Sometimes you just know that a relocation is the right thing to do and that you did it at the right time. Although I have worked remotely since COVID-19 meant a job layoff for me, I had lived in the same city for 27 years and knew it was time to move on. I knew this when I could no longer tell people I liked the area. No, there is nothing wrong with the city or the region – although it’s infrastructure hasn’t kept up with its growth – it was a combination of things. The aforementioned growth and relentless construction, traffic issues, the feeling that it was yet another bedroom community of Toronto with out of control housing prices, the feeling I wanted to go off in a different direction, and a few things with people that are better left unpublished.
The rumblings of wanting to move began in 2018 but a good job at an established high tech company working with outstanding people kept me from making that leap of faith. However, I sensed it was time to do something about it back in the late winter of 2023, so I did what anyone would do: I stayed in various cities and towns to get a feel for the everyday pace and life of each one. I like Alberta and would likely love British Columbia but Ontario, although I wasn’t born here, is my Canadian home. I wanted to be near a large body, or bodies, of water, live in a less populated area, and far enough away from my city of 27 years that it felt like that fresh start I wanted and needed. I wanted to be nearer to nature than I was, with lots of trails nearby.
I toured both the Lake Huron and Lake Erie coastlines and while each town had its charms and beauty, most were missing the intangibles and negatively answered the question, “Can I see myself living here in five years?” It didn’t mean I had to be living there in five years, but could I.
East of Toronto, I considered small cities along Lake Ontario, as well as the The Kawarthas. Gradually, I narrowed down my choices according to my mental checklist and the winner was The Kawarthas area. I am near a small city with at least 15 lakes within a short drive – plus one in the city itself, I don’t have to deal with traffic jams at anytime, I can see myself living here in five years, and I am far enough away from my previous address that it is not only the physical, but mental fresh start I needed.
John Berkovich Talks 