(Post #2 ) How It All Began: A Condo, A Midlife Crisis, and A Whole Lot of Nerve

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You know how some people buy a sports car when they hit retirement? Well, I bought a condo on a whim during a visit to my daughter in British Columbia (BC). It was supposed to be a casual house-hunting trip—just a bit of fun to pass the time. But then, like a shopper in a boutique who sees the perfect dress, I found myself saying, “Yes, I’ll take it,” without so much as a second thought. And just like that, I was the proud owner of a condo a block from the seawall, with my Ontario home on the market and COVID-19 lurking around the corner. Why worry about what’s around the corner when you’ve got impulse buying?

Selling my Ontario home was a breeze, and living in a rental until my condo was built wasn’t too bad either. Before I knew it, I was flying west. But in my rush, I not only left all my belongings in storage, along with my car parked at my friends home, I also left those two very dear friends with the monumental task of getting everything shipped to me in BC. Thankfully, they handled it all without a hitch, and for that, I’m incredibly grateful. I said goodbye to my friends, family, and—let’s be honest—any sense of rational decision-making. Retirement, they said, would be a time to relax, to put your feet up. Well, let’s just say I took that advice, threw it out the window, and opted for a life of perpetual motion instead.

Once settled in BC, I quickly realized that while my new neighbours were busy mastering their sports training and hosting family barbecues, I was itching for something more. Sure, I had a new condo, a grandbaby to dote on, and a gym membership to keep me busy—but something was missing. Perhaps thinking about my second whim of a purchase, a 7.6-acre of river front vacant land (with only blueberry bushes, trees and rocks) in New Brunswick sight unseen. Maybe it was the debt it brought with it. Either way, the retirement life wasn’t quite living up to the hype.

Then came the lightbulb moment: Why not lease out my condo, pay down the debt, and live rent-free? It sounded like the perfect plan—except for one small detail: I had absolutely no idea where I was going to live. But hey, figuring things out on the fly had always been my style, so why stop now?

The Condo

 Next: Post 3 From Condo Comfort to Polar Bear Plunges


Location: Sidney, British Columbia

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