Vancouver woman moves back to Calgary after the 'worst decision' of her life

A Metro Vancouver resident achieved a huge milestone in purchasing a property by the age of 25, but later regretted it and has now moved back to Calgary.

Daily Hive Urbanized spoke with Cat Young, a full-time YouTube and content creator who has been essentially chronicling her life, with all the ups and downs that have accompanied it. Young had initially moved to Vancouver from Calgary in her early 20s, “looking for a change of pace and scenery.”

The decision to move back comes down to Young chasing her passion, and her story contradicts the typical Canadian dream of owning a home.

“Leaving Vancouver marks the start of a pretty big personal and creative reset.”

“The worst decision of my life”

When Young was 25 (she’s now 27), she purchased a condo in the Burquitlam area, near Lougheed Station, and on the surface, an ideal spot for a young creative. It’s a transit accessible suburb, and everything is just steps away. The Burquitlam area is about a half-hour drive away from downtown Vancouver, or about 40 minutes by transit.

She initially moved to B.C. for work. However, the cons outweighed the pros for Young.

“I got an accounting degree, landed a job in tech, and used the salary to buy a condo. But I quickly realized I didn’t actually care about any of it. I didn’t want to spend my days in a job I didn’t enjoy just to afford a mortgage for a lifestyle that didn’t fulfill me.”

For Young, the condo she bought became a financial and emotional burden. While buying it was the worst decision of her life, she called selling it one of the best choices she’s made.

“At some point, I decided I’d rather live below my means if it meant I could invest in myself, learn what I actually wanted to learn, and build a life that felt meaningful on my own terms.”

In one of her videos, Young discusses the ideas surrounding the title of homeowner and what it meant to her ego.

“I had to wrestle with myself, coming to the realization that I couldn’t keep this place anymore.”

She said that she kept a lot of pride about being a homeowner at 25, but had a message for her followers.

“Don’t be living for a house. I know some people think that life is just working their dead-end job to afford a place to live and the mortgage, and I just feel that life should be more than that.”

Young isn’t alone in having these feelings. Earlier this year, we shared the story of a Redditor who said the cost of living was discouraging him.

“It sucks, honestly. I feel like I exist to work, and work to exist; that doesn’t exactly help with motivation or mental health,” the Redditor told Daily Hive Urbanized at the time.

A big lifestyle shift between Vancouver and Calgary

When people discuss the issues facing them in Vancouver, numerous topics arise, but the cost of living is probably the one that comes up most frequently. That was the case for Young when weighing her life options, along with a couple of other realities.

“I started feeling burnt out by the cost of living, the isolation, and the pressure to keep up. I wanted space–both physically and mentally–to start something new,” she said.

“I’m originally from Calgary, so in a way, this move is also a return to my roots and a chance to be closer to family. And honestly, life is just more affordable here.”

She told Daily Hive Urbanized that she grew tired of keeping up with the lifestyles of the ultra-wealthy, which she believes has become the norm in Vancouver.

“It stopped making sense for the kind of life I actually want.”

She also joins the many who have turned to their families for support while chasing their dreams, and Young told us how much she’ll be saving.

In Vancouver, she was paying $4,000 per month just for her mortgage, strata and other fees. Additionally, she’d typically pay around $1,500 per month for food and entertainment.

In Calgary, she’ll be paying $0 for rent, $0 for groceries, and $0 for transportation, which she calls “the perks of living with parents.”

Moving in with family is not an option for everyone dealing with the high cost of living, and even for some who do have that option, they may be reluctant to rely on their parents for financial assistance. But for anyone chasing their dreams, if the option is on the table, it’s easy to see why it could be an attractive choice.

An ongoing migration trend

Young’s reality of moving to Alberta is part of an ongoing trend that has developed in recent years. While Young’s situation is slightly different in that she already has a place to go, many B.C. residents have been moving east for cheaper living.

The BC Ministry of Finance noted this in a report released earlier this year.

“The province continued to experience an outflow of interprovincial migrants over the past five quarters, largely due to migration to Alberta,” it said.

There have been other reports on the number of Canadians moving from provinces like B.C. and Ontario to Alberta.

“An estimated 7,693 British Columbians moved to Alberta, compared to 4,523 Albertans who moved to BC, for a net gain of 3,170,” said Statistics Canada last winter.

There are folks on the other side of the coin, too. We spoke to a woman who, earlier this year, after living in Alberta for a while, realized that she preferred living in Vancouver, even though she’d have to make sacrifices to make it work.

“I’ll never be able to buy a house here. I might be able to get a condo,” Tara Barron told Daily Hive Urbanized.

We asked Young what she’d miss most about Vancouver.

“My friends and the nature, lots more green spaces, but it isn’t worth the steep price tag anymore.”

If you have a story to share like Young, get in touch with us at vancouver@dailyhive.com.

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