I moved to a dreamy small town in Ontario to escape city life — the reality was unexpected

For most of my life, I lived in Toronto , but I spent years assuming that one day I would escape it.

Not necessarily forever.

But I certainly had a very romantic idea of what life somewhere smaller might be like .

I'd have more space, more nature.

I'd know my neighbours.

Maybe I'd start gardening, become a regular at a Luke's Diner-type of place.

I'd spend less money and more time outside, and generally become a more chill, more wholesome version of myself.

Eventually, I actually did it! I packed up my Toronto life and moved to Gananoque, a small Ontario town of around 5,500 people in the Thousand Islands.

And to be fair to my fantasy, Gananoque really is dreamy.

It's surrounded by some of the prettiest scenery in Ontario.

There are old homes and historic buildings, a waterfront, little shops, boats everywhere in the summer, and the kind of cute little downtown with ma and pop shops that you can walk across in no more than 10 minutes.

After Toronto, where simply getting across the city could feel like a quest and a half, the contrast was enormous.

I had more space.

Nature was everywhere.