Part 3 -Big Life updates

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My mom passed away on October 16, 2022. She had pancreatic cancer so I was prepared for this but it still hard. My dad also passed away from cancer so I was already familiar with the process of what happens after a parent passes this time is different because my mom and I did everything together before. My mom and I were each other’s bubble during the pandemic and we were each other’s social life for a long time. It is a tough adjustment now living in a different city where I don’t know many people without the person that I spent most of my free time with. My moms last words to me were be strong you are strong I will hold on to that. My mom also wrote a goodbye letter to my brother and me. I’m not sure if my brother has read it yet but I want to say if you are going to write a goodbye letter don’t wait until you are heavily medicated and in lots of pain to do it or just don’t do it. I’m holding on to the actual memories I had with my mom the letter has been given to my brother to do wh
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Part 2 what has been happening in my life

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If you have not read part 1 you can read that here 
Part 1 What has been happening in my

My mom had moved to Ottawa before me and stayed in apartment hotel in downtown. I stayed with her for awhile. This was a hard adjustment. My mom and I were both used to living alone but close to each other. My mom had already made this her home as much as one can in a hotel. I had my own bedroom and bathroom in the hotel but no area to sit and the area was not the greatest. Ottawa is very safe but downtown is downtown everywhere especially as mental health issues and homeless populations increase due to the pandemic. The nice thing was the mall and Byward market were close by and vegan food options were easily accessible. 


I was looking for my own place but the condo market was overpriced. I found a place that had an option to rent and thought it would be a good idea to rent until after I have experienced winter here. Through connections things ended up working out my mom’s retirement home and the apartment I am renting are a block away from each other. 


I love the area and the apartment I am living in now. It is a very walkable area with lots of small businesses along with great vegan food options. There is even a farmers market and during the summer a night market. Ottawa night time is from 4-8 pm everyone sleeps at 9pm here. I love how it’s a busy area during the day and at night it is quiet. 


The view from my apartment window is amazing. Everyday it looks like a different painting. The building also has fantastic amenities like a rooftop, gym,



I really like Ottawa. When I think about the things that have happened this year it all seems very stressful. My mom and I often talk about how things have worked out great here and we keep getting connected with the right people. I hope I will have more time to write about life updates in the future as there are so many things happening. Let me know in the comments or on Instagram @livingottawalocal if you enjoy the life update series. 





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