Victoria, Here I Come

I am excited to announce my upcoming move to Victoria BC at the end of July (2024). This is the culmination of a vision of the next stage of my life. The decision to move to Victoria is part of my own aging process.

I have lived in four Canadian cities: Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Vancouver. When I moved to Vancouver in 1975, I felt transient and thought I would stay here for a few years. The years passed by, then many decades! My years in Vancouver have come to an end. It is time for a new environment, new places to go and people to meet.

Last summer I started feeling that Victoria would be a wonderful place to live in for the next stage of my life. My daughter encouraged me to sign up to do house-sitting. There are websites that enable you to do this. I did three house-sits last July, September and October. I took care of someone’s house and their cats. This was really enjoyable and also gave me the opportunity to explore Victoria, see the neighbourhoods I might like to live in and also the amenities and resources I could access.

I discovered the wonderful Royal Oak neighbourhood, that has beautiful walking trails surrounding nearby Beaver Lake and Elk Lake. I was drawn back many times to explore the areas and resources that are there.

This has been a journey with many ups and downs. Without going into any details, suffice it to say that there were challenges in the whole real estate journey. I have now sold my Vancouver condo and have bought a condo in the Royal Oak community I really love in Victoria.

Also, I am downsizing. I am moving into a smaller condo. I have been donating a lot of household goods, books, clothes, and lots more. I have never been a pack rat but when I was confronted with getting rid of stuff, I had to make decisions about letting go of things. I have had to ask myself: Do I really this? This has been very freeing. I also feel grateful to pass on things to other people who can use them. 

When I thought about continuing to live in Vancouver for the coming years, I was not inspired. I also feel that if I don’t move at this age, I might not be able to move once I am in my 80s.

I love Victoria. It is much smaller than Vancouver, easy to get around, and has so much to offer: beautiful scenery, lots of the arts, entertainment, and friendly people. I have already discovered the beautiful Saanich Commonwealth Pool where I will be going to water fit classes in the morning. Also I visited a place designated for people 50+ called Goward House. It is a large heritage house in a unique garden setting surrounded by Arbutus and Douglas fir trees in Cadboro Bay. l look forward to attending a variety of social functions and meeting new people there.

I will continue to offer online counselling once I am settled in Victoria. I will have a new landline on August 2. My email and cell phone will remain the same.

The next time you hear from me, I will be sending you news from Victoria!

Warmest wishes,

Brenda