The kind of life that I want is one where I am surrounded by nature, the ocean, the animals, a sense of community and peace. You cannot see beyond your current circumstances unless you take time out to see what else is out there, to meet and talk with others who have experienced something different, however great or small. All it took was a road trip two provinces over. It was nothing too extravagant, we literally camped for half the trip! Anyone can do it!

Now, two months in, the dream has become a reality. We are adapting to our new surroundings, meeting new people and starting to work here. Sure we don't make as much money but we spend less and find ourselves enjoying such simple pleasures like gardening, bike riding along the coast and hiking in the woods. We have created a life for ourselves out of sheer imagination and determination. The dream doesn't stop here though. Absolutely not, so dream on everyone! Life is beautiful!

-Lori