Toronto

I arrived in Toronto a day before yesterday after a very long journey from Koh Phangan, Thailand that involved taking a drive through some very bumpy jungle roads, going between islands on a ferry, and taking four different flights across three continents. The 40 hour trek had me completely exhausted so the first thing that I did after arriving in Toronto was to take a 14 hour nap.

I feel a bit strange in this city and it hasn’t started to feel like home at all. I feel like a tourist who is trying to explore a new place while trying to get accustomed to new surroundings. The first few different things that I noticed since my arrival include how much space there is in Canada, the huge amount of maple leafs and Canadian flags in the city, and the superb customer service at stores and public institutions. Over the years I had become accustomed to abysmal levels of customer service in Ireland to the point that it seems somewhat strange and even creepy to have people who are so nice or attempting to be so nice and asking about my personal life while I am trying to pay for things in a shop. I love this about Canada. Another thing that I immediately noticed after moving here was how quiet it is everywhere. Perhaps I am only noticing this because I have moved to suburbia after living in the congested and loud city center of Dublin.

I am still recovering from jet lag but I plan to start exploring and getting myself familiarized with this place soon. Toronto is a massive city and I feel a bit overwhelmed at the moment. I have so many things to do including finding employment that I am purposely trying to distract myself and not think of them so I that I am not inundated by the stress from all that I have to accomplish in the near future.