As most of you know by now, I have moved, but what very few of you know is why and how this all happened so fast. Sometimes you choose change, and sometimes it chooses you – which was the case this time around.
I was happily enjoying my time in California when Jo called to inform me that #ThePastelPalace was flooding. The landlord would do nothing, the entire roof of the building was shot, and we had to move. Soon.
I came home from California and hit the ground running – I hired a real estate agent (she was awesome! You can find her here!) and saw as many places as I could in the span of a few days. I applied for a mortgage, but in the end decided to try renting in a newer building before investing in one. Though I’ve always been super resistant to condo living, a long string of housing issues has lead to over 12 moves in the span of 7 years, and this time around I decided to take the leap and try something new.
I ended up landing just that – a brand new condo in one of Toronto’s busiest areas, a unit that no one had ever lived in before in a building that’s still being completed. It couldn’t have been more of a change, but with all the other changes I had taken by the horns so far this year, I jumped in with both feet.
And then, the matter of actually moving…
scroll down to keep reading
I used to be the master of packing and unpacking, and though the latter has stuck, I find myself more and more paralyzed when it comes to packing up. I get anxious about what I’ll need, when I’ll need it, how to prevent my favourite things from breaking… the list of worries goes on and on. With all the massive emotional baggage I was already carrying about leaving a place where so many dreams had been hatched and lost, I simply couldn’t take on any more weight.
For the first time in my life, I hired proper movers. The best movers in the city at that.
Cargo Cabbie has been voted best movers in Toronto for the past 6 years, and after spending a day with them it’s easy to see why. A team of their three best came in on time (actually, ahead of schedule), helped me pack all my belongings properly, and guided me through the quickest and easiest move I’ve ever experienced. They were so caring with my treasures, and even convinced me to try their plastic bins, which I LOVED. These stackable buckets fit a ton, are easier to carry than an awkward box, and they’re totally reusable. Plus when you’re finished unpacking them, Cargo Cabbie comes right on over to scoop them up – mess and waste free! I can not rave enough about this part of the service.
So how do I feel now, after making the big move?
Change is never easy, good or bad, but this particular shift has without a doubt been crucial. It’s the official start to a new chapter, after escaping the city for a few months to get a bit of myself back. Now, I get to cultivate that self – give it a place to grow and thrive and become so much more than it ever was. I’m a stronger version of who I was, a forever altered Alyssa, and this new home is my fortress and mine alone.
I couldn’t be more grateful for where I am, and what lies ahead in this fresh new space.
