Growing up in Vancouver I assumed that’s where we’d stay, but things have a way of changing. So back in 1998, after a third baby our townhouse in Champlain Heights was getting too small we craved a house with a yard and enough bedrooms for the kids. We soon realized that we weren’t going to get even close to that in the city, not with our budget.
We started looking at our options, and it became clear that Vancouver didn’t give us much more than what we already had. After exploring other communities, Mission stood out. It was smaller, but so much more affordable. But it wasn’t without trade-offs. My husband would have to commute, which wasn’t ideal, but overall the move made sense for where we were in life.
At first I was uneasy about leaving the convenience of the city. In Vancouver, everything was within walking distance; in Mission, that wasn’t the case. But you adjust faster than you think. Day-to-day life settled in, the community felt solid, and the lifestyle change started to fit. Now the kids are all grow up, built their own lives. And through it all Mission has remained home for me.