Ten Things I learned on the School Yard About Relocating to a Small Town
This blog was originally published on September 5, 2018
Yesterday was the first day of school in Ontario. For many people September is like a New Year. It symbolizes fresh starts and new beginnings. That was definitely the case for many students and parents in the school yard yesterday in the small town of Thornbury, including my family.
Although we have been living here since the beginning of summer, the reality of our relocation really hit today as my son walked into a brand new school. Rather than running across the field to say hi to friends he hadn’t seen all summer, he stuck close to my husband and I and took it all in.
He was not the only new kid, in fact there were at least 50, not including the kids just starting school in junior kindergarten. As we accompanied our son to the library, where all the new kids gather on the first day, I spoke to and heard other parents share that they just moved here (some just a few days before) and the large majority came from the GTA.
Top Ten Things I Learned About Moving to a Small Town
Here are the top 10 things I learned speaking to other parents and hearing about the journeys of my fellow Bliss Home Seekers.
You think you need to find the perfect neighbourhood with the perfect amount of kids living on the perfect street. In small towns like Thornbury this does not exist. The kids come from far and wide and a lot of your neighbours are retirees. So don’t over think it. Find what works best for you, the friendships and connections will come.
You don’t have to sell your house in the city. Many families are keeping their roots in the city and are renting their Toronto homes to help buy a house here, or keeping it as home base if they need to commute to the city.
One person in the relationship may have wanted this more than the other, but the more resistant person needs to be willing to come along for the ride. In the end they typically end up loving it, too.
Most often one person in the relationship is either commuting, or has had to rethink their career to be up here.
Everyone worries about taking their kids out of a great school back home, uprooting them, and leaving their friends.
Adults worry about leaving their friends and support networks, too.
Most people here were in your shoes not that long ago, so they are super friendly and willing to help.
People are not rushing. They moved here to slow down, and they do.
The local shop owners and staff are so friendly and get to know their customers. And everyone says hi to you and smiles on the street, because they probably know someone who knows you, or will meet you somewhere down the line.
People love it up here and feel at home pretty quickly. And those who have been here a little longer than us newbies say they have never looked back.
Are you thinking of relocating? Do you want to leave leave a big city life for a small-town dream? I can help you Find Your Bliss Home in the Southern Georgian Bay Area. I specialize in working with families from the GTA and surrounding areas moving to Collingwood, Thornbury, The Blue Mountains and Meaford. I bring the hustle and service you’d expect from a realtor in the city to the country. And I can help you navigate the process based on my own experience. Let me help you Find Your Bliss Home.