I love you even in the rain.

Today was one of the first rainy days since coming to the Sunshine Coast. If it continues for too long, I may regret saying this, but it was actually a nice break from all of the sunshine.

I also had my first kind of stress-out this morning. It’s a stress-out that will garner absolutely zero sympathy from anyone. It was because I was offered too many great apartments. That’s right. In what I have heard is an unbelievably stressful rental market, I was offered 3 places to live this week. They were all great. And the landlords were all great. It’s a ridiculous problem to have, and I’m going to chalk it up to me being extra charming in my enthusiasm for moving to the coast. Pretty sure that I’m going to end up being friends with at least one of the sets of landlords whose apartment I won’t be living in.

To clear my head a little, and stop myself from overthinking my decision, I went for a long walk in the rain. The sunshine is wonderful, and I love summery days so much, but I also absolutely adore rainy, windy walks in the cold.

I stopped grabbed some sushi from Nagomi and took it over to Gibsons Tapworks to have a pint and read for a bit. Afterwards, I walked home in the rain. The thing about Gibsons is that behind the network of streets, there is also a hidden network of forest trails patchworked across the town. Some of them are obvious, and some are pretty subtle and hidden. I could have probably walked the entire way home through the forest, but I’m still learning. At the moment, half way through the forest will do.

Going Coastal – Week Two

This week was the first stage of settling in. And a lot of cycling. A lot. I wish that I’d Strava’d that shit. I’m getting used to the hills, and the gravely shoulders, and the way that traffic works here. I actually biked to Davis Bay to see maybe the most adorable beach cottage ever to potentially rent. It was an hour long ride along the Sunshine Coast Highway, which was mostly fine, but every now and then felt a teeny tiny bit treacherous. There were just moments when the generous shoulder narrowed to almost nothing, and this was usually only if there was a very sharp turn in the highway. A little scary. I found out later that I could have taken the Lower Road for most of my journey, which is less busy, but that is not what Google suggested. LESSON LEARNED. Regardless of minor treachery, the bike ride was still very very beautiful (surprise!) as everything is here. Also, when I biked home after dark, I got to test out my reflective backpack cover, which was amazing, and there were only about 5 cars the whole way home. Woo!

I said no to the beach cottage, because Davis Bay is just a little too far up the coast for my first home up here, but oh god, did it ever hurt my heart to turn it down. I’m not even going to bother sharing photos or it, or the view, because y’all will die. It is magic.

Moving on…

I’ve looked at a few other places this week, and they’ve all been really amazing, with wonderful landlords. I should be hearing back about them in the next day or so, so send me all of the posi vibes you can muster.

Other things.

Made trip to Hopkins Landing with Jac, Theo, and Jess Robson. Then jumped in the ocean for the first time this year.

Popped into the Gumboot, and the Roberts Creek Legion.

Had some pal dinners.

After dinner fam walks.

I also took my first trip into the city for meetings, and it was pretty great. I had meetings with a few fellow freelancers, and a potential client, and they were all pretty lovely and just motivational, and good feeling. They felt really organic, and supportive, and exactly how you want meetings to feel. Also, just in case I hadn’t made it clear how beautiful it is out here. There’s this…

These are some photos from my ferry commute and then when I got stuck in Horseshoe Bay because the ferry was late. Like, are you kidding me? I wasn’t even mad that the ferry was late, because I got some sushi to go and then sat and ate it on the waterfront. Yes, I was home pretty late, and it was a super long day, but like, whoa.
Things continue to be really nice, and I have a very good feeling that I’ll have a place to call my own by the end of next week.

Oh, I also did a bunch of yard work, like lawn mowing and weed whacking. This might not seem like a big deal, but it has been a really long time since I’ve done this kind of physical labour, and like everything it’s really novel and satisfying at the moment.

Also, one more thing. This morning I walked through the forest to go to a roadside farm stand to pick up fresh eggs for bfast. NBD.

The end.

Going Coastal – Week One

Without thinking about it, I inadvertently picked just about the best week ever to move back to the coast. Months and months of rain finally gave way to summer sun. It’s also the long weekend, so the days have been filled with pal hangs and long table dinners. It’s pretty much been a perfect week. So it’s been a nice welcome home, but it’s also not 100% reflective of what life will be like all the time. Or maybe it is? So far, it’s certainly been how I imagined/described it in all of my best versions of what I thought that coastal life would be like.

I’m staying at a friend’s house at the moment, which I am super thankful for, but it also means that it doesn’t quiiiite feel real that I’m living here yet. I’ve spent a month at a time visiting these pals, so part of my brain is probably still viewing this as a vacation, rather than a new permanent place to be. I’m going to see a few apartments this week, and I think that once that’s sort of settled, it will all start to actually feel real.

A few observations so far…

Hills
Holy moly are there ever hills. It’s good. But also, like, holy shit Toronto is super flat, and I am v aware of how out of shape I am at the moment. The good thing about it is that I can already see how cycling here is going to just whip me into super shape by the end of the summer. My foot/ankle is still an issue, but I’m starting to incorporate little 3k runs into my routine a few times a week. It’s a humbling, but good feeling.

Singledom
Most people that I know here are couples. And the majority of those have children. Which is fine. I’m comfortable being the only single around, but it’s also kind of a weird feeling when literally everyone that you meet is in a long-term, stable partnership. I can definitely see how if I don’t break it up every now and then with single pal visits from/to the city, that it could start to feel a little isolating and lonely. It’s also definitely a lot more apparent that I don’t have kids. (Aside – as if they internet knew, it sent me this today) Again, it’s fine, but just one of the most striking shifts from the city.

Rentaldom
I’m also pretty much the only renter. I can’t help but feel tiny pangs of anxiety over not being in a position to buy something, and the ever-rising cost of real estate on the Sunshine Coast. It’s the next hot spot, and the cost of housing is sky-rocketing accordingly. It’s funny, because owning has never been something that I’ve wanted. But suddenly it seems like something worth wanting. That being said, there are options. I’ve had a few offers from friends to put a tiny home on their property, which is so kind, and makes me feel very loved and welcome. It’s also kind of ideal, because in reality, the idea of taking care of an actual huge property or proper sized house of my own is still just not appealing to me. At all. In fact, the only reason I have interest in owning anything at all now, is just the dwindling rental market. It’s scary to be at the whim of other people when it comes to your housing. A tiny house of my own seems to be a good in-between solution.

Dating
I reactivated Tinder when I got to the coast, just out of curiosity. There are definitely 500% more photos of dudes holding fish that they caught. There are also 500% more outdoorsy photos. I’m definitely curious to see what dating will be like in a small town. I put dating on the back burner during my last year in Toronto, but I think that I’m ready to make it a priority again.

New hobbies
Before coming to the coast, my list of desired new skills/hobbies included biathlon, shooting guns in general, more swimming, riding a motorcycle, gardening, trail running, and all of these things seem well within my grasp within the first year. I actually know people who do, or are interested in all of these things. Maybe I’ll also take up canoeing? And definitely sailing at some point. And I know that I already write quite a bit,  but there’s something about being out here that is especially conducive to more writing. I’ve never really considered fiction as an option, but I’m thinking about it more and more these days. I’m also considering longer projects that I’d never considered before. And that’s really exciting.

Walking
When I say that I’m going to walk somewhere, I have to remind country folks, that I’m from the city and a 20 minute walk is really no big deal. That being said, I had a good reminder last night to always carry my headlamp in my purse just in case, because it really is SO DARK at night. Also maybe I should get some bear spray just in case of dangerous wildlife?

Kindness
Every person that I have met out here so far seems to be super interesting, self-driven, generous, and kind. Generous with their skills and time and knowledge, and just willing to help out another human finding their way on the coast. Everyone has the shared goal of building a nice community and life that is healthy and thriving and doing cool shit. Not a bad place to be!

Many more observations to come.

A few more things to share for this week that were v typical beautiful coastal vibes moments.
Foraging stinging nettles.
Buying fresh duck eggs from an unmanned roadside stand.
Going to the dock to hand-pick freshly caught spot prawns direct from the fishing boat.
Outdoor wood-fired pizza oven party, including crab that was freshly caught via crab trap and paddle board (not by me) that day.
Bonfires.
Views.

More photos from Week One

Day One

Yesterday I finally hopped on a plane with my bike, and the kitties, and trekked on back to BC to live on the Sunshine Coast. It feels both completely brand new, and like coming home, all at once. I’ve spent a lot of time here. I’ve got friends here. But there’s so much newness in actually living here.

The journey itself was a little hectic – bumped flight, delayed bumped flight, amazing airport >> horseshoe bay rescue by my pal Matt Milligan, ferry ride, and late evening pick up by Jac, but made it with the kitties and all of my things in one piece, and it’s so nice to have this feeling of home.

I spent the day getting settled. I got some things for Rosemary and Thomas, answered emails, put my bike together, touched up my roots, and did laundry.

Before dinner, I biked to the store to pick up beers, icecream, and salad things, and riding my bike out here felt so nice. I’m sure that over time, there will be things about cycling on the side of a rural highway type road that will irk me, but for now I am just relishing the lack of city traffic. I am relishing the extreme chill West Coast vibes in such stark contrast to cycling in Toronto.

It is beautiful here, and it is magical, and I know it’s gonna’ be just great.