We moved to Vancouver, BC!

Welcome back to my apologetically inconsistent blogging and another post! I intended to write this one a little over two weeks ago but that thing called ‘life’ got majorly in the way and sitting down to write was unfortunately low down on the list of priorities as I attempted to set up shop in Canada. With that said, lets get in to it!

So as you can tell from the title, I am currently sitting in a house that looks like something out of Grimm’s fairytales in the beach town of Kitsilano in Vancouver. This Wednesday will mark three weeks since my boyfriend Benji and I left Ireland to start our post grad adventure and I honestly can’t believe how quickly time is passing. Since our arrival the city has lived up to its unfortunate nickname, “Raincouver” but we’re not letting that dampen our spirits and its hard to complain when we nabbed a week of glorious sunshine when we first landed.

The decision to apply for the International Experience Canada visa and book flights to Vancouver was slightly spontaneous. Thought up over a plate of spaghetti in good old Gillingham (my university town in the UK, for those of you who aren’t familiar with it) during a reoccurring talk which usually revolved all the places we’d rather be than the back end of Kent, a change of city seemed like an ideal option. A fairly straight forward process, visa applications were sent away in May and by June we had flights booked and were both grinding away in restaurants in our respective ends of the country, saving every penny in prep for the move.

August 29th came around and off to the airport it was. After a little mishap with passports at the check in desk (the curse of having dual nationality – remembering which passport your visa application was processed on), an incredibly tight layover and 14 hours of travel later the plane doors opened and Canada was calling out to us. I must admit the jet lag was so real on the first day here that I barely remember any of it but lets just assume I was feeling fab and hopeful!

The first week was spent mainly getting bearings, discovering what the city has to offer, sleeping off jet lag and taking a moment to appreciate the situation I had landed myself in. Now I would be lying if I said that Vancouver was love at first sight. I’m a big city kinda gal through and through and while, yes Vancouver is a city and yes, it is beautiful it initially lacked that adrenaline inducing big city buzz that, in my youthful age of 21, I crave in bucket loads. So while I liked it here and could appreciate it was a cool place, besotted I was not. However, you’re growing on me Van city and the more I discover, the more I’m finding the areas to slot myself into. 

Week two came around before week one even began to process in my brain and the dreaded job search had to begin. Our plan for this trip is to work in Vancouver and then ultimately head State side and bus down the west coast ending in a detour to Virginia to visit Benji’s family. So, the work smarts went on and we took to the streets CV’s coming out of every angle, to find a job. I eventually interviewed for an opening as a server at UBC (the university here) golf course and just finished my fourth shift there this afternoon. As well as this position, I will be volunteering at Vancouver fashion week next weekend which is extremely exciting and a major contribution to my change of heart on the city!

Now, I am taking it day by day, adjusting and adapting at my own pace and a familiar routine is beginning to form which is comforting. Vancouver is a change for me in a way I never expected it to be but hey, that’s the fun of it right? This adventure has only just begun and many more travel/life update posts are coming your way! (in a consistent stream, I promise – for the 10,000 time!)