Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
It's been about a year since my somewhat impulsive (for the first time in my life!) decision to pull up stakes and head north to Canada. It's been an overall awesome experience. My wife and I have gotten to know each other better and become closer as empty nesters (who had to build a new nest to make it empty!). The kids have stepped up the adulting game, not only paying the rent and utilities on time, but taking good care of the ole homestead back in the states. I get to play ice hockey 3-4 days per week, and have lost ~30 pounds as a result. We are really loving the convenience of urban living (probably the biggest change for a couple of small town country folk). Canadians are super nice, and combined with the cultural emphasis on hospitality or the largely southeast Asian and Muslim population of our current neighborhood, it's just been a very pleasant experience. Oh yeah- my health care is free (!), and things that aren't covered (such as medications: eye exams) are a fraction of the cost in the States. Only issue is that the job I moved here for kinda sucks! Revenue (and thus income) projections were WAY below reality, and there have been some months where, after rent deduction (my apartment is through my job), I literally had a negative pay check! The place wasn't really able to get its act together and convert referrals to clients.
Fast forward to today- I've accepted a new, salaried position as Clinical Director of Child and Youth Services at an agency in the city I live in (Mississauga, Ontario). We financially planned for ~6 months of questionable income, but when that stretched into 7-8 months, I had to cut bait. It was a little complicated, in that I had to secure a new employer specific work permit (fortunately Trump hasn't yet f**ked up CUSMA, so all I had to do was drive a hour or so to the border, hang out in the Niagara Falls NY for an hour, and come back and apply at the border). Also- my current apartment is through my employer, so we have to move. This apartment is a furnished penthouse, which sounds fancier that it is (though it is quite nice and the views are incredible. We were able to find a "Unicorn" apartment to move into. 32nd floor, but with an absolutely huge outdoor terrace/balcony (the previous tenant's kids literally rode their bikes out there). Great views of Toronto downtown. Best part is we have our own gargoyle off or our terrace (see pics- in the pic of the building, our gargoyle is on the right). I might have to give up this psychology stuff and become a supervillain or a
Batman!
Fast forward to today- I've accepted a new, salaried position as Clinical Director of Child and Youth Services at an agency in the city I live in (Mississauga, Ontario). We financially planned for ~6 months of questionable income, but when that stretched into 7-8 months, I had to cut bait. It was a little complicated, in that I had to secure a new employer specific work permit (fortunately Trump hasn't yet f**ked up CUSMA, so all I had to do was drive a hour or so to the border, hang out in the Niagara Falls NY for an hour, and come back and apply at the border). Also- my current apartment is through my employer, so we have to move. This apartment is a furnished penthouse, which sounds fancier that it is (though it is quite nice and the views are incredible. We were able to find a "Unicorn" apartment to move into. 32nd floor, but with an absolutely huge outdoor terrace/balcony (the previous tenant's kids literally rode their bikes out there). Great views of Toronto downtown. Best part is we have our own gargoyle off or our terrace (see pics- in the pic of the building, our gargoyle is on the right). I might have to give up this psychology stuff and become a supervillain or a
