No place like home

I have an “old home” and a “new home” and I realize both mean so much to me now. 

I’m from Vancouver, BC and am now in my third year at Dalhousie. When I decided to cross the country for university, I was pretty much doing it blind. I thought a change from what I’d always known and been comfortable with would be good for me. Well, here in Halifax, I’ve had mixed feelings about being away from BC. I miss my family and friends. I miss my mountains and my running trails, the cross country skiing and the hiking.  I miss what has always been so good for me. But, as is so often the case, I  realized I missed these things when I left them behind. As Joni Mitchell sang, “You don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone.”

Since moving to Halifax, and being at King’s and Dal, I have lived a very “University town life.” I love this—I love the students and the liveliness of the place. But I sometimes long for home and comfort even within this great environment. I just feel like I’m missing something. Well at least I did…

That’s the thing about moving away from your home: you’re desperate to leave but you realize how much you appreciate it once you’re gone. Through homesickness and perhaps unrest or discomfort in your new life, you slowly understand your surroundings as your new domain.

I started working at a bar downtown where I met so many lovely people who really made the city feel like more than a place for school. The time I spent working there every weekend night added a new perspective to the city. Also, running is a huge part of my life and I began to enjoy my running routes where I could observe this quaint and historic place. Running was a release when I could breathe in the beauty that surrounds me here every day.  

I did have one initial tie to Nova Scotia already which is my grandma. She lives down on the South Shore, so while she is a big part of why I love it here, seeing her on a moments notice isn’t quite possible. Then I met my boyfriend, Chris, and falling in love with him and his entire family added an entirely new dimension for me. Now, I feel so connected to a family and every Sunday night at dinner, I spend time with fantastic people that have welcomed me with open arms. 

I realize now that I didn’t see the full beauty of this place until it felt like more of me belonged here. I still identify with BC and the life I hold close back there. But through the connection to love, family and my own autonomy within this city, I grew a fondness unique to Halifax. 

Nothing will ever replace the mountains I can see from my back window at home. Nothing will replace the running routes of my youth or the walks on the Seawall. Nothing will replicate the connections I have to BC. But what I do know now is that nothing will replace what I have here either. I’ve realized that connections cannot be replaced. And through opening myself up to Halifax—incredible in its own right, I realize that home has more meaning than one.