They say the first year as a newcomer is the hardest. You have to build your life from scratch. Except for your own identity you really have nothing. You need to open a bank account, get a new driver's license, find a house, car, get health insurance etc. So many things that you're used to having in your life almost by default, now need to be re-gained.
It's like pressing this gigantic "Reset" button on your life and starting from zero.
So what did I learn during my first year in Toronto?
I'm a tourist here and will be for a long time. Everything is new, EVERYTHING. Toronto is huge, not to mention Canada, and there is so much to learn and see.
Being nice is easier then being grumpy. Living under so much pressure in Israel (and I'll write more about this later) kind of makes you grumpy. But apparently there's an easier way, and it works! It does involve a lot of apologizing, and I'm still shocked whenever the teller at the bank whom I've never met is asking what my plans for the weekend are (really?), but it makes life easier, and it's free!
Bureaucracy sucks, but it can suck less. Paying taxes, getting a mortgage or just booking a doctors appointment. These are things that back in Israel I used to take a day off in order to handle. Apparently you can do it during the day! or during the weekend! or over the internet! The wheels of bureaucracy might grind slow in Israel, but they grind faster in Toronto.
Your body gets used to the cold. I mean, my bum still freezes, don't get me wrong, but -5 degrees feels warmer now, and if the temperatures are above zero I don't even wear my winter coat! Did I mention I'm a summer girl?
I'm an immigrant and it can be scary at times. But Toronto stands strong as one of the most inviting Canadian cities for immigrants, and it shows. I can't remember a single time I felt different.
My English is not as good as I thought it was. I improve every day but will never be able to properly pronounce words like Entrepreneurship, Pneumonia or Queens Quay. And then there's also the Israeli accent... but hey, I can say Mississauga!
I'm a strong person. I'm facing all of life's challenges millions miles away from my closest family and friends, and I'm killin' it.
I'm funny in English too. I'm known for having a good sense of humour, but was really worried that it will get lost in translation. Apparently it didn't. Or is it just you making fun of my English?
You can make new friends at any age. Tons of them. And some of them become your new family.
I have the right partner. Immigrating can take a toll on your relationship. Some say it either builds it or breaks it. Mine continues to get build, but its strongest foundations were established during my first year here.
The reality is that life is so busy during the first year, that the hardest year is actually the second. And everything that comes after.
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