It has been 10 months since I arrived in Toronto. I flew in on Air Canada, direct from LA, by myself. Two stuffed suitcases, a laptop bag--clutching way too much paperwork for immigration, my arrival to early May Toronto weather (cold wind and rain), deflated my flagging energy. What was the beginning of my new life here felt like the end of a marathon run where I just barely made it to the finish. In the months preceding my arrival Ron, Robbie, Hannah and I worked hard to achieve this seemingly simple transition. The process began over a year before, with the hiring of an immigration attorney, the lovely 'Birthday' medical exam (Robbie and I spent July 14th, 2009 being poked, prodded and then signed off on our simple medical requirements) and the hurry up and waits of working with two governments (well three if you count the State of California) to fill out, track down and submit in triplicate, the reams of paper required for the ultimate 'red stamp' of a Canadian residency. There was a house to 'fix up and sell' in a Southern California market that was plummeting, an alternative home to purchase in a 'hot' Toronto market, a school to locate for Hannah and the continued challenge of helping Robbie select and settle on a University that fit our budget, his desired program and personality. Back in Summer of 09 it seemed that we had started early enough and had a long time to get things accomplished. Little did I know that we were just warming up and that the pace would quicken.
To be continued--
