I’ve been flying to and from Toronto for the past six years and I wasn’t short of the city’s photos. This year is quite different because it marks Year 1 of my permanent stay in the city. A few weeks’ stay and I thought that the city looked and felt different from what I used to remember. There was this sense of uncertainty instead of the usual excitement that I always feel whenever I visit.

I wasn’t going out as much as opposed to my husband’s co-workers had advised me (“Enjoy the summer while it is still here!” they said) and instead I pretty much became a homebody while searching for jobs. I think this took my husband by surprise (and he was disappointed too, I think) since we always go out when we are together and recently I have been declining a lot of his invitations. It deeply troubled me that I am being a financial burden to my husband and to my in-laws so I was compelled to stay at home as much as I can.

Despite this dark cloud looming over my head, I am deeply grateful to my new family (my in-laws have been very welcoming and have officially became my second set of parents) and to our new and old friends who have opened their houses and arms to welcome me.

It’s been a bother unboxing my cameras but lately I’ve started taking photos again. I’ve decided not to worry if I’ve seen familiar landmarks time and time again. I want to capture how I see Toronto now that I am part of it. These are some of the photos I received back from the lab. 🙂