O Canada pt2: positivity and motivation

• Part one: finality and evolution
• Part three: equilibrium
• Part four: distance
• Part five: clarity and inevitability

A series of personal essays reflecting on moving to the other side of the world. There are no conclusions. Sorry. I’m working on it.

Here is a list of things that suck: looking for a job, not having any friends, being cold.

If the ‘list of things that suck’ and the ‘list of things that are inevitable when moving to Canada’ were a venn diagram, it would just be a circle.

So how to you stay motivated and positive when all of the above is true? Like, how do you get out of bed most days?

This isn’t one of those things where I present a bullet point list about how to be better, I don’t know the answer. I’m trying my best. It’s really hard.

I know the spring is coming, but there’s months of winter to survive first. I will get a job eventually, but the constant rejection is disheartening. I will make some friends but it would be great to have some familiarity first. The snow will thaw but it’s cold as fuck right now. I’m trying to be kind to myself but it’s easy to get frustrated. Frustrated that I’m not better. Frustrated that I’m sad. Frustrated that I’m frustrated with myself. I’m going to the cinema a lot because it’s warm, but also as a way to get out of my own head. Popcorn is self care.

There’s always a positive to be taken from each day. I live in Canada!! I’m proud of myself for that. Spring is coming real soon. Be kind to yourself until then.