Toronto is home to me for a multitude of reasons. The most important one is that this is where my family decided to take on the challenge of starting a new life. As a fourth-year student and a second-generation immigrant, I see the city as a safe space, and possibly one I will leave behind as I consider my opportunities after graduation.
What I’m most grateful for is the opportunity to have been exposed to so many different cultures by living in Toronto. Coming to university, talking to people from small towns who hadn’t experienced the same upbringing as I did was interesting. At this time, I also realized how much more there was to learn. Many describe the city as a melting pot of cultures, which feels like an accurate description. There are a number of neighbourhoods which are named after the ethnic groups populating them. All of this to say, it’s pretty much guaranteed you will feel seen in the city.
That’s what I love most about the city: the feeling of being seen and sharing culture with my community. I’ve travelled to other cities in different parts of the world, and it’s astonishing to see how different they are from Toronto. I realize how much I love looking around and seeing people from all over the world. From the city’s music, food, art, and fashion scene, it never ceases to amaze me. I can’t imagine living somewhere that doesn’t offer as much variety and liveliness as Toronto.
I have a very specific memory which happened to me this summer. I was meeting some friends for dinner at a place we had seen on TikTok. It was on the streetcar ride where I realized how much of the city I haven’t seen and how beautiful it is.
I had my headphones on and it felt cinematic: looking around and seeing all these people around me experiencing their lives in the same physical place as me, yet doing such different things than me. That might be true to say anywhere but something about being in a new part of the city really made these thoughts land differently. I got to Trinity Bellwoods, which I had never been to before, and everybody was enjoying the outside in their own ways. Families, friends, pets — everyone was soaking up the sun and loving their life. This is where I said to myself, I love this city.
Since then, I feel like I’ve truly lived a lot differently. I’ve had a very active mindset — saying yes to experiences I would’ve pushed aside in the past or talking to new people and listening to where they grew up and how it compares to my experiences, whether they are from Toronto or not.
I’m a big believer in the mindset that we are in the right place at the right time. I think I needed to experience that moment when I did.
I’m in my fourth year and ready to graduate. In all honesty, the thought of leaving Toronto is really scary because I’ve had a lot of conversations about what my next plans are, but I truly have no clue. I’ve become open to the idea of leaving the city, even the country for a little bit. I do believe though, that I want to eventually come back and settle down in Toronto.
I mean, this is where my parents decided to go to start their lives together. Toronto is where I met all my friends and created a community of people I love and trust. I’ve had the privilege of gaining different experiences from living here. I wouldn’t be the same person without what the city has to offer.
With all of this being said, I am beyond grateful to be living in Toronto. I am proud of the person I am, and I owe a lot of that to the city and its culture. Looking ahead, I really have no sense of where I should go but I do know that I will not hold myself back.
If you live in Toronto and have had the opportunity to be immersed in the culture, I hope we can agree that this city is rich with vibrancy.
I have no clue where I’m going to be in five years, whether it be in Toronto, or even in Canada. I do know, though, that I will always feel welcome here and that it will be my home forever. I treasure the city and believe it to be my safe place.
To Toronto: thank you for all that you’ve done for me and my family.