Hello friends!! You may have heard about my big move recently – I’m officially living in Toronto! 🤯 It has been a wild ride these past few weeks since I moved out East. It’s crazy to believe that I really moved cross-country for a career change! Now that I am a bit more settled in Toronto, I thought it would be a good time to dive in to some discussions about what I like to call, “the big move,” and more about why I chose to make the move in the first place.

Every year I tend to do a reflection on work at around this time, in celebration of my time spent working and to reflect on how things are going, and if I’m where I want to be. For those of you that have been following my journey, you’ll know that I had been working at UBC for the past few years. I’ve recently left my UBC position and have accepted a new position in Toronto, which I just started at the beginning of August! It’s definitely a related position and a logical next step, and I have no doubt it will provide me with many challenges.

Perhaps you’re wondering, why did I leave my previous position? Those who know me well know that I have been tied to UBC for a very long time – first as an undergraduate student, and then as a staff member working there. It may come as a surprise that I decided to leave – I know it was definitely a surprise for me as well and not something I really saw coming!

Since about the beginning of 2022, I had been struggling in my position, particularly with feeling unfulfilled in the role. I had many discussions with my management team and we tried to make as many adjustments as we could to my role to allow for greater fulfillment. Unfortunately, it got to the point where it didn’t feel like enough, so I started applying for other positions in the spring. Initially I was hopeful that I would stay at UBC, but after putting out some applications it became increasingly apparent that I would likely have to leave UBC. It was a big decision and still something I don’t take lightly.

Sending out applications, interviewing, and then the negotiation stage all took some time – more than I had expected. I think in total it was a couple of months where I was really in the thick of the process. It was truthfully quite stressful and I had a lot of anxiety during this time, but in the end, it worked out well because I received and accepted an offer for a new position in Toronto. That reality was simultaneously scary and exciting. I really had to think about if moving to Toronto for this role was what I TRULY wanted.

After a lot of deliberation, I decided that I didn’t want to be the one holding myself back, for reasons that were largely in my head. I decided to go for it and jump in with both feet into this new adventure! It’s still so crazy to believe that I am actually here now in Toronto, living and working, both feet in for this experience. 🤩

I started my new role a few weeks ago and I do feel that I made the right choice. I am SO excited for the adventures that will be coming my way this fall! Hint hint: it will involve some international travel that I’m really looking forward to. 😉

It is always a challenge to take the plunge and jump in to something new, but if it feels right for you, I strongly encourage you to do it. You’ll never know if you don’t try, so take the leap and go all in! Give it your all and see what happens. I have a feeling the outcome may surprise yourself- it could be more incredible than you ever could have imagined. ✨