We have dreams.
You know when you're a kid and you're like... when I grow up, I want to do ____?
Dreams put on hold.
I had recently moved to Edmonton from my hometown of Leduc. I was pretty happy to move away from there… not a lot of great memories or relationships to be had. Moving to Edmonton was absolutely the best thing I could have ever done. I was in school and living on my own in a basement suite off Whyte Ave. Living my absolute best life. Even when Covid broke out… I wasn’t overly affected too hard. I mean sure, it was hard not to see my friends all the time, but we found ways to “safely” hang out and I got a solid job at Hope Mission for the summer.
When I started dating my husband Mike, he was a couple weeks out of testicular cancer surgery. On our second (third?) date, he had just found out that his cancer had spread to other parts of his body and he would have to go through three rounds of chemo. He was able to get a paid medical leave from his mechanical engineering job, and I was in school studying to be a music teacher, so I was able to hang out at his place and help take care of him. I had to make a real quick decision on whether or not I liked hanging out there (a real quick DTR!!). He had to quarantine during Covid due to being quite immunocompromised, and the only way I could be around him consistently was if I did too.
During our extensive time together in this period, we got to know each other well (not like that you perv, we’re good Christian kids! Mostly. That’s for another post). Mike was telling me all about his dreams of moving to Amsterdam and doing his masters in biomedical engineering. He said he was seriously considering applying and moving there before his diagnosis, before he met me.
Now, Mike is fascinated with the mechanical workings of the body. During one of his co-op terms while completing his mechanical engineering degree, he was able to work with engineers in a hospital in Edmonton where they created artificial limbs for amputees, therefore needing to understand how their bodies move and function mechanically. Since this he has unfortunately been forced to work in positions that interest him less, but pay the bills (though he really likes his most recent job and his co-workers! Absolutely no complaints there).
I’ll make another post all about his health stuff in the future, but for now know that he is healthy and cancer free (PRAISE GOD).
And what about now?
Since getting married in July of 2021, we’ve bought a house, raised a puppy (another oof), he got a new engineering job that he’s really enjoying, I (finally) graduated university, and we’re thinking about kids and our future.
We don’t want to stay in this house. We have randoms walking through our yard at least once a week. It backs onto a busy road so we hear vehicle noise and sirens constantly (though I do love when my doggo howls at these - sooo cute). We are also VERY close to Mike’s family… which we thought would be great but in reality it’s… a lot. We would love some independence (Mike’s fam, if you read this, please know I love you and am extremely thankful for you and everything you do). We still have three or so years on our mortgage term, but we have some goals…. which may or may not come true. But hopefully they do.
#Goals.
If we stay in Edmonton (umm yup just keep reading lol) we would like to move somewhere closer to one of the main arteries of the city (Whitemud or Henday) without being right on a busy road. We like the slightly older areas with larger lots, which means it would probably be a fixer-upper if we can afford it and we’re okay with that.
If we do not stay in Edmonton… we would love to move to Sweden. We plan on visiting fairly soon (hopefully) to make sure this is for sure a place we’d be interested in. There are plenty of mechanical engineering and music teaching jobs. I know someone who taught music there and they absolutely loved their experience. Once you’re an EU citizen you can have FREE schooling, which is how Mike would like to complete his masters.
Yes I know. We would no longer own a home (which is normal there). We would be away from friends and family. We’d be paying a lot more taxes. We wouldn’t know the language well (at first). You also get a lot more out of the services you pay for. The overall quality of life is supposed to be greater. Debate me, I have answers (haha). So, we’ve been working on our Swedish language basics. Looking at the cost of living and what it would take to unroot ourselves from our place here. This would definitely not happen within the next year. But maybe next year? Oof. Don’t come at me.
As scary and drastic as this all sounds, we know that we only have one life and we want to live it! We have one chance to see and experience this planet. One chance to meet people and explore and see nature and culture around the world. Why wouldn’t we do this while we’re young and able? With Mike’s past health issues, we know that anything could happen to either one of us at any time. It doesn’t matter how healthy you are. Life is short, why spend it only on the mundane and expected?
I love Edmonton. I love Canada. I’m not sure I could stay away forever. But also I’ve never lived anywhere else, so I don’t know what kind of attachment I’d have to other locations. I haven’t had a lot of places that were actually “home” in my life. The only real safe home I’ve had is one where I was living on my own or with Mike. Neither of which were in my “hometown”. Also, the unknown is kind of attractive.
So here we are…
Again, if anything happens it won’t be for a little while. We’re not in a position to just get up and go. Mike still has to be monitored/checked for cancer every few months. Mike has a solid job and he would need to be pretty darn sure about having another one before giving it up. I… really don’t have any reason I couldn’t go right now. But also my parents just got home from living in the Middle East. We’re talking about having babies and that would be hard without family and friends here.
So for now these are dreams. And that is fun and exciting and nice. And scary and strange and fun.