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First impressions from a new local

Robert's Rules

Just over four months ago I was in a very different place. I was still in school, I was in Montreal, and I was interning at the Eastern Door, an independent newspaper catering to the Mohawk community of Kahnawake.

More than just geographically, though, I was in a very different place mentally. After four years of hearing about how dire the job market is for new journalists, with no job prospects and growing student debt, the world outside of university seemed impossible. Grad school seemed easier than growing up.

I didn’t move to the Coast for a job, initially. I moved here last October because I had no money, no desire to move back into my parents’ house, and after being short-listed — but ultimately rejected — by a few publications around Canada, no motivation to even keep trying.

I worked out a deal with my parents that I would caretake their property in Halfmoon Bay until they could find a prospective tenant. This suited me fine. With only groceries to spend money on, being broke wasn’t really a problem (until I really ran out of money).

After the chaos of downtown Montreal, the quiet beauty of the Sunshine Coast was like an oasis in the middle of my 20s.

As soon as I gave up, everything kind of fell into place. A woman who came to look at the house mentioned a job posting at Coast Reporter. I applied, and a couple weeks later I found out that I had gotten it — minutes before I was about to call my parents with an “I have zero dollars in my bank account and I’m hungry” conversation.

It has been almost a month since I started working and moved up here permanently. There has been a bit of a culture shock, like when I found out that absolutely nowhere will deliver fast food to Halfmoon Bay — even in the middle of the day. And I haven’t found a Pho restaurant anywhere. I’m starting to think there isn’t one.

Plus there’s the ongoing mystery of what young people do for fun here. I know they exist, I’ve seen them in town, but what do they do and where do they go?

Mostly though, the transition has been an easy one. I enjoy the work I’m doing. I especially enjoy telling the dire-job-market naysayers about the work I’m doing — and I love living here.

It’s not like Montreal, obviously, but it’s not like Kahnawake either, and I did think living here would be at least comparable. The Sunshine Coast has its own feel, and it feels good.