Three weeks ago I drove away from Brooklyn, NY, my Subaru stuffed with clothes, guitars and camping gear. And one week ago I crossed the border north of Bellingham, WA into British Columbia, Canada.

‘How’ has been more common a question than ‘Why’. The how is: my partner is starting a PhD program in Vancouver. The why is: adventure, mountains, and why not? Oh, and universal healthcare.

In a little more detail, my boyfriend of eight years is starting his PhD and I, his long-time cohabitant, qualify for a visa as his ‘common-law partner’. To do this we had to show one year of cohabitation and evidence of our relationship; I captioned and printed photos from the last eight years: holidays with family, college graduations, and birthdays. Twenty minutes at airport immigration and I had a five-year work permit in hand.

I know that this experience differs greatly to most circumstances; it is an immense privilege it is to live and work in this country relatively easily. But during a time when many Americans have been joking “should we all move to Canada?” I feel like the lucky test subject, dropped into a maze and off to find the cheese. Is life really better here?

First, a little about me — I’m in a period of personal transition which will no doubt flavor my experience here. I am a 29 year old originally from the Bay Area, California. My professional experience is in finance, but I’ve struggled to find fulfillment. I’ve spent 7 years in corporate, dreading each day but too afraid of ‘failure’ to try anything else. I’m a bit of a dreamer, but also a perfectionist.

In New York, I worked as a financial analyst at a very large bank (probably the one you’re thinking.) Long hours and the NYC lifestyle exasperated my feelings and pushed me to seriously consider a change. So, alongside this move to Vancouver, I’m hoping to find my way into something easier on the soul: creative, outside, and with a positive impact. It’s a big wishlist but hey, if you don’t ask, you definitely won’t receive.

To summarize, I am:

• Moving from New York City to Vancouver, BC
• Leaving a high-earning career
• Trying more fulfilling, nontraditional career paths

Its worth noting that having basic healthcare here is a major reason I feel comfortable leaving my career.

All that said, my first week was spent on various administrative tasks: a BC drivers license, BC car insurance and registration, and job hunting. I’ve bopped around between various BC government agencies and have been pleasantly surprised by the helpfulness and patience of their employees. A striking contrast to the dreaded DMV visit. I walked into a driver licensing office without an appointment and had a temporary license in my hand within the hour.

There have been a lot more expenses than I expected since crossing into Canada. As I write this, my relatively new car (2020) is undergoing $2200CAD in repairs in order to register and insure it here. Insurance will be roughly $350CAD/month. And without a job yet I’ll likely be paying November rent from my savings. So I’m feeling the pressure to find employment.

Between chores I am soaking in the beautiful fall weather and sun before the (rumored) grey winter arrives. Though I’m not quite sure I believe it — we’ve had blue skies since I’ve arrived.