Getting My Life Back

Our life together has been a course of ups and downs. Last year, we both went on medical leave due to mental health issues- really, it was stress. I couldn’t keep up with my job, and my husband couldn’t find the motivation to get out of bed. Tough was the word that came to mind when I think of 2025. The best thing we did for ourselves was go to Italy and escape the world; it was a busy trip and one of the most expensive trips, but one of the best decisions made.

We both came back expecting things to change. However, they did not change. We needed something bigger- we needed to move, so my husband got a job in British Columbia. The first few weeks felt like a vacation, living with my brother and sister-in-law. I learned quickly that living with five children is very different than living with your spouse and a quiet dog. I also became fast friends with my sister-in-law. It felt unreal to be living in BC. Waking up to fog-covered mountains is a blessing to see such beauty and immediately be filled with such calmness that I had never experienced in my life, other than while I was camping.

It felt like I could breathe again, and now when I drive into the city, I immediately feel the rush and stress of traffic. No wonder why it was so hard to keep inner peace; drivers would be rushing off to work or to another job after their first, the honking of other cars warning others that they were in a bad mood, the sound of sirens filling the streets and causing you to panic, hoping that they were not behind you during rush hour. You would get stressed just from enduring the traffic, which then would spiral into the workplace and cause an uptight environment in the office. Life does not have to be busy, busy and go, go, go.

I never thought I could leave the city where I was born and grew up. I thought I would miss the stores, the shopping, the pubs, restaurants, cafes, and things being open late, but I do not. I do not miss the commutes of twenty minutes to get to work, nor do I miss walking into a Starbucks and barely making eye contact with any of the staff. Now, I stop saying hello, ask how someone's day is going (and actually care about their answer), take part in a conversation, and do not feel the need to end it as soon as possible. I meet people at the dog park and have interesting conversations that carry beyond pet ownership. There is something very special about British Columbia Kootenay region. I carry a different pace of life here, and I love it. I left my well-paying job in healthcare for a job that contributes a small amount to our household. I am back where I belong, doing shifts early morning and evening. I feel like my life came back after being asleep for so long. I've wanted this life for so long and did not even know I needed it. I now want to support local communities and local cafes and shops more than I want to go to Walmart and pay less. Almost every weekend, I spend time outside, whether it's hiking, playing pickleball on the courts or riding a bike. I cannot wait for the summers by the lake, watching the sunset over the calm lake nearby, knowing that I did not waste the day being inside. I cannot wait for the heat to overtake me and have a lazy Sunday afternoon napping in the sun. I feel like I found out where I belong, where I can be myself and not be judged or told not to talk to anyone in the office. I got my life back, and it's never been so good.