don’t pull a “kay”
One of the things that is constantly kicking around in the back of my mind is “what happens if I move to Ottawa and I hate it?” I’ve heard from several people that Ottawa is dull and not even half as interesting as Toronto is. That there’s less to to do and nobody really goes out anywhere.
These are small things that don’t really bother me, but what about the whole ‘vibe’ and feeling one gets from moving somewhere new – and having their whole world crash down around them, both mentally and emotionally?
A former friend of mine named “Kay” moved to Toronto last summer. It was something she had been wanting to do for years. Like me, she figured Toronto was the center of the universe and would be the perfect solution to all her problems. She works (or ‘worked’, I’m not sure of her current status) in the media business – something else I know a lot of about. She figured the move to Toronto would further her career and she could end up working for a station she always wanted to work for.
Within a week of her move, she regretted it. She found out pretty damn quick that she was a very little fish in a very big pond. Her hours at work were cut, she was getting no respect at the station and her assignments were lackluster at best.
She put on a brave face to her friends and acted as if the move was the best thing she had ever done, but in our last few conversations together, I could tell she regretted the move. She played it off as if she was just unhappy with the station and was making plans to go work somewhere else, but we both knew how hard it is to work in the media in Toronto. In fact, one friend of mine laid it on the line “You either work [in the media] or you don’t.”
Kay uprooted her whole life (thankfully for she’s single and doesn’t have any kids), gave up a decent job in her old town and landed in a city that didn’t look at her twice.
The bottom line being… Kay screwed up. Big time.
The problem was she expected too much from Toronto and maybe in time, like myself, she’ll come to accept her situation and do something good. But last I heard, she was living in the past and regretting what she did.
What if that happens to me? I don’t want to find myself in the same boat: living a lie.
She put all her eggs in one basket and rolled the dice. Problem was she didn’t like what she got in the end.
So what do I do if I end up hating Ottawa? Well, unlike Kay, I’ve given this move a lot of thought. Ottawa isn’t as big as Toronto, so I’m hoping there will be more of a ‘community’ feeling to the city than the cold and forbidding T-Dot. That’s not to say there won’t be days that I sit down and ask myself “what the hell did I do?”
I think the best thing for myself right now is to not have any expectations. I know that when I do finally move, work-wise I’ll be doing pretty much the same thing that I’m doing here. The stress of mortgage payments, taxes and house maintinace will be something else that will keep me up at night.
Everything posted on this blog is my personal opinion and does not necessarily represent the views of my employer or its clients. © 2008-2009 All material Capital City Chris
Ottawa can be a rough city at first. It took me two years to really find community here. Which isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy living here – the green space will knock your socks off, par example – but I didn’t feel at home. Then again, I’m pretty introverted.
But once you get into the swing of things here, you’ll meet solid and kind people, and you’ll have to build an extra half hour into grocery shopping for chats.
Megan
May 28, 2008 at 8:02 am
Oh, I just read your FAQ, and I have to strongly encourage you not to move to Orleans. There are houses downtown. I know people who have bought them. Though yeah, doing it on your own might be virtually impossible if you don’t want roommates. But Orleans?
If you’re looking for community and fun things to do, it will be much much harder to find them in Orleans than in Centretown. It worries me that you’ll move here and hate it and be all “Ottawa is boring, Ottawa doesn’t have anything fun to do, Ottawa is ugly, you can’t meet people here” when it’s not Ottawa, but the suburbs that are the culprit.
Megan
May 28, 2008 at 8:09 am
well. i have been to toronto and i hate the people there (no offense
) people are just alot friendlier here.
i am that person that walks around smiling at people. i say hello when i walk by someone in the street. doing that in Toronto i would be labeled the crazy cat lady or something LOL.
i have been here all my life and i would never leave. there is always something to do, somewhere to explore. whether it be going to the RCMP stables to check out the horses or zooming up tot he gatineaus and enjoying a bottle of wine under a tree with a loved one.
we also live near one of the shadier parts in the east end and like to have adventures there, camera in hand, taking pictures of the crack whores and the other weird things we see and posting them on crackbook.. LOL.. but you know… maybe thats just a local thing
Jobthingy
May 28, 2008 at 9:28 am
Ya, you don’t want to live in Orleans. Like Megan says – go downtown/Centretown/Chinatown/Glebe. Even if you have to rent or get a condo instead of a house. Orleans is the ‘burbs. I’ve lived in Toronto, too and I think there’s enough happening in Ottawa to keep you busy and interested. And for a change, Montreal is just a short hop away. I’ve been here just under a year now and I’ve had times where I thought “what have I done”, but overall it’s a good place
XUP
May 28, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Hey! I’m a transplant to Ottawa too (from Southwestern Ontario) and it did take a little getting used to. I like to say that Ottawa’s the biggest small town you can imagine. Nothing at all like Toronto so just don’t come in expecting the diversity that you see everywhere in TO. We have diversity but it’s just ….. different. Give it a bit.
Whereabouts are you moving to? When?
sky girl
May 28, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Hmmm… so the Orleans thing doesn’t seem like such a good idea I guess. Although I’m also looking for the ‘burbs-type feeling and I was hoping that Orleans had that. I guess I’ll have to do more research.
Chris
May 28, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Ah – do you want burbs or do you want community? Community to me is a diverse collection of owned and rented accommodations blended with indie shops, cafes, pubs – a walkable area where you can meet your neighbours in the local bookshop or pastry shop, where you can do most of your daily errands on foot – Burbs is a uniform collection of houses from which everyone drives every day to the city to work, to the mega mall to shop and to the cineplex for fun. Orleans is fine if that’s what you’re after.
XUP
May 29, 2008 at 10:46 am
Make damn sure about moving to anywhere far away before moving – don’t just up and leave. Check out the place several times!
richard
August 1, 2008 at 1:59 pm