Far from food trucks I was reared!

 Ah, to have a home! It was glorious, the feeling of relief was immeasurable! Little by little, I started to make my little room cosy and comfortable. The three bedrooms in the house were all different sizes, so the newest person always got the smallest room! But it was still a decent enough size to keep everything I owned! The one slight negative was that it just had one small window up very high, so there was no looking outside while in the room! I could handle that!

My room started to feel like my own!

So, May and June were good months, I was still busy working 2 jobs, sometimes even 3 jobs. I was finally getting the hang of the public transport in the city! My local Skytrain station was under construction when I moved, so it was always a bit higgldy piggldy, but as with most things in Canada, it still ran very smoothly! I was downtown most days which was nice, but I was always quite happy to get back to the nice quiet area I now lived in.

The most fabulous part of where I now lived was what was right outside my door, a big park! It was like a huge back garden! Having lived all my life in the countryside and always having quite a large back garden, this was like a little bit of heaven! It was spacious, it had a lake, it had a beautiful view, what more could I ask for! Well, not only that, but at weekends there was a farmers market held there, with lots of fresh produce and food trucks! I felt like I was living in a movie, far from farmers markets and food trucks I was reared!! I never really bought much there because it was quite expensive....but I enjoyed the idea of walking through it!  

Trout Lake Farmers Market, just for the atmosphere!!!

Trout Lake in John Hendry Park.....my back garden❤

            

Living with Gia was also an absolute pleasure! She really made an effort to drag me out of my shell and get some sort of a social life!! Sometimes it worked, sometimes, she lost her patience with me, but overall, I think we worked well together!! I didn't really have much to do with my other housemate, Lil. She was a very active person and was out a lot. But also, when she was in the house, I tended to avoid her, because I wasn't a huge fan of her! She was dirty, she was noisy, and as she was the person living in the house the longest, she most definitely thought of it as her house, and we were merely guests. I don't think she did this on purpose, I think she was just one of these people that forgot of others existence! But that's neither here nor there!

I do tend to complain a lot here!! It was definitely not all bad! It was becoming quite the opposite actually! If you had asked me two months before this, if I thought I would ever be happy in Vancouver, I would probably have said no, it just seemed like everything would be a struggle for a long time to come! And those two months of hardship seemed never-ending at the time, but now that I think about it, two months is a very, very short time! Things can change very quickly in a short space of time, especially when you have a guardian angel on your side!!

Another chance encounter found me another one of my best friends in Vancouver! One day in May when I had some time off, I booked myself a free walking tour of the city! I love nothing better than a good walking tour, I am amazed it actually took me so long to do one! But clearly, there was a reason I held out so long! Generally, I tend to keep to myself on these tours, hanging back and not really joining in conversations. But this one was different!!

The tour guide on that fateful day!

I was using my usual avoidance techniques, not making eye contact, and trying not to walk right next to someone else....but there was another girl on her own on this tour, and she was doing the opposite, she wanted to make conversation. Ugh, why me!! This is where Jan entered my life! Jan was an English girl who had just moved to the city and didn't know anyone! There seemed to be a lot of us in the same boat here! We chatted during the tour, and at the end she asked I would like to go get lunch with her! 

My heart started pounding, I get so nervous being put on the spot like that! Why....don't ask me, I really wish I wasn't like that! Luckily for me, I had actually booked an appointment to get my legs waxed that afternoon, so I didn't even have to make an excuse, I had a genuine reason! Leg waxing had never seemed so appealing!! But we did exchange numbers and said we would keep in touch! Generally, when I say that, it means the complete opposite. But luckily when Jan said it, she actually meant it! Within the next few days, she contacted me and we arranged to go out for a few drinks and a chat..... one of the most important friendships of my journey was born!! 

I also found Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens that day....an oasis of peace in the middle of the city.

My number one tip for anyone visiting a new city, or even a city you have been to before, is to look for a free walking tour. They are absolutely great ways of figuring out your way around, they give great tips on places to go and places to avoid, and who knows......you might just make yourself a friend along the way!!

Moving Day!

So back to the story. I was in my Airbnb, sitting on the sofa, contemplating my next move. Should I go back to a hostel and just hope for the best? I really didn’t want to, but I hadn’t left myself with many options—especially with my irrational fear of viewing apartments. If I booked into another Airbnb, I’d be broke before summer even started. So, the hostel was starting to look like my only viable option... Until that buzz of my phone.....

It was a message from Gia. One of the girls in her house had found a new place and was moving out at the end of the month. Her question to me: Would I be interested in taking the empty room?

My answer? An overwhelmingly emphatic Hell yes!!

I didn’t know where the house was, what the room looked like, or who else I’d be living with. All I knew was—I’d finally have somewhere to live. I was giddy!!

Gia sent me on the paperwork that needed to be filled in. I have never been so enthusiastic about filling in a form in my life!! It was like this giant weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I sent back the forms and started planning what I needed to get for my new room!! The excitement was high! The next two weeks of living in the Airbnb were quite enjoyable as I didn't spend every moment there looking at housing websites, only to log off without having accomplished anything! 

I went shopping, buying bed sheets and decorations for my new room in anticipation of moving day! I was still working 2 jobs, so I was keeping very busy, but I was also making the most of my lovely Airbnb before moving into my first shared house! 

May 1st came around, moving day! I managed to pack all my stuff into my backpack and maybe 5 plastic bags! It's amazing how quickly you accumulate things! Because it was a Monday, I was working. Luckily, my Airbnb host let me leave my things in the apartment until after work, it would have been quite difficult hauling all my plastic bags into the office with me! 

All my worldly belongings!

That evening, I went back to collect my things and got a taxi to my new home! I didn't trust myself to find my way unassisted, so I gave the driver the directions and off we went!! Gia was home, ready to welcome me! It was so exciting walking in that door for the first time! But the mess.....There were bikes, shoes, clothes—stuff everywhere. The kitchen looked like a bomb had gone off. Gia apologized, explaining that the other housemate could be a little unaware of the fact that she was sharing a space. Apparently, a sink full of dishes wasn’t an unusual sight.

That made me a bit anxious, but honestly? I didn’t care. I had a home.

The mess!!

That first evening, I prepared my room so it was sleepable in until I had more time to make it homey! Myself and Gia had a few drinks to celebrate the move! The other housemate didn't appear that night, she was out, so I would have to wait to meet her! As it was dark when I arrived, I didn't really know exactly where I was, or what the area was like! But I was looking forward to exploring! I went to bed quite early and spent most of the night just lying there smiling, thinking.......I'm home!!

My first night in my new home!

When nothing goes right, go left!

I need to take a step back before I go any further with this story. I left out one place that played a huge part in my first few weeks in Canada......Vancouver Public Library, VPL for short! I failed to mention it once in my previous posts and to be honest, I have no idea how that happened! VPL Central Library became my sanctuary while I was living in the Samesun hostel.

It was quiet, it had free access to the internet and gave me the possibility to print CV after CV for a very low cost. Also, it had a lot of books!! It was the perfect antidote to spending endless hours in my bunk wondering what to do next. When I entered the building, it was like a sense of calm came over me!

However, I struggled getting there. Every day for the first week, when I left the hostel to go to the library, I ended up in the wrong place. Even using Google Maps, I seemed to get lost EVERY SINGLE TIME!! If any of you are familiar with Vancouver, you will know that VPL Central is quite an easy place to find! And from where I was staying, you literally had to follow the street to the big busy junction and turn right, and you would find it. Simple......not for me! I have always been somewhat directionally challenged, but this one really just stumped me for a ridiculous amount of time!!

Eventually, I managed to figure out how to get to the library from the hostel without the help of Google Maps. But then came my next challenge, sometimes I didn't go to the library straight from the hostel. Maybe I went to the shop, maybe I went for something to eat.......once again, I was baffled! The library is on one of the main streets in Vancouver, it's not like it's hidden down some alleyway. It is also quite a striking building, so doesn't exactly blend into the rest of the buildings around. I had no excuse for not being able to find this place, and yet, time after time, it eluded me! I lost a lot of precious library time because of this. 

One of my main issues is I have a tendency to always turn left. It's almost like a supernatural force that pulls me in that direction at all costs. Even if the map is clearly telling me I need to go right, something inside (or outside) convinces me it's wrong, and that I need to go left! This has caused me quite a few problems through the years! So much so, that my parents bought me a fridge magnet to remind me of this impairment!

Once on a visit to Paris, I wanted to go to the Arc de Triumph, which, according to those trusty maps was only a six-minute walk from my hotel. I left my hotel and turned left immediately. After over an hour of walking, I thought, something wasn't right (no pun intended). This was at a time when using Google Maps abroad was extremely expensive, so I was using them very sparingly. I instead messaged my parents, told them where I was, and asked them to look at the map back home in Ireland. 

I had walked most of the way to the outskirts of the city in the completely wrong direction! I had not taken any turns, it was a continuous street, so I turned around and headed back the way I came. As I got closer to my hotel, something large appeared in front of me, the Arc de Triumph, exactly as the map I had checked in my hotel room that morning had told me, a six-minute walk away.....to the right! 

I also tend to avoid public transport in cities, as the same thing happens, and much larger distances can be travelled in a much shorter time on public transport, so who knows where I would end up! Generally, when I visit a new city, I rack up at least 30,000 steps per day, but never really get very far!!! I hope someday, I will figure out how to navigate both cities, and my life!

But back to the library! It is an amazing building, from the first moment I saw it, I was taken by it! And so that was where I spent most of my time (when I wasn't lost, of course!) I guess the moral of this story is, that no matter how lost you get, keep going, you will eventually get there! And occasionally take a right turn along the way, even if every fibre of your being is telling you it's wrong! Also, if you ever go to  Vancouver, I highly recommend a visit to the Central Library!!

A-Listers buying Bananas

The first few weeks in my new job were interesting. I was still living in the hostel, and because I didn't want to eat microwave food every day, I was spending a lot of money in bars and restaurants. When I think back on it now, I don't think I have eaten out as much in my entire life combined, as I did during those first few weeks in Vancouver. And it ain't a cheap place, let me tell you!

Even though things were starting to look up, I still was struggling, and tears flowed from time to time unexpectedly. I remember one day going to a nice restaurant and ordering a steak, something that I do very rarely! As I sat eating my steak, tears started pouring down my face onto the plate, and I ended up not finishing the steak and crying uncontrollably in a corner instead! It was quite embarrassing! Every time I spoke to my parents on the phone, the waterworks started, I still wasn't sure I had made the right decision.

But I went to work every day, and tried my best to look at the positives! Vancouver is an absolutely beautiful place, and I wanted to be there. But I was still terrified to go and view apartments, so it looked like I would be staying in the hostel for a long time yet! However, at the beginning of my third week there, I went to book in for a fourth week, only to be told they had a 3-week stay limit...... uh oh! To this day, I still don't understand that rule!

If my stress levels had started to come down any bit at all, this drove them right back up...what was I supposed to do now?? I could of course move back to the Samesun, but that really, REALLY didn't appeal to me. I started looking at Airbnbs again. So I would pay the same for a week in an Airbnb as I would for a month if I found an apartment, but I just wasn't ready to go to see apartments. Airbnb looked like the only option to me at that stage.

Because I had worked in the factory for a long time and lived at home with my parents, I had some savings, however, taking a detour down under on my way had put quite the dent in them! But I went for it nonetheless!! Obviously, my parents encouraged me and told me they would support me with anything if I needed it, which was always such a comfort.

I booked an Airbnb for 3 weeks, thinking, that during that time I would grow some cajones and go view some apartments and have somewhere to live by the end of the month. I was working in the shop most days while living in the Airbnb, learning as I went. I discovered what a London Fog was.....(Earl Grey tea with steamed milk for the unaccustomed!) I was entertained by the kids who were visiting from America who got so excited when they saw a Kinder egg for the first time! I got star-struck when Hollywood A-listers came in to buy bananas! It was a pretty cool place to work really! 

Not only was I working in the shop at this stage, but the temp agency had finally found some work for me, so I was working Monday to Friday, 9 - 5 in an office, mainly doing data entry and filing, and then most evenings I would go to work in the shop for a few hours along with weekends. So really this didn't leave much time for apartment hunting.....or at least that's what I told myself!

But I never grew those cajones! I was entering my final week in my Airbnb, and I still had not gone to see a single apartment. I had taken numerous pictures of "For Rent" signs on my wanders around the city, but not once did I even contemplate calling any of the numbers on them. I had resigned myself to doing another stint in a hostel and told myself if I didn't get somewhere to live within 2 weeks, it was time to call it, tuck my tail between my legs, and make my way back to Ireland! As I was trying to choose which hostel to book into next, my phone buzzed........

Who was it? Only my guardian angel, back to save the day once again!!!!

Fear, Friendship, and Finding My First Job in Vancouver

So, it turned out, that moving into the Samesun hostel changed my life! During my first two nights there, I regretted all my choices, quitting my job, moving to Canada, and most of all, moving into the Samesun! But once I met Gia, my opinion changed! Even though she was 6 years younger than me, and this was also her first time living away from home, she seemed to be much more in control than me. 

In fairness, she had also been living in this dorm room since she moved to Vancouver from Northern England almost 10 weeks previously, so I guess she had more time to figure things out. When I realised she had been living there for so long, I got scared, I could not live like that for almost 3 months, I would not survive.

So after many attempts, my bank card was finally unlocked and I could afford to buy food again. At this stage, it was mid-March, the snow was beginning to disappear, and we reached St. Patrick's Day. If you are not aware, Vancouver has a huge young Irish community. If you want a home away from home as an Irish person, this is the place to go. But that is not what I was looking for. I didn't really want Irish friends, so for St. Patrick's Day, instead of going to one of the numerous Irish bars, I went with my new friends, Sam, Gia, and another friend of theirs who was living in the hostel, Bess, to get sushi. Being from the countryside in Ireland, this was my first experience of sushi....I liked it, but I didn't really understand it. But the whole experience was just so nice, I had a group of friends! 

Gia had found her job through a temping agency in the city, so she helped me get signed up with them, but unfortunately, they had very little work at that time. But it was a start. Gia had also found a room in a house and was moving out of the hostel the following week. This scared me, she was my lifeline at that moment. I was afraid that when she moved out, we would lose touch and I would be back to figuring things out myself........Luckily, she was a much better friend than I was. 

The day she moved to her new accommodation, I also moved to new accommodation, a different, quieter hostel in a quieter part of town! I had had enough of the party vibe, I needed some tranquillity!! I moved into a dorm with just one Italian girl, who was friendly but also liked her own space which was perfect for me. We got along well, but also kept to ourselves! 

After about 1 week in this hostel, Gia sent me a message saying the husband of a woman she was working with had a shop, and he was looking for a part-time worker. She recommended me and said I needed to go there that week for an interview. My stomach did a flip! I couldn't figure out if I was happy or sad. I desperately needed a job, but also, the thought of starting a job scared the life out of me. As I mentioned before, I had worked in a factory for over 9 years, and I didn't really know how to do anything else. I know what you're thinking, it's just a part-time job in a shop, but at the time, it seemed like the biggest deal! I was half tempted to not go to the interview, because of the fear. I'm not sure which fear was stronger, the fear of failing, or the fear of actually getting a job!!

Turns out I got the job. A nice little newsagent and coffee shop inside a 5-star hotel. Not too shabby at all!! I was still a nervous wreck, every time someone came in, I hoped they just wanted a bar of chocolate or a newspaper, but almost everyone ordered coffee, or wanted cigars from the humidor. I got the hang of things quickly enough I think, and started to settle in. I almost started enjoying it! I finally had a purpose in Vancouver!

The next task was to figure out how to stop living in a hostel, but just as my blog name suggests, I took it poco a poco!!!