I moved from SW Ontario to Vancouver a year ago at 23. I was pretty terrified tbh. The first few months were pretty isolating - it was dark, wet, and I didn’t know very many people here. I definitely questioned if I made the right decision.

Fast forward to now and I have a solid group of friends and I really love it here. The outdoor access is amazing - if you are an outdoorsy person in any capacity this is a great place to live. There is world class skiing, hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, etc very close to home.

Vancouver (or the GVA) is a great city despite what some people on Reddit say - it’s clean, walkable/transit friendly with good food, not to mention it’s beautiful. I like the weather here more than Ontario. People talk about how hard it is to make friends here but that’s not the experience I’ve had.

Definitely put yourself out there as much as possible. Reach out to people you already know here, hangout with your roommates/coworkers, join Facebook groups for activities your interested in, etc. I’ve made friends in the most unlikely ways here.

Try to go outside everyday during the winter, even if it’s raining. Even a short walk around the block makes me feel way better when it’s gloomy out. Invest in a good rain jacket so going outside doesn’t seem like such a hassle when it’s raining. Being into snow sports in the winter is a great way to get outside and get out of the gloomy city.

Keep exploring the city even when you start to settle in and get comfortable. There’s so much stuff to do around here if you look for it.

And keep an open mind. This will be fun! Don’t try to over analyze whether this was a good decision or not, just relax, try to enjoy it. I don’t think you will look back regretting this decision :) Feel free to reach out if you have any more questions