It’s been just over a month since we touched down in Vancouver, BC. I’m sitting in my armchair, sipping a cup of tea from Fortnum and Mason that I packed, and typing on my laptop table, while Grimoire the cat dozes in the next room, and my boyfriend is deep in a game online with his best friend. It’s a cozy scene, and I feel really happy.

It’s November already, and while I had big plans about posting all through October about the move and settling in, I’ve found that I’ve been railroaded by the feeling of just wanting to be present and enjoy the changes and new experiences as they come. There have been moments when I could have whipped out my laptop and typed, but I wanted to breathe in the new place that I was in and soak in the moment.

This move has been a lot of change, but most of all, it’s been a huge relief. Most of the things I love about London were out weighed by the things I didn’t like, and it’s hard to put into words how much I feel like a weight has been lifted off me since we got here.

I want to share our new flat with you, because I love it so much. But I will do that in another post, because we have rented our flat unfurnished, and are buying items for it one at a time, and I want to share that journey with you. But I do want to share a little about this city and what I love about it so far.

People tell me that Vancouver is expensive, but honestly, London is waaaay pricier. Here we can afford a place that has a den that I can turn into an office to work in. Everything is a lot cheaper, including food and clothes and transport, which means that I’ve bought a lot of new clothes already and we can afford to go to the cinema or eat out when we want to. Vancouver is about 30% cheaper, statistically, but in real terms, that’s a massive difference.

Stanley Park, which is one of my new favourite places, is just a quick walk from our place. So are two beaches, and in a short drive you can hike in the mountains or head to Whistler to ski. I think being surrounded by the city and nature is really soothing and peaceful.

I love Canadians, they’re really sweet and helpful. It’s been a real adjustment after London, where you have to be careful if a stranger talks to you. Here, everyone does, but they don’t try to follow you home afterwards. The accent is also really beautiful.

Vancouver Library had the most amazing book sale. The queue for it on the first day was all the way out the doors of the building, but inside they had loads of new books and some ex-library for $1 or $2. It was insane. I bought about 20 books, and didn’t even mind lugging them home in a big box. There were so many great deals and I picked up some reads if been keeping my eye on on Amazon for a steal.

The colours here are also really vibrant. I have so many pictures of leaves and trees because I can’t get over how beautiful they are. There are so many squirrels here, and I’ve also spotted a beautiful heron and my first ever skunk, which I found incredibly exciting, but I made sure not to get too close! My boyfriend has also seen a raccoon on his early walk to work, but I am yet to see one. We also didn’t see the beavers in Beaver Lake, but it was a beautiful walk to try and spot them.

There is so much to adapt to in a new country. The currency is still tricking me sometimes, and I don’t have a phone that works well here yet. But, Starbucks is about half the price, Tim Hortons is amazing, there are so many sushi places within walking distance of my new place, poutine is the best invention ever…

And I’ve been doing loads of shopping. I’m looking forward to sharing more with you all. I’d love to hear from you in the comments. Have you ever moved to a new city? Or are there Canadian things or brands that you love? Let me know.