700th entry spectacular!
Bob called today whilst I was enjoying my steamy plate of stirfry at Mam's across from the always-lovely Julie Gilulie to tell me that he was offered a job in the big T.O. File this one under "Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it." As most of you know, for years I was completely hot-in-the-twat to move to Canada. I waved the maple leaf flag high, learning all the words to the most popular arrangement of O Canada, took the immigration test and scored high on it, and reupped my knowledge of the French language. During the darkest days of the Bush regime, before I forced myself to go cold-turkey on the lefty blogs (which, I admit, is like sticking your fingers in your ears and going LA LA LA, but I am so much happier now than I was then!), I felt that a move to Canada, esp. a move to the remote corners of Canada, would be a wise move in the preservation of our liberties and our lives. We would have free health care, safe streets, and all the gay marriage and Nanaimo bars we could possibly want.
Oddly enough, after our two week Canadian honeymoon last August, my ardor for Canada has cooled. Though I am still all abouts the Canada, I am no longer ready to pack up my house and make a run for the border. During our six days in Toronto, I found myself liking the city. It's a fun, cool place, sort of New Yorkish without the overcrowding and public wizzing that ultimately drove me from the city. There are cool ethnic neighborhoods--I was particularly taken with Kensington Market,--a subway system (we could probably get by on one car), restaurants (where meals are double-taxed, so eating out isn't always the cheapest thing), real sugar in soda. There is a lively comedy scene there, a ready-made improv community for us to (hopefully) jump on into. Oddly enough, Bob's announcement comes on the heels of my casually mentioning to him that I'd love to do the Humber College comedy program (it's the only school in North America that offers a degree in comedy writing and performance).
Other factors:
*We'd have to live in an apartment, with less space and common walls. Bob hates common walls.
*The physical act of moving. I think that you have to pay an entry tax on moving all your shit into the country. It's not like we could just zip a U-Haul across the border. I also think we'd have to sell our car and get a new one up there, or pay a hefty vehicle importation tax where just buying a new one makes more financial sense. Stressful!
*Toronto has a pectus doctor. I might have to wait a year to see him, but hey, he's there.
*Corey's reasoning for leaving Austin and going to NYC. He wasn't necessarily unhappy in Austin, he just knew that he'd reached the pinnacle of where he'd be career/improv/social/etc-wise and decided being comfortable wasn't the best thing for him in the long run, so he took the risk of moving and was happy to do it. Do I have this sense of adventure? I just see myself landing in Toronto with no Geegsters and no friends to have lunch with and over-leaning on Bob and feeling I-S-O-L-A-T-E-D.
*As I recall, Toronto was pretty expensive. And what am I supposed to do with milk in a plastic bag? (I know, stick it in a pitcher, but fuck that!)
*Do I really want to live in the hellbitch SNOW again?
On the plus side, Bob would probably dig his job, I'd get to go to Canadian grad school, and it would probably iron itself out after several months.
I think there comes a point in any Austinite's life where they have to ask themselves, "why am I still here?" I've got a very comfortable and fun life here, get to be a wacky creative, but in terms of career, I don't really see myself working any job other than some library gig that I'm lukewarm on. Hopefully the novel-writing career I've craved my whole life with pan out? There is the seduction of reinvention. There is that CBC internship I'd like to take.
Something to think about, I guess.
WHAT????
Posted by: Jules at January 21, 2007 01:41 PM