Lapin.
First of all, Happy Lunar New Year (can’t say CNY now, you might get canceled)! 🐰 So… I guess it’s time for my annual recap. Ok, truth be told - I’ve been lazy, but a lot happened in 2022.
The milestones I set for myself were accomplished, and I am in a happy place now (literally and metaphorically). I successfully graduated from my post-grad studies at UWinnipeg, and I also passed the PMP exams. For those who have been actively stalking me, you’d also know that I relocated from Winnipeg to Vancouver for work - yes, I’m earning real Canadian dollars now. Oh, one other thing - I got hitched. It was a very intimate affair in Errington, on Vancouver Island. I don’t really feel much different with the new relationship status, maybe because we’re still operating long-distance, which may not necessarily be a bad thing. Absence, perceived by many as a foe, is often misunderstood.
Back to my being in a (literal) happy place - obviously Vancouver’s climate is much more palatable than Winterpeg. Don’t get me wrong, housing (aka rent) is much cheaper in the prairies (+ Alberta), but apart from that, living expenses really aren’t that much different. A bowl of pho is ~C$15 + tax + tips in either city. A one-way transit fare is C$3 in either city. One of the many pros is the proximity to nature - I’ve yet to have a proper taste of what the province has to offer, but baby steps. Meanwhile, I’m enjoying the proximity to the mall and the sky train from where I live in Burnaby, which is a mere stone’s throw away from Vancouver downtown.
It’s been more than a year (516 days to be exact) since I first arrived here as a temporary resident, and I must say, I feel much healthier mentally and physically. Yes, living alone in a big city can be tough, but I picked up many good habits along the way (ones that I would’ve not if I were still living in Singapore). I bake on a weekly basis now, my most recent item being pineapple tarts, just in time for Lunar New Year. Also, the quality of my sleep has improved tremendously, with the aid of a humidifier, no less. I know this sounds very “look how great I’m doing now”, but I’m really thankful I made the decision to start a new chapter here, in Canada. Maybe next year I’ll feel different, I don’t know. But that’s what keeps it interesting, venturing into the unknown!
That said, it does not mean I don’t plan or keep things organized. I’m still very much me. So far, things are happening according to plan, like how I recently got my post-graduate work permit and got invited to apply for the provincial nomination program. 2023 seems promising, and I am looking forward to the good, bad, and ugly this year brings.
x
