One thing lead to another...
In 2010 I did a solo backpacking trip through SE Asia, where I met and travelled with 3 British girls for the majority of the time. We clicked and got along so well, that for years after our adventures we stayed in touch! I travelled to the UK in 2012 to experience the Olympics and stayed with one of the girls in Brighton. I was only supposed to stay for a few days, but ended up staying a month. I fell in love with the place. Being originally from a small Canadian country town, I had never experienced a place that was so open and accepting. I moved there the following yearI applied for a Visa and moved to Brighton in 2013.
4 mths into settling I met Toby through a friend. My friend at the time asked if I wanted to go with him to meet some of his friends, who were meeting in the nearby park drinking tinnies in the sun. At that time I hadnt made many friends and was excited at the thought of meeting new people. As I walked down the park me and Toby instantly locked eyes. I laid down beside him and cracked a beer. We laughed, he teased me for my accent, drank beers in the sun. From that moment on, we started dating.
6 months later, I was at the 1 year mark for my Working Holiday visa, meaning I only had 1 more year to go. We had the difficult and real conversation about what our future looked like. I had done a lot of travelling (solo) up until that point, ever since the age of 18, but Toby hadnt been many places outside of holidaying in Europe.
I explained to Toby I wasnt ready to move back to Canada, and that Australia was the next on my list. We started to prepare for the idea we would move there together after my visa expired a year from then. Toby became very scared and nervous as the time approached, realising he was going to leave his super-strong and tight knit friendship circle, as well as his family. It was a very stressful time, mixed with a lot of mixed emotions (excitement and anxiety).
In August of 2015, the time came and my Visa expired, I headed home to Canada to work and save for a few months before we were to move down to Australia. During this time I had encouraged to go and travel SE Asia...you know, get a bit of an idea of travelling and living abroad....HE DID IT, Solo for 4 months.Upon the completion of Tobys trip, he travelled back through the UK to have an early pretend Xmas with his family, and then onward to meet me in Canada for Xmas....where he would meet my family for the same time. After Christmas we travelled to LA for a friend's wedding, and then onto Sydney (40 hours later via Seattle & Ghuangzhou).
We settled in Sydney January 2016 in Redfern and slowly started making friends and a new life. We were present for the YES Vote for Marriage Equality, and continued to grow a life here. It was difficult to settle into Sydney, it can be a tricky city to make friends as its so big, and there are so many different pockets and neighborhoods. But we opened our hearts to many, and approached people with kindness. We have a beautiful friendship circle and chosen family here now.
In 2019 Tobys best friends came to visit us, we did a weekend trip to the Hunter Valley, where Toby surprised me and got down on one knee! I said yes. We had planned our wedding for August 2021, but sadly we had to cancel due to Covid. The biggest upset was that it would be the first time our Canada + England + Australia families would meet. However, we pushed on and replanned for a local wedding here in Sydney at the Paddington Reservoir for May 2022! It was beautiful!
We have had many ups and downs together, it not being easy to relocate overseas as an individual....let alone a couple. But we persevered, stayed true and honest to eachother and supported one another through open honest conversation. We are truly eachothers rocks.From May 2022 to this coming May 2023 we will have gotten married, bought a house, officially received citizenship, and will travel to our honeymoon to Tel Aviv!
In 2010 I did a solo backpacking trip through SE Asia, where I met and travelled with 3 British girls for the majority of the time. We clicked and got along so well, that for years after our adventures we stayed in touch! I travelled to the UK in 2012 to experience the Olympics and stayed with one of the girls in Brighton. I was only supposed to stay for a few days, but ended up staying a month. I fell in love with the place. Being originally from a small Canadian country town, I had never experienced a place that was so open and accepting. I moved there the following yearI applied for a Visa and moved to Brighton in 2013.
4 mths into settling I met Toby through a friend. My friend at the time asked if I wanted to go with him to meet some of his friends, who were meeting in the nearby park drinking tinnies in the sun. At that time I hadnt made many friends and was excited at the thought of meeting new people. As I walked down the park me and Toby instantly locked eyes. I laid down beside him and cracked a beer. We laughed, he teased me for my accent, drank beers in the sun. From that moment on, we started dating.
6 months later, I was at the 1 year mark for my Working Holiday visa, meaning I only had 1 more year to go. We had the difficult and real conversation about what our future looked like. I had done a lot of travelling (solo) up until that point, ever since the age of 18, but Toby hadnt been many places outside of holidaying in Europe.
I explained to Toby I wasnt ready to move back to Canada, and that Australia was the next on my list. We started to prepare for the idea we would move there together after my visa expired a year from then. Toby became very scared and nervous as the time approached, realising he was going to leave his super-strong and tight knit friendship circle, as well as his family. It was a very stressful time, mixed with a lot of mixed emotions (excitement and anxiety).
In August of 2015, the time came and my Visa expired, I headed home to Canada to work and save for a few months before we were to move down to Australia. During this time I had encouraged to go and travel SE Asia...you know, get a bit of an idea of travelling and living abroad....HE DID IT, Solo for 4 months.Upon the completion of Tobys trip, he travelled back through the UK to have an early pretend Xmas with his family, and then onward to meet me in Canada for Xmas....where he would meet my family for the same time. After Christmas we travelled to LA for a friend's wedding, and then onto Sydney (40 hours later via Seattle & Ghuangzhou).
We settled in Sydney January 2016 in Redfern and slowly started making friends and a new life. We were present for the YES Vote for Marriage Equality, and continued to grow a life here. It was difficult to settle into Sydney, it can be a tricky city to make friends as its so big, and there are so many different pockets and neighborhoods. But we opened our hearts to many, and approached people with kindness. We have a beautiful friendship circle and chosen family here now.
In 2019 Tobys best friends came to visit us, we did a weekend trip to the Hunter Valley, where Toby surprised me and got down on one knee! I said yes. We had planned our wedding for August 2021, but sadly we had to cancel due to Covid. The biggest upset was that it would be the first time our Canada + England + Australia families would meet. However, we pushed on and replanned for a local wedding here in Sydney at the Paddington Reservoir for May 2022! It was beautiful!
We have had many ups and downs together, it not being easy to relocate overseas as an individual....let alone a couple. But we persevered, stayed true and honest to eachother and supported one another through open honest conversation. We are truly eachothers rocks.From May 2022 to this coming May 2023 we will have gotten married, bought a house, officially received citizenship, and will travel to our honeymoon to Tel Aviv!
end