A Small Step Back for a Big Leap Forward

As I sit here in my eastern Mississauga, Ontario, condo living room, 3 nights before the BF and I will start the big move, nostalgia sets in as I think back on all the great times we've had here. You see, there was nothing I loved more 2 years ago, at the age of 24, than to declare to my mother, "Peace Out!" and fly the coop for the first time in my life. I felt lucky to have found a 1300 square foot condo for rent, minutes from the lakeshore and one of my favourite GTA communities, with a stunning view of the Toronto skyline and Lake Ontario. Sure the rent was a tad bit on the pricey side, sure the hydro wasn't included and sure there was an extra charge for the BF's parking spot. I felt like I had scored large, despite my pockets being tight, and I relished in the beauty of my new home. It was the coolest place for my girlfriends to hang, many a Nerdy Girl Night In was spent on the spacious balcony, clinking glasses, laughing and admiring the view.

But ultimately, I knew it to be true. This home was not mine. I was a renter longing to let my inner home buyer spring to life. And so, with much resolve, I made the decision to downsize my living, in order to save the necessary funds for a down payment on a home of my own. Although the search proved long and laborious, I was lucky enough to nab a "less-than-dream-home-yet-more-than-dream-price" apartment, only one block west of my current not-so-humble abode.

Sure, there will be a bit less space and a less than perfect view (the 2nd floor doesn't leave much visual access to the T Dot). Sure the floors aren't hardwood and the community boards in the lobby aren't decorated with invitations to social gatherings put on by the "committee" (did I ever even consider going to those???). But the fact of the matter is Nerdy Girls, the duckets saved during my 12 months there, will go straight towards owning something of my own.

Sometimes in order to achieve the greater goal, we have to do things that up close may feel like taking a step back, but as a part of the bigger picture & our overall success, are crucial. In my case, it was choosing to let go of the picture-perfect condo (that wasn't mine) for something a bit smaller and less glamorous, in order to save for property which will be mine. For other Nerdy Girls, it may be choosing to cut hours at work in order to go back to school or taking a pay cut to get our foot in the door at a new company or in a new industry.

Whatever your temporary sacrifices may be, hold your head high and wear your plan proudly girlfriend, because your small step back is only the prelude, to your big leap forward.