6 reasons why I'm nervous to move back to Canada after living away
I moved away from Canada (specifically my hometown, Ottawa) just over a year ago, and it's honestly been a dream.
I've spent the past year travelling around Japan and have definitely been spoiled by the cost of living, food, public transit and so much more.
Now that I'm getting ready to come back to Canada, I'm excited (I love where I'm from) — but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous, too.
So without further ado, here are the six things I'm mentally preparing myself for as I get ready to hop on a plane home.
1. The cost of living is going to hurt
You already knew the cost of living was going to be first on my list.
Part of the reason I wanted to leave Canada in the first place was to get a little break from the high everyday costs, and now I'm getting ready to come back to them...
Before I left Ottawa, my two-bedroom apartment cost more than $1,900 a month in rent alone, and that's before Wi-Fi, tenant insurance, hydro and everything else.
So, I'm definitely not looking forward to getting back on Facebook Marketplace and scrolling through pricey rental listings again.
To be fair, though, I don't want to settle down in Ottawa when I'm back, so I'm open to moving to a new province where rent might be a bit more manageable.
Then there's the much bigger question of whether buying a home in Canada is realistic for me (and many other Gen Zers) these days, but that's a topic for another day.
2. I'm not looking forward to tipping culture
I know we all have mixed opinions about tipping culture, but before I left Canada, I already felt like it was getting a little out of hand.
After living in Japan, I feel even more strongly about that.
Eating out is a huge part of everyday life here, and I stop by a restaurant every other day or so. I can get an absolutely delicious, filling meal for under CA$10, and I definitely wasn't finding that back home in Ottawa.
And then there's the fact that there's no tip expected!
I absolutely want people back home to be paid more because, obviously, we all have bills to pay... but I don't necessarily think customers should be 100% responsible for bridging the gap either.
So I'm not exactly looking forward to hearing, "It's just going to ask you a quick question," before the classic 15-30% tip screen when I'm ordering takeout or fast food again.
Don't cancel me.
3. Grocery shopping is going to be an adjustment
I've already mentioned the high cost of living, but grocery shopping deserves its own category.
Imagine my shock when I saw Canadian maple syrup from Quebec on a Japanese grocery store shelf for about CA$6, when the same thing back home would cost me $9 or more. It's literally made in Canada!
I could afford groceries back home, but I definitely felt the pinch and relied on plenty of little hacks to save money and find deals on the things I needed.
And I know plenty of Canadian families are having a much harder time affording everything they need.
Certain things in Japan, like fresh fruit, are absolutely more expensive than in Canada, so I definitely miss those prices back home.
But when it comes to meat, bread, eggs and other everyday basics, I've found Japan much easier on my wallet.
After getting used to those prices, I'm bracing myself for my first grocery trip.
4. I'm not sure what coming home will feel like
Even though it's only been a year, I've built what feels like a completely new life.
I've travelled across Japan, formed new habits, adapted to a new culture and made friends that I'll miss a ton when I'm back in Canada.
So, I'm curious to see what it'll feel like to start over in some ways.
I know I'm going home, but I'm not necessarily going back to the same life and routines I had before.
I think my back-in-Canada era will be a pretty big transition period, especially since I'm not sure where I'll end up living or what I want my life to look like long-term.
I'm excited to find my place in this next chapter, but there are also a lot of unknowns — and uncertainty can feel a little spooky sometimes.
5. Japan has definitely raised my convenience standards
Japan has been so incredibly convenient that I think my bar is permanently raised.
The trains are fast, pretty much always on time, and make it so easy to take a day trip to a nearby city.
Public transit in Ottawa is definitely a little questionable by comparison, and every local has an OC Transpo story.
Similarly, I can find a 7-Eleven on what feels like every corner in Japan, where you can get hot meals, smoothies, pay bills, use the ATM, print or copy documents, and even buy event tickets.
Back home, our convenience stores feel like places you'd really only go in to pay for your gas...
I don't know about you, but gas station snacks haven't been a good price since I was about 10 years old — and they never had a good old bento box either.
6. I'm bracing myself for Canadian winter
I'm not a winter hater by any means.
In fact, I'm always down for a skate on the Rideau Canal, a couple of toboggan rides and at least one good snowball fight.
But I definitely don't enjoy shovelling my car out of the snow, freezing rain, winter parking bans and the brown sludge that our boots drag literally everywhere.
And how could I forget the cold?
I was very spoiled in Japan because I barely experienced what I'd call a true winter. It snowed once for maybe 30 minutes, and then it was gone just as quickly as it came.
To be fair, I did have to wear a jacket in the winter, but it was nothing like back home.
I really enjoyed not needing a hat, mitts, a big jacket and the whole shebang just to leave the house.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
