Daily Life

When I first drove the 6 hours to Sean's place in Toronto, I had no idea what to expect. So when friends ask how things are going, I realize they have no idea if I live in a downtown highrise or a funky walkable neighborhood. So I thought I'd write this for you, so you can see a little of my daily life.

We live in Don Mills, which was a planned community built in the early 60's. What that means is it's a mix of residential, commercial and industrial buildings, so that it could be somewhat self-contained. Don Mills is in the North York district, which is about 30 minutes from everything. When you come into Don Mills, the first thing you notice is spaciousness. The roads are typically 4 or 5 lanes and there's a lawn in front of most buildings, usually with some respectably-sized trees. This is not a neighborhood where you'd see cute coffeeshops, but we do have a bike trail and a great view.

south view -downtown in distance

One of the main advantages of living here, from my perspective, is how quiet it is. Though we do get a constant hum from the highway, there's no trouble with the neighbors and no street noise or bars to deal with. We have a beautiful, open view of trees to the west and downtown highrises to the south. Also, Sean lives only 1.5 miles from work, which is very lucky for a Torontonian.

 Though I would like to live in a more quaint neighborhood, there are things I appreciate here too. Within a mile or two, we have access to big-box shopping (which, let's face it, we all rely on), and the Botanical Gardens, where there's an organic farm market every Thursday (can't wait to check that out!).

I haven't gotten to the point of craving a regular routine yet. So far, I've delighted in setting up our household (one of my favorite activities, maybe that's why I move so often... ) and spending time with Sean.
Being a housewife seems like one of those things you just inherit, and I definitely did - I have a knack for organizing, cooking, and all that stuff, and it's fun to fully explore that. Yesterday I finally ventured out on my own, and walked to the mall for a pair of pants and some Transit tokens. And today I used some of those tokens going to Kensington Market, where, after buying a slew of bulk spices, I just strolled around for awhile. Sean came down to meet me and we had some amazing food at "Hungary Thai" - where the curry comes with extra paprika. 

While it's hard to leave behind Ohio, where I created my adult life these past 5 years, my mind is bursting with the possibilities that face me in Toronto. When I was younger I used to think that every choice was leading me to something better than the last. Now I know that sometimes you leave something good to discover something just as good. You never really know what you could have had in the place you left behind, the paths left untaken, the people you never got to know. But that makes you appreciate every choice before you as you walk down the undiscovered road.