I’ve been a bit silent about our planned moves on this space, mostly because I’ve been in the midst of wrapping my own head around it. It feels like the ground beneath our feet is shifting but, surprisingly, I feel unafraid.

I am typing this post from Toronto. We arrived on Friday after a perfect travel day with Madeleine. I was even able to watch an entire movie (Date Night — awesome) while she slept in my arms on the plane. We’re here for ten days for Michael’s work and to explore neighbourhoods. It’s become increasingly clear that Michael needs to be here for work as he is the sole member of his work team in Vancouver. His role has given him a lot of flexibility, even allowing him to work from home the majority of the time and this has been a huge blessing, but the time has come to make the shift east as things transition within his company.

I have lived in Vancouver all my life, save for three months in Queenstown, New Zealand in 1998 and in Toronto three months last year. The West Coast is my home. It pains me to leave. The ocean is my lifeblood. I adore the green, the mountains, rainforest, the islands. I relish being close to my parents, most of my siblings and my grandparents. I love Main Street, Gastown, Granville Island and Commercial. I adore the girls at our neighbourhood coffee shop who greet Madeleine and I with shrieks and giggles and discounted coffee every morning. I love play dates with my mom friends: Wendy and Claire, my Mother’s Unfolding gals. I love Jenn, Megan, Marisa, Avital, Steph, Hoda, Mathew… and all of my dear friends in my beautiful hometown. Yet change calls and I know in my heart it’s the right thing. 

Being here has given me even more hope. We explored Queen West, hippy-dippy Harbord and the Ossington neighbourhoods yesterday. We enjoyed brunch with Amanda and Dean at a lovely french bistro near St. Lawrence Market this afternoon. Afterwards Madeleine and I rummaged through the outdoor market befriending sunny Toronto smiles. It’s a lovely city. There’s much in store for us here.

Linux Caffe, Harbord Street, Toronto

But I know moving downtown will be a huge transition, not as difficult as leaving our family and friends, but nearly. So, though our condo went on the market over a week ago, we’re not moving to Toronto until next spring. After spending three months here last year, I refuse to make the move at the peak of ice-winter. I want to move to the city when the buds are brimming. So to pass the time we’re going to live on Bowen Island from October to March, after our house sells.   

It’s Michael’s gift to me. Before moving our family to the downtown bustle of Canada’s largest city I am desperate for a quiet retreat — a small season for us to nest as a family in a remote, wooded retreat.

Bowen Island

The house we’ll be renting on Bowen is more than I could have hoped for. It has four bedrooms plus den, a huge open concept main floor, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, an upstairs bathroom complete with a jacuzzi and skylight, and an unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean. Good friends of ours live just down the drive and kayaks beckon for a morning turn on the shore below. 

I can hardly wait to begin the next leg of our adventure…

Rad people. Like Paul (below) and Annie.

Photo taken Sunday at a pub in the Distillery District, another Toronto favourite

We will miss them like crazy.

Cora’s 

Michael and I are breakfast people. We first discovered Cora’s on a trip to Montreal, then indulged her whopping portions again and again on our honeymoon — throughout the Maritimes and Quebec. Today we are making our last pilgrimage, with the Globe and Mail in hand. It’s a Saturday morning tradition.

Beautiful, personable bookstores.

Particularly the independent booksellers Nicholas Hoare and Ben McNally, both conveniently close to our 1 King digs. The staff are courteous, immensely knowledgeable and their towering wooden shelves beg you back for more.

I leave Toronto one week today. I can’t believe how fast it’s flown by. Just three months ago I was curled up in our condo cursing the cold and nursing my 24-hour ‘morning’ sickness. Today I am staring out at the sun-kissed waters of Lake Ontario filled with regret. I will miss this city and all its eccentricities — the buskers of St. Lawrence Market, Kensington’s nooks and crannies, Little India on Queen Street — where you’ll find us 3 out of 7 nights a week. I hope to share a few more ‘Signs of Hope’ from Toronto before we hop our plane next Wednesday. 

Priority number one, upon my return to Vancouver (April 18, after our trip across the pond) is hitting up Raw Canvas: a full-service paint-on-canvas art studio complete with wifi, lounge and fresh crema. 

I’m making plans and taking names. Who’s in?

:: Toronto’s proximity to New York ::

Oh yes! This morning Megan and I will jump into her hot red jeep and speed off into the sunset (rush hour, actually) for four days of Big Apple lovin’! Since our Calgary road-tripping days we have dreamed of visiting NYC together. This is trip number seven for me.

Thanks to Amanda’s recommendation we’ll be staying at The Pod, on Friday I’ll be attending the International Arts Movement Encounter and we’ll be hopping the boat to visit the pretty lady above. So excited!

Promise to post updates along the way…

:: St. Lawrence Market & Old Toronto, especially the Flea Market and hotdogs on Sundays ::

Oh, and sunny days of course. ;)

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mood: mellow

listening to: my husband playing assassin’s creed

reading: the weekend globe

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Taking a page from Comment and this young lady I’ve decided to start my own “signs of hope” series. They’ll be regular posts on lovely things I’ve discovered in The Big Smoke.

If you’ve got a recommendation for a new corner to explore please send them my way.

Humbly, Christina

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mood: optimistic

listening to: keane

reading: life after god by douglas coupland

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My stream-of-consciousness on a Wednesday night train ride home, 4:45-5:45 en route to Union Station

• What’s it like to live with your backyard on a train route? I would’ve loved that as a kid.
• What’s it like to live right by river’s edge, like all those houses?
• I wonder when rowing season starts up in the GTA? There’s no rest for the weary in Vancouver but here the river’s frozen. Hmmm…
• I see a sign for “Harold Shunn & Son Butchers.” I wonder how it felt for Harold to add “& son” to his sign.
• I wonder if there’s a sign anywhere that says “& daughters”
• A train just passed up is on the left, even though we’re going really fast.
• I feel like I’ve had this journal forever.
• I see a pale yellow trailer that says “Hawks on the Move.” Random.
• What’s that smell? Burning? Brakes, maybe.
• I wonder if Clarkson Station is named after Adrienne Clarkson?
• I’m excited for mine and Meg’s trip to New York at the end of this month. Must start planning.
• The snow makes everything look different and lovely. Even old abandoned houses look beautiful with their snow-dusted roofs and icicle edging.
• I’ve never liked football.
• Moving away for three and a half months couldn’t have come at a better time.
• I love trains.
• I wish rail travel were more affordable.
• I should get tickets to see George soon.
• Mimico is a weird name.
• I want to eat Mexican tonight.
• Graffiti is beautiful.
• There’s Christie’s! That’s where they must make the cookies!
• From faraway downtown Toronto and the lake look beautiful.
• I should really go for a walk by the lake soon.
• It’s really a shame that TO’s waterfront isn’t more developed.
• There’s a Medieval Times!!!
• I’m sleepy.
• I wonder how much the train announcer girl makes.

The view from our 32nd floor condo 

I have been (lovingly) harassed to post an update from Coldsville, Ontario.

To begin I have only seven words: I. Am. Not. A. Creature. Of. Cold.

It’s official. I prefer rain over snow. Walkable seawalls over highrises. Outdoor boutiques over underground labyrinths. But here we are. In Toronto.

It’s been two weeks since I arrived and it’s taken that long to adjust, more or less, to my new surroundings. Luckily it snowed over the weekend so it was warm enough to go outside. Read that sentence again. It is wrong. But as Michael reminds me, every other part of the country other than Vancouver is ‘truly Canadian.’ Hogwash I say. Vancouver is truly Canadian and every Canuck in their right mind should move there. Immediately.

But here I am. In Toronto. The bad Good. (I am learning.)  

Michael is really enjoying his work which is making it worth it. Also, Matthew Cowper came to visit this weekend which was solid. He was staying with a religious order downtown. We ate at the New Yorker Deli (the only down-to-earth and affordable digs I’ve located so far) and he pointed us at Paper Things, a lovely stationary shop in Yorkville.

We eat out a lot. I can’t stand cooking on a hot plate. Don’t ask me why. I’m eating a lot of white cheddar, gala apples and Raincoast Crisps. And I watch a lot of CBC Newsworld, What Not to Wear and Jon & Kate Plus 8. A LOT.

I’m going to go google: “cool, free, warm things to do in the centre of the world.” If you know some, I welcome your suggestions.

Chilly in Central Canada, 

Christina