Oct 2026

 

It’s crazy how I was dreaming of moving to Vancouver for years, wishing for it, and now I’m living that dream. In the last couple years while I was living in Ottawa, every time the city of Vancouver was mentioned, I would feel this light of excitement glow inside me. I even had a notes app saved on my phone of places to see in Vancouver for that “one day” I’d be living there. I would say I had been contemplating the decision to move since mid-2023, and over time there were signs that really pulled at that desire. The biggest sign was I seemed to meet a lot of people who had either lived in Vancouver or recently moved there. It honestly felt like 10 out of 10 people had nothing but incredible things to say, repeating how it is the best city in the world and how much they love it there. Many of them had lived in cities all over the world before finally settling in Vancouver. Anytime I saw anything on socials related to Van, I would feel happy and inspired. It’s like I had a weird crush for this city. Around early 2025, I knew once and for all that I was going to pull the trigger and go for it.
 

So in August 2025, I began actively planning my move to Vancouver. I was reaching out to contacts and friends who moved out to Van asking them for advice on navigating the job search. The months from August through December were busy with job applications and interviews, followed by packing up life in Ottawa, saying my final goodbyes and making the move out west. 

 

From January through June, my focus shifted to building a new life in Vancouver. It was all about settling in - finding my apartment, furnishing it from scratch, finding my rhythm at work, finding new friends and slowly establishing a routine. 

 

I’ve moved cities before - from Sask to Calgary, Calgary to Ottawa and then Ottawa to Vancouver - but this was by far the hardest move. Firstly, I underestimated how expensive it is to move across the country and completely drained my savings account. As well, unlike the other moves, I didn’t know anyone in Vancouver, and it was the first time I would be living completely on my own. I’ve now lived here for about nine months and I’m pretty proud of what I accomplished in a short amount of time. It hasn’t been easy and it was genuinely so exhausting. The transition was surprisingly quite challenging mentally and emotionally, and I had several therapy sessions with ChatGPT to help me ride this wave of uncertainty and decision fatigue. As someone who had to navigate this move, if you find this blog, I hope I can provide a manifesto to help make a cross-country move a little easier for you. 

 

Ottawa - (T-Minus 2 Years) Jan 2024- July 2025 Making the Most of Ottawa

 

Professional Goals: - Obtain my P.Eng and Finish my Ottawa Project

I spent a solid seven months preparing for my P.Eng applications and studying for the exams. I knew in order to be competitive in Vancouver, I needed to obtain my accreditations.  It was a long process, but the feeling of finally obtaining my P.Eng after a decade of studying and working was indescribable. Setting that personal deadline of moving in ~2025 was my way of putting the pedal to the metal and fully committing to the goal. 

 

I was also highly motivated to finish the LRT project, hoping I would get the chance to see it enter revenue service and open to the public. As a completionist, there's something deeply satisfying about seeing a project through from beginning to end. The thought of sitting on one of the station benches one day, watching people use the new train as part of their daily commute, was incredibly motivating.

 

Personal: Chase the East Coast Bucketlist and Explore Ottawa

I also created a bucket list of what I wanted to see out east while I still lived there. It included restaurants, travels, parks or places I wanted to make sure I checked out before I moved to Vancouver. It’s interesting because once I knew Ottawa was a short-term chapter, I made a conscious decision to make the most of my time there. I became much more intentional about being present and appreciating each season as it came -  really taking in the spring tulips or the fall foliage and exploring Ottawa as much as possible. By the time I left, I genuinely felt I knew Ottawa better than many people who had been born and raised there. 

 

Ottawa - (T-MINUS 1 Year) Aug 2025-Dec 2025) Job Search + Moving 

 

Professional: Apply for a new job

After a solid effort of pursuing my P.Eng, I took some time to chill and relax before I started my job search. I was reaching out to my network through Linkedin, applying for every company that was involved in rail & transit in Vancouver. From the time I started applying for jobs and signing a contract, it was approximately 3 months. Applying for a new job is essentially a second job. It required reaching out to contacts, applying for jobs and running to interviews.. Protip: Use ChatGPT to prepare questions and you can record your voice and it will give you constructive feedback on how you could improve.  

 

Personal: Prep for the Move

As it turns out, you can move across the country in 6 weeks and I think it’s the perfect amount of time. I was on a month-to-month lease so I sent an email to my landlord to end my lease and cancel all my home utilities such as electricity and wifi. Then I started to pack my things or sell my other belongings on Facebook Marketplace. 

 

The hardest part was figuring out whether it made more sense to ship or sell my car. In hindsight, I should have sold my Honda Civic to a dealership because my car was approaching 200,000 km in mileage. I ended up having to complete quite a few unexpected repairs to get it through the safety inspection once I arrived in B.C.

 

Instead, I decided to ship it with Interlane based on a personal referral. It cost around $2,200, including tax, but I was able to pack some of my belongings inside (a nice little bonus). 

 

And of course the last few weeks were spent saying all my goodbyes and revisiting all my favourite places. The last six weeks in Ottawa felt strange because as much as I was ready for the next chapter in my life, it was also incredibly bittersweet to say goodbye to a city that I had come to love so much.

 

Vancouver January 2026-March 2026

 

Professional: Start new job

The transition to the new job was seamless. The move to Vancouver was a lateral move, so I quickly adapted to my new role quickly. With virtually no learning curve, I was able to figure out the new role easily.

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Personal: I found a sublet for a couple months in New Westminster, about a 12 minute commute to work. The girl I was subletting from was incredibly kind and helpful in helping me get settled in.  In the meantime, I did spend the month neighbourhood shopping, checking out different neighbourhoods before settling on Metrotown. I had sticker shock from the rent in Vancouver because it was drastically way more expensive than any other city I’ve lived in. However, I was motivated to just get settled in and pay the price for a “soft landing”.I really do have the most beautiful view from the 39th floor, overlooking the mountains, downtown, Mt. Baker, the ocean, and completely unobstructed views of Metrotown. The sunsets are absolutely stunning. It’s also been such a treat having a spacious walk-in closet, a sauna, and pool facilities. I’ve really enjoyed having a place of my own where I can host dinners or have friends and family visiting from out of town. It was definitely expensive, but it’s been so worthwhile. 

 

Vancouver March 2026 - May 2026

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I also furnished my entire apartment for around $3,500, which meant I had to hustle to find everything, but I’m really happy with how it all came together. I found some great pieces on Facebook Marketplace, and it ended up being a fun way to meet some really nice people and explore different neighbourhoods around Vancouver. I’d often ask people if they had any good recommendations for cafes or restaurants in their area, which helped me discover some new spots. As for internet, I also managed to get a great deal through Novus. 

 

Once I was mostly settled, I took some time to slow down and focus on a few other things. One of my priorities was finding a mechanic who could get my car certified for British Columbia. I ended up visiting shops all over the industrial areas of Burnaby, Surrey, and even Abbotsford before finally finding someone. The repairs were more extensive than I expected, and I ultimately spent close to $5,000 getting everything taken care of, but now that everything is up to date - my car *should* last the next 4-5 years.  

 

Additionally, because I was out in Surrey, I was able to find some good doctors, specialists, massage therapists, physiotherapists out there relatively quickly. I felt I officially became a BC resident when I got my health card, my driver’s licence, and library card all switched over. <3

 

Vancouver June 2026 to Sept 2026

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At the 6 month mark, the logistics were finally figured out and I really focused on just enjoying living in BC. I made a list of all the places I wanted to see out west, roadtrips, hikes, restaurants, beaches and cafes, so I had things to look forward to.

 

I also then put a lot of effort into meeting friends in Vancouver. In fact, Vancouver has been by far the easiest place I’ve lived for making friends. So many people move to Vancouver, and there are lots of people at different stages of life who are genuinely open to meeting new people and building friendships.

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There are so many ways to meet people: workout classes, yoga,  friends of friends, Facebook girl groups, hiking groups, and networking events are some ways I met some really great friends. If you’re into running or cycling, the local run clubs and cycling groups are especially welcoming and make it really easy to meet people organically.

Summer was also an amazing time for lots of hiking and beach days. As well. World Cup this year was absolutely phenomenal and so much fun. I also made a few road trips to Sunshine Coast, Seattle, Whistler, Sask. It’s been an absolutely lovely summer. I’ll always remember how amazing my first summer in British Columbia was. It was absolutely special and I feel absolutely fulfilled with friends, career, and beautiful scenery. I’ve been so lucky and so grateful. 

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Vancouver Oct - December 2026

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I’m writing this in October as I reflect on the past couple of years and everything it took to get here. I’m incredibly grateful that I trusted my intuition and took the leap of faith to move to Vancouver. At the same time, I’m glad I didn’t rush the decision. I took the time I needed until it was the right time to make the move.

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Before leaving the East Coast, I was able to check off all the ‘A’ items off my East Coast bucket list, earn my P.Eng., finish my project, experience the full seasons one last time, and spend meaningful time with the people I loved so much. I gave myself the opportunity to fully appreciate that chapter of my life before turning the page.

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And now, I’m here. I’ve settled into Vancouver, continuing to build my new life, and am looking forward to everything that comes next.

I don’t know exactly what the next chapter will bring, but I trust that it will unfold the way it’s meant to.

 

• Aug-Oct: 

  • Job applications and interviews for work in Vancouver.

    • Reaching out to network applications through Linkedin 

    • Make a list of all the companies who are in your industry online and apply to any available openings. 

• Nov: 

  • End your lease

  • Cancel all your utilities (wifi, electricity) 

  • Sell or pack belongings

    • Sell your stuff on Facebook Marketplace!

  • Sell or ship car:  

    • Decide whether to sell or ship your car 

    • Get a dealership appraisal first. If shipping, compare services like Interlane (my cost was ~$2.2K tax-in). 

• Dec: 

  • Find a sublet

    • There are facebook groups or marketplace to find a good fit. Quick video call absolutely helps! 

  • See all your friends and go to your favorite restaurants over and over again,

 

Personal Goals: 

 

Jan 

• Move to Vancouver to short-term lease (2-4 months)

• Neighbourhood shopping 

 

Feb

• Find an apartment 

 

Mar

• Furnish the apartment

• Get internet - Novus

 

April

• Meeting new friends!!

 

May

• Get car certified and do all these repairs - Autopoint

• Change licences and get health card

• Find doctors/massage therapists/physio

• Change all addresses, banks, CRA, etc.

 

June 

• Meet more friends

• Enjoy BC