The other week when I answered your questions about our new home, my friend Katrina mentioned that she would love to read a little more on how I like living on the West Coast vs. the East Coast (okay, yes Toronto is not the East Coast, but when you are living in B.C. it feels pretty far East, so just humour me!). I thought that this would be a great topic to address, and to help explore my own feelings on how I feel about these two places that I consider "home".
I'll start off by saying that somehow I still manage to call both my hometown of Whitby and our new place in British Columbia, "Home". I guess home is wherever your heart is, and even though B, Halle and the pups are all here on the West Coast with me, many of our family and friends are living on the East side of Canada and the United States. With that being said, I could never pick a favourite between these two coasts, so this is just a list of some pro's and con's for each place.
The Weather
When we first moved out here everyone talked about how it rained ALL of the time. Yes, it does rain A LOT, and I thought that the weather would really bother me, but to be honest, it doesn't. I love when it rains at night, and on the days that it does rain , it rarely ever rains for the entire day, so Halle and I are still able to get outside for a walk and some fresh air. Overall, the milder temperatures of the West Coast are something we love much more. I don't miss the long, dark frigid winters we had in Toronto, full of slush and snow. I'm much more content with mild, wet winters, that involve a relatively short drive to a mountain to enjoy the snow! Plus, on the sunny days in the summer the weather is perfect. You don't get the excessively hot and humid days like you do back East, which is fantastic. Overall, I think I'm much more suited for this "Wet Coast" weather.
The Scenery
The West Coast wins this category as well, hands down. There is no shortage of beautiful scenery around here, and we have yet to see it all. I love that it seems there is always somewhere new to explore. At the end of the day, my words will never do the actual sights justice... mind you, my photos could never do them justice either, but it will at least give you a good idea of why we love it so much...
{Vancouver Island - July 2012}
{Ferry to Vancouver Island - July 2012}
{North Vancouver & The Lions Gate Bridge from Stanley Park - March 2012}
{Sea to Sky Highway - April 2012}
The Cost of Living
One thing we have definitely struggled with, is the cost of living. It is much higher out here, from gas and groceries to the price of houses. It's part of the reason that we moved further east from Vancouver than we already were. For example, Gas is about $0.10/L cheaper in our new area than it was even in the last place we lived... which is still probably about $0.10 - $0.20 more expensive than it is in the GTA. Craziness I tell you. At the same time, though it may be more expensive, to us the outdoor lifestyle and quality of life we have out here is much more enjoyable, so we are finding ways to make it work! In this area though, the Toronto area definitely wins for cost of living!
Family & Friends
I'm sure it's quite obvious that we both miss our family and friends in both Toronto and Boston. Despite meeting some really great people out here, it's been quite an adjustment for both of us being so far away from everyone we love so much. Up to this point, we have been lucky to make trips back fairly regularly, as well as have family and friends out to visit, which has made it a lot easier, but we know it won't always continue at this rate. At some point, something will have to give and we won't be able to afford as many trips back, and we won't have everyone rushing out here to visit us all the time either. So while we have made some really great friends and memories, Toronto and Boston will always hold our hearts.
{Visiting B's hometown in October 2012}
Overall, we really love our lives on the West Coast and most days I am convinced I was meant to live out here. Of course, I miss my family and oldest friends so much, but I think this whole experience has brought our family closer.
I once read that living in a new place with the person you love can help to keep your relationship fresh and exciting, as you see the person in a new environment and new situations and challenges. I totally understand that, and if you look at a situation like ours as an opportunity, it really can draw people closer together. We've worked together as a team to make sure all three of us are happy out here and to find the right balance and lifestyle that works for us.
Will B.C be our forever home, or will we move back East at some point? It's hard to say today, I mean, a year and a half ago we never would've imagined we'd even be living here at all. Things change and different opportunities arise, but for our family, right now, I feel like we have found our little slice of heaven. I feel like we have really found a place that we can make a great home for us, right now.
