Newly single and 42, I left Connecticut for Montreal on a whim. People told me I was brave.

Moving from Connecticut to Canada gave Erin Levi a panic attack.

Provided by Erin Levi Last summer, Erin Levi left Connecticut and moved to Montreal on her own .

She barely knew anyone in the city, and relocating at 42 gave her a panic attack.

Moving to a new city while working for herself was hard, but it made her feel brave.

Last summer, I left my life in Connecticut behind and moved to Montreal on a whim, without a plan.

People told me I was brave.

Really? I'm a travel journalist.

I've followed a snow leopard expert across Nepal; I've lived with a family in Uzbekistan who didn't speak English; and I've had a private encounter with the King of Bhutan.

Montreal is only a 6-hour drive from my hometown in Connecticut.

It didn't seem brave to me.

It seemed, frankly, safe.

Yet moving here at 42 gave me a panic attack.

I hadn't been to Canada in more than 12 years and barely knew anyone.

After my parents dropped me off, we spent a few days exploring my new city together, where it's easy to get by without a car — it felt like the start of another semester abroad.