Wayback Machine – Part 2

Continuing on from Wayback Machine – Part 1, Backgrounder: Ready for a change (Part 1), the following outlines additional details as to how and why we ended up moving to Windsor, Ontario almost a year ago.

Backgrounder: Ready for a change (Part 2)

Originally posted November 14, 2010

In addition to living in the same city for nearly 30 years, I’ve had continuity and familiarity in another very significant area of my life – my job.

I’ve been working for the same employer since 1996 – more than 14 years! My job has evolved somewhat as I’ve taken on increasing responsibilities throughout the years, but I’ve now reached the point where there’s really no more room to move.

On paper, I’m very fortunate and generally satisfied with my job: I enjoy what I do, I like my co-workers, and I appreciate my pay. But a nagging feeling of boredom and restlessness has been building over the past few years, and it’s getting to the point where it’s becoming difficult to ignore.

Strangely enough, where we live has played a significant part in accelerating those feelings of dissatisfaction. A few years ago my husband and I sold our tiny downtown Victoria condo and bought a duplex-style townhouse. We were excited to be going from a cramped 500 square feet to a far more spacious home of around 1,200 square feet, even though the only way we were able to make it happen was to move to a location well outside the city.

For me, living here means a daily commute on public transit that takes anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour and a half (each way), depending on the traffic… a far cry from my previous 15-minute walk to the office! In some ways I don’t mind the commute (though I most definitely would if I was the driver!), as even when we’re sitting in traffic, I have the time and opportunity to listen to music, watch movies or podcasts, or play games on my iPod; to read a book; or just think and ponder life. But in other ways, living this way is wearying. I start the day at 6:00 a.m., and after a full work day and around 2 hours in transit, by the time dinner is done and evening rolls around I’m pretty much done.

A better person than I might not let this schedule get to them. I’m sure that for those in larger cities, this kind of thing is the norm! But for me, the commute that steals hours from the week, coupled with the restlessness of needing a change in my day-to-day work routine, is fast becoming too much.

Something needs to give.

(To be continued…)