The million dollar question. The question everyone wants to ask but they wait for the "right moment" to bring it up. Yet when they finally dare to ask they still emphasize a joking tone in case I might get offended. I understand the curiosity and I understand the intention of the question. So ask away, because there’s no need to be awkward. The reason why I haven’t started working yet is not due to a lack of opportunities or failed attempts, but rather by my own choice. The truth is that even though there were some opportunities that were presented they weren’t always what I was looking for and it wasn't an easy decision to make when it came down to it. For example in some instances the offices were quite far andnot so easy to get to using public transportation. During the summer having to travel by tram, subway, bus for 45 min and then walk 5-10 blocks walk is no problem. But during the cold months, which as you may have read on my previous blog are many, the idea is a bit more daunting and the opportunity would have to be close to perfect to be worthwhile. This year I also had a lot of trips that I had commited to such as family birthdays or close friends' weddings which in a way shortened the time I had to find a job or at least go on interviews. Some opportunities simply weren't the right fit, either the company or the role responsibilities weren't aligned with my desired career path. Finally, among other obstacles, one of the most difficult things to explain during the process was the issue of our stay in Toronto, which solely depends on Justin's contract. I can't honestly confirm that we will be in Toronto long term, even if I wanted it, it wouldn't be the truth and that was a factor that impacted whether I could even apply for certain roles. So yea, long rant, but I had to explain, because I'm sure people were wondering that too :) And so as the end of the year approaches, I’m still unemployed, but I’m a firm believer that things happen for a reason and to be honest a year off has worked out well for us. It allowed us to spend time together, gave us the privilege of settling in Toronto without being in a hurry and we also got to go on some awesome adventures.

So without further a do, I’ll try to answer the question that prompted this blog; although keep in mind that it’ll be a bit hard to do because every day was and is different. The flexibility of our routines allows us to decide what we want or need to do on a day by day basis. Having a lot of time in my hands I also learned to slow down and approach tasks in a calmer manner. But anyway, a common day without special events would be as follows:

I like to work out first thing in the morning, as soon as I jump out of bed and before my stomach is full, so for the most part that’s my first activity of the day. This year I tried different styles of work out including yoga, barre, bootcamp (or functional training) and of course my beloved walks or runs at the park or lake front. Another thing I’ve learned to enjoy is eating breakfast at a slower pace. I like to sit down with my cup of coffee or tea and whatever the accompanying item is that morning and read the news while I savor my meal. Hopefully once I start working again I can keep it up and not return to the breakfast as you go routine. Anyway, by the time I’m done with breakfast and working out at least two or two and a half hours have gone by. The next part is what varies greatly from day to day depending on the mood. I spend the rest of the morning writing, reading books that have been on my radar for years, or if we have a trip coming up I start planning flights, hotels, things to do, etc. Of course I also spend a good amount of time looking at open job postings, what’s available out there, what companies in the area I’m interested in, etc. This also includes working with my recruiters, letting them know what is going on my end and on their end getting news about what might be opening up, application/interview strategies and other fun stuff. Around noon before lunch I like to go for a walk. As I usually have lunch around 1:00-1:30pm if I go out for a while before that, there is a lot of people around at the restaurants, parks and streets, so it's a good time for people watching. When I get back I start preparing lunch, nothing fancy. While I’m eating it’s a good time to talk to family and friends who are also having lunch if not, I catch up on some of my TV shows.

After lunch I tend to do some cleaning (which I’m kind of an expert at now). If there’s nothing to clean I spend some time listening to music or doing some of the things I did not get to do in the morning like reading, writing, job hunting, etc. It does not sound like much, but the hours pass by quickly and around 2:30 or 3:00 Justin’s home again.

The funny thing is some of his friends have asked us what we do the rest of the day once he’s home. The first time we got the question we were caught off guard, because really it’s not something we sit and think about. Anyway, the first couple of months we filled the afternoons with settling in, getting things for the apartment, decorating, unpacking. Once we were settled the weather was nicer and we took advantage of that by going on on long walks, exploring the city, discovering different neighborhoods, restaurants, and cafes. With time and as we become more familiar with the city the afternoons were used for shopping, reading, studying, enjoying the parks, admiring the the lakefront, we even played tenis a couple of times. Of course, sometimes we stay in the apartment. Planning things we want to do at the end of the season or watching a TV show everyone is raving about. This year we saw Breaking Bad. In the evening around 6:30-7:00 we choose a recipe and go to the supermarket. It is so close to our place that we practically go everyday and buy what we need for dinner as well as my lunch the next day. After that it’s time for cooking. Sometimes while waiting for dinner to cook we play yahtzee or look for new music. Other times we watch TV. Then we just relax and hang out until its bedtime.

Now, I know I could have gotten involved in a lot more things like studying, taking music or sports lessons, done community service, etc. The reason I didn’t do those things was because I didn’t want to get too comfortable not working and enjoy not having a job too much that 'd get to the point where I would stop looking or making an effort to find a job. In the end this year flew by, between trips home, visits, weddings, sporting events, cultural events and everyday life it is now the end of the year and hopefully next year I’ll be back working, but if not, well things happen for a reason and having that in mind y continue on happily.