Growing up in the midsize city of Vancouver, Canada, I always dreamed of living in a big metropolis — a cultural hub where something was always going on, with endless places to explore.
For a while, I did. When I started dating a Brit, I moved to his hometown of Birmingham, England, the second-largest city in the UK population-wise, with over a million residents.
After five years there, I began missing the ocean, the mountains, and the laid-back vibe of my home province. So, we headed back.
Eventually, we settled in the small city of Victoria, the provincial capital of the nearby Vancouver Island, where my family had moved while I was in the UK. It made sense for us to restart our lives in Canada, where we had family support.
I didn’t know if we would end up staying, but now it’s been two years, and we’re mostly loving our life on the island.
Victoria’s got some great perks, from its walkability to its laid-back pace
I always enjoyed visiting Victoria while growing up, since it was just a 1-½ hour ferry ride from the mainland. However, I worried I’d find living there boring, as I’d always lived in and craved bigger cities.
Luckily, after experiencing the hustle and bustle of Birmingham for many years, I found myself appreciating Victoria’s calm pace even more.
With a population of less than 100,000, the city rarely feels crowded. It’s also surrounded by peaceful shorelines and beaches, so everything feels more chill.
It didn’t take me long to appreciate Victoria’s compact size, either — nowhere feels too far from our apartment in our super walkable, central neighborhood.
Every essential amenity we need is within a 15-minute walk — including grocery stores, a hospital and medical clinics, a drugstore, and a post office. Even my hair salon is less than 20 minutes from my home on foot.
Beyond that, we can reach beautiful beaches, parks, and the downtown area within 30 minutes. Even if we need to drive across town for something, the ride is never too long — we can get just about anywhere in under an hour.
I no longer have to feel frustrated watching UK buses and trains get delayed, then pile onto them like sardines with hundreds of other commuters when they finally arrive. I don’t have to push through massive crowds on big boulevards or in busy shops, either.
Here, I feel like I always have room to breathe.
Though it’s small, Victoria also has a good variety of cafés, restaurants, shops, and other cultural establishments. I’m still discovering new gems two years after moving here, so I definitely don’t feel bored.
Sometimes I do miss aspects of living in a big city, though
If there’s one thing I’ve learned after all my moves, it’s that nowhere is perfect. As much as I love my new life in Victoria, I miss some of the perks of bigger cities.
Having grown up in a city with an international airport, I find traveling is now more challenging and less convenient. Victoria has a local airport, but its international flight offerings are generally limited to just a few US cities and Mexican resort towns.
I often travel to Asia and Europe, so I need to leave from Vancouver to get more direct flights. Traveling to Vancouver can add anywhere from a few hours to an extra day to my travel time — I spend the night there if I have an early morning flight or a late-night arrival.
I also miss having more entertainment options. I’ve been to fantastic events in Victoria, from intimate concerts to comedy shows. However, as a smaller city, it pretty much always gets passed over on tours from the bigger artists I love.
Though I enjoy the option of going to Vancouver, I have to debate whether an event is worth all the extra travel expenses I’d incur, from ferry tickets to a hotel room for the night.
My husband and I pick one or two gigs we really want to see a year and make a trip of it, but I’d go to a lot more shows if I were still in Vancouver and only had to worry about ticket fees.
Finally, I miss the diversity of bigger cities. Victoria is fairly diverse for its size, but it still doesn’t compare to larger cities like Vancouver or Birmingham, let alone metropolises like Paris and London.
As an immigrant with a mixed ethnic background, I miss the bigger cultural communities of Vancouver, where I was able to more easily connect with people with diverse backgrounds like mine.
Despite everything, I love my new life in this smaller city
The drawbacks don’t outweigh all the positives of living in Victoria, and I’m surprised at how much I’m enjoying small-city life after dreaming of big ones for so long.
Sometimes, I feel like I’m in a fairy tale (or at least a quaint rom-com) as I walk among the free-roaming deer and colorful heritage houses.
I love the walkability, the compact infrastructure, the lack of crowds, and the fresh ocean air. My husband and I can see ourselves staying here for a long while.
Plus, when I’m missing bigger city vibes, I’m always happy to make the trip to Vancouver when needed — even if my wallet may not be.
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