#Stories How Shared Living Helped Me Experience Toronto
#Stories from those who have lived in a RoomForTea. They share relevant insights into the experience of moving to a new city, living with new people, and finding your groove.
People are moving to cities at a faster rate than ever. For people moving somewhere new by themselves, it can often be a scary and lonely experience. But there is a way of making the experience of moving to a new city less isolating, and rather welcoming, interactive, and a chance to really get the local experience.
I know, because I’ve recently experienced just that since moving to Toronto six months ago.
So, how did I end up here?
Ready for a Change
Prior to coming to Toronto, I spent the last 29 years of my life living in Calgary.
I found myself lacking inspiration, and at a stage where I was looking to branch out professionally and try living somewhere different. It’s no secret that Toronto is a cool city and it’s a place I have always been interested in exploring more of, but the thought of picking up and moving somewhere I didn’t know anyone seemed like a daunting task. But, when the opportunity to move to Toronto and work for RoomForTea presented itself, I decided to go for it!
Having spent very little time in Toronto, I had no sense what it was really about — but I was excited (and a little nervous) to find out!
Shared Living
I came to Toronto not knowing anyone and without any real plan of how I was going to meet people.
For my situation, shared living — renting a furnished room in a home (with people I had never met before) — was perfect, as it was almost like creating fast-tracked friendships.
It provided me a way to authentically connect with people (specifically locals) right off the bat, inserting me into an established social group. Being in this social living environment provided me with feelings of cohesiveness, comfort, and security, and gave me the momentum I needed to get myself settled in a new place. It also allowed me to totally dodge the dreaded bullet that so often comes along with moving to a new place — loneliness.
Both on my own and with the people I was getting to know, I began exploring the city.
Discovering a New City, Creating Local Connections
Toronto is Canada’s “city that never sleeps”. There is a lot of creative energy here, and it’s rich with culture and adventure of all kinds — for socializing or relaxing, work or leisure.
It’s cool to explore and pick up on the different personalities of the city through the unique and vibrant collections of restaurants and bars, live music, museums, galleries, and more.
Toronto has gained some notoriety for being an expensive city to live, especially when it comes to renting or buying a house. But because it’s packed with all kinds of people and an endless roster of things to do, with a little creativity it’s a place where you can live big or small and still have a great time. This city has got it all, and many of the options are delightfully free. I love being able to stumble upon different festivities like the outdoor art exhibits spread across the city for Nuit Blanche, or live music in Kensington Market on a Pedestrian Sunday. Even something as simple as heading down to the shore of Lake Ontario for a day at the beach can make for a great way to spend the day.
One of my favourite aspects so far is all the great music I’ve gotten to experience. From rocking out at the Cameron House, to acoustic performances in small bars like the Inter Steer and the Burdock, intimate backyard concerts in Roncesvalles, and plenty of surprise/impromptu jam sessions, I’ve witnessed some fantastic performances during my time here. I’m lucky that the family I am living with are well-connected to the local music scene and have introduced me to some amazing talent.
Working at a co-working space in Toronto’s economic hub, known as the Financial District, is an inspiring and motivating place to be. Surrounded by passionate people who are generating new businesses ideas, the area is filled with entrepreneurial energy on the forefront of a lot of exciting innovation that often times has less to do about making money and more to do with building a fulfilling career and implementing new and exciting things into the market. And after the workday is done, the area buzzes with “work hard, play harder” vibes, with packed bars and restaurants every night of the week.
When it comes to a truly unique local experience, my stint at the Toronto Christmas Market takes the cake! Through my host family, I was able to get a part-time job at a booth selling Russian and Ukrainian Matryoshka (nesting) dolls. This offered me a chance to spend time in the historic Distillery District, full of amazing art, food, and shopping options, as well as meet and interact with locals and immerse myself in the community.
Looking back on the experience, I think it’s pretty cool that I was able to do this and I can say with certainty that I could not have got this job without the connection I had through my host.
Thats what’s so cool about shared living — going into something with no idea what to expect and coming across unique and exciting opportunities! Over the course of my time in Toronto I have experienced countless more authentic experiences. Be it day trips out of the city, nights out on the town, or backyard pool parties, living with locals has provided me with the opportunity to experience so much the city has to offer that I otherwise would have had no idea about, and meet people I otherwise never would have met.
What started out as being my “home away from home” now truly feels like home to me.
Although I consider myself very lucky to have met the people I did along the way, my story is rooted in the fact that Toronto is a city full of friendly, outgoing, creative people who, more likely than not, are happy to welcome you in and show you around. That has been my experience, anyway!
