Moving to Canada (soon)

Before I begin this post, I want to wholeheartedly thank my very dear friend Jen — it is through her kind words, wisdom, and encouragement that I have embarked on this blogging journey.

I find myself staring at my computer screen thinking of what to write, for I have fallen out of practice of writing and journaling. It is night (10:34 PM) and all is quiet around me, and in this sombre setting, I just thought of the most obvious thing to write about.

I will be moving soon!

Far, far away from the land where I am located currently (India), I will be moving to the cool climes of Canada (specifically, Toronto). Presently, I have a weird rush of nostalgic feelings along with some sadness (as I will be moving away from the fam), and admittedly I am a bit intimidated by the prospect of moving without a job and it is daunting, yet I am hopeful and I positively look forward to how my future unfolds. Thinking about it evokes a strong tempest of a lot of mixed and complex emotions within me. It all feels very bittersweet right now.

To begin with, I am really keen on the environmental changes — I look forward to winters the most. Indian winters are pleasant at best. I have experienced Australian (*Melburnian) winters which aren't very cold by the average European/North American standards (typically 6°C or 46°F in the mornings). The coldest weather I have ever experienced was in Kathmandu, Nepal (3°C or 37°F) in December 2022, and I was quite unprepared, foolishly thinking I could take it on. To make matters worse, the heater in my hotel room was broken and it couldn't be repaired as I checked in late evening, and I had to spend the night and sleep in (multiple) layered garments from head to toe. Fun times!

At this point in my writing, I am smiling because I just thought of Inge, an old friend from The Netherlands, who once described to me the similarities in the weather patterns between Melbourne and Rotterdam — she quite jokingly said that it is "almost always rainy, wet, cold, and people looking like Fall/Winter catalog models walking around in layered clothing". Layers are for players.

I still have distinct memories of the tip of my nose and hands feeling cold from the dry winters living in Melbourne and the mountainous air from Kathmandu, and can recollect that feeling to the point where I can, weirdly, still feel phantom sensations in my extremities — maybe the cells in my body were strongly affected by the cold, HAHA. Strange how the body remembers.

Speaking of layered clothing, I also just thought of a recent conversation I had with Jen (the same friend I mentioned in the beginning of this post), about what I need to get, and she guided and prepped me on lots of things I need to look out for. SO I am definitely going to be adding a lot of winter clothing to my wardrobe. (I never even knew winter boots were a thing.)

I also think getting back to having a social life may be another challenge, as I have pretty much spent the last three years indoors (remote work). I have definitely grown a lot (and continue to grow) in this period — so far, it has taught me a lot of patience, humility, and gentleness.

It feels weird to say, but upon reflection coming out of the time spent locked in during the pandemic, above are some of the traits I have gained, and have begun adopting the following in practice — no rush, no hurry; resilience and fortitude; calmness and composure; being still and equanimous as a rock; and free flowing like a reed floating by the river, embracing the currents of life. Although there still are waves of anxiety and self-doubt that ebb and flow, I feel very fortunate and am filled with gratitude for my wonderful friends who love, support, and believe in me — I thank the universe for letting me meet them. I am now spent on all the emotional traits and analogies I can think of to the point where I feel I will digress if I continue any further. I will thus take it as a sign to end this post right here.

I welcome all forthcoming challenges in the next chapter of my life, and hope to acclimatise in due time to it all.